Each academy pays a contribution of 5% from their General Annual Grant. This enables the Trust to provide core services which:

• are required to enable the Trust and each individual school to fulfil its statutory and other duties
• provide immediate and ongoing school improvement support to each school
• are required to ensure appropriate responsibility to the DfE, Local Authority (which still carries statutory responsibility for education outcomes for children and young people residing in Kent), the Charity Commission and other relevant bodies

The Trust provides the following benefits:

Finance and Business Services

• Initial finance set-up, training and support to ensure compliance with statutory requirements
• Ensuring academies remain focused on educational priorities by supporting all financial and business support functions
• Central finance function including accounting returns to the Charity Commission and Education Funding Agency, VAT accounting and recoupment, annual external Audit of Accounts (mandatory), Accounting Officer (responsible to Parliament), monitoring of accounts
• Budget preparation and management support
• Support and training relating to accounting and budgeting software
• Ensure compliance to the Academies Handbook and Accounts Direction

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In addition, the Trust offers the following support:

Quality Assurance for school effectiveness

• At least 6 visits per year
• Securing improvement resources and training from a wide range of providers​

Data analysis, target setting and pupil progress reviews

• Triangulation of evidence, demonstrating impact
• Headteacher appraisal

Premises and Insurance

• Support to manage projects, bids or capital development
• Emergency support e.g. building damage or dealing with the media
• A comprehensive risk management tool

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Common Infrastructure Services

This exists to ensure best value as well as consistent reporting. It is important that all academies within the Trust use common infrastructure services so that specific external services and internal management systems are standardised.

The Trust will procure and charge for the following (including licences where appropriate):

• In-house Payroll and Pensions
• Combined software for HR, Finance and Budget Management
• HR Advice/Consultancy through Worknest
• Health and Safety audits, advice and consultancy through Worknest
• Management Information System including assessment, behaviour and safeguarding tracking (Bromcom)

Other services required by an academy can be commissioned by the individual academy in line with devolved responsibilities, which are described in the Scheme of Delegation. The Trust will also ensure that academies are able to take advantage of its ‘buying power’ by providing access to additional services where it has already undertaken due diligence, e.g. IT and recruitment specialists.

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The Trust also provides:

• Opportunities to access coaching for leadership and other training
• Training and support for Local Governing Bodies
• Model statutory policies and guidance/principles for others
• The opportunity to commission pedagogical action research projects through Canterbury Christ Church University and participate in post-graduate courses
• School to school support
• A bespoke data management system
• Opportunities to increase the effectiveness of the school SIMS system