Education Executive September October 2024

September/ October edition Welcome to our 2024

Putting Yourself on the Path to Progression

Edward Vitalis shares his journey from CFO to Deputy CEO to CEO of Invictus Education Trust

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE RHINO KIND

GETTING READY FOR A SUBJECT ACCESS REQUEST ALSO INSIDE THIS MONTH:

Reflections on a wild adventure that emphasised the power of trust

Subject access requests can lead to anxiety - but don’t have to The UK’s

provider of staff absence protection for schools and trusts

Editor’s comment

Pumpkin Spice and All Things Nice

Wow, here we are already – in the thick of Autumn term, with the leaves turning golden and the air getting that familiar crispness! Being a school business leader is never easy and this time of year brings a special set of challenges and opportunities. But just like in Gilmore Girls, the changing season offers a sense of renewal and possibility; a chance to reset, find our rhythm and indulge in a little pumpkin spice!

In this issue, I chat with Edward Vitalis, who made the transition from SBL to CEO. His journey is both impressive and inspiring, offering proof that the CEO role you might have considered but dismissed could be within your reach. It’s not just an aspiration, it’s a real possibility.

Also featured, Conny Brandt shares an unforgettable encounter with a wild rhino in South Africa, which got her thinking deeply about trustsomething that’s just as vital in our work as it is in the wild. Meanwhile, Rebecca Cunliffe offers advice on how to prepare your staff and streamline your systems to ease the stress of subject access requests. Lisa Bower’s story about how she turned an idea into a network that’s now supporting SBLs in her region is a great reminder that when we come together, we can achieve so much.

If you’re aiming to make your school more sustainable, check out the UK Schools Sustainability Network’s tips on water efficiency. Even small adjustments can create a significant impact, particularly when budgets are tight!

Speaking of budgets, Nigel Milligan explores the benefits of refurbishing tech instead of buying new. In a world where every penny counts, it’s a smart option that’s worth considering.

Finally, if your desk is looking like a sticky note grenade went off, I’ve got some great tips from fellow SBLs on how to tame the to-dos and get your list back in order!

As you read through this issue, I hope you find ideas and inspiration to carry you through the rest of the term. And remember, if you need help, we’re stronger together so don’t try and go it alone – reach out!

Contributors

The education sector can be difficult to navigate at times, and those in school business management play a pivotal role in steering schools to success. Tasked with everything from finance and procurement, to HR and admin, you keep the education cogs turning.

Education Executive addresses the most pressing matters faced by SBMs, offering meaningful insights and practical advice.

EDWARD VITALIS CEO Invictus Education Trust

CONNY BRANDT School business leader UKSSN,UKSchoolsSustainabilityNetwork

REBECCA CUNLIFFE School business manager

LISA BOWER Director of finance and operations MarpleHallSchool

IAN STOCKBRIDGE Cyber security auditor

NIGEL MILLIGAN Director of IT INamConceptsLtd

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Is your school doing something wonderful? Do you have an opinion or experience you’d like to share? A story suggestion? Or some advice you’d like to share with your peers? Get in touch – email Laura@ intelligentmedia.co.uk

LAURA WILLIAMS EDITOR

What you need to know about new absence codes

HOW TO ATTRACT AND RECRUIT TOP TALENT

Explore how Every HR by IRIS can help you attract top talent and streamline recruitment

The impact of political burnout on education settings

BIGGER AND BETTER: EDEXEC LIVE 2025

We announce exciting plans for our elevated event calendar

The best of EdExec.co.uk online this month

CHEF GETS READY FOR PRESTIGIOUS COMPETITION

Providing delicious meals for UK pupils, chef Jethro Lawrence aims for prestigious award

SBL VOICE We dive into the topic of productivity

18 PUTTING YOURSELF ON THE PATH TO PROGRESSION

Edward Vitalis discusses his career journey 22 CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE RHINO KIND

Conny Brandt reminisces about a wild adventure 24 GETTING WATER WISE

32 SWITCHED ON

The latest news and views from the world of ICT and Ed Tech

34 STRIKING BACK AGAINST CYBER ATTACKS

Is your school ready to strike back against hackers?

36 THE RISE OF REFURB

Nigel Milligan explains the benefits of refurbished devices

Education Executive is the first business management magazine written exclusively for school business managers and bursars, bringing you the latest issues affecting your role, from finance to premises, procurement to HR. EdExec delivers the lowdown on all the hottest topics in education management right here, every month.

Design

Graphic designer Amanda Lancaster amanda@intelligentmedia.co.uk

Editorial Editor Laura Williams laura@intelligentmedia.co.uk

Sales kerry@intelligentmedia.co.uk

Publisher Vicki Baloch vicki@intelligentmedia.co.uk

NEWS

The latest news and views from the world of education

Staff Coaching Programme Boosts School Wellbeing

As reported by The British Psychology Society, Milford Haven school’s talent development programme reduced staff absences by 40%, improving overall wellbeing and performance. Ninety-five per cent of school staff took part in the voluntary programme between 2019-2021.

Study author Dr Chintha Dissanayake said such a whole school coaching approach was ‘novel’, as most interventions typically focus on students, teachers, or school leaders, and not across all staff sectors from headteacher to caretaker. The programme, which included surveys and workshops, led to wider school improvements by focusing on team as well as individual resilience, and by fostering an inclusive and supportive learning environment for all.

A wellbeing survey, undertaken earlier this year to assess whether progress is being maintained, shows the programme is still having a positive impact. However, Dr Dissanayake said at least a third of the staff are now new and had not experienced the personal development elements of the programme.

