About Us
About 1st Pillar
1st Pillar provides expert operational support for schools, academies, and trusts. Our mission is to take the pressure off leaders by delivering finance, governance, estates, HR, and sustainability solutions, so you can focus on pupils, not paperwork.
With decades of experience in school business leadership, we understand the challenges you face and offer practical, tailored support that makes a real difference.
Our Services for Schools and Trusts
Our Services for Education
At 1st Pillar, we provide comprehensive operational support for schools, academies, and multi-academy trusts. Whether you need targeted help in one area or a longer-term partnership, our services are designed to save you time, strengthen compliance, and ensure your resources deliver maximum impact.
All services can be customised to your needs, and we work with trusted partners across education when specialist expertise is required.
Finance
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Budgeting, reporting, ICFP, and compliance support to help you make the most of your funding, including guidance on generating additional income.
People
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From recruiting key operational staff to training, mentoring, and benchmarking, we help build strong, effective teams that drive improvement.
Governance
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Expert training in operational monitoring, compliance, and risk management. Includes internal scrutiny, risk register development, and benchmarking.
Estates & Capital Projects
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Supporting your learning environment through audits, project management, and funding applications for technology, estates, and capital improvements.
Sustainability
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Start your sustainability strategy and climate action plan with 1st Pillar. We prepare you for DfE 2025 standards and embed environmental responsibility across your school or trust.
What Our Client's
Say And Think
At 1st Pillar, we’re proud to work alongside schools and trusts to deliver practical, impactful support. Our clients value our professionalism, sector expertise, and the way we embed ourselves as trusted partners. Here’s what school business leaders, governors, and trustees say about working with us:
"Emma's training session on Communication and Managing Teams was very engaging and highly interactive, offering a wealth of content that was both practical and inspiring. I'd encourage any education leader looking to improve their team collaboration to do this training."
"Emma's approach is highly structured. She listens and encourages reflection and meaningful connections. Her understanding of the shared language within education and experienced observations makes our sessions really valuable."
"9/10! Emma was fantastic at putting all the information across in an easy to understand manner and my perspective has really improved. I just wish we'd had longer."
From the start Emma and her team have demonstrated exceptional professionalism and insight on how best to manage our reviews and have worked collaboratively with the executive team and our schools. They have provided assurances for the board and added real value to the trust by identifying opportunities for improvement and ensuring robust risk management processes are in place.
Why Choose Us
Choosing the right support partner for your school or trust is about more than ticking boxes. At 1st Pillar, we combine decades of hands-on experience with a practical, down-to-earth approach that delivers results. Our team understands the pressures schools face and works alongside you to build solutions that are both compliant and sustainable.
22+ years’ experience in school business leadership
DfE-accredited, ISBL-recognised specialists
Flexible packages for schools, academies, and MATs
Practical strategies that save money and strengthen compliance
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Frequency Asked Questions
Internal Scrutiny is a statutory requirement under the Academy Trust Handbook. It provides independent assurance that your financial and non-financial controls are operating effectively. Beyond compliance, it helps identify risks and opportunities for improvement. 1st Pillar delivers a structured Internal Scrutiny programme tailored to your trust’s needs.
Our indicative package for a stand-alone academy – including two on-site visits, reports to trustees, and an amalgamated annual report for submission to the DfE – starts at £1,500 + VAT. Bespoke packages are available for multi-academy trusts.
Yes. We specialise in designing practical deficit recovery plans that bring schools back into surplus. We monitor progress closely, provide regular reports to boards, and help schools build sustainable financial strategies.
No. We support maintained schools, stand-alone academies, and multi-academy trusts. Our services are flexible and can be scaled to fit your size, budget, and improvement plan.
We provide comprehensive HR support for schools and trusts, including recruitment, structure planning, safer recruitment, payroll and pensions administration, and improving employee relations. We also mentor and train staff to strengthen capacity in your team.
We work with our specialist Build Partner to deliver condition surveys, capital bidding support, and estates planning. This helps schools reduce unexpected maintenance costs and improve their chances of securing funding.
By 2025, all schools must have a nominated sustainability lead and a climate action plan in place (DfE Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy). We help schools create strategies that meet compliance requirements while embedding environmental responsibility into daily operations.
The easiest way is to book a free consultation. We’ll discuss your priorities, challenges, and budget, then recommend a tailored support package. Whether you need help with finance, governance, sustainability, or HR, we’ll work with you to deliver practical, impactful solutions.
For Schools & Trusts
Looking for long-term operational support across finance, governance, estates, HR, or sustainability? We work with schools and trusts to deliver tailored, strategic services that strengthen compliance and maximise impact.
For School Business Leaders
Starting a new role or looking for career progression? From our 1st 100 Days induction support to application coaching and mentoring, we help SBLs succeed with confidence.