If you are not already in the workplace pension scheme, and meet the criteria below, you will automatically be enrolled into the scheme in April 2025.

In October 2012 the government introduced a new law to make it easier for people to save for their retirement.  Kirklees Council had to enrol their workers into their workplace pension scheme if they were not already contributing and met the following criteria:
• Are aged between 22 and state pension age
• Had earnings which equated to £10,000 a year.

The legislation states that employers must repeat the process every three years, and we are now making preparations for our fourth re-enrolment exercise.

If you’re already in the workplace pension scheme you won’t see any changes.

If you have previously opted out of the workplace pension scheme and still don’t want to be in the scheme, you will automatically be re-enrolled and a deduction will be taken – you can opt out again and receive a refund as long as you opt out within 3 months of being re-enrolled into the scheme.

By law we must make a pension deduction before you can opt out of the scheme.

Please note, if you have opted out within the last 12 months there will not be a requirement for us to assess and re-enrol you into a pension scheme.

If you would like to contact the Pensions Team, email pensions@kirklees.gov.uk or call 01484 221000 – ask for Human Resources, then select option 3 for pensions.

For more information visit:

Support staff
Teaching staff

Year 8 Parents’ Evening

Thursday 3 April – 4pm to 7pm

Academisation Update

As you know, an application for NHTS to convert to an academy and to join a newly proposed Multi-Academy Trust (Industrious Education) was submitted prior to the end of December 2024.  As part of the due diligence process, the DFE scrutinise each application and – where deemed necessary – provide what they consider to be useful information.  Following such discussions, the difficult decision was made for Industrious Education Trust to pursue the application as Primary only.  The rationale for this decision relates to the risk of there being only one secondary school in a proposed new MAT.

I met with representatives from the DFE/Regional Director team who provided their rationale which, whilst not agreeing, I understand and can accept.  I have informed Governors and Trustees and will write to parents/carers during the course of next week.

I’d like to thank colleagues for your input into the process which has helped clarify our thinking and reaffirm our priorities.  We remain in a very strong position as a school and this will not deter us in the partnership work with our local primaries and across the wider community.

Staff Surveys

Thank you for completing the recent surveys.  The responses are very positive overall with some areas highlighted as needing appropriate discussion, clarification and potential development.  I will provide a fuller update on the perceptions survey once the senior team has had the chance to digest it and we have discussed it in more detail.  Follow up to the stress survey will also be forthcoming.

Whilst the above process is taking place, I am interested in hearing the views from the following groups of staff who completed the survey:

• For the perceptions survey – teaching staff
• For the stress survey – first level leader

Should you have identified in either of those groups whilst completing the survey, I’m interested in talking to you about your perceptions, please arrange through Lindsay.

Andrew

Thursday 13 March

3pm to 5.30pm

Curriculum Review 

Don’t forget you have access to a range of flick courses throughout the year.

Courses can be accessed using the following link and click “Microsoft” to sign in https://www.flicklearning.com/

• Planned absence requests should be submitted with 4 weeks’ notice, where possible please
• Please upload proof of appointment with your request (where appropriate)
• Please take care when completing the form to ensure you’ve input the correct information
• Please give as much detail as possible
• Dependent medical appointments fall under the “personal appointment” category
• Please don’t submit a planned absence form for trips until you’ve had the calendar and trip requests approved

Please only park in the allocated parking bays to avoid blocking anyone else in.

Whole-School Review

Following on from Monday’s presentation, I’m keen to gather responses to the two questions posed as something of a theme through my presentation:

• How do we know that we’re making a difference?
• How do you know that you’re making a difference?

Please use the link below to provide an answer to each of the above.  This is a personal reflection on your own role within the team(s) you work in.

Click here to complete your response

Reference, in particular, to the four key areas of data, impact, systems/processes and leadership would be useful.

Deadline for responses is 3pm on Monday 10 March 2025.

Thank you in advance.

Have a lovely weekend.

Andrew

Additional Inset Day – Friday 4 July

Following the success of the additional inset day held in July 2024, there will be one calendared for the same time during the current academic year.  This will be on Friday 4 July with the specifics of the day to be confirmed.  I will write to inform parents/carers in due course so please keep this confidential for the time being.  Should any colleague who does not work on a Friday wish to be part of the day, additional working hours can be claimed.

Staff Surveys

Please see links to two surveys below.  The first is the perceptions survey used previously so will be familiar to many colleagues with the second being a staff stress survey.  Both are anonymous and provided through an external company that benchmarks and analyses the outcomes.

The links will remain open until the 3pm on Friday 28 February.  Please take the time to complete both surveys.

Perceptions Survey:

http://www.asdti.com/checklogin399.php?login=1504&password=s27803

Staff Stress Survey:

http://www.asdti.com/checklogin1199.php?login=1456&password=s95619

Have a lovely weekend.

Andrew