Services 4 Schools

Choosing a new CEO is one of the biggest decisions a Multi Academy Trust board will ever make.

We recently supported FOSSE Multi Academy Trust through exactly that — working to a tight deadline to help them find the right leader for their schools. Here's what their Chair of Trustees said afterwards:

"The S4S team were absolutely outstanding in ensuring that the process could be completed on time, with a strong pool of applicants and a successful outcome. They were exceptionally professional throughout and were an absolute pleasure to work with."

If your trust is facing an executive appointment and could use an experienced hand alongside you, we'd love to help.

Contact us at [email protected]

Leadership development and governance development should go hand in hand.

Most trusts invest heavily in leadership development, but fewer invest as systematically in governance. Yet both are essential to how well an organisation runs.

Strong governance helps boards challenge, oversee and make better strategic decisions, and just like leaders, boards need ongoing opportunities to develop too.

Governance should not be viewed as static. The strongest organisations treat it as something to keep improving.

This is part of our 'Evolution of the Governance Professional' series.
Read the 2nd blog in the series here: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xmG0T0

What You Really Need to Know About Ofsted & PSHE

Our autumn training dates are now live for a practical online session helping schools confidently navigate PSHE, RSHE and the 2025 Ofsted Inspection Framework (EIF).

Led by PSHE specialist Russell Stanley, this training helps schools understand how PSHE supports Ofsted priorities, particularly Personal Development & Wellbeing, and how to evidence impact in safeguarding, inclusion and statutory requirements.

Training Dates:
Friday 25th September | 1:00 – 3:30pm
Wednesday 21st October | 9:30 – 12:00pm
Thursday 3rd December | 1:00 – 3:30pm

You will learn how to:
• Understand 2025 Ofsted expectations for PSHE and RSHE
• Strengthen safeguarding, wellbeing, inclusion and Equality Act requirements
• Evidence impact across SMSC and British Values
• Prepare confidently for Ofsted conversations

Pricing:
£89 – Training session
£115 – Training with 1:1 follow-up support

Book your place here — https://bit.ly/45UTC4L

Big news!

Services 4 Schools is now a proud Pack Patron of Wolves Foundation, the official charity of Wolverhampton Wanderers, for the 2026/27 season. 🐺

We believe every child deserves the chance to succeed. Wolves Foundation shares that belief, supporting families and young people across Wolverhampton through education, employment, safety and wellbeing programmes.

Find out more about their work here: https://bit.ly/3RGQUw7

Good governance is rarely visible. Poor governance always is.

Most people don't notice good governance. They notice the consequences when governance fails, weak accountability, unclear responsibilities, poor oversight.

When it's working, governance operates quietly in the background. It creates stability. Clarity. Confidence. Resilience. Its value is often hardest to see until something goes wrong.

That's why governance should be treated as infrastructure, not administration. Governance Professionals play a key role in that, helping boards access assurance and make informed decisions.

This is part of our 'Evolution of the Governance Professional' series. Read the 2nd blog in the series here: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xmHKn0

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, and keeping knowledge up to date is essential.

We are delighted to receive feedback demonstrating the value of our safeguarding audits and bitesize training sessions in supporting schools to strengthen practice and build staff confidence.

By helping schools identify strengths, recognise development opportunities and stay informed on key safeguarding issues, we aim to support a proactive approach that keeps children and young people safe.

If you would like to strengthen safeguarding in your setting, contact us to find out more.

📧 [email protected]
📧 [email protected]
📞 0333 772 1272
🌐 Find out more via our service page - https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xmfr40

🐺 Make an impact with Wolves Foundation 🐺

Wolverhampton Wanderers Foundation is holding a Volunteer Recruitment Evening on Tuesday 11th August, 5.30pm arrival for a 6pm start, at the North Bank Bar, Molineux.

There are opportunities across Match Day, Foundation Events and Project work, all great ways to make a difference across Wolverhampton and beyond.

Register your interest here: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xmlyJ0

What skills does a Governance Professional need?

Governance has changed a lot in recent years, and so have the expectations placed on the people who support school boards.

Today's Governance Professional needs a mix of skills, including:

🔵 Constitutional literacy
🔵 Strategic thinking
🔵 Relationship management
🔵 Governance assurance
🔵 Inspection awareness
🔵 Risk understanding
🔵 Strong communication skills

Technical knowledge still matters, but the role increasingly calls for judgement, confidence and the ability to support good decision-making at board level.

Read the 2nd blog in the series here: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xmhNY0