How to review your operating model

Your operating model is vital to understanding what your trust does and how it's doing it. Follow our guide and use our tools to ensure you have the right model to deliver your educational support and administrative functions sustainably.

Last reviewed on 1 March 2022
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Contents
  1. What's an operating model?
  2. Use our tools to review your capabilities
  3. Develop your design principles
  4. See examples of trust structures based on design principles
  5. Tips for implementing change

What's an operating model?

An operating model is a way of setting out all the functions of your trust. Think of each of these functions as a ‘capability’. For example:

  • Managing finances
  • Supporting your workforce
  • Managing your estates
  • Driving school improvement

Within each capability sits a range of processes. So, if the capability is managing finances, this will include processes such as budget planning, reporting and cash and asset management.

Your operating model will help you to evaluate these capabilities and consider:

  • What is it aiming to achieve?
  • Does it sit at school level or trust level?
  • What people, systems and processes do we need in order to deliver it?
  • How is it managed and governed?
  • How do we know if it’s working well?

In short, an operating model lets you see the sum of the parts of your trust and see how they're connected.

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