Moving from a maintained school to MAT?

[TeachBee]

My current school is LA but have been applying to jobs in multi academy trust schools. Is there anything significant I should look out for contract wise? Any pros or cons?

I moved over a couple about 7 years ago and I think sometimes there's more fear in LA schools than actually necessary ahout MATs. The only thing I would check is that they follow the burgundy book as some don't and I'd check their background as with any school.

Make sure the terms of employment at least match the burgundy book. Academies theoretically don’t have to honour STPCD; in practice I am yet to encounter one that doesn’t as a minimum. Some are more generous.

I'd also dig around as much as you can to find out the culture of the MAT - it makes a huge difference. How much autonomy does the school have? Are the leaders and teachers forced to do things they don't agree with because it's MAT policy?

Examples of bad impacts of being in a MAT I've come across include all year 2 teachers having to give their pupils SATs papers 3 times during the year despite them no longer being statutory; compulsory, non-engaging, after school training on Zoom for weeks at a time, leaving the school no time to address their own issues; mandated ppts or schemes of work with no opportunity to adapt to the needs of their pupils; expectation that all classes across the MAT will be teaching the same lesson at the same time.

Examples of good impacts of being in a MAT I've come across: cross-MAT collaboration so teachers in small schools have the benefit of colleagues teaching the same year group; MAT looking after all the legal/financial/HR aspects of running a school so the Head, SLT and Governors can focus on quality of education; shared funding between better funded secondaries and under funded primaries; MAT buying services such as EP, SALT, play therapist for all schools in the MAT to access; MAT staff applying for DfE funding for building works.

Get the right MAT and it can be a really good experience. However, get the wrong one.... And I don't have an answer to how you find out before you're in it I'm afraid apart from asking lots of questions and having your eyes open!!

@RainbowColouredRainbows and @ThanksItHasPockets, I was planning to check RE burgundy book. I'll also check STPCD. If they don't follow it, would this put you off?

@toomuchicecream, this is really helpful advice!! I've looked at one schools trust website and there's a lot promoting work life balance. This is one of the reasons I'm making the move so hoping well-being really is a priority as it'a my one last push to decide if I want to leave education for good.

@TeachBee potentially, but as I mentioned I am yet to find one that doesn't. Some of the most heavily unionised, 1265-watching schools I know are academies in MATs.

Yes MATs really differ in culture if its a good fit for you it can be great

Even within a MAT there are differences between the schools, so the school's culture will be more important in many cases than the MAT itself.

However,

• I have recently not come across a MAT in my area that offered full sick leave the way LAs do (many offer only up to 3-4 months full pay after a number of years of staggered increase),
• if you're planning on having children, look at their mat pay packages,
• some have clauses about repayment of training costs if you leave and
• one "lovely" one I've seen had increased contact days (215) as well as stipulated 8-5.30 working times on site.

The problem is, we often only see the contract after we've accepted a job offer, which then makes it harder to back out again, so ask about variations in the contract at the interview stage if you can.