Keeping Your Head Above Water (when all around you appear to be sinking!) Nigel Blackburn & Debbie Coslett B&C Consultancy Ltd

Keeping Your Head Above Water This presentation focuses on how to gain a full understanding of how to lead school financial management in a time of fiscal decline 1.How to use financial resources efficiently and effectively to achieve the school’s goals and in a way that maximises performance and secures value for money 2.Considering both strategic financial planning and operational budget management 3.How to be entrepreneurial in seeking sources of finance to widen the resource base of the school B&C Consultancy Ltd

Lord Nash…the future “Given the state of the public finances we have inherited, this government has done pretty well to protect the schools budget, but I’m afraid that whichever party wins the next election there will be further cuts in the public sector.” “Education in schools has operated in a relatively benign financial climate for a long time. But a new generation of school leaders is going to have to emerge to cut their cloth to drive efficiencies…” (October 2014) B&C Consultancy Ltd

Budget cuts B&C Consultancy Ltd

The Golden Rule Always remember: The allocation of resources should promote the aims and values of the school; Resources should be targeted on improving standards and the quality of provision; Resources are used to support the varied educational needs of all pupils. B&C Consultancy Ltd

Task 1 What are the key financial challenges –Nationally? –For your school? B&C Consultancy Ltd

Current financial challenges Flat cash settlement currently Central funding does not cover additional pension contributions/NI contributions/national pay rise Fiscal reduction going forward Chancellor of Exchequer – billions to be saved from education Falling rolls at secondary level in some areas Increasing primary rolls and no additional space Focus on ‘closing the gap’ Revised STPCD and individual school pay policies Revised appraisal and capability frameworks Cost effective curriculum v performance tables Life without levels Academy Trusts and chains…. B&C Consultancy Ltd

Task 2 What strategies do you employ to face these challenges? B&C Consultancy Ltd

Facing the challenge Scan the horizon, looking for what might be around the corner, both locally and nationally and plan ahead for that. This is perhaps the most significant leadership activity in dealing with change Plan strategically in spite of the uncertainty about the impact of national proposals and local responses Manage significantly reduced capital funding effectively, including buildings and maintenance issues as well as ICT (ACMF & PSBP 2 for academies) Ensure efficient and cost effective staffing, including managing reductions and maintaining morale B&C Consultancy Ltd

Successful Leaders meet the challenge by… 1. …spending time scanning the horizon, anticipating change, and preparing for unknown eventualities 2. …taking nothing for granted, and building capacity for flexible and adaptive responses 3. …building capacity on the basis of having a clear appreciation of the impact of individual spending decisions on their wider situation 4. … planning ahead as far as possible, even though they are currently finding it hard to plan on the basis of a secure three- year budget 5. …ensuring staff development assumes a greater importance in equipping people to cope with change and uncertainty. 6. …crucially building trust and confidence at all levels. B&C Consultancy Ltd

Task 3 Pupil Premium Do you know where the attainment gaps are in your school? Do all your staff know who your Pupil Premium pupils are? Have you accessed the evidence of what works to accelerate disadvantaged pupil progress? How are you planning and targeting your activities for Pupil Premium pupils? for-schools How do you know your activities are having an impact? What evidence are you gathering to share with Ofsted? B&C Consultancy Ltd

Successful Leaders meet the challenge by… 1. … having clarity of values and core purpose driving priorities for using the pupil premium. 2. … projecting a strong expectation that they expect everyone – staff, pupils and parents – to be the best they can be. 3. …being highly focused and carefully targeting support to to people in meeting those expectations - providing the right amount at the right time. 4. … proactively monitoring against outcomes the most effective use of the pupil premium 5. …demonstrating astute use of internal and external evidence to guide decision-making. B&C Consultancy Ltd

Facing the challenges of efficiency, innovation & entrepreneurialism Schools need to make significant savings through o collaborative approaches to procurement o by challenging and questioning existing or new contracts against the value for money for all the services provided Schools should indicate that they are looking for immediate efficiencies in procurement and resource use to maximise the available budget Schools should make savings from, or cutting, non-essential expenditure Leaders should recognise the need for strategic approaches to income generation which ensure that investment in time and energy is directly linked to existing priorities in the school improvement plan. B&C Consultancy Ltd

Task 4 What entrepreneurial strategies do you use? B&C Consultancy Ltd

Successful Leaders meet the challenge by… 1. …understanding that being entrepreneurial or innovative is not just about attracting new funds; it is about ensuring value for money and cost-effectiveness within existing known budgets 2. …encouraging strategies for generating additional funding to be targeted against agreed priorities in the school improvement plan 3. …utilising governor experience and networks, building capacity for increasing value for money and securing additional funding 4. …recognising that securing value for money, alongside academic standards, is becoming increasingly important B&C Consultancy Ltd

Best Value…aka…Value for Money All schools and academy trusts should be working to make savings, spending their funds prudently and looking to maximise their resources to invest in teaching and learning Improving efficiency in schools is essential. All schools should be using their resources in the best way possible to provide a high quality teaching and learning environment for all their pupils Schools and academy trusts have autonomy over the use of their budgets and so it is for heads, governors and trust directors to determine at school/trust level how to secure better value for money There are significant variations in efficiency between similar schools and academy trusts, and so it is important for schools to review their current expenditure, benchmark it against other schools/trusts and think about how to make improvements and think about how to make improvements. B&C Consultancy Ltd

The 3Rs The 3Rs… –Resilience –Relentless –Reflection B&C Consultancy Ltd

The Golden Rule Always remember: The allocation of resources should promote the aims and values of the school; Resources should be targeted on improving standards and the quality of provision; Resources are used to support the varied educational needs of all pupils. B&C Consultancy Ltd

Nigel Blackburn & Debbie Coslett B&C Consultancy Ltd