Proud 2022/2023 sponsors of Faversham Strike Force FC Under 15's Thunder & Faversham Tennis Club

August 2022

Now it's the end of the school year, we're planning ahead to exhibiting at The Education People Show at The Kent Event Centre, Detling on the 10th November. 

The Education People Show is Kent’s leading event for the promotion and development of effective school leadership, management, learning and teaching featuring a high-level conference, inspirational workshops and a comprehensive exhibition of leading suppliers of services to schools and academies. Keynote speaker this year is Susie Dent, Lexicographer & Etymologist best known as one of Countdown’s Dictionary Corner Experts.

This free-to-attend event is Kent’s largest exhibition and conference for the county’s Head Teachers, Finance Directors, Bursars, Business Managers, Governors, Local Authority education leaders, PTA’s, IT Managers and school leadership teams from the state, academy and private sectors.  

Register now on the Education People Show website - we look forward to meeting you there!

July 2022

A national study by The Confederation of School Trusts, published last month ahead of its annual conference, reveals how the sector is preparing for the government’s ambitious Schools Bill. The Bill, the first major legislation for schools since 2016, is set to deliver on the government’s mission to raise standards across the country, increasing attendance and improve safeguarding for children.    

The trust study, based on a survey of over 300 accounting officers and senior leaders, found that improving education quality and growth were top priorities.  With an expectation that most trusts will be able to serve a minimum of 7,500 pupils or run at least 10 schools, growth was seen as a higher priority for trusts between two to 10 schools. For many this is seen as one of the biggest challenges – noting that “achieving growth without sacrificing educational quality requires careful thought and leadership”, where rapid development can put too much strain on wider school improvements.  

SEND support, for children with special educational needs and disabilities, was another concern predominately for larger trusts seeking improvements. Spending cuts were said to be catastrophic with a reportedly £1.3 billion deficit within the SEND system. 

May 2022

The Schools Bill (published 12th May), the first major legislation for schools since 2016, is set to deliver on the government’s mission to raise standards across the country, increasing attendance and improve safeguarding for children.  

Paving the way for all schools to join a strong multi-academy trust, the bill provides a framework for a new, legally enforceable set of standards. These new statutory academy standards will help ensure trusts remain strong, stable and effective. It will also provide protection for grammar and faith schools to retain their status within MATs.  

The bill is backed by huge government investment, funding will rise by £4 billion in 2022/23 compared with 2021/22, representing a 7% increase per pupil. £5 billion has been pledged for the Government’s education recovery programme, offering catch-up tutoring for students who fell behind during the pandemic.  

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “We are determined to raise standards in our schools so every child has access to the same opportunities wherever they live, and our brilliant teachers are supported to do what they do best, which is why we’re putting our education ambition into law this week. By giving every child a good education, we’re giving them the opportunity to thrive so they can reach their full potential and secure the jobs needed - this is absolutely vital to our levelling up mission.”  

April 2022

The Government’s ‘Opportunity for All’ schools white paper (published March 28th) sets out an academy shakeup within England’s school landscape – with significant reforms for multi-academy trusts, schools and local councils. 

Most interesting is the announcement that trusts are expected to have at least 10 schools or 7,500 pupils by 2030, currently 53% of existing trusts have one school, and 75% have under five. Free schools would be a possible exception, which could initially open as a standalone trust. 

In January 2010, there were just 203 academies with fewer than 200,000 pupils. Last year over 4.5m pupils were educated in nearly 10,000 academies. According to a recent survey of multi-academy trust schools, they reported improved expertise-sharing, recruitment, retention and curriculum resources. The trust expansion outlined in the white paper is planned to be supported by £86 million funding over three years. 

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi commented: “This is levelling up in action. The ‘Opportunity for All’ White Paper will deliver for every child, parent and family…harnessing the incredible energy and expertise of the one million people that work in schools.”

March 2022

Government reform plans announced last month are set to target the UK’s education support and investment programme – part of the broader ‘levelling up’ initiative – to boost high quality teaching across the country.  

Areas such as County Durham, Cornwall and Hartlepool have been identified by the report as ‘cold spots’ where school outcomes are weakest.  In these education investment areas, teachers are set to receive retention payments and new specialist sixth-form free schools will be established.   

Schools in these areas could also be moved into strong Multi-Academy Trusts, to attract and retain the best teachers. Another upcoming Government white paper is expected to set a 2030 target for all schools to become academies, according to an exclusive article by Freddie Whittaker in Schools Week.  

With nearly half of all UK schools already converted to academies, it was suggested that Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi was keen to see the reform completed within eight years.  

January 2022

As part of our service to clients we review high volumes of potential candidate CVs each week. With this insight, Operations Director Dan Nevitt provides his top tips on CV writing.

· It may sound obvious but don't forget to include your name, email and contact phone number at the top of your CV and Linkedin profile if you have one.

· The first thing we look at is your personal statement – your unique combination of skills and experience. This is your calling card, the hook that will reel the hiring manager in. Remember the average recruiter takes 7.5 seconds to decide if you go on the 'yes' or 'no' pile. This should give a quick summary of who you are, what you offer and why you are right for the job. Write 150-200 words max. Bullet point key skills if required.

· Next should be your relevant work experience listed with the most recent first. Include your job title, name of organisation, time in post and key responsibilities. Show how you have added value - for example saved money, improved processes or improved staff culture. If possible, tailor your CV for the job you’re applying for. Consider including links to websites or blogs, and relevant social media profiles.

· Education should then be listed along with dates, qualifications and grades achieved. Listing achievements can be included to show why your experience makes you a suitable candidate and how you would apply it to the new role.

· You don't always need to include hobbies and interests but they can back up skills, give you something to talk about at the interview and stand out from the crowd. However if it doesn’t add value - leave it out.

· Always spell check your CV, correct errors and spelling mistakes, review any dates which conflict. Ensure consistent use of font and size, keep the format simple.

· Finally, make sure you send a CV which is current and up-to-date.

We hope this helps. We'll be offering more advice and simple tips to help in securing your ideal job. Good luck!

January 2022

We are delighted to announce the new year appointment of Dan Nevitt as Operations Director.

Dan joins from his previous role as Marketing Director of Armourcoat. In total, he has over 25 years of commercial experience, most recently serving a decade on the board for the international brand with global responsibility. "I am delighted to be appointed as Operations Director and look forward to working with Liz to deliver streamlined business solutions that serve the current, and future, client base.”

Dedicate Recruitment was established two years ago by sector expert Liz Nevitt. The husband-and-wife team brings together a wide range of industry skills and expertise. Liz commented; “I’m thrilled to have Dan on board, his work ethic and knowledge base is fantastic. Dan will be focused on helping deliver the company objectives and ensuring we develop the potential we have identified as a team.”

Please join us in wishing Dan great success for the new year!