Liberty Trust, Accredited Living Wage Employer

Cost of living pressures are being felt up and down the country, and perhaps nowhere more so than in London. As a growing family of specialist autism schools, Liberty Trust is dedicated to promoting equal opportunities for their students, and this commitment extends to the workplace and to the values ​​that underpin Liberty as a trust and employer, as educators and colleagues.

Workplace culture

Dr Nicola Crossley, CEO at Liberty Academy Trust

Dr Nicola Crossley, CEO at Liberty Academy Trust, says: “We’ve worked hard since we formed in 2022 to create a work culture where everyone feels supported, motivated and empowered.

“As part of our offer, we took the decision earlier this year to pay all staff at Liberty Academy Trust the Real Living Wage – meaning everyone working at Vanguard School, in Lambeth, will receive a minimum of £13.15 an hour, regardless of their experience, rank or seniority.

“Every colleague at Vanguard School, and indeed across our trust, is a valuable member of our team and is essential to the high-quality education, experiences and opportunities we can provide our students. We are committed to recognizing their contribution through the Real Living Wage and it is fantastic to know that our staff are paid a Living Wage, set to reflect their real costs.

Helping schools thrive

“Our people are critical to the success we can have in our schools. Just as we believe paying the Real Living Wage will help recruit and retain teaching and non-teaching staff, it will also have an impact in helping our schools thrive.

“Of course all organizations will have their own local context and budget issues, but for us the process was simple to implement and overall this was a really positive change.”

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