About Strictly Education and Strictly Education 4S

Partners in Education - The UK's Most Innovative Education Services Business
 

The Babcock 4S business was acquired by Strictly Education in February 2019 and is now known as Strictly Education 4S.

As part of the Strictly Education family we are the UK's leading education-specific provider of professional support services to 1,880 schools, 560 academies and 150 MATs in over 100 local authorities.

By joining forces, we are united by a common purpose; supporting governors and school leaders to achieve the best outcomes for children and young people.

As partners in education, we are committed to improving the outcomes of children and young people, working alongside schools and academies to pursue excellence, challenge underperformance and offer support across all aspects of education.

Harnessing the combined capabilities and resources of the two organisations, we provide school leaders with an integrated service solution across HR, payroll and finance, premises, IT, governance and organisational development. Our focus is on providing a strategic solution with hands-on operational support to reduce the administration burden and enable schools to focus on improving pupil outcomes.

 

Our Mission To be the trusted partner of education support services, enabling you to achieve the best outcomes for children and young people. You educate, we support.

 

The NEW Directory of  Education Services for Academies, MATs and Non-Maintained Schools 2019-20 is out now!

FInd out more

 

Our HR Services

As an Education HR consultancy provider, we currently provide HR and DBS services to around 550 schools, academies, colleges, children’s centres and pupil referral units.  We provide comprehensive advice and support on key people management issues affecting the sector including:

• Strategic HR planning
• Employment law
• Reorganisation and redundancy
• Sector-specific terms and conditions
• Capability and performance management
• Attendance management
• Conduct and discipline
• Grievances and dispute resolution
• Support with safeguarding and child protection issues

We have a team of highly knowledgeable and professional CIPD-qualified HR consultants and HR officers with a wide range of prior experience in public, private and voluntary sectors and an excellent understanding of the education context.  As part of a wider organisation we also have access to colleagues with substantial knowledge and expertise within education.

 

Our Approach

Our consultants have exceptional casework and problem-solving skills and are highly adept at building a close working relationship with school and college leaders that aims to foster a good understanding of your culture and ethos and your preferred ways of dealing with staffing issues.  We have a customer-focused approach that is solution-driven and non-directive, offering alternative and innovative suggestions that put children and the needs of your school or college at the centre. Our consultants can also liaise and negotiate with trade union representatives on your behalf as necessary.

Depending on the level of HR services purchased, advice can be accessed through on-site visits, (e.g. at meetings, committees, and hearings), and/or via telephone and email as required, enabling you to choose how you want to work with us and access guidance and support. 

 

Our HR Service Desk

Our HR Remote Service Desk offers immediate access to advice on a full range of HR issues and is staffed by highly experienced and knowledgeable HR consultants and advisers who provide timely telephone and email advice.  The service is underpinned by an HR IT system where calls can be recorded and monitored to assess the quality of advice, inform development needs for both the team and customers and provide reporting to inform customers of level of usage and performance indicators to measure team response. All consultants and HR officers have access to the system and can therefore review and allocate cases, ensuring that full details are transferred and cases can be picked up and responded to efficiently.

 

Our Website

All our HR service-level agreements include access to this website which contains a wide range of resources and information, including model policies, guidance, contracts of employment, template letters and tools and news updates on matters of interest to the sector relating to employment law or policy updates affecting the workforce. Website subscriptions can also be purchased on a standalone basis.

 

Our Integrated Solutions

Our HR services are part of a much bigger education services business which includes payroll and finance, premises, IT, governance and organisational development.  We utilise our strategic understanding of the education sector and the ever-changing education landscape to inform and add value to what we do in schools.  Being an HR provider within an integrated education service business ensures that our work is informed by our close relationships with other specialisms. These services can also be provided by other specialists within Strictly Education should the need arise.