Our Services
Our services can be taken as a ‘package’ or tailored to meet your needs depending on current staff, budgets and your school improvement plan. Ideally, we’d like you to sign into our services for between 1-3 years so that we can really offer you the best service, get to know you and help you achieve the best outcomes with the resources you have.
All our services can be customised to your needs, and we work with trusted partners throughout education when required to provide the scale you need.
If you’d like any further information on what we offer,
Finance
We can manage your finances, either in school or remotely, from purchase order to trial balance, cash receipt to bank reconciliation, initial budget to year end preparation. If needed, we can help you draw up a deficit recovery plan which we can monitor and report to you and your governing board. We can provide Internal Scrutiny services (academies) and School Fund accounts preparation to be signed off by our audit partner. We aim to help you maximise the use of your funding and self-generated income.
Internal Scrutiny
Let 1st Pillar be your Internal Assurance partner, delivering clear, education focused advice and recommendations for improvement.
HR Support
Personnel, Recruitment, Payroll and Pensions Support, and Employee Relations. Look after your biggest resource with support from 1st Pillar. We can help with structure planning, advise on maximising your recruiting profile and support the recruitment process with safer recruitment principles. We can support the administration of your payroll systems and ensure pension providers have the information they need. Ask about our experience in improving employee relations and your staff induction processes.
Health, Safety and Wellbeing
1st Pillar offer a range of templates and processes to support Health, Safety and Wellbeing in your school. Talk to us about risk assessment, accident reporting and competency requirements of your staff.
GDPR & DPO
Need a Data Protection Officer? 1st Pillar can provide the role of DPO for your school, as well as support with your GDPR policies, staff training, minor breach logging, FOIs and SARs.
Estates, Capital Resources and Capital Bidding
School buildings are traditionally the resource which suffers when funding is low. Our Build Partner can provide you with a condition report which will inform a RAG rated premises development plan with a clear timeline for bidding for capital funds or identifying revenue funding streams. No more unidentified building maintenance emergencies challenging your budgets!
Project/ Change Management
Have you secured funding for that big project, but don’t have the staff to achieve delivery? 1st Pillar has long experience of delivering projects on time and on budget. Or, you’ve got a big staff restructure project which needs planning and a timeline for delivery? We can bring together the finance, personnel and HR teams needed to achieve desired outcomes with the minimum of turbulence for your stakeholders.
IT Support & Strategy
IT Technical Support, Helpdesk, Infrastructure and Network Development. Our IT partner successfully provides that elusive balance of Education IT technicality with a layman’s style of communication. Talk to 1st Pillar if you want to start thinking about the future of IT in your school, the infrastructure you will need, and getting the best IT experience for your staff and pupils.
Management Information Support
Management Information Systems Support, including Single Central Record. The increasing move to cloud based MIS systems has left many schools with a new platform which they are struggling to populate or access its full functionality. Whatever your school uses, 1stPillar can help you use it to its fullest and ensure the information you hold meets the requirements of the SCR.
Governance
Governance – Your governors give their time and energy to support your school. Get the most out of them with training, support and templates for their day to day processes. 1st Pillar can provide support and training on financial management information, risk register and policy templates. Help your governors be well informed on all your school’s development, initiatives and compliance, so they can focus on what is important – your pupils.
Recovery
Recovery – Many schools face a deficit budget, and many do not have easy access to support, time or staff to help with recovery. That’s where 1st Pillar come in. Let us help you with a realistic recovery plan that drives you back into surplus, bringing with it a renewed element of choice in your future path along the education landscape. We call it ‘Conversion readiness’ – So when you are ready – you will be ready.
Sustainability Leadership
“By 2025, all education settings will have a nominated sustainability lead and put in place a climate action plan.” DfE
1st Pillar have partnered with a hugely respected, qualified and experienced sustainability leader in education to support you on your sustainability journey.
Talk to us now – there is only one of her!
Finance
We can manage your finances, either in school or remotely, from purchase order to trial balance, cash receipt to bank reconciliation, initial budget to year end preparation. If needed, we can help you draw up a deficit recovery plan which we can monitor and report to you and your governing board. We can provide Internal Scrutiny services (academies) and School Fund accounts preparation to be signed off by our audit partner. We aim to help you maximise the use of your funding and self-generated income.
Internal Scrutiny
Let 1st Pillar be your Internal Assurance partner, delivering a wide range of Internal Scrutiny topics, supporting your risk management responsibilities with clear, education focused advice and, recommendations for improvement.
HR Support
Personnel, Recruitment, Payroll and Pensions Support, and Employee Relations. Look after your biggest resource with support from 1st Pillar. We can help with structure planning, advise on maximising your recruiting profile and support the recruitment process with safer recruitment principles. We can support the administration of your payroll systems and ensure pension providers have the information they need. Ask about our experience in improving employee relations and your staff induction processes.
Health, Safety and Wellbeing
1st Pillar offer a range of templates and processes to support Health, Safety and Wellbeing in your school. Talk to us about risk assessment, accident reporting and competency requirements of your staff.
GDPR & DPO
Need a Data Protection Officer? 1st Pillar can provide the role of DPO for your school, as well as support with your GDPR policies, staff training, minor breach logging, FOIs and SARs.
Estates, Capital Resources and Capital Bidding
School buildings are traditionally the resource which suffers when funding is low. Our Build Partner can provide you with a condition report which will inform a RAG rated premises development plan with a clear timeline for bidding for capital funds or identifying revenue funding streams. No more unidentified building maintenance emergencies challenging your budgets!
Project/Change Management
Have you secured funding for that big project, but don’t have the staff to achieve delivery? 1st Pillar has long experience of delivering projects on time and on budget. Or, you’ve got a big staff restructure project which needs planning and a timeline for delivery? We can bring together the finance, personnel and HR teams needed to achieve desired outcomes with the minimum of turbulence for your stakeholders.
IT Support & Strategy
IT Technical Support, Helpdesk, Infrastructure and Network Development. Our IT partner successfully provides that elusive balance of Education IT technicality with a layman’s style of communication. Talk to 1st Pillar if you want to start thinking about the future of IT in your school, the infrastructure you will need, and getting the best IT experience for your staff and pupils.
Management Information Support
Management Information Systems Support, including Single Central Record. The increasing move to cloud based MIS systems has left many schools with a new platform which they are struggling to populate or access its full functionality. Whatever your school uses, 1stPillar can help you use it to its fullest and ensure the information you hold meets the requirements of the SCR.
Governance
Governance – Your governors give their time and energy to support your school. Get the most out of them with training, support and templates for their day to day processes. 1st Pillar can provide support and training on financial management information, risk register and policy templates. Help your governors be well informed on all your school’s development, initiatives and compliance, so they can focus on what is important – your pupils.
Recovery
Recovery – Many schools face a deficit budget, and many do not have easy access to support, time or staff to help with recovery. That’s where 1st Pillar come in. Let us help you with a realistic recovery plan that drives you back into surplus, bringing with it a renewed element of choice in your future path along the education landscape. We call it ‘Conversion readiness’ – So when you are ready – you will be ready.
Sustainability Leadership
“By 2025, all education settings will have a nominated sustainability lead and put in place a climate action plan.” DfE
1st Pillar have partnered with a hugely respected, qualified and experienced sustainability leader in education to support you on your sustainability journey.
Talk to us now – there is only one of her!
