Education Business

A quiet revolution has taken place in the corridors of our schools over the last decade. A new generation of senior non-teaching staff has become increasingly common – the school business manager or SBM.
    
More than just a new name for the bursars of old, the modern SBM typically has responsibility for a broad range of functions in a school, from the effective management of human resources, facilities and budgets, to health and safety, and major projects.

Managing finance
Finance remains an important part of an SBM’s role – setting budgets, negotiating contracts, sourcing additional funding, financial reporting and releasing existing funds by maximising current resources. Whatever their overall responsibilities, SBMs can free up head teachers to concentrate on their core role – leading teaching and learning – by taking care of significant administrative tasks.
    
There’s no doubt though that the recent economic turmoil has brought new attention to financial management. The decisions made by banks, building societies, local authorities, consumers and even football clubs are scrutinised as never before.
    
Schools are no different. They command larger budgets than ever – and with a greater degree of autonomy. With heavier competing pressures on government funding than for many years, effective financial management has never been more important.
    
Although generally not in possession of Qualified Teacher Status, SBMs can make a contribution to improving children’s life chances through the sheer breadth of their role. They also often serve on a school’s senior leadership team, bringing additional leadership skills and a commercial outlook to the school’s strategic decision making.

The benefits
The benefits of employing school business managers and deploying them at the appropriate level is increasingly supported by a growing body of research.
    
A recent study from the University of Manchester found that head teachers could save significant time and money to reinvest in children’s education if they delegate responsibility for the school’s administration and finance to a qualified, high-level school business manager.

Based on the interim findings of a series of demonstration projects run by the National College for School Leadership (NCSL) exploring the potential of two new, high-level roles, Advanced School Business Managers (ASBMs) and School Business Directors (SBDs), it found emerging evidence of a range of benefits.
    
Head teachers involved in the trials reported reduced workload, with the higher level SBM role having a potential to free up to 30 per cent of their time as they take administrative functions from their head. That in turn allows head teachers to reinvest this time in their core duties – leading teaching and learning, and raising standards.
    
There is also evidence of the financial benefits brought by a skilled SBM. Schools are able to release funds by maximising existing resources or engaging clusters of schools to work together strategically. Savings of £30,000 were rapidly identified across five schools in Durham, for instance, with reinvestment being made in learning.
    
SBMs are also attracting new sources of funding. In West Grantham, £20,000 has been sourced to support the introduction of Montessori learning in its foundation stage.
    
Previous research has suggested that SBMs can save at least five per cent of a school’s costs through effective deployment of resources and identifying inefficiencies. In primaries, a skilled SBM can generate the equivalent of an additional £60 per pupil per year in this way, and we have found that SBMs who complete one of NCSL’s training courses save at least the cost of their training in their first year.
    
Professionalising the role
We have also seen more effective liaison between schools and external agencies to support the Every Child Matters agenda, as well as a broader remit for SBMs themselves by bringing new skills to leadership teams and managing important whole school projects.

Our schools have never been better run. There are more SBMs than ever before – and they are more highly trained than ever before.
   
A major landmark in how schools are managed was recently passed when, at the end of 2008, NCSL awarded its 6,000th professional qualification in school business management. A further 2,500 SBMs are currently following one of the courses offered by the College, through our School Business Management Development Programme that we run in collaboration with the TDA.
   
Seven out of ten school business managers hold one of our internationally-accredited qualifications – all the more impressive when one considers the rapid uptake of SBMs. There are currently some 8,100 SBMs or equivalent employed across the country; this figure has more than doubled since 1997, with numbers growing year-on-year since 2002.
   
The Certificate of School Business Management, aimed at new SBMs or people coming from outside the education sector, develops the core skills and competencies needed to be a school business manager in a modern school.
   
The higher-level Diploma of School Business Management is aimed at experienced SBMs and equips graduates with higher level, strategic expertise.
   
We have also introduced the Advanced Diploma of School Business Management, which is designed for advanced school business managers and school business directors working at a very high level across clusters or federations of schools.

The future
Looking ahead, the demonstration projects will continue to test the potential of the ADSBM and SBD roles in different settings. Around 30 trials are now live, all of which involve primary and secondary schools operating together in clusters, with some also including technical colleges, special schools and children’s centres, across urban, rural and semi-rural settings. If they are successful, they will allow even more schools to access the skills of an SBM. By operating across groups of schools, several schools can share the burden – and the benefits. This is particularly important for small primaries, which with small pupil rolls, few staff and more limited resources, may stand to benefit the most.
   
More schools are looking to employ SBMs – the number looking to hire someone in the role over the last three years has risen by 56 per cent, and projections suggest there will be a need for around 13,000.
   
As more schools tap into the advantages an SBM can bring, we’re also working to ensure they continue to have the opportunity to develop their skills to the highest possible level. We are currently working on an even higher school business management qualification, which will be pitched at Masters level.
   
We are also seeing more people from outside the education sector looking to bring the skills and experience developed in industries such as banking and accountancy into our schools. There has been a four-fold increase in the number of external applicants to the CSBM course since last year.
   
All schools stand to benefit greatly from high-level school business managers. Whether emerging from special measures, operating in inner city areas or undergoing change, the skills of an SBM will prove invaluable.
   
By maximising resources and ensuring schools are effectively run, SBMs enable headteachers to bring dynamic leadership to bear on challenging situations. That can only mean one thing – better attainment and outcomes for more of our children and young people.

Toby Salt is the deputy chief executive of the National College for School Leadership.