For its benefits to be maintained over time, there was a need to extend support to new staff to help them to boost their personal resilience, and to discuss ways of managing their own wellbeing and harnessing their talents.

@UnofficialOA Morning #edutwitter! Who’s ready for tomorrow? You’ve heard Ice Ice Baby- Well here’s INSET Baby.

@garyhenderson18 Really like this initiative of getting teens involved in a council, contributing to online discussion via the council’s social media channels. I think we need more of this, getting teens involved in shaping the future.

Historic Girls School Becomes Youth Hub

As reported by The Guardian, St Martin-in-the-Fields will reopen as Oasis St Martin’s Village, providing support for at-risk young people.

St Martin-in-the-Fields high school for girls in Tulse Hill, South London, will be reinvented as Oasis St Martin’s Village, offering mentoring and one-to-one therapeutic care for vulnerable young people in danger of being excluded.

The brainchild of Steve Chalke, the founder of the Oasis Charitable Trust, which runs 54 academies and works in deprived neighbourhoods around the country, said he hoped it would provide a blueprint for the government’s ‘young futures’ programme, which promises a nationwide network of youth hubs. As well as therapy and mentoring, the hubs will offer enrichment activities including sport, music, agriculture, dance and art, as well as numeracy and literacy.

Kids Reading Fewer Books Now

As reported by The Guardian, a study revealed a decline in book reading among UK and Ireland students, linking it to post-Covid absences and reduced school reading time. The 2024 What Kids Are Reading Report surveyed more than 1.2 million pupils across the UK and Ireland, revealing a 4.4% decrease in the number of books read by pupils. According to the study, this decline in reading is ‘particularly acute’ in secondary schools and affects the difficulty of books being read as well as the volume.

The research drew a link between more reading time in school and higher reading attainment. The biggest gains in reading ability occurred when more than 30 minutes of a student’s school day was devoted to ‘engaged reading time’. While What Kids Are Reading was primarily based on a study carried out by the learning and assessment provider Renaissance, the report also included findings from a survey of 71,351 pupils by the National Literacy Trust. These figures showed a 26% decrease in the number of children reading daily in their free time since 2005.

One Third of Kids Fall Short

As reported by The Standard, over a third of children starting secondary school this September didn’t meet the required standards in reading, writing, and maths, according to SATs exam results. The results show that 61 percent of pupils leaving primary school met the government standards in all three subjects – up slightly from 60 percent last year.

A spokeswoman for the campaign group More Than A Score said: “SATs fail all children, not just the 39 percent who will start secondary school having been told they have not ‘reached the expected standard’. It’s time to replace SATs with forward-looking, fairer assessments which support children’s love of learning and effectively measure school performance.”

Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: “SATs place intense pressure on school communities. This pressure results in narrower curriculums and in teaching ‘to the test’. SATs prevent a rounded and engaging curriculum, and hinder learning. We need a new approach that prioritises children’s learning and provides meaningful information to school staff and to parents.”

@SoVeryBritish

You can tell we’re heading towards Autumn - I’m getting that urge to make a crumble.

What You Need to Know About the New Attendance Codes 2024/25

The new attendance codes for maintained schools and academies came into effect from August of this year, designed to help schools better understand student absence and absence management

The Department for Education’s changes introduce specific amendments to the guidance that school business leaders must use to gain a clearer understanding of student engagement and absence levels in their schools.

This has included the revisions of several current codes, as well as the introduction of new ones, such as codes C1 and C2, which refer to a leave of absence for the purpose of participating in a regulated performance or undertaking employment abroad and a leave of absence for a compulsory school age pupil subject to a part-time timetable, respectively.

CHANGES AND REMOVALS

The changes have seen the removal of Code H, which had previously been in place to record absences relating to family holidays. Additional codes have also been added which consider those students who are absent due to a lack of access arrangement or for whom alternative educational provision is being made.

The previously used Y code, which broadly covered absences due to ‘exceptional circumstances,’ has been refined and divided into several distinct categories. These new categories address specific scenarios such as lack of transport, school closures and absences in accordance with public health guidance. By breaking this code into subsections,

The Department for Education aims to eliminate ambiguity

the Department for Education aims to eliminate ambiguity and ensure consistency in the application of absence codes.

For schools, the updated absence codes provide a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the reasons behind student absences. This enables school business leaders and senior teams to analyse patterns within specific categories more effectively. The challenge lies in training and supporting staff to use the correct codes in each scenario, which necessitates that staff responsible for recording absences have a thorough understanding of which codes are now obsolete. Additionally, it is crucial for schools to promote consistency to ensure accurate monitoring of absences.

You can find a full summary of all code changes by visiting www.gov.uk

How to Attract and Recruit Top Talent For Your School

Discover how Every HR is helping schools to optimise the recruitment process

Having the best talent elevates your school. The extra insight and enthusiasm helps to drive innovation, boost productivity and improve everyone’s performance. But how can you effectively recruit top staff for your school? Here are some solutions:

ACCELERATE THE HIRING PROCESS:

The entire recruitment cycle – from crafting and disseminating a job ad to successfully appointing a candidate –should span no more than four weeks. This ensures you remain competitive, capturing candidates’ interest and completing the process before delays cause them to look elsewhere. Delays often arise from needing human intervention. A centralised software system can streamline hiring by tracking milestones, organising workflows, and preventing bottlenecks.

USE AUTOMATION:

Automation potentially moves people to more strategic tasks while ensuring fairness and efficiency in recruitment processes. Here’s where it can help:

● Role approval: Streamline the sign-off process for advertising new positions.

