United Learning - Estates Manager, Independent Schools

United Learning - Estates Manager, Independent Schools

ESTATES MANAGER - INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS United Learning

unitedlearning.org.uk

WELCOME

LETTER FROM THE HEAD OF ESTATES

Thank you very much for your interest in becoming United Learning’s Estates Manager for Independent Schools. This is a very important appointment for us, and one which has real impact across our Independent Schools property portfolio. United Learning is deeply committed to the progress and success of all children and young people. We believe in serving local communities through creating excellent schools, which provide outstanding education and serve all children in the area. The decision to become one of the earliest academy sponsors demonstrated the organisation’s continued commitment to inclusion, serving communities and meeting the educational and social needs of the day. As an academy sponsor, we have been prepared to take on some of the most challenging schools in the country and work to create rapid and sustainable improvement. As a result, we have had a major impact on the educational attainment and life chances of many hundreds of young people, including in some of England’s poorest communities. Today, we aim to work as a single organisation, combining the best of independent and state education. We have excellent schools, and a commitment to continued improvement as well as great potential for further growth and development. We aim to enable all schools to achieve more through being part of the Group than they could on their own. As our Estates Manager – Independent Schools, you will work closely with our network of School Business Managers to manage our Independent School properties across the Group. You will also liaise closely with Head Teachers, our other Estates Managers who focus on our expanding academies portfolio and external consultants. This is a role which I expect to be challenging but also deeply rewarding for an excellent estates professional who is looking for a new challenge with the potential to make a significant impact. I hope you will be interested.

Grant Charman Head of Estates

ABOUT UNITED LEARNING

OUR ETHOS Our approach is underpinned by a sense of moral purpose and a commitment to doing what is right for children and young people, supporting colleagues to achieve excellence and acting with integrity in all our dealings within and beyond the Group, in the interests of young people everywhere. We believe the safety and welfare of all children and young people is paramount. We summarise this ethos as ‘The Best in Everyone’. This ethos underpins our core values: AMBITION – to achieve the best for ourselves and others; CONFIDENCE – to have the courage of our convictions and to take risks in the right cause; CREATIVITY – to imagine possibilities and make them real; RESPECT – of ourselves and others in all that we do; ENTHUSIASM – to seek opportunity, find what is good and pursue talents and interests; DETERMINATION – to overcome obstacles and achieve success. As a single organisation, we seek to bring together the best of independent and state sectors, respecting both traditions and learning from each. We believe that each of our schools is, and should be, distinctive – each is committed to developing its own distinctive strengths and identity while sharing our core values as institutions which promote service, compassion and generosity.

ABOUT

UNITED LEARNING

United Learning is a group of schools, which aims to provide excellent education to children and young people across the country. With a turnover of £364 million, we are one of the largest charities in the UK. We seek to improve the life chances of all the children and young people we serve and make it our mission to bring out the best in everyone – students, staff, parents and the wider community. We have grown considerably in recent years and now have close to 60 schools across the state and independent sectors along with three central function offices. Together, we are one of the country’s largest education providers, currently educating approximately 40,000 students and employing over 7,600 members of staff. We provide a broad education, which prepares young people to progress in learning and to make a success of their lives. We focus sharply on the evidence of what makes it more likely that young people will progress and succeed, apply that to our practice and continue to learn and develop our schools. We make it a priority to provide teachers with excellent professional support and development, so that every child receives an excellent experience. Through being a group, we can offer more to both staff and young people than any single school could offer alone. The growing range of outstanding group-wide activities than we can provide means that more young people will have truly

exceptional and inspiring experiences. Already, we believe that our group contains the most developed relationships and practical interaction between independent and state schools in the country, creating benefits for all the schools involved.

ABOUT OUR ESTATE

ABOUT OUR ESTATE

ABOUT OUR ESTATE Our estate is spread across the UK with education institutions from Carlisle to the South Coast. Our growth strategy will see our current portfolio grow year on year. We have a diverse range of properties from listed historic buildings to state-of-the-art purpose built education buildings. Throughout our estate we have considerable open space that ranges from sports pitches, playing fields and protected woodlands.

1 Free School awaiting construction 2 7 Secondary Academies

1 8 primary academies

4 All through Academies

We have spent £300million on Capital Investment over 15 buildings Group wide premises operational budget was £38million in 2016

Central offices in London and Peterborough, with a small site at Salford Academy.

