SECTION 172(1) STATEMENT - CONSIDERING ALL KEY STAKEHOLDERS
We, the board of directors of Protocol Education Limited, believe that we (individually and together) have taken decisions and acted in a way we consider most likely to promote the success of the company for the benefit of its members during the year ended 30th November 2023. We believe that to maximise value and long term success we must take account of what is important to all the company's key stakeholders and maintain a reputation for high standards of business conduct.
During the year ended 30th November 2023 the board of directors has considered key stakeholders in four main groups:
Employees
During the period, the People portal which was introduced in 2022 has been developed further, with additional content and information added, as well as new training courses and material. The portal has been well received and is a convenient, accessible hub filled with invaluable information and resources.
As a result of feedback from the employee engagement survey in 2022 and a review of benefits offered to employees, a new suite of employee benefits has been offered to all employees across the group in 2023. The group has also introduced a new group-wide salary sacrifice pension scheme which offers greater advantages for employees. Working hours for employees were reduced across the group, in a bid to improve the work life balance for our employees.
Work has started on creating a new group-wide intranet which will be introduced in 2024. The site will allow employees from across the group to share information and news and connect easily with colleagues all over the business.
Our Educators
Part of our role is to provide tutors, trainers, teachers and learning support staff with the tools they need to deliver the best service to schools. We provide Educators with access to tools designed to enhance their career, at the same time as preparing them for success. Our Educators have access to advanced learning and development through apprenticeships, Team Teach and to free online courses to develop their skills, with particular regard to tutoring, to give as many of our Educators as possible the opportunity to become involved in the National Tutoring Programme and other forms of tutoring.
The company runs a programme, aimed at addressing teacher shortages by attracting and supporting bright graduates considering a career in teaching and wishing to gain practical experience before enrolling in formal teacher training.
School Clients
We are passionate about education and we recognise the important role we play in helping schools and pupils achieve the best possible results. We commit to quality, always aiming to provide the best services, the best Educators and the best value. We strive to be the leading provider of education support in the market, making sure we have sufficient staff, locations and Educators to meet all of the services and support needs at our client schools. We are committed to being 'expert' at what we do by training our staff to understand the schools market and the importance of fulfilling the special and often unique requirements of each individual school. Customer experience and service are at the heart of our business and we strive to deliver the best possible user experience for all our school clients - from professional, efficient service to well-developed, intuitive apps and websites to ease administrative burdens.
Our staff build excellent relationships with our client schools, going beyond providing great service by giving time to help out with fundraising, school talks and workshops and event support such as sports days and school fetes.
Suppliers
We understand how important it is to our suppliers that their invoices are paid promptly. Our average payment days and percentage of invoices paid late is a focus for the business. We maintain good relationships with all our suppliers, large and small, and we are pleased with the regular communication and connections developed during the period.