Effective School Management

Figure 13.1
Budget monitoring
Period 1
Period 2
Cumulative to date
Budget
Actual Variance Budget
Actual
Variance
................. Budget Actual
Variance
Teaching staff
salaries
Employment costs
Other salaries
Employment costs
Heating
Lighting
Maintenance
Total

---

216
EFFECTIVE SCHOOL MANAGEMENT
In order to help control, the figures used should be those for costs which
are incurred for that period, i.e. though we may not have paid a bill or indeed
received a bill, we must include any money that we have used for that period.
This latter process is known as ‘accruing’, and we do it because the last thing
that we want is a nasty shock when the bills catch up with us as they
inevitably will.
Most crucial of all is that at the end of each period the head should review
variances with the governors and senior staff and decide what action, if any,
needs to be taken.
RESOURCE CONTROL
We have dealt with the control of human resources at some length in Chapters
1, 6 and 10. The control of our material resources must also be considered. It
involves the following:
(1) Making sure that our material resources are actually present by keeping
up-to-date inventories which are periodically checked.
(2) Ensuring that someone is clearly responsible for the control and
maintenance of each piece of equipment.
(3) Reviewing the use to which resources are being put. This procedure has
the benefits of
(a) making us realize where equipment or space is available for some
other use;
(b) causing us to think about clearing out (preferably selling) redundant
equipment; and
(c)
sometimes reminding staff that there is a resource available about
whose potential they have forgotten.
ADAPTING EXISTING RESOURCES TO FIT THE NEED
A problem faced by schools is that resources in which we have previously
invested may not fit the needs that have now been defined for the year ahead.
Whether we actually achieve our aim depends on an ability to match our
resources to it. Cost/benefit analysis, budgeting and resource control are tools
which help us to invest money wisely and to avoid waste. However, in times
of limited resources, success calls for ‘helicopter’ thinking and imagination.
Necessity is the mother of invention. Again commitment will depend on
involving staff via techniques which have been discussed in Part I of
this book, but every attempt should be made to avoid conventional
thinking.
The basis for discussion should be a factual analysis of what exists and
how the resources are being used. We need
(1) a profile of staff against subjects taught and numbers of pupils;

---

MANAGING RESOURCES
217
(2) an inventory of all staff skills including those which are not currently
being used. Such an inventory should include not only subjects but also
teaching approaches;
(3) an inventory of equipment and how it is used;
(4) a review of available space and how it is being used; and
(5) an assessment of available and potential sources of finance.
Much of this information is required by Ofsted, and care should be taken not
to duplicate work or forms unnecessarily. Against the view of the present, we
can usefully set a view of the curriculum three years ahead with corresponding
profiles and inventories.
A more radical approach is that of ‘re-engineering’. This is very much in
vogue in the USA and involves imagining that we are starting from nothing
to create the best possible means of meeting future needs. These analyses are
excellent development projects for younger members of staff.
Finally, we need to look at how we can possibly move from the present to
the future. The widest ‘gaps’ can be identified and brainstorming used to
consider how these may be bridged. As a preliminary to the ‘gap-bridging’
brainstorm it may be useful to state some previously held assumptions about
education and ask that these and others are deliberately set aside during the
session. Typical such assumptions may be that
(1) teachers can only teach subjects that they know. (Can they not guide their
pupils in learning about what is unknown to both?);
(2) knowledge is more important than mental skills. (Perhaps we can
achieve school aims through any subject, if thinking skills are better
understood); and
(3) classes should be of uniform size and consist of regular groups. (Should
we not instead vary class sizes, so that very large groups attend ‘input’
sessions – i.e. lectures, videos, films – with the result that more teachers
are made available to run smaller, interactive discussion sessions?)
At the end of such a session the curriculum group will, of course, have to
reconcile their bright ideas with the realities of staff attitudes and what can be
done in one year. The outcome will be a compromise, but it should take the
form of an action plan to decide in which direction the ‘push’ should go, with
practical steps for moving in that direction and clear responsibility within the
school for making the moves and reporting back.
Typical actions could be to
(1) explore the possibilities of selling/buying unused/necessary
equipment;
(2) make approaches for funds for a defined purpose; and
(3) ask a member of staff to consider how he or she might help pupils to
learn a new subject or to learn in a different way.

