, Canterbury Inclusion Service

Upon being appointed as Acting Head Teacher for the Canterbury Inclusion Service I made it an absolute priority to ensure there was a robust performance appraisal cycle in place for my team. To be able to facilitate this I attended the ‘Appraisal for Appraisers’ course as I had not previously carried out appraisals for multiple members of staff. The course, led by Summer Macer, was highly engaging and gave me an in-depth understanding of performance appraisal. Course materials were detailed and abundant, and there were a variety of methods used to tease out answers from the attendees. We were also challenged to consider action points for the following day, following week and the following three months. Summer’s delivery of the course was outstanding. Following the course I organised a staff INSET day dedicated to performance appraisal and I am pleased to say that we now have a robust cycle in place. All staff have targets which link to the Development Plan and it is clear that people feel more empowered, and more valued, knowing that they’re working towards shared and personal goals throughout the year.

SPS Investigation Service, Mayfield Grammar School

"SPS stepped in to handle a very tricky issue. The support we received throughout the process was exemplary and we cannot fault their customer service”

Preventing and Managing Conflict Training Course, Secondary School

A gem of a course! Fast-paced and thorough advice and information on how to manage staff behaviour particularly regarding conflicts of opinion. The tutor was knowledgeable and the sessions were interactive with all attendees engaged and contributing. Recommended for anyone who manages staff.

Power Hour Series - Session 1: Introduction to HR Administration, Independent School

I have recently made a career change and although I used to be very familiar with HR procedures as it is a while since I worked in this area I felt I needed a refresher course and the Power Hour Series has proved to be the perfect answer. The Introduction to HR Administration was an excellent 1-day course covering the main Terms & Conditions of Employment in a succinct way which was easy to understand and remember. The course was delivered by a very competent trainer who took time to make sure everyone was involved could ask questions at any time. The course notes have also proved to be excellent reference points – easy to understand and to the point. I know I benefitted greatly from the day and at lunch (which was an excellent networking opportunity) everyone said the same. This is the first of the Power Hour Series and I will certainly make sure I attend the rest of the courses. This was a day very well spent with excellent learning and networking opportunities and great value for money. I would highly recommend the Power Hour Series.

Driving High Performance through Appraisal Training Session, Independent School

I attended this course because I was so impressed with the delivery and content of the Power Hour Series and once again I was not disappointed. A very competent and enthusiastic trainer took us through a well thought out day providing excellent course notes and thought-provoking exercises making us focus on the fundamental elements of an effective appraisal system. I came away with a very clear understanding of how an appraisal system can work for the support teams in my organisation and the benefits that can be gained for both the people and the organisation – a win/win situation. A very well constructed day with well thought out ‘audience’ participation and definitely great value for money. There were excellent networking opportunities throughout the day and I have no hesitation in recommending this course.

, St Simon of England School

"I am very impressed with the efficient, effective and very professional services that are provided by Schools' Personnel Services. From initial query being raised to solution and outcome the response time is excellent. I would have no hesitation in recommending Schools Personnel Services to any colleagues."

Michaela Lewis, Viking Academy Trust

I wanted to write to express how impressed I have been with the level of service and professionalism shown by Sarah across the 6 months; particularly in our most recent dealings regarding a restructure. Sarah responded to my emails and telephone calls almost immediately and has been on hand to discuss issues outside of her working hours. This is, in my opinion, above and beyond expected service and for this I am extremely grateful. In my experience, people can be only too quick to complain and not so forthcoming in giving credit where it is due. With this in mind, I wanted to share my appreciation with you as Sarah's line manager.

Tim Woffenden, Four Elms School

Jane Hall has been an utterly brilliant support to me. She knows her stuff (she has given me detailed and invaluable advice), and has spent a huge amount of time on the telephone giving further wise counsel and a great deal of reassurance. No one could have been more patient and sympathetic. She has been a great advert for your service.

, The Orchard School

I would like to say how much I have valued the support that Lucy has given to The Orchard School especially since I have been in post from 1st January 2015. We have had one or two quite difficult situations to address and Lucy has provided advice and led us through some potentially difficult professional dialogues

Jeannette Read, St Mildreds's Primary Infant School

We took the decision, several years ago, to move to a 'one stop' payroll and HR provider and haven't looked back since. The transition was seamless. The SPS Team are highly professional, knowledgeable and have empathy for the busy Office Manager! I would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to all the SPS Team for all their support and I would unreservedly recommend SPS to any organisation.

Sandra Morgan, Archbishop Courtenay Primary School

I would like to commend Natalie and Liam for the professional manner in which they handled my recent calls to the SPS Helpdesk. Natalie was calm, friendly and polite and dealt with my query in a very professional manner ensuring that her feedback was correct by liaising with a senior member of her team. Liam was extremely knowledgeable about the query I raised during my conversation with him and provided excellent and clear advice.

Doug Lawson, Aylesford Sports College

As a Headteacher I am faced with resolving many personnel issues, some more complex than others and from my very early days in the ‘hot seat’ realised the need to seek professional advice for some of these issues we faced. Furthermore, I am increasingly aware that the decisions and actions taken by any school may be open to misinterpretation and in this litigious world we now live in I do not want to expose my school to anything that would encourage people to pursue this path. I have worked closely with School Personnel Services for over 10 years seeking advice over a wide range of personnel topics from managing attendance through to taking the school through the unfortunate process of redundancies and re-organisation . I have found them to be extremely professional in every respect, helpful with their advice and guidance and speedy when needed. School Personnel Services understand the complexities of schools. I cannot talk highly enough about the staff and the service I have experienced throughout my time of working with them and would recommend them, without reservation, to any other organisation.

Nigel Utton, Bromstone Primary School

Kent-Teach is the platform of choice for Bromstone Primary School recruitment. The whole process from advertisement to appointment are handled by this easy-to-use and highly efficient system. No more posting letters, searching for addresses: the system allows for everything to take place from the comfort of your computer. Candidates are selected through a simple email system and equally rejected if they are unsuccessful at any stage. These emails can be personalised to give that little added touch. We use no other system and highly recommend Kent-Teach.

Norman Dodd, Pembury School

SPS were very forthcoming with good advice and help. We cannot fault them in any way and we would have found the whole experience daunting if they had not been there for us.

Carl Roberts, The Malling School

Despite the many years spent in senior leaderships roles in schools, I could not have successfully managed a complex grievance situation without the support of somebody as experienced and professional as Jane. I found her an easy person to work with and a very useful sounding board when trying to make sense of a very complicated case. The discussions we had, often outside of normal working hours, were essential in helping me to come to a conclusion in the grievance. I believe that the work Jane did with me led to a much more positive outcome for the school than may have otherwise been achieved. The next time I have discussions with governors about which personnel service to use I know I will be able to speak positively about my experience of Schools' Personnel Service.

Colin Simpson, The Churchill School

I would like to offer a massive thank you personally on behalf of all of our staff for your hard work and perseverance which has produced a seamless switch over from our previous providers. Your sense of humour and great communication skills has kept me going through the switchover with a smile on my face whilst I was dealing with closing down an old financial year and budgeting for a new one. Nothing was too much trouble for you. Thanks again, we really appreciate everything that you have done for us, I am so glad that we have switched to IntePay.

Belinda Woodward, St. Stephen's (Tonbridge) Primary School

The transition from our old payroll provider to IntePay was achieved smoothly and successfully. I have found the staff on the IntePay team to be easy to contact and very helpful. The staff here have made no complaints following the change.