Central Services
Development
We help trusts build efficient and effective central operations that enable schools to focus on what matters most — improving outcomes for pupils
By streamlining workflows, reducing duplication, and strengthening governance, we create scalable systems and accountable teams ready for sustainable growth.
Our support includes:
- Service design and review
- Staffing model design and benchmarking
- SLA and charging model design
- Trust maturity and scalability audits
- Process mapping and diagnostics
- Workflow automation planning
- Change management coaching
- Business function audits
- Procurement review and contract renegotiation
Our expertise
At EPI, we bring hands-on experience of how central teams operate across finance, HR, and curriculum — and a deep understanding of the challenges they face. Having designed and led MAT central teams ourselves, our approach is grounded in practice. We combine operational insight with educational expertise to align trust-wide systems with classroom priorities.
Our Partnership
We work alongside your central teams to design better ways of working together. Our approach is confidential, collaborative, and focused on practical solutions — reshaping central models with minimal disruption. We involve your teams in mapping, co-designing, and testing improvements to ensure genuine buy-in and lasting impact that stand to scrutiny.
Our Innovation
We take an innovative approach to central operations, applying lean principles and education-specific automation tools to reduce effort and increase reliability. Using national MAT datasets, we benchmark structure and cost, modelling different scenarios to support evidence-based decisions. Our intelligent procurement tools, SLAs, and finance models enable efficient, scalable “central-as-a-service” solutions that empower trusts to operate smarter and grow sustainably.
Success Story
Serving the Halifax and the surrounding area, Great Heights Academy Trust engaged EPI to support the design and strategy of their central estates team. Working alongside their COO EPI undertook a review of current systems, processes and structures. We met with Academy Leaders and co-constructed a service model that met the needs of schools. Our approach supported sustainable growth of the trust which was planned to occur within 18 months. Our approach was successfully embedded and developed by the Trust and EPI supported the appointment of their first Trust Estates Manager, supporting their onboarding and implementation of the estates service function.
“EPI did far more for us that just design a service. They worked hand in hand with us to truly understand our estate and our educational priorities to design a estates function that put leaners first. EPI used their multi-disciplinary approach to design our service, and then support our capital planning and support to be self-sustaining through our new appointments.”
Jayne Frith, COO
Great Heights Academy Trust
EPI Consulting: Enabling operational excellence in schools and trusts
Growing Your Trust
Our support in onboarding and opening of schools prepares trusts for growth alongside developing a scalable operating model.
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Growing your trust
Our support in onboarding and opening of schools prepares trusts for growth alongside developing a scalable operating model.
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Financial Planning & ICFP
Our expertise in medium term financial planning, curriculum design and staffing models support financial sustainability and maximising value for pupils.
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Financial Planning & ICFP
Our expertise in medium term financial planning, curriculum design and staffing models support financial sustainability and maximising value for pupils.
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Governance & Assurance
Thorough internal scrutiny provides assurance to trustees and regulators, whilst adding value through our deep education knowledge.
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Governance & Assurance
Thorough internal scrutiny provides assurance to trustees and regulators, whilst adding value through our deep education knowledge.
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