● Advert and job description generation: Automate the

creation of engaging job listings and detailed descriptions.

● Job posting: Automatically publish vacancies on platforms tailored to the role.

● Pre-filling application forms: Use information from resumes to auto-fill application forms, saving applicants time.

● Acknowledging applications: Instantly confirm receipt of applications to candidates.

● CV anonymisation: Automatically redact personal details from CVs to promote unbiased screening.

● Standardised communication: Use template-based messaging for consistent and efficient applicant communications.

● Self-service interview scheduling: Enable candidates to choose their interview slots, making things more convenient for everyone.

It’s also worth talking about AI and its growing usefulness in this field, with some features already making an impact. Ask your vendors what’s on the roadmap and see if what they are proposing will make a difference to your school.

But remember, with AI, the human touch remains important. Make sure you’re checking the process at the right times to ensure no great candidates get lost.

MAINTAIN CANDIDATE ENGAGEMENT AFTER MAKING AN OFFER:

Keeping in touch with candidates after extending an offer and before they officially sign up is essential. It prevents them from considering counter-offers or withdrawing at the final stages.

Introducing a personalised onboarding portal can make a difference here. Such a platform serves as a welcoming gateway for new hires, detailing actionable steps and providing essential documents.

Automated background checks and reference verification speed up onboarding, while automated emails, reminders, and notifications keep candidates informed and engaged, ensuring a smooth process.

FIND OUT MORE

If your school needs support with recruitment, explore how Every HR by IRIS can help you attract top talent. www.weareevery.com

Political Burnout: Impact and Effect on Educators SPOTLIGHT ON

In recent years, the political landscape both domestically and internationally has been marked by significant turmoil

It often feels like it is impossible to turn on the news without being bombarded by information from across the political spectrum. For those in education, this presents additional complexities. There’s pressure from the local community to address political issues, while simultaneously ensuring schools remain safe spaces for students who may feel overwhelmed, anxious, or marginalised by current events.

The recent rise in political burnout, a critical concern for school business leaders, is attributed to several factors. These include widespread distrust and apprehension towards current governments, especially concerning financial and economic issues, anxiety exacerbated by sensationalised media coverage, and a pervasive sense of disillusionment with the pace and impact of political change.

Political burnout poses a significant challenge for staff, especially those who may feel compelled to engage in political discourse on topics like

funding, gender ideology, or the climate crisis, amongst other highly charged current political debates. When combined with other issues –low pay, extended work hours and the escalation of social-emotional issues among students, many educational staff are increasingly vulnerable to burnout.

SIGNS OF POLITICAL BURNOUT

● Elevated levels of generalised anxiety leading to decreased productivity or avoidance of tasks associated with political matters

● Avoidance of discussions or individuals, especially those with perceived aggressive or hardline political views

● Higher rates of absenteeism coinciding with periods of political change

● Insomnia or fatigue resulting from compulsive “doom scrolling” on social media platforms

● Heightened sensitivity to specific topics that may contribute to feelings of ostracization

Educators frequently lack clear guidance from their schools regarding the management of social and political discussions. A significant number –1 in 4 teachers – have been advised to avoid engaging in conversations about political and social issues in the classroom. However, there is an urgent need for this approach to evolve. Moving forward, it is crucial that all school staff, regardless of their role, receive proper training and empowerment to adeptly navigate political discourse. They should be provided with robust support to effectively handle challenging conversations, including sensitive and potentially contentious topics.

Navigating political discussions in educational settings is undeniably complex, given the diverse viewpoints and sensitivities involved. Despite the challenges, ignoring political discourse is not a sustainable solution. Addressing political burnout requires proactive measures that empower educators to navigate discussions with confidence.

EdExec LIVE Events 2025 – Bigger and Better Than Ever Before!

We are proud to announce that we are working in partnership for 2025 with the ISBL and a large number of regional SBM groups, to roll out an expanded calendar of EdExec LIVE events across the country, which will bring together more EdExec readers, alongside ISBL members and regional group members, offering the sector a more streamlined and scaled up SBL event provision.

It’s all part of our ongoing drive to improve the networking, training and development provision for SBLs and an exciting time for all involved!

As one of the few event organisers in the sector that solely focus on school business management roles; EdExec continue to develop specialist events for the SBL profession, focused on networking, high-quality content, peerled seminar sessions and a hand-picked supplier exhibition.

The ISBL and our regional group partners recognise that we can offer a stronger proposition to the SBL community by bringing their membership events under the

EdExec LIVE roof and offering partnered events to the sector. Our aim is to offer the SBL community the best bits of a more intimate, local meeting, with the broader and more diverse national agenda and scaled up provision that larger events can offer delegates. All within commutable distance from your school!

● Further information about our events can be found at edexeclive.co.uk

● Or you can flag your interest using the link bit.ly/EEL-ISBL25

● Or feel free to contact us at

hello@edexeclive.co.uk if you have any questions.

ISBL deputy CEO, Bethan Cullen, commented on the partnership “We are delighted to announce that we will be working in partnership with EdExec LIVE to deliver a more extensive schedule of regional conferences. We have had a long-standing relationship with EdExec and know the significance of their experience in developing content and specialist events for the profession.

Over the last 12-18 months we have recognised the growing pressures on local and regional group networks in delivering their events each year. We all believe that a collaborative model is in the interests of the community of professionals that we serve. The model allows us to ensure that we collectively develop a larger event per region which is solely focused on school business and operations roles; providing relevant and timely content, which is mapped to ISBL professional standards.”

