Procurement Partnership Case Study: Bradgate Education Partnership

As Procurement & Contracts Manager at Bradgate Education Partnership, Sarah Burdett is responsible for leading procurement across the Trust and ensuring compliance with changing legislation.

With the launch of the Procurement Act 2023, Sarah was keen to strengthen processes, connect with peers, and draw on expert support. Having seen how Inspiring Leaders had already supported colleagues within the Trust, she joined the CPC partnership sessions to gain practical knowledge, share ideas with other MATs, and bring back strategies to embed best practice across Bradgate’s schools.

Why I Took Part

I was motivated to take part in the sessions after hearing how positively Inspiring Leaders had supported colleagues within our Trust. With the Procurement Act 2023 being launched, I wanted to make sure we were fully compliant and well-prepared. It also felt like a great opportunity to gain support from peers as I lead procurement across the Trust. Having CPC in partnership was a bonus, as I knew their expertise would be invaluable.

Relevance of the Sessions

The sessions were highly topical and relevant to my role. We explored procurement policies, spend analysis, contract registers, and of course, the Procurement Act. While most sessions were online, I particularly enjoyed the face-to-face opportunities, as they allowed for richer discussions. The topics were explained clearly, which gave me a firm foundation to review our procurement procedures and ensure compliance with PA2023.

Putting Learning into Practice

I’ve already implemented a number of changes across the Trust as a result of what I learned. We’ve adopted and tailored the procurement policy template, which is currently being approved by the Board. I’ve also introduced a contract register across all schools, which allows us to track contracts more effectively and avoid automatic rollovers. In addition, the spend analysis work has been really useful in helping us identify which contracts fall above the thresholds set out in PA2023, so we can plan accordingly.

What I Enjoyed Most

What I enjoyed most about the sessions was meeting new people from other Trusts. The face-to-face sessions were particularly valuable, especially the group activities, as they gave us the chance to hear different viewpoints and approaches to procurement challenges.

Looking Ahead

In the future, I’d like to see more practical, hands-on elements in the sessions. For example, I think 1:1 sessions with CPC would be really beneficial, as would workshops where we take a specific topic and work through the process of procuring in the best way. I’d also like to explore aggregation of purchasing across MATs and even have opportunities to visit other schools to see first-hand how they manage procurement and contracts.

My Reflections

Overall, the CPC partnership has been a really positive experience for me and for Bradgate Education Partnership. It has given me practical tools, supported compliance with new legislation, and helped strengthen contract management across our schools. Most importantly, it has connected me with a network of peers who I can learn from and share ideas with, which is invaluable as we continue to develop our procurement practices.

As a trusted name in education procurement, Crescent Purchasing Consortium (CPC) brings decades of expertise to the Inspiring Leaders Procurement Partnership.

To find out more about Crescent Purchasing Consortium, visit their website.