13 Independent Schools

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB DESCRIPTION OVERVIEW To liaise with Heads, Business Managers and Facilities Managers to identify priorities and oversee the capital investment plan for Independent Schools including the allocation and monitoring of centrally provided funding and to ensure that schemes are briefed, designed, developed and built within strict budgetary constraints. The role, whilst based out of our London office, will include regular travel to various independent schools within the United Learning Group (currently 13 schools mostly based in the South East). The post-holder may also be asked to support the Group’s involvement in the Free School programme and knowledge of this would be advantageous. The successful candidate will, ideally, be professionally qualified (RICS, APM, RIBA or equivalent) and should have a strong interest in the education estate.

THE ROLE A capital programme and facilities management background is essential , you will have a minimum of five years ’ experience within an education environment , with experience of capital programme management , asset and estate management . Ideally professionally qualified (RICS , APM , RIBA or equivalent). • Team player. • Good organisation skills including the ability to multi - task . • Excellent attention to detail . • First rate of communication and interpersonal skills . • Friendly , confident telephone manner . • Ability to remain calm under pressure . • IT literate . The role involves the management of multiple projects of significant scale .

JOB SPECIFICATION

ORGANISATION CHART

KEY RESULT AREAS

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT • maintenance – Review existing maintenance procedures and records. Develop management plans and budgets for local management and central monitoring. Contribute to the development of procedures relating to backlog maintenance. PROJECT DELIVERY • Manage the capital scheme programme in terms of time, cost and quality for the Independent Schools. • Ensure that both the School’s and United Learning’s project requirements are translated into coherent, achievable and agreed briefs. • Advise on technical, pragmatic and practical solutions to end user requirements to ensure the overall project objectives are achieved. • Review workload and plan out programmes for each scheme and relate to programmes of work for other schemes within the Group. • Understand and interpret the implications of planning, building and listed building legislation. • Work with others and contribute to the assessment of bids from Independent Schools and the allocation of capital monies. • Liaise with Independent Schools on all capital expenditure. • Check that all work has been properly planned and is in accordance with the schools, and the Group’s, five year plan and the forward maintenance life cycle plan. • Assess and monitor the health and safety impact of projects before, during and at completion to ensure a safe working environment is provided for all concerned and that United Learning complies with its obligations under appropriate legislation (eg. CDM regulations ). • Visit each school to check on the progress/ completion of the works. • Check and approve applications for payment.

STRATEGIC • Group development – Liaison with Head of Independent Schools re new and expanding schools. • Sustainability – Review energy usage and generation and develop policy and implementation proposals (in conjunction with others). • Investment – Develop, monitor and manage capital and maintenance expenditure plans. • Training – Develop guidance, advisory notes and training forums for colleagues dealing with Estates such as school/academy Business Managers, building managers etc. • National policies and standards – Review and advise on the impact of evolving educational premises legislation. Represent and contribute to relevant interest or policy groups on behalf of United Learning where appropriate. • Market standards – In conjunction with others, review the emerging standards and services of similar organisations and make appropriate recommendations to ensure development of market position. • Contracts – Review existing contracts for services, works and material supply. Develop a quality and value based framework for services, contractors and suppliers. • Standards – Develop standards for accommodation, design and construction to deliver national and United Learning requirements to ensure compliance to educational needs, flexibly, extendibility, low maintenance and low running costs.

ORGANISATION CHART

Chief Financial Officer

Head of Estates

Vacant Estates Manager Independent Schools

EA to Head of Estates / Estates Executive

Estates Manager North

Estates Manager South

London Office Co-ordinator

London Support Officer

Estates Assistant

JOB SPECIFICATION

JOB SPECIFICATION

PROJECT DELIVERY

• Liaise with the ESFA (or other external bodies as necessary) for the deployment of capital. • Assist the schools and the Group to manage procurement processes for professional services, construction activities and equipment/goods to comply with Group procedures and procurement law. • Undertake continued analysis of project risks, identify and implement methodologies and procedures to manage and minimise those risks. Manage the risk register for the capital programme. • Challenge requirements, proposed solutions and methodologies to ensure innovative best fit and cost advantageous outcomes are achieved on all projects. • Contribute to Option Appraisals and Business Cases to determine the most appropriate solutions to School requirements. • Other duties as requested or required by the Head of Estates.

COMMUNICATION AND WORKING RELATIONSHIPS INTERNAL • Head of Estates, Academy Estates Managers, Estates Assistant. • School contacts within the Group, in particular Heads/Principals, Business Managers and Facilities Managers. • Head of Independent Schools. • Group Committees when appropriate. EXTERNAL • Professional organisations working with the Group ie. Architects, surveyors etc. • Contractors. • ESFA/Government Bodies. SCOPE FOR IMPACT There is scope for impact on the following areas: • Regularly reviewing the property management process and recommending changes. • Ensuring customer and property >Page 1 Page 2-3 Page 4-5 Page 6-7 Page 8-9 Page 10-11 Page 12-13 Page 14-15 Page 16

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