We are now in the closing stages of planning for the 2025 calendar and are happy to publish the list of locations and dates to you.

2025 PLANNED DATES AND LOCATIONS

● EEL North West: Taking place in Manchester – February 2025

● EEL Hertfordshire: Taking place in Hatfield - March 2025

● EEL West Midlands: Taking place in Birmingham - May 2025

● EEL Cumbria & The Pennines: Taking place in Carlisle - May 2025

● EEL South: Taking place in London - June 2025

● EEL Cheshire & Merseyside: Taking place in Liverpool - June 2025

● EEL South West: Taking place in Gloucester – Oct 2025 YOU CAN STILL REGISTER FOR OUR FINAL 2024 EVENT!

EEL Yorkshire (in Harrogate), November 2024 Booking open, tickets available here: bit.ly/ eel24harrogate

TICKETS AVAILABLE SOON – flag your interest or request more information here bit.ly/EEL-ISBL25

CLICK IT

This month’s round up of the best edexec.co.uk had to offer our readers... We’ve done the hard work of pulling together the best bits and the most clicked content from the website, so you don’t have to

MONEY TALKS

The Cost of Effective Parental Communication

Sometimes all it takes from a school business manager is to ask one question to make a substantive cost saving - but that is normally linked to an uphill battle of culture change to implement it. Vikki Dea shares her experience of implementing such changes in her own school

Read the full article HERE

ICT MATTERS

Is it Time for Your Website to Have the Magic Makeover?

DID YOU KNOW?

‘90% of school staff check their email outside of school hours’

Feeling underwhelmed by your homepage? Not getting the social media engagement you crave? Is your blog more blah than brilliant? You may be thinking that the last thing you want is another job on your to-do list, but trust us, this one will be well worth the effort. It’s time to dust off your web wizard hat and sprinkle a little magic on your school website

Read the full article HERE

It only takes 0.05 SECONDS for users to form an opinion of a website. So, first impressions really do matter!

SUSTAINABILITY

Leading Towards Sustainability

The Department for Education (DfE) Sustainability and Climate Action Strategy mandates all education settings must have a sustainability leader in place by 2025. In a time when environmental concerns are at the forefront of global agendas, the role of

a sustainability leader has never been more crucial. These individuals are tasked with spearheading initiatives that drive positive change towards a more sustainable future

Read the full article HERE

DID YOU KNOW?

‘Picnics are good for mental wellbeing. If it’s sunny outside, take advantage of the weather and make the most of clean air and good food with your colleagues’

The Best Opportunities for Staff Wellbeing

Each school, whilst unique, will face similar issues with staff wellbeing, development, recruitment and retention and knowing which strategies to put in place to achieve a healthy and well-balanced workplace whilst achieving the best outcomes is not always easy. Sue Birchall explores how and why we can improve staff wellbeing

Read the full article HERE PROGRESSION

Unlocking Your School’s Hidden Revenue

Gone are the days when the school site opens at 7am, and closes at 5pm, and is only open Monday to Friday. With inflation and the cost of living still very much impacting budgets, it’s more important than ever to ensure schools maximise on all income streams. In this article, Kevin Parker explains some of the opportunities

Read the full article HERE

“Beware of little expenses. A small leak will sink a great ship.”

Benjamin Franklin

The

from www.edexec.co.uk

LEADERSHIP

Easing the Anxiety of Change in Schools

As school business professionals, you spin many plates. And these plates can often bring about change. Sharon Marsh, managing director of Fairmead Professional Services Ltd and associate assessor at Best Practice Network, talks about how change management needs a calm head, open mind and a whole lot of communication

Read the full article HERE

apetito Chef Gets Ready for Prestigious National Chef of the Year Finals

With a commitment to providing, delicious and nutritional meals for UK pupils, apetito are now supporting development chef, Jethro Lawrence in his bid to win a prestigious award

apetito is committed to revolutionising school catering with its premium pre-prepared meals. Every single dish served to the 25,000 pupils it feeds daily, is developed by its team of highly trained chefs. These dishes are designed to not only be tasty but also meet the highest nutritional standards to fuel pupil learning and well-being.

One of apetito’s development chefs, Jethro Lawrence has been showcasing his culinary talent and has made it to the final of the National Chef of the Year competition run by the Craft Guild of Chefs. This prestigious competition has previously been won by some of the finest names in the culinary world including Gordon Ramsay, so reaching the final is an incredible achievement.

INSPIRED RECIPES

Jethro, a former head chef at the 2 AA Rosette Woolley Grange Hotel and BBC MasterChef: The Professionals quarter-finalist, joined apetito as a development chef three years ago and works with its team of in-house chefs and dietitians to develop high-quality, delicious and nutritious meals.

an under-used ingredient and extremely sustainable, something which is very important to both me as a chef, and apetito.

My children were one of the main inspirations behind this dish. They often head down to the river with me to catch fish and learn more about the food they eat and where it comes from. I think it’s so important to teach children about food and ingredients from an early age, helping them to develop a positive relationship with food.”

Head of Education at apetito, Rupert Weber added: “Jethro is a wonderfully talented chef and his passion for teaching and nurturing his children about the importance of highquality, nutritious food is truly inspiring.

We are committed to ensuring that every pupil we serve can learn more about food and broaden their culinary horizons

After an initial heat, Jethro was selected as one of 40 chefs to compete in the semi-finals where the chefs were tasked with cooking an amuse-bouche or pre-dessert with the theme ‘A taste of summer’ using seasonal ingredients and inspired by the story of a personal food hero.

