Strong and sustainable finances

At ODST we recognise that we are custodians of public funds designed for children's education. Ensuring financial stability is central to the way we work.

We practice effective and efficient financial management by:

• striving for value-for-money in procurement and resources
• embedding strategic financial planning in ODST culture, at school and trust level
• supporting every school's budget planning process
• training staff and governing bodies in financial processes, software and systems
• operating effective financial policies and processes. 

Find out more about how our central finance team supports ODST schools

Operational excellence

• investing carefully and sustainably in infrastructure, technology and buildings
• managing risk and promoting a health and safety culture across all schools
• focusing on centralised procurement and compliance
• putting net zero at the forefront of future planning

HR: Putting people first

Our people are the foundations of ODST - children, staff, families, communities - and we support schools to support their people. Developing our workforce is one of ODST's central strategic priorities, and in addition to our initiatives to enable people to flourish we also support schools with the practical aspects of managing a large workforce.

We have:

• a deep knowledge of our people and a named HR adviser for each school
• a joined-up and strategic approach to HR and staffing structures, with school improvement and finance involvement 
• robust HR guidance, processes and policies across the trust
• support for advertising, recruitment, absence and performance management
• support for day to day HR administration in schools - systems, payroll, pensions.

Find out more about how we are developing our workforce, our people culture and opportunities for ODST staff.