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We have reviewed the impact to schools in terms of the current model where we ‘claw back’ your delegated funding, FSM and UFSM grants and the new model where we charge a management fee, plus a charge per meal served. In most cases schools will be keeping more money under the new approach. We would of course be happy to come and have an individual conversation with you to provide clarity in respect of your school.
We have listened to the feedback that we have received and are happy to discuss individual requirements so that the menu can be bespoke, we are also working on the provision of a packed lunch / sandwich offering. We do of course need to ensure that any changes satisfy the government guidelines, allergen information is completed and that it is fully costed.
The school will continue to be responsible for the collection of the paid dinner money, but from 1 April 2016 this will then need to be banked into a school account (formerly paid into a South Gloucestershire Council account). Integra Schools will then invoice you monthly for the meals served. The meal numbers will be agreed on a daily basis between the Kitchen Unit Manager and an agreed member of school staff.
We have taken the opportunity to standardise the plethora of approaches to how we manage and charge for catering waste collection at schools. In view of this we have produced a transparent approach based on the number of pupils on role. Our standard offer includes the provision of bins of an appropriate size on site, however, if the school wishes to provide waste and recycling disposal, then we will offer a reduction to our management fee.
We have given a firm set of commitments, which we call our ‘pledge’ these are listed below:
- We will always work in partnership with you to achieve the right outcomes.
- Communication will be a cornerstone of all we do.
- You will have a monthly visit from your Area Manager to discuss performance and any improvements you would like to see.
- Our kitchen teams will build on our old school values of being a key part of the school family.
- We are committed to working with you to provide theme days that link with the curriculum.
- We will work with all schools to agree a rebranding and marketing strategy.
- Our meals will always satisfy Government guidelines and will have been agreed with the Councils Health and Wellbeing team.
- We will work with you to increase the take up of School meals.
- We have retendered our provisions contracts to ensure we are able to provide the best quality produce to you.
When schools convert to academies the light and heavy kitchen equipment transfers to the academy and replacement will need to come from their budgets. For maintained schools the Council legal team have confirmed that the light and heavy equipment do not belong to Integra Schools. We are confirming with the Council whose budget the replacement of kitchen equipment should come from and will let you know as soon as we are informed.
No, Integra Schools no longer offer a procurement service for cleaning. As providers of the service we would like to submit proposals for all cleaning contracts and feel that it would be a conflict of interests to do both.
Exchequer Services’ transaction charges are included in the revised order form spreadsheets (v0.1) that have been sent to Head teachers and business managers.
We are awaiting this information and will provide it to you, if required, as soon as we receive it.
The Broadband contracts have been kept separate to the April 2016 offers as they cover a five year contract period that does not align with the other services offered.
Previously software licencing was recharged as part of the cost of purchasing a new PC/laptop. At the request of schools we have unbundled this to provide a more transparent cost model. From 1 April 2016 Schools will no longer be charged for licencing as part of the cost per PC/laptop. Licencing is calculated at a charge per FTE.
Some clarification/examples were provided to us by Microsoft as to how to calculate the FTE count:
- Teachers – Include all teaching staff – YES
- Admin – Include all admin staff – YES
- Cleaners – cleaners work more than 200 hours per year but don’t have access to a PC – do they need to be included? – NO
- Kitchen – kitchen assistants work more than 200 hours per year but don’t have access to a PC – do they need to be included? – NO
- Lunch Assistants – some lunch assistants work more than 200 hours per year but none of them have access to a PC – do they need to be included? – NO
- Teaching Assistants – Teaching assistants work more than 200 hours per year but don’t have their own PC/Laptop or staff user name/log on – they just help the pupils using the computers – do they need to be included? – NO
These are the principles we have used to calculate the FTE count for the Microsoft Licensing.
Inclusion support is currently charged on a per pupil basis, but you get the same number of days regardless of the size of your school. From April 2016 charges will be based on the number of days you purchase, so schools may see their costs increase or reduce. We are offering a ‘small school’ option for those with fewer than 100 pupils and if larger schools would like to purchase additional days, they can do so at a preferential day rate.
The Education Welfare team joined Integra Schools (previously South Gloucestershire Traded Services) in October 2013 so have been providing traded attendance and attainment related support to schools since then. For ten years prior to that two members of the team worked as Education Welfare Officers with South Gloucestershire so have a long track record of working with the majority of the secondary schools, special schools and primary schools in South Gloucestershire. Their work involves school visits to review attendance systems, policies and procedures, and individual casework including home visits and other interventions as well as non-attendance prosecutions in the Magistrates Court.
Our cancellation periods remain six months for both parties with no financial penalty, unless there is a specific arrangement with a school for a bespoke service where a different notice period is negotiated or agreed.