---

218
EFFECTIVE SCHOOL MANAGEMENT
PERSONAL APPLICATION
Given the financial constraints that apply to your school, consider how you would
ideally like to see the school staffed and equipped so as to best meet governmental
requirements and the needs of the pupils.
DISCUSSION TOPICS
What are the pros and cons of financial autonomy for a school? What are
the key requirements for control?
THE ROLE OF THE BURSAR AND FUND-RAISING
The introduction of LMS led many maintained secondary schools to follow
the practice of independent schools in appointing a bursar. Some larger
primary schools now have bursars, and it is becoming increasingly common
for smaller schools to share a bursar or financial administrator. The growth in
the number of bursars has led to the formation of a professional association
and to training by LEAs and external providers. The job description will vary,
but typically bursars oversee financial expenditure, the management of the
site and the non-teaching staff. Some are given a major role in the preparation
of the school budget, but, as already pointed out, to leave finance completely
to the specialist is very unwise. All financial decisions must be based on
educational principles, and all senior staff should have at least a working
knowledge of budget preparation and monitoring (these aspects are covered
in the NPQH). Conversely, it is not sensible to expect the bursar to implement
decisions without understanding their rationale, and for this reason many
bursars are members of school senior leadership teams. A good bursar plays
a very valuable role in helping a school achieve its aims, and should be
given a correspondingly high level of salary, status and professional
development.
Expenditure on schools has increased in real terms in recent years, but
there have been, and will continue to be, short-term problems of funding.
There will also be desirable projects which cannot be funded from delegated
funds. Schools need to be aware of all the many sources of alternative funds,
which include lottery funding, charitable funds, special grants from bodies
such as Sport England, and sponsorship from local or national companies.
Directories of grant-making bodies are useful sources of funds, and some
LEAs have officers to advise on lottery bids. A member of the senior
leadership team could have the responsibility to be aware of all funding
opportunities, and to prepare bids. If a major project is being contemplated, it
might be worth engaging a professional fund-raiser. You must ensure that he
or she belongs to a reputable firm with a track record of working with
schools, whose needs can be quite specific, and you should insist on talking
to other schools with which the company has worked. Will the fees be based
on the amount raised or be fixed? Will the fund-raiser be based in school?

---

MANAGING RESOURCES
219
How easily can the contract be ended if you are dissatisfied? For smaller
sums, you should consider forming a working party of staff, governors and
parents.
INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS AND
COMPETITIVE TENDERING
The use of independent contractors offers many attractions, particularly in
situations where unions or individuals have become so powerful that costs
have soared and the ‘tail wags the dog’. This has been known to happen with
caretakers, cleaners and kitchen staff! Among the advantages of using
independent contractors can be
(1) lower costs;
(2) fewer management problems, since the school deals principally with the
contractor alone and expects him or her to sort out any major issues;
 (3) shedding of the problems and costs associated with employment of staff;
and
(4) the ability to terminate the services of the contractor at whatever notice
has been agreed.
On the other hand
(1) the school head may not have as much direct influence over staff;
(2) the management of health and safety may be more of a problem; and
(3) there can be difficulties in managing the contract.
Whether any of these last three problems actually occur will depend on the
quality of the contractor and of the contract.
The school may be required to, and certainly should in any event, ask at
least three contractors to tender for any contract. What is then important is
not to choose a supplier on price alone but on best value. The selection
process should certainly include an interview with whoever will manage the
contract, the taking up of references and a careful study of what is offered,
what guarantees are given and what mechanisms will be used to ensure
customer satisfaction. The health and safety policy of the contractor should
be studied and its conformity to the school’s policy and requirements, of
which the contractor must be informed. Last but not least, always insist on a
probationary period and remember that ‘cheap’ contractors can be very
expensive!
FURTHER READING
Adler, S., Lang, J. and Packer, M. (1993) Managing Women,  Open University Press,
Buckingham.
Coleman, M. (2000) Managing Finance and Resources in Education, Paul Chapman
Publishing, London.

---

220
EFFECTIVE SCHOOL MANAGEMENT
HMSO (1994) Buying for Quality: A Practical Guide for Schools to Purchasing Services, Her
Majesty’s Stationery Office, London.
Hywel, T. and Martin, J. (1995) Effectiveness of Schools and Education Resource Management,
University of Birmingham, Birmingham.
Knight, B. (1993) Financial Management for Schools, Heinemann, Oxford.
Ouston, J. (ed.) (1993) Women in Education Management, Longman, Harlow.

---

MANAGING THE ENVIRONMENT
221