Keystone Knowledge was set up by CEO Stephen Mitchell in January 2020, bringing together his passion for education, knowledge of the sector and desire to see improvement in operational practices. The Keystone journey began with helping schools and trusts in financial difficulty and has expanded to support education providers across the country. The...

As an academy trust, the safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors are paramount. But navigating the world of health and safety compliance can feel like a daunting task, especially with all the regulations and rules to follow. The good news? Getting it right doesn't have to be complicated! In this blog, we'll walk through the basics of ...

Recruitment in the education sector can be a challenge, particularly in the current economic climate. Retaining talent and attracting quality candidates to your setting shouldn't just start when you have vacancies; it's part of a long-term strategy. Your strategic thinking around recruitment should include: What will your team look like in a year's...

Keeping up to date with legal and regulatory compliance can feel like a full-time job as the changes to the ATH can be never-ending. While it's a relief to be able to say, "we're compliant", is that really enough? Why being compliant matters Compliance takes many forms. It covers aspects from regulations around; providing parents with information o...

At the 2022 Bett show, the education secretary Nadhim Zahawi announced that all schools would have access to high-speed internet by 2025. He also promised an additional £150 million to help schools upgrade their Wi-Fi connections in 55 EIA (Education Investment Areas). Similarly, the schools white paper laid out the DfE's plan to create a "strong e...

Since 2016, the Academies Trust Handbook has detailed exactly what schools and trusts have to do in order to remain compliant. There are also requirements detailed in the Equality Act 2010 and Children and Families Act 2014. Websites are often fall to the bottom of the "to do" lists and it's easy for them to become out of date. To help you keep on ...

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Keystone has recently taken on a new marketing executive who has come from outside of education. The first thing she said was, "It's amazing how many acronyms there are. It's like you're talking another language made entirely out of letters!" Schools strive to be as approachable as possible. We aim to use clear and simple language in letters and le...

The Academy Trust Handbook requires all trusts to have a programme of internal scrutiny to provide independent assurance to the board that its financial and non-financial controls and risk management procedures are operating effectively. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that internal assurance in a trust needs to focus mainly on expendit...

As employment law continues to evolve, employers in the education sector need to stay updated on legislative changes to ensure compliance and maintain a safe working environment. A key area undergoing significant reform is harassment legislation, which introduces new preventative responsibilities for employers. The Employment Rights Bill was introd...

Safer recruitment online checks

Checking social media and online presence as part of safer recruitment practices was introduced as a 'should' in Keeping Children Safe in Education 2022, and as we all know, with KCSIE, a 'should' is really an instruction to 'go and do'. The process itself is quite simple, but it can be difficult to know where to start when 'online' is such a broad...

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The Procurement Act 2023 represents a significant shift in how public sector organisations, including schools and trusts, manage their procurement processes. Designed to improve transparency, efficiency, and value for money, the Act introduces new requirements and opportunities that all educational institutions should understand. This guide provide...

 In paragraph 215 of the new KCSIE guidelines, which came into effect on 1st September, schools and trusts carry out an "online search (including social media) as part of their due diligence on the shortlisted candidates." Conducting in conjunction with adequate DBS checks, a search should only be used to find any "incidents or issues" involvi...

The Social Mobility Commission has just released their State of the Nation 2021 report which details how social mobility has been impacted by the pandemic. Social mobility is the link between your income and your parents' income. There is a strong relationship between high inequality and low social mobility. If there are high levels of inequality i...

Although the role of governors has changed drastically over the last few decades, they still remain absolutely vital for schools to run effectively. More and more emphasis is being put on the accountability of the governors to run the school correctly. Although not strictly from an academic background, governors set the strategy for the school or M...

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In the ever-evolving educational landscape, managing risks effectively is a critical responsibility for trusts. With tighter regulations in place and increasing expectations from stakeholders, adopting a tiered approach to education risk management can be a game-changer for trusts. What Is Education Risk Management? Education risk management involv...

We all recognise that benchmarking matters, but without action, it's just numbers on a page. The top-performing MATs—the ones consistently in that top 10%—don't treat benchmarking as a tick-box exercise. They use it to shape strategic decisions and drive meaningful change. In our recent blog, Benchmarking Financial Health: A Key Tool in Due Diligen...

Cost savings with effective HR

With today's ever-tightening budgets, schools face the challenging task of delivering exceptional education without stretching resources too thin. HR isn't something that automatically springs to mind when looking for cost savings, but effective practices can save both time and money. Let's explore how strategic HR practices can help save costs. Re...

Schools, academies, and multi-academy trusts (MATs) can expect a busy period of legislative change that will affect policies, budgeting, and staff welfare. While 2024 brought several important adjustments, the bigger reforms could land in 2025 if the government's proposals become law. One such key UK government reform is changes to the employment l...

Social media is something we can't live without, but it's important to sure that our staff and students use it responsibly. Our free social media template will set out how everyone can use social media safely.  Click below to download your free copy.   Keystone-Free-Social-Media-Policy 49 kb Download Files

Teachers are at the front line of both teaching and pastoral care for students, but what can you do as a school business professional to support them?   Teachers mental wellbeing has been poor According to NASWT's Teacher Wellbeing Survey, 91% of teachers say their job has negatively affected their mental health and 64% say that it has im...