An innovative partnership between Barnet Council and Cambridge Education has begun with staff transferring over to the specialist education company.
The partnership with Cambridge Education, part of the Mott MacDonald Group, was agreed by full council in December 2015.
Around 145 existing council education staff have now transferred over to Cambridge Education and will continue to provide the full range of council services currently available to support schools and families, including school improvement, school admissions, services for children with special educational needs.
As part of the partnership around 330 school catering staff will now be employed by ISS, with the overall contract managed by Cambridge Education. ISS has committed to pay Barnet staff the London Living Wage throughout the life of the seven-year contract.
Cambridge Education is a specialist education company which has been operating for more than 30 years providing a range of services including school improvement support and educational partnerships with local authorities.
By 2019/20, the partnership with Cambridge Education has guaranteed to save the council £1.88m a year. This will be achieved predominantly through income growth as a result of marketing and selling services to more schools and to other local authorities.
Andrew Travers, chief executive of Barnet Council, said: “The arrangement between Barnet Council and Cambridge Education, designed after consultation with headteachers, will help us make sure the education offer in Barnet remains among one of the best in the country while enabling us to make savings.”
Finbar McGaughey, Cambridge Education’s partnership director, said: “We are committed to continuing the excellent education provision currently offered in Barnet. Cambridge Education has a long track-record of successfully delivering education services for local authorities in England and we will bring this knowledge and expertise to Barnet.”