Join our Trust - Employees

Symphony Learning Trust recognise that all schools face a time of significant challenges for recruitment and retention. We want to be the ‘employer of choice’ and also aim for all prospective and current employees to see Symphony Schools as great places to work.

Pay

We recognise that pay is always going to be a key factor for anybody choosing their employer. In schools in Symphony, we can guarantee:-

Pay scales will always mirror Leicestershire Local Authority pay policies.

Performance-related pay is fair and transparent for all teachers. We hold interim reviews to support teachers reaching their targets.

Professional Support and Career Development

We are keen to support career aspirations, through CPD opportunities and bespoke plans for career enhancement. This includes shadowing other professionals within the Trust and opportunities for secondments.

Although you will be employed by the Trust, we will never force any member of staff to move from the role they have in the school he/she was originally employed at. We can though offer opportunities for career enhancement at other schools in the Trust.

In Symphony Learning Trust, we are proud that through professional support plans and training via Symphony Teaching School, people can start their career as a member of the support staff team, such as a Learning Support Assistant or an Apprentice and end up as a Head teacher! We have lots of evidence of accelerated career progression working for schools within our Trust.

In terms of personal development, we encourage employees to talk to their Head teacher or Executive head teacher about how the Trust can support personal study, such as academic or professional qualifications.

We offer excellent support and training for NQTs, through experienced and trained mentors and the courses via Symphony Teaching School.

Work-life Balance

Staff benefits and well-being

All of our schools offer the opportunity to work in a supportive staff team, where we all strive to do our best for our learners. The Trust also knows that although employees are highly dedicated individuals, happy to go above and beyond, a positive work-life balance is ultimately better for both employee and employer to get the best out of everyone. The Education and Business teams within the Trust are constantly looking for ways to support all employees’ work-life balance, such as through our individual school ‘Marking and Feedback’ policies and shared planning. We survey teachers every year regarding work-life balance and act upon the findings. We also offer the following:-

• Our schools will respect your holiday entitlement and offer clear policies relating to time off work, such as through parental leave or for a sabbatical;
• We offer non-contact time above the minimum PPA time, e.g. for assessment work and management time for subject leaders;
• Many of our schools offer wrap-around care and where these are operated 'in-house' (ie. run by the school), you may be able to access free childcare provision. This is only available on the days the employee works and where there is availability. This applies to any Symphony employee, irrelevant to which Symphony school the pupil attends. For further details, employees should speak to their relevant school business manager.
• All employees have lunch times protected unless they choose to do a paid lunchtime duty;
• Where possible, we encourage staff not to take work home to do in the evenings or weekends;
• We do not expect staff to reply to out-of-hours emails;
• All staff meetings for teachers are accounted for in the 1265 contact hours.

‘As a teacher in the early stages of my career, I have found working in this Trust has helped me with my professional development. I am able to observe outstanding teaching and I have access to a range of resources that significantly cut down my workload.’

Class teacher – Glen Hills Primary School

Other benefits we offer include:-

• ‘Wider Wallet’ - please see Staff benefits and well-being

The Trust subscribes to this website which offers discounts and savings to employees through:-

• Permanent discounts for everyday savings.
• Local, national and seasonal offers.
• A wide range of better-than-public deals.

For details of Vacancies within out Trust, please see our Vacancies page