Avoid Astrea - they are (hard to believe) getting worse
Pros
I could not in good conscience say that there are any pros to working for this trust.
Cons
-Central Team - significant funds are handed to staff who do not work in schools and whose impact is far from commensurate with their salaries - in fact in many case their impact is negative in terms of the effect it has on students' education -Significant long term staffing gaps in schools - children's education is not valued by this trust -They pay for things like PR and marketing, and professional displays, but do not ensure there are enough teachers in the classroom - this is not the action of an employer serious about education - only about their own ego -Crucially this is getting worse - they want senior staff who will act as puppets and the environment is so toxic that I do not even know if the central team will ever get honest feedback about what is going on on the ground -Support staff stripped to the bone -Inadequate resources to support SEND students and provide pastoral support to even a minimum standard -Crucially, there is a lack of respect for the local community - it is unacceptable to allow staffing to reach such a level - students only get one chance at being at school and this organisation is stealing it from them