Why growth changes the operational demands behind multi-academy trusts Growth does not just increase the number of schools within a trust. It changes the operational demands behind how those schools work together day to day.What once worked effectively across a small number of schools can quickly become harder to manage consistently at scale. Proce...

When Keystone was set up, we knew that we would primarily provide support to schools in a range of areas, such as HR, health and safety, auditing, and trust growth support. Over the past 12 months, we've been approached by a few school business professionals who are looking at setting up new MATs. Nominative determinism is the idea that people tend...

"Why do we do things this way or that way?" That is the question that often goes through my mind whenever I enter a school or trust. Why is the status quo the status quo? Is it because it's the right thing to do, the best way to do things or the easiest way to do things? Academisation has given schools and trusts more freedom than ever to run ...

The government released their white paper on schools, "Opportunity for all: strong schools with great teachers for your child". The white paper is Nadhim Zahawi's first as education secretary. We've read the report and here are the key things that you need to know.   Multi Academy Trusts  Perhaps the most controversial aim laid out i...

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As educational institutions increasingly rely on technology to manage sensitive data and deliver effective learning outcomes, safeguarding digital infrastructure is more crucial than ever. With the rising volume of data and reliance on digital platforms, cybersecurity for schools has become a top priority. To add to the challenge, many trusts are n...

At Keystone, we talk about culture, both internally and externally. Workplace culture is a huge aspect of a positive, efficient school. It's just as important as having good salaries, but it is much harder to quantify and even harder to change. Having a good workplace culture can increase your staff retention, boost productivity, make recruitment a...

Change in schools is inevitable. Whether it's adapting to new government policies, implementing the latest technology, or shifting teaching approaches to better serve students, schools and trusts are always evolving. But change isn't always easy. Without the right approach to change management in schools, even the best-intended initiatives can lead...

The impact of Ofsted on student's wellbeing The charity States of Mind has produced a short film called Breaking the Silence, which offers a fascinating insight into how students view the educational system in the UK. Using the input of 150 students and 80 head teachers, teachers and Ofsted inspectors, the charity found that young people say that t...

Retainers can be a fantastic way to get support and advice from professional experts – without the cost of their salaries. Here are four reasons you should consider a retainer this coming school year. The best (and sometimes not so best!) thing about working in education is that no two days are the same. There is always a new project to oversee or ...

With the recent December 31st deadline to submit details of your internal scrutiny to the DfE (Department for Education), you may feel that internal scrutiny is not your favourite subject amongst the myriad of daily and monthly things to consider when running a school or trust. But what if you could change the narrative around internal scrutiny and...

Internal scrutiny for schools, academies, and trusts is often seen as a compliance exercise, but it's essential for driving improvements across your academy and trust's operations. The Academy Trust Handbook (ATH) requires all academy trusts to have a programme of internal scrutiny in place to provide independent assurance on the effectiveness of r...

The Department for Education (DfE) has released the 2025 draft of the Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) guidance, which comes into effect on 1 September 2025. This statutory document is essential reading for all schools, colleges, and education providers in England. While this year's update is described as containing only te...

HR supporting trust growth

The role of HR in the expansion of MATs is multifaceted and central to long-term success. As MATs look to expand, strategic and operational HR practices can help or hinder both the attraction of schools to the trust and the ease with which they convert and are assimilated into trust practices. What is strategic HR, and why should expanding MATs car...

 DfE to stop reporting Covid absences The government has returned to pre-COVID updates on the absence. The DfE removed their "questions on pupil absence due to COVID-19", which means that there will no longer be a record of absences caused by Covid. Schools will now include any COVID-related absences under the 'illness' code on the register. H...

TikTok fight leads to surprise Ofsted visit Concerns over the safeguarding at Northampton International Academy have been raised after a TikTok video showed three students punching and hair pulling two other students. The academy has had many ups and downs with their safeguarding in recent months. The school was rated 'good' in their last full Ofst...

 Schools White Paper The biggest school's headline in March was the release of the school's white paper. The paper was Nadhim Zahawi's first as education secretary. The paper laid out the key ambitions of the government: Every school should be part of a MAT by 2030 Up to 6 million "tutoring courses" by 2024, with tutoring becoming a permanent ...

Appraisal time is approaching! Appraisals can be a time of high stress. It's normal for even the most confident, beloved teacher to feel some anxiety at appraisal time. Appraisals shouldn't be a rod to beat your teachers with, but should be a part of a wider conversation around school improvement. A good appraisal should be thorough but supportive,...

The new Keeping Children Safe In Education report was released earlier this year. Although there weren't any major changes to the report, there were some important additions. Our experts have gone through the updates to bring you this digest. Child-on-child sexual violence Sadly, child-on-child sexual violence and harassment are stil...

Using an external partner for internal scrutiny can be a worrying task, with your procedures and practices being put under scrutiny and tested for weaknesses. But is internal scrutiny really a scary prospect?  Schools and trusts are already carrying out internal scrutiny routinely, often on a day-to-day basis, it just isn't nece...

In academy finance, GAG pooling is now an important topic of discussion for multi-academy trusts (MATs). Pooling was once seen as a niche or controversial practice. Now, it is a key way strong trusts manage their resources and plan for growth. What is GAG pooling? Why is it becoming popular? What should trust leaders think about as they deal with t...