People and

Culture

People and

Culture

LDBS People and Culture

Comprehensive support for Church of England schools dealing with HR issues

Additional services are provided through our partner Grow Education Partners. There is more information below about our services, or view or download the brochure.

Our fully qualified People and Culture team brings together expertise from across the education sector. When you require HR advice, you need a speedy response. Our personalised approach means schools enjoy unlimited email and telephone support with same-day response for urgent situations including parental complaints.
— Terri Patterson, People and Culture Director

Find out more here about People and Culture services in

HR support

HR Support

Enabling children to thrive is the mission of LDBS Church schools; to achieve this, they need hard-working and committed staff. The People and Culture team at LDBS is here to help Church schools foster a motivated staff team. We understand the standpoint of Church of England schools in interactions with their local authorities and communities. We also have a special breadth of experience, as we support schools across 18 boroughs.

Through our core service we support you with:

  • Up to 90 minutes’ legal advice in relation to any personnel matter

  • Template contracts and policies

  • Specialist HR support when forming and reviewing partnerships, federation and academisation options

  • Regular personnel updates

  • Regular training sessions

  • Advice about the London Living Wage and its accreditation process

  • Liaison with unions and local authorities

Grow Education Partners

We offer a more comprehensive HR service through Grow Education Partners. Costs range from £839 to £6,069 p.a. depending on school size. The service includes:

  • Employment law

  • Discipline and workplace resolution procedures

  • Managing organisational change

  • Performance, capability and attendance management

  • Dealing with parental complaints

  • Establishing effective working relationships with trade unions

  • Terms and conditions for teaching and non-teaching staff

  • Negotiation of settlement agreements

  • TUPE in relation to outsourcing services and organisational change

  • Audits of single central records and personnel files

  • Preparation of documentation for, and attendance at, hearings

  • Preparation of contracts of employment

  • Advice in relation to health and well-being support

  • Payroll services through our preferred supplier

  • Occupational health pay-as-you-go service through one of our partnerships

  • Free access to HR training courses

Recruitment

Recruiting skilled and motivated staff, who embrace your culture and expectations, is critically important for the success of any school. Our professional support can help you with the practical realities of the recruitment and onboarding processes.

Our support includes:

Processing some 450 DBS applications every year is one of the ways that we help you to make sure Church schools are safe places for everyone.
— Clare de Courcy Ling, Recruitment Officer and Administrator

Grow Education Partners

We offer a more comprehensive Recruitment and Selection service through Grow Education Partners. It costs £450 per year and covers:

  • Job adverts placed in targeted and promoted LinkedIn Job Slots

  • Template application packs and job descriptions for school leaders

  • Candidate social media search for shortlisted school leaders

  • Psychometric testing for shortlisted school leaders

  • Further support is available as follows on an ad hoc basis:

  • Psychometric testing for other positions: £95 per candidate

  • DBS checking service and counter-signatory service: £38 per candidate

  • LDBS is registered with the Home Office as a Visa Sponsor for: Skilled Worker Visa applications (for experienced teachers), Student Visa applications (for student teachers), and applications for teachers switching to a Skilled Worker Visa from a Student Visa: £550 per application plus Home Office fees.

Conflict resolution

Sometimes things go wrong. If they do, we are here to help. Schools are welcome to contact us with concerns about disputes or conflict. Through the core service we provide telephone advice. We have a number of trained mediators who can provide an informed but independent approach to support you to resolve conflict or disputes. Mediation support is included if your school buys our comprehensive HR service through Grow Education Partners. Other schools are very welcome to contact us for prices.

Headteacher appraisal

Schools are required to appoint an external adviser for guidance, support and consultation on establishing headteacher appraisal objectives. This support add-on will provide you with a Grow Performance Manager to ensure that your headteacher appraisal is carried out in line with current regulations.

As a supportive and developmental statutory process, your headteacher’s appraisal process should underpin your school’s ambition for continuous improvement. All of our Performance Managers are accomplished education professionals or have previously been headteachers with extensive experience of working with governing bodies and headteachers. After meeting with the headteacher and the panel, they will help formulate clear objectives that are appropriate to your school’s context, your headteacher’s level of experience and meet the requisite criteria of Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic & Time-Bound. This is part of the packages of support provided by our Grow Education Partners.