Toolkit to help schools save money on non-staffing costs

The Department for Education has released a new toolkit to help schools save money on non-staffing spend, which last year was estimated to cost £10 billion across England.

The guidance includes information on how to work collaboratively with other schools to drive down costs on things like stationery, energy and water bills, as well as supporting schools with staff recruitment and retention.

The toolkit provides free online training materials, audit tools, practical examples and model policies – developed and tested by school leaders and teachers.

Stephen Morales, CEO of the Institute of School Business Leadership, said: “ISBL welcomes the Department’s guidance on excellent school resource management. We believe that the effective review of the school’s resources by the whole leadership team across pedagogy, governance and business will help to ensure that schools reach appropriate recommendations for the effective use of their resources. We would recommend that school leaders use this guidance to help to steer and focus their discussions when considering how to reduce cost pressures and optimise the use of available resources.”