“Getting ingredients for this dish was a real family effort. My kids and I went fishing to get the Signal Crayfish about half a mile from my house, which is definitely the star of my dish. They’re

“The same dedication shines through in our Education team, who are committed to ensuring that every pupil we serve can learn more about food and broaden their culinary horizons.

“At apetito, our mission is to revolutionise school catering and we’re proud to do things differently. Whether you’re looking to improve the quality of your meals, reduce costs or simplify operations, here at apetito we’re able to make catering easy again!”

Learn more about how apetito can help schools transform their catering needs by visiting https://apetito.link/EE or contacting 01223 604505

SBL Voice: Productivity is Power

This month’s SBL Voice is a topic we know many of you love –productivity! It’s something that comes up time and time again in our role; how do we make the best use of our time, keep the fires under control and make sure nothing slips through the cracks?

For most of you, it all begins with proper planning and the ever-popular task lists, whether we’re going digital or keeping it old school with a pen and paper!

“I have a top 3 ‘what are the three things I MUST do today’ list. Then I have no more than 6 ‘it would be great if I could do this today’. I keep adding to this and eventually they either make it onto my 3 and 6 lists or get crossed off/deleted.” Sharon Underhay, SBM

“I have a written to do list in a notebook which I add to and cross off as I go. I also use sticky notes on my desktop to add things that I need to remember if my to do list isn’t to hand.”

Anon, School Business Manager

“I try and write everything down, if it is not written down, it doesn’t get done (lady of an age!) However, I must be mindful I don’t usually get as many things ticked off as I put on and I try not to get disheartened about it.”

Anon 2, Business Manager

“I have a notebook that everything goes in. I’ve tried using the to do list app, but it doesn’t overly work for me. I’ve found I can write in my book and just add to the list. If I open the app, I end up looking in my emails or at Teams at the same time and it can be distracting.”

Anon 3, School Business Manager

Of course, there are those amongst you who are embracing technology in order to get things done faster and more efficiently than ever

“I use different techniques - I use MS To Do app; I also have an SBM planner diary. I also block time in Outlook” Tarina Chow, Executive Business Manager

“I have a few lists running alongside each other: one for the current month, one for the current week and one for the priorities of the day. This way the monthly to-do list becomes spread out with a few actions being added to each week’s list, and the daily list has a couple of items added from the weekly list (plus any emerging priorities).”

Natalie Phillips, School Business Manager

Use of an electronic ‘notes’ app, such as sticky notes, although it must be synced to all devices you use! You can put these into different folders such as HR, Finance, Management, Project work etc. Quick five-min daily review of all, and update at the end of each day. That day/week’s priorities, feed into your calendar, where you block time to do those tasks. This way you can alter (add more/reduce) time used to complete tasks and is a visual way of seeing what you’ve achieved. I include things like lunch, and any personal appts, so I don’t forget! Also, very useful when coming to PMDR’s as flick through the weeks to review what you’ve done and can then expand in more detail.

Kevin Parker, Senior Finance Business Partner

Some of you have been getting creative with tech, discovering different ways to organise your inboxes and manage your mobiles!

“I learnt a long time ago that having email opencontinually is a distraction. All too easy to stop doing what you’re doing and get sidetracked by something interesting hitting the inbox! It’s not always easy, but I try to only check email three times a day - first thing in the morning, at lunchtime and towards the end of the day. If something is urgent, people will usually call or pop into my office, so I work on the basis that emails are important, but not necessarily urgent. I delete those I can straight away, spend no more than 30 minutes answering the easy ones and then star the rest which need a bit more thought.”

Sharon Underhay, SBM

“I have a separate ‘work phone’ that is an old, recycled handset that I have a cheap data only SIM. It costs me £5 a month, and I pay for it myself, but anything work related goes on there, from emails to authenticator apps. It removes the temptation to constantly check emails all the time.”

Anon, School Business Manager

With so much to do, we need to be careful that productivity doesn’t turn into burnout. When it came to this subject, the SBL community was – as always – full of advice to share and top tips to keep stress at bay!

“This is a tricky topic in the context of the SBL role, while there are many tasks that are regular (and important), the nature of the job does involve some firefighting and shifting of priorities. Learning to say ‘no’ more frequently has been important for me. I think a next step for me will be to stop being in competition with myself, do this year’s budget papers for governors really need to be more all singing and dancing than last years? Probably not, but I may not be able to help myself!”

Natalie Phillips, School Business Manager

“I often feel overwhelmed, but I say to myself that I’m not a doctor and nobody is going to be seriously injured if I miss a deadline - I’ve never missed a deadline but if I felt that I was going to this mantra helps me.”

Anon, School Business Manager

“When I feel overwhelmed which is usually around volume of work I go for a walk, whether it’s out of the building or just to chat with the office staff. I have found that contacting SBMs across the local authority helps along with the coaching community. Sometimes it’s just nice to hear I’m not alone.”

Leanne Gibbs, School Business Manager

“Productivity is important - there is often a connection between feeling valued and being productive. However, being productive isn’t just about getting planned things done, it’s about being flexible and adapting to priorities. It’s okay to not cross everything off your to do list, if your focus has been well spent. I am also a fan of the “ta-da” list - which means writing things down and ticking them off immediately after you have achieved themespecially if they are unplanned!”

Anon, Trust Operations Manager

“I feel appreciated and valued in my role by the school. I love where I work, and the pupils are amazing but there are times when the overwhelm can be draining. I try and find a reason to smile every day and have been doing so for a term now. This reflective process makes such a positive difference on some days that can feel extremely challenging.”

