We're delighted that you're joining us here at Greater Manchester Education Trust (GMET). Please take a moment to review the preboarding information here on this page. We look forward to meeting you on your first day!
I’m delighted to welcome you to Greater Manchester Education Trust and to thank you for choosing to be part of our community.
At GMET, everything we do is driven by a simple but powerful belief: every child and young person, regardless of their background, deserves an excellent education and the chance to thrive. We are a values-led Trust, rooted in our communities, proud of our diversity, and ambitious for the futures of the pupils and families we serve across Greater Manchester.
What makes GMET special is our people. We believe that great schools are built by empowered, supported and motivated staff. That means working collaboratively, trusting professional expertise, and creating an environment where everyone feels respected, included and able to do their best work. We are one Trust, but we value the unique identity, strengths and voices of each school and team within it.
See you soon!
Together, we create lives of opportunity. Greater Manchester Education Trust
What you can expect as you start your journey with us!
On your first day you can expect to:
Within your first week you will:
Within your first month you will:
At Greater Manchester Education Trust, we offer a wide range of support and training to help you develop.
Your onboarding process will continue on The National College, where you'll be able to complete training modules such as Online Safety, Fire Safety and Prevent Duty. Over the coming weeks and months, you'll complete training courses similar to the schedule listed below:
| 1 | Annual Certificate in Safeguarding | |
| 2 | Certificate in the Prevent Duty | |
| 3 | Certificate in Online Safety | |
| 4 | NCSC Cyber Security Training | |
| 5 | Certificate in Fire Safety |
Training is typically completed via The National College, which you'll have access to once your school/Trust account has been activated. Simply login to access courses and training that has been assigned to you.
Our annual Trust Conference gives staff a wonderful opportunity to come together, share best practice, and develop our skill sets collectively.
At the heart of our vision to provide excellent, inclusive education to young people in Greater Manchester is our commitment to developing our colleagues, through high-quality learning opportunities and support.
Our Growing Great People charter - underpinned by our values – sets out our promise to our workforce. We will inspire, support and develop colleagues to be the best they can, by focusing on lifelong learning and career pathways, enabling them to grow and develop a career in our Trust.
From Performance Management to Professional Learning and Improvement We know that the quality of professional practice is not driven by performance management or appraisal processes and pay decisions, or by the provision of documentation to evidence successful completion of these processes. It is driven by eAective professional improvement activity, leading to improvements in professional learning and practice and better outcomes for our pupils.
We also know – from evidence as well as from staA feedback – that performance management does have negative impacts. It increases workload, can drive a lack of equity and it can cause professional anxiety.
In November 2024, we decoupled our performance review and appraisal processes from pay awards and piloted a new PLI process. Following review and feedback, from September 2025, all colleagues will engage in the PLI cycle. Alongside the expectations of their core role, and the expectation that they meet the requirements of national standards and their job description, colleagues will hold a single, evidence-informed, developmental goal: to become better at what they do, so as to support improved outcomes for pupils.
All staff will progress automatically through salary thresholds, excepting where they are:
We will inspire, support and develop colleagues to be the best they can, by focusing on lifelong learning and career pathways, enabling them to grow and develop a career in our Trust.
Good-to-know information about your pay and the support mechanisms that are available to staff at GMET.
Employees are paid on the 15th of each month. You're paid for the entire month, so usually 2 weeks in arrears and 2 weeks in advance. Payslips are sent to employees' email addresses.
Depending on your job role, you will be entered in to either the Teachers' pension scheme or Local Government pension scheme. You can choose to opt out of the pension schemes if you wish. If you would like to opt out, you'd need to contact your HR Manager. To find out more about each scheme please visit:
As well as many other benefits, we offer free access to an external Employee Assistance Programme (Health Assured) to support your wellbeing:
Blue Light Card (discount service)
Cycle 2 Work Scheme (from Halfords)
DSE Eye Tests
Employee Assistance Programme
Flu Jabs
Health Shield (health care cash plan)
Occupational Health
Pension Scheme (teaching and support staff)
...and much more.
What you can expect from your role!
School leaders at GMET play a critical role in shaping culture, improving outcomes and ensuring every child and young person thrives. Leaders are role models who set direction, uphold values and create the conditions for excellent teaching and learning.
