Meeting the challenge of Multi-Academy management
There are currently well over 1,000 Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) in England, all of which manage at least two schools – 29 of these overseeing 26 schools or more. With safe, efficient and healthy buildings key to supporting education, comfort and wellbeing for both pupils and teachers, MATs must meet the challenge of ensuring high standards across multiple sites. Steve McGregor, Managing Director of the DMA Group, explains the role overarching service management software has in supporting this popular education model.
Over the past decade, an increasing number of schools have become academy trusts, sharing staff and expertise across multiple sites. Direct funding from government allows for more independence and a collective approach over finances, the curriculum and other aspects of school management.
While this ‘collective approach’ is now well established from an educational and cultural standpoint, when it comes to building services, MATs in particular present unique challenges, with an often diverse portfolio of locations used by children and young people with a variety of different needs.
The role of building services should not be underestimated – air quality, temperature control and lighting all affect the school experience and consequent learning outcomes. Maintenance teams, therefore, play a part in the elevation of educational infrastructure; providing comfortable, safe and optimal learning environments relies heavily on successful building management.
A partnership approach between the academy and its facilities management (FM) provider is key, with asset protection essential to operations, all with consideration to preventing downtime and minimising disruption to classes and the general running of the schools. Disparate teams working independently from one another don’t work at this scale.
Leigh Academies Trust (LAT) is one of the UK’s largest MATs, covering Kent, Medway and South East London, overseeing 32 academies and more than 20,000 students between the ages of two months and 19 years old. Its vast portfolio of buildings, ranging from heritage properties to state-of-the-art new builds, needed a streamlined maintenance approach with quality and efficiency at its core.
Using bespoke management software, we brought LAT’s maintenance operations under one banner, including all building services and other FM functions, consolidating and standardising service delivery across the trust.
Keeping track of thousands of assets
DMA oversees 6,400 LAT assets, with an average of 80 reactive jobs per month. BiO keeps track of these assets and manages the teams that maintain them – field based engineers that cover fabric, air conditioning, gas, plumbing and electrics. It’s not just building services that benefit from this consolidated approach, additional service providers can also be managed in this way; from water treatment, lift, drainage, fire and security engineers to insurance inspectors.
By bringing together various maintenance contracts into a single arrangement, LAT has ensured standards are kept high as the trust expands, all while achieving consistency and value for money.
Beyond monitoring tools, consistent training is also essential. On-site FM teams should receive tailored programmes. Fault finding skills, first response checks, energy management and ongoing sustainability can all be enhanced by passing on essential knowledge. A collaborative, supportive approach is the foundation for growth and productivity. Every site must feel as valued as the next, creating a team mentality.
With ongoing collaboration and a focus on innovation, LAT aims to further refine its estate management strategies, ensuring that every academy receives the support it needs to thrive. By prioritising professionalism, transparency and adaptability, new benchmarks in educational infrastructure management can be set.