Anon 3, School Business Manager

Want to have your voice heard? Please keep the conversation going – jump on social media and share your top tips for productivity and to-do-list achievements, so we can celebrate your wins too!

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Putting Yourself on the Path to Progression

With many roles in the education sector, careers can take numerous directions – some expected, some not. So, when LAURA WILLIAMS sat down with EDWARD VITALIS to chat about the transition from CFO to Deputy CEO to CEO of Invictus Education Trust, the big question was ‘how did he do it?’

THE JOURNEY BEGINS

In 2000, Edward took a role with YMCA Training. “Being finance director of that organisation is where I really honed my commercial skills from an education point of view before taking that over to mainstream education.”

After a diversion into the health and social care sector, Edward took a role in a Sixth Form provision in 2012. This was a baptism of fire, with significant financial challenges, historic deficits and notices to improve. “Pupil numbers for sixth form back then were in decline. In and around Manchester, there was an oversupply of teaching and learning. We needed to bring the numbers down and get to the point where it was financially viable and sustainable. It took a few years, but I left it in a good

place with a good bank balance and outlook for the future.”

When approached by a recruitment company with an opportunity to work with a MAT in deficit with an FNTI, he snapped it up as “I wanted to prove to myself it wasn’t a fluke.”

Committed to repeating his previous success, as Director of Finance, Edward swiftly got the notice to improve removed, and enhanced governance and finances significantly. Once the trust was in a more promising position, a promotion to COO followed and later to Deputy CEO. “The financial work took about two years. I then became more involved in the educational side ensuring that investments were made for educational outcomes. Linking the investment into quality of provision and impact, rather than looking at them separately.

Edward’s experience has helped him see the best of both worlds

That gave me an all-rounded view and got me thinking about a career move to the CEO position.”

This switch has become more common in schools as more CFOs and COOs transition to the title of Deputy CEO. Edward’s experience has helped him see the best of both worlds.

“I think in terms of the work that you’re doing, there’s not much difference. It’s your CEO, trustees and the wider sector starting to acknowledge that these individuals are Deputy CEOs. My role didn’t change. It’s an acknowledgement where key stakeholders realise that this is a Deputy CEO position, and it needs to be named as such.”

He also felt it impacted job prospects when interviewing, “Certainly, it helps in terms of perception; it’s a recognition that you’re operating at that level with a title that is understood more widely.”

Of course, in the past this approach has not been without its challenges, especially as the sector generally isn’t open-minded to non-teaching CEOs.

“If you think about the corporate functions within any organisation, and you had to slice it up on a pie chart, there’d just be this little sliver that I haven’t covered - I’ve covered finance, estate, digital, operations, corporate services and governance. I’m a governance professional, a former NLG and governance consultant with the National Governance Association. I’ve covered everything from a business point of view. That small bit that I’ve not covered is fundamental to our organisations but with people already bringing that knowledge to the table. We have an outstanding Director of Education and a Director of Invictus Institute, the training arm of the organisation – people

with a background in teaching and learning. We have six subject directors, seven headteachers and an army of educational staff. Why would we need another headteacher?”

BUILDING THE CONFIDENCE

Once Edward felt the time was right to take the next step in his career journey, he was able to use his previous success to his advantage:

“I put the feelers out that I was ready to become the CEO. I had a track record of organisational turnaround, and some of the significant challenges coming our way are commercial challenges. Because of that, the sector is starting to add more value to the CEOs who have commercial acumen and can keep organisations sustainable whilst delivering educational outcomes.”

Edward emphasised not letting imposter syndrome hold you back. “I used to have imposter syndrome around the education side of things. I used to feel that I’ve got this deficit to make up. That’s gone away. I don’t know why it took me so long to think about that pie chart.”

“I reached out to the top three recruitment consultants and said, ‘right. I’m ready.’ I did a few dummy runs where you look at positions that you’re not overly interested in, but it is important. I know that some people will say, well, you’re wasting the organisation’s time, but I don’t see it as that. Sometimes, you need a practice run because when you get the one that you really want, you need to have been through that process.”

To further cement this, Edward sought mentorship from several CEOs - today, Edward still relies on three mentors, each offering unique perspectives.

“Currently, I have three individuals who work with me in a professional mentor-coaching capacity. They’re all former CEOs. Two are from within the sector, one externally in the commercial sector. What I like is the different opinions in respect of the same challenge, discussing a problem and seeing when opinions align and when they’re completely different. I particularly like it when they’re opposite ends of the spectrum, bringing it together in respect of how I’m going to address the challenge.”

ACING THE INTERVIEW

When it comes to the interview process, Edward was quick to reassure that generally, the questions are not standardised and have a broad scope and depth. His advice to others is to be authentic, confident and know your specialties. According to Edward, that is the route to success, rather than preparing perfect answers.

“You’ve got to confidently articulate to interviewers that it is about the infrastructure that you build, knowing you have the right staff in place, having processes for accountability and being able to gather assurances from both the commercial and educational sides. If you talk that language, then the lightbulb will turn on for those who are interviewing you.”

THE BEST ADVICE

So far in his tenure as CEO at Invictus, Edward has made organisational strategy the top priority. This involved selfassessing the trust against DfE quality indicators to provide a baseline so they can start looking at the vision for the future.

“I’m fortunate I’ve got some outstanding colleagues - our directors, executive team, subject directors and headteachers. So, in some respects, it’s a stroke of luck as well. It’s about the team around you. It’s not just one person who does it; you’ve got to have the right people.”

Edward’s journey has been a remarkable one, so what is his advice for those looking to follow in his footsteps?

