School business managers benefitting schools

Released 10/12/2008

Latest indicators of positive role of SBMs as college awards 6,000th qualification

The National College for School Leadership (NCSL) has awarded its 6,000th professional qualification in school business management. Seven out of 10 school business managers, or SBMs (68 per cent), now hold one of NCSL's internationally-accredited qualifications, coming at a time when record numbers are being employed by schools.

Just over 6,000 Certificates or higher-level Diplomas of School Business Management have been awarded to 5,496 SBMs since NCSL and its partners launched the Bursar Development Programme in 2002.

A further 3,269 SBMs are currently studying for one of the Bursar Development Programme's courses, with 2,401 working towards the CSBM, 776 the DSBM and 92 on the trial Advanced Diploma of School Business Management.

The landmark comes as official figures reveal that more SBMs than ever before are working in the nation's schools. Preliminary findings from the DCSF School Workforce Survey suggest that schools currently employ some 8,100 SBMs or equivalent. This has more than doubled since 1997, rising from 4,000 to its current figure, with numbers growing year-on-year since 2002.

The increase in well-trained SBMs is paying dividends for the nation's schools. Research shows that a properly deployed school business manager has the potential to save their headteacher up to a third of their time by handling the day-to-day running of a school and additional strategic leadership support. In this way, headteachers can be freed to concentrate on leading teaching and learning, helping to secure better outcomes for children and young people.

In addition, substantial financial benefits can be delivered, with SBMs in the primary phase securing an average of £60 per pupil per year through releasing funds and securing additional revenue streams.

Lesley Buet, one of the latest SBMs to have successfully completed a Bursar Development Programme course, said: "Studying for my CSBM has really helped to develop my role. Since graduating, my headteacher is confident that I have skills and experience and that I'm making real in-roads into fundraising, and sorting out HR policies and staff development processes. This frees him up to focus on what he does best - leading teaching and learning."

Steve Munby, chief executive of NCSL, said: "Our schools have never been better run. There are more professionals dedicated to managing the business of schools than ever before, and more of them have been trained to the highest levels.

"The nature of schools has changed massively in recent years. They are being given increasing levels of autonomy over their budgets, are working more and more with other schools, local businesses and other partners, and becoming more complicated organisations.

"In this context, school business managers have an increasingly vital role to play. Through providing support to their heads to manage the running of schools and making significant contributions to strategic leadership, they not only ensure their schools make the most of their resources but also allow heads and teachers to concentrate on their core jobs - ensuring effective teaching and learning and raising school standards."

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