A Great Place to Learn and Grow! - Finance Officer Lift Schools Employee Review

Strong, education focused leadership (and one with moral purpose) Excellent CEO and leadership team Clear sense of direction and purpose Unapologetic ambition to achieve excellence High standards Strong support, both educationally and operationally for schools I have worked in four other academy trusts, two regional, two national. In one of these, I was also a Headteacher. In that trust they adopted a ‘one size fits all’ approach and the culture was one of criticism and fear. It was not run with integrity or the young people and staff at the centre of their thinking. I’ve also been a Headteacher at Lift and can honestly say, as a trust it is the polar opposite. I was well supported, well developed and trusted to run my school. Where there were challenges I was supported to work through them and had professional challenge which is always welcomed. In particular, the trust is run with pupils and staff at the centre of their thinking and importantly is led by example by the CEO with passion and integrity. Following Headship at Lift, I relocated back overseas for personal reasons. Whilst overseas I was unwell. From the CEO, to members of the leadership team, people reached out to me to check in on me. This was next level ‘above and beyond’ leadership; I was a former employee who had emigrated, without an intent to return. To me this speaks volumes about the cultural health and integrity of the leadership at the trust. It is also why I had no hesitation in returning to Lift Schools when I moved back to the UK. Additionally, the high volume of heads who have been at the trust for a long time and former Lift heads who now work in other roles in the trust is testament to what a great organisation Lift is to work for.

Like any role in education, workload can be demanding, but there is good support to manage this. Like any large organisation, sometimes some processes can take a while to work through

- Strong sense of mission. You feel like your work directly contributes to improving education and making a difference for children. - Supportive colleagues and leadership who are approachable and invested in staff development. - Lots of opportunities to learn and grow, with exposure to interesting projects across schools and central functions. - Clear strategy and ambition for the future. You can see how your role fits into the bigger picture. - Flexible and modern ways of working, with investment in technology and a culture that encourages innovation.

- The pace can be demanding at times. There is a lot happening across the trust and you need to be comfortable with change. - As with any large organisation, navigating processes can occasionally take time.