“I’d advise anybody who - particularly if you’ve got my type of background - is thinking about becoming a future

It’s about the team around you. It’s not just one person who does it; you’ve got to have the right people

CEO, become a trustee. I’ve sat at the boardroom table, not just in education but within the NHS as well. I’ve been a non-executive director and chaired for some big NHS organisations. Sitting on the other side of the table really prepares you. You know exactly how to craft your board papers and the assurances you should be bringing.”

“There are so many trustees out there from all walks of life who do not have a background in education and have a different view so don’t assume that as trustees looking for the next CEO that they’re going to automatically seek somebody with a background in education. Whilst we don’t like to talk about our organisations as being commercial in nature, they are corporate entities, and they need individuals with business acumen to run them. So, hone those skills, get the skills in respect of governance, make sure that you’re sitting on the other side of the boardroom table and be confident that these roles are for you as well.”

Close Encounters of the Rhino Kind: Building Trust in Education

In this article, CONNY BRANDT shares her extraordinary encounter with a wild rhino in South Africa, which inspired her reflections on the fundamental role of trust in school business leadership

Some years ago, I had the opportunity to spend time on a wildlife reserve in South Africa, where I had one of the most amazing experiences of my life – standing within a few metres of a group of wild rhinos. These were not zoo animals, who are used to being fed and cared for by humans, but actual wild animals, and getting so close to them was a rare privilege that would normally not be available to tourists.

What allowed this to happen? In one word: trust. Our group of travellers trusted Dr Lynne MacTavish, the reserve manager and our guide, to bring us as close to the rhinos as she could without putting us in danger. The rhinos, meanwhile, recognised Lynne’s voice (she lives on the reserve and is a familiar presence) and trusted her not to bring them any harm.

What, you ask, does any of this have to do with school business leadership? To me, it perfectly illustrates the power and the importance of trust. If school staff trust the

leadership team, everyone can work together to achieve common goals. If staff mistrust leadership decisions or instructions, they may decide to follow different courses of action and work at cross purposes.

TRUSTING IN OTHERS

I have come across numerous examples in my school where success was built on trust. For example, at one point I was producing a booklet about our school’s history. It was a fun project that I was enjoying, and I was initially not pleased when I was asked to pass the materials that I had gathered to a member of our marketing team for them to finish off the production. However, I trusted their expertise in the subject, and sent them my work. They turned it into a beautiful and attractive leaflet, that still used my words, my content and my overall layout, but made it look far more professional than I could have done by myself. I am trusted to manage my own workload and organise my time. This allows me to

It takes time to build trust and a moment to destroy it

plan my work more effectively, as I am aware of my various deadlines and priorities and can plan accordingly. I could not do so if I was being micro-managed.

NEVER MAKE A PROMISE YOU CAN’T KEEP

If I say that something will be done by Tuesday, then I ensure it is there on Tuesday. If I can’t do it until next month, or can only do it partially, I will say so and if anything changes about that situation, I will let the member of staff know.

GET BACK TO PEOPLE

I get back to staff if they have asked me for something. Even if it’s just to say, “I haven’t got an answer for you yet, because I am waiting for X to get back to me”.

BE MINDFUL OF PRIVACY

I am very mindful of confidentiality, and I don’t share gossip or speculation. Where I think information needs to be passed on further, I will encourage staff to do so themselves, or ask for permission to pass it on (unless, obviously, there is a safeguarding issue).

I am conscious that it takes time to build trust, and only a moment to destroy it. Once trust is damaged, it is extremely difficult to regain it (but it can be possible over time). When we trust each other, we can achieve so much more, and go further than we ever could if we were working separately so that we can truly achieve the very best for all our young people.

Water Wise: Strategies for School Water Efficiency

Saving water now will secure water for future generations. Waterwise states that “population growth, rising water use and climate change will increasingly affect future water resources in the UK. If water efficiency action is not increased, the UK could be hit by water shortages by 2050.”

Saving water can also save energy. Water needs energy to heat, treat and pump. It will also save money and promote sustainable behaviour in school and the wider community. Plus, it can help to reduce the impact of water resources removed from rivers and aquifers and protect them from the impact of wastewater pollution. Understanding the water use within your school will help you identify waste and target areas for improved water efficiency. Establishing the water used and comparing it to national benchmark data will provide you

with information to set targets for reducing water waste.

Getting your students involved in this process will be the most exciting and rewarding part. It could also help you to demonstrate progress against the Eco-Schools accreditation process.

A water audit will establish how you use water in your school and identify target areas for improved water efficiency. You could use the water audit template from the UKSSN OPS Group website. Some water companies and suppliers may offer free or subsidised water audits and advice.

Dripping taps can waste up to 60 litres of water per week

THE FACTS AND FIGURES

Research in 2005 by the DCSF3 indicated that, on average, primary schools use 7 M3 of water per pupil per year, and secondary schools use 11 M3 per pupil per year. They stated that good practice could reduce usage to 4 M3 per pupil per year. A later Waterwise study found that up to 3.13 M3 of water per day can be saved on average per school. Dripping taps can waste up to 60 litres of water per week. If you have a dripping hot tap, you will pay three times – for the

water supply, the sewerage and the energy to heat it. Involve pupils in spotting leaky taps and reporting them to site staff for fixing.

Consider replacing taps with push-down or sensor taps. Watersafe has found that “A toilet leaking clean water from the cistern to the pan can waste up to 400 litres of water a day (five full bathtubs) and add around £300 a year to metered water bills if left unfixed.”

THE TOILET PAPER TEST

Ask your site staff to place a piece of toilet paper in the back of the toilet bowl overnight.