As a school leader at GMET, you will:
Through your leadership, you will:
GMET will support you through strong governance, professional challenge, leadership development and collaboration across the Trust.
Teachers at GMET play a vital role in improving life chances for children and young people. Every teacher is a professional educator and role model, committed to inclusive, high-quality teaching and putting pupils first.
As a teacher at GMET, you will:
Through your work, you will:
In return, GMET is committed to supporting your development, wellbeing and career progression through clear expectations, high-quality professional learning and a strong culture of collaboration.
Classroom support staff at GMET play a vital role in supporting learning, inclusion and pupil wellbeing. They work closely with teachers to help every child feel supported, valued and able to succeed.
As a member of classroom support staff at GMET, you will:
Through your work, you will:
GMET is committed to supporting you through clear expectations, appropriate training, professional development opportunities and a culture that values your contribution.
School support staff at GMET play an essential role in creating safe, welcoming and well-run schools. Through your work, you help ensure that pupils are cared for, staff are supported and schools operate smoothly every day.
As a member of school support staff at GMET, you will:
Through your contribution, you will:
GMET is committed to valuing your contribution and supporting you through clear expectations, appropriate training, development opportunities and a culture of respect and inclusion.
More information about school/Trust policies and procedures.
At Greater Manchester Education Trust, our policies are not about bureaucracy or catching people out. They exist to support you, protect our pupils, and help us all work together in a fair, safe and consistent way.
Policies set clear expectations about how we work, how decisions are made, and how we treat one another. They help ensure everyone is treated with dignity and respect, and that we meet our legal and professional responsibilities.
Most importantly, our policies reflect our values. They are there to create safe schools, supportive workplaces, and an environment where colleagues can do their best work and pupils can thrive.
You’re not expected to know everything on day one. Policies are there as guidance when you need them, and support is always available from your line manager or the People Team.
A number of our policies are publicly available here on this website. More 'internal' policies and procedures will be avaialable to you via your school's Intranet once you start with us. Any policies you would benefit from familiarising yourself with straight away will be sent to you via your HR Manager.
Frequently asked questions and an acronym glossary of commonly used terms in schools.
Yes, all of our schools have fast and free Wi-Fi you can connect to in school. To access it you select 'Guest-Wi-Fi' and use the login details provided to you when you join us.
Yes, all of our schools have ample complementary car parking for staff. When working at or visiting Parrs Wood, you can also make complementary use of the entertainment car park (please do use the bays closest to school).
We encourage our staff to wear professional business wear, this sets a great example for our students, however, please do be comfortable, flat shoes are encouraged and of course warm coats for lunch/break times.
You are of course welcome to contact your Line Manager in the first instance; our managers welcome open and honest relationships with colleagues. If for any reason you don’t wish to speak to your manager, you can contact our HR Team. Each of our schools have their own onsite HR Manager who can support you during your GMET journey.
| AHT | Assistant Headteacher |
| AO | Attendance Officer |
| AP | Alternative Provision |
| BAME | Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic |
| BEP | Behaviour and Engagement Plan |
| CAMHS | Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services |
| CPD | Continuing Professional Development |
| CQC | Care Quality Commission |
| DfE | Department for Education |
| DSL | Designated Safeguarding Lead |
| ECT | Early Career Teacher |
| EHCP | Education, Health and Care Plan |
| EWO | Education Welfare Officer |
| FSM | Free School Meals |
| GCSE | General Certificate of Secondary Education |
| GDPR | General Data Protection Regulation |
| HOD | Head of Department |
| HR | Human Resources |
| IEP | Individual Education Plan |
| INSET | In-Service Education and Training |
| LA | Local Authority |
| LAC | Looked After Child |
| MAT | Multi-Academy Trust |
| MLT | Middle Leadership Team |
| Ofsted | Office for Standards in Education |
| PPA | Planning, Preparation and Assessment |
| PSHE | Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education |
| RSE | Relationships and Sex Education |
| SEND | Special Educational Needs and Disabilities |
| SENCO | Special Educational Needs Coordinator |
| SLT | Senior Leadership Team |
| SMP | Statutory Maternity Pay |
| TA | Teaching Assistant |
| TLR | Teaching and Learning Responsibility |
| WB | Wellbeing |
| Y11/Y13 | Year 11/Year 13 |