● Half an hour after a flush, dry the back of the pan with toilet tissue.

● Then, place a new, dry sheet of toilet tissue across the back of the pan.

● Leave it in place for up to three hours without using the toilet or overnight.

● If the paper is wet or torn in the morning –you have a leaky loo.

Leaky pipes can lead to major issues with water loss, flooding and higher water bills. Monitoring monthly meter readings over time can help spot leaks as soon as possible.

UKSSN OPERATIONS GROUP

The UK Schools Sustainability Network (UKSSN) Operations group (‘the Ops Group’) was created in 2021 to encourage and support school operations, business, finance, estates, governance and sustainability leaders to take sustainability and climate action in schools. The network includes members working in various educational settings, from individual local authority schools to large multi-academy trusts and federations. The Ops Group is free to join and led voluntarily by Helen Burge FISBL (acting COO at The Prior Learning Trust), Paul Edmond FISBL (CFSO at HEART Academies Trust) and Julie Rowlandson (Sustainability Officer at St Bart’s Academy Trust).

Most water companies have education outreach programmes

Water companies and suppliers offer leak detection services, which usually have a cost but may save money in the longer term. Not every water leak can be detected by monitoring water meter readings – damp or mouldy patches can indicate slow water leaks over a long period. This not only wastes a significant amount of water, but it may also cause structural and cosmetic damage.

EMPLOYING WATER SAVING PRODUCTS

Water-saving devices can significantly reduce the amount of water consumed.

Depending on usage, flow-saver devices can save up to 70% of the water used in an uncontrolled urinal cistern. Your hygiene service supplier can audit your current urinals and offer water-saving solutions.

The flow rates from your taps, which in toilets and public areas only need to flow at around four to six litres per minute for hand washing and 15-18 litres per minute for kitchen sinks. This can be reduced using the isolation valves (if fitted) in the short term and the longer term by installing flow reduction valves on supplies to individual taps and permanently reducing the flows to between four and six litres per minute.

USEFUL LINKS

RAISING AWARENESS

Ensure teachers have access to water usage data to incorporate into lesson planning. Increased water literacy will reduce water wastage, as pupils can contextualise their learning. Most water companies have education outreach programmes that may offer workshops, assemblies and water efficiency upgrades.

At entry point level, you could install plugs and washing-up bowls for all the sinks in staff rooms, classrooms and art rooms. Encourage art staff and students to rinse brushes in containers rather than under a running tap. Use mulch around plants and trees to reduce evaporation and weeds, and preserve existing plants for shade and moisture retention to reduce the need for irrigation: plant trees, drought-resistant plants, and shrubs. Make sure your hot and cold-water pipes are insulated and install water butts to help with your gardening and wildlife areas. If you have showers, can they be put on timers? Do your showers already have water reduction devices on the heads?

A little bit harder but still valuable, is the installation of sustainable drainage solutions to slow down or prevent surface water from being channelled to the sewage system. 

● The water retailers regulator MOSL benchmarking tool

● Wateraid educational resources https://www.wateraid.org/uk/get-involved/ teaching/water-company-resources

● Water saving week https://www.waterwise.org.uk/wsw/

● Water night https://www.waterwise.org.uk/waternightuk/

● The UKSSN UKSSN Op’s group website

More speed and control than

• Entitlement groups: Work quicker by applying policies to groups of staff.

• Sick pay: Link entitlement policies with live absences to save time.

• Pay awards: Bring pay ranges into one view - and apply changes in bulk.

• Signable documents: Ensure staff have read policies and are keeping compliant.

• Employee records: Get more control over employee files.

Are You Ready For a SAR?

A subject access request can lead to stress levels skyrocketing, but it doesn’t need to be the cause of anxietyREBECCA CUNLIFFE explains why

Have you received a SAR? Have you been surprised or shocked by the data uncovered? Training your staff and giving them an understanding that their data/communications will come up in a search is important, so that they can ensure they have always acted professionally when using any communication systems.

As a school business leader, you will be involved at some level - so let’s go through what staff need to know about the process and the potential pit falls when dealing with a SAR. Hopefully this will make your life easier when one lands on your desk.

GETTING A REQUEST

Anyone can submit a Subject Access Request (SAR) under the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK General Data Protect Regulation (GDPR). The request is made by an individual to access all the personal data held on your systems digitally and in paper form about them. We know these requests usually come from disgruntled individuals looking for specific information, none the less we must provide everything we hold and within a specific timeframe. Time spent now training and ensuring your

establishment has ‘clean’ data will save you a lot of stress later.

Imagine that you have received a request (or to reflect on a SAR you have dealt with) - think about the types of information we hold and people we hold this for - parents, students, employees, contractors etc. What information do you hold and are you happy to share this?

It is also useful to understand your role in the process, are you the Data Protection Officer (DPO) or the Information Manager (IM)? If you are the DPO, you are responsible for ensuring that the statutory and regulatory obligations with respect to the GDPR are adhered to. If you are the IM, you are responsible for handling the SAR.

Requests can be submitted in writing, verbally and through social media and there is no specific format that individuals must use to make this

request. Firstly, you should verify the identity of the person making the request. When sending information, you are sharing personal and sometimes sensitive information so making sure, from the outset, that the person you will be sharing this with is the person they say they are is crucial. You can request copies of their passport, driving licence or birth certificate plus proof of address to confirm their identity.

It is worth taking time in these early stages to speak directly to the person making the request to clarify what it is they want. They may only want one or two specific documents. Make sure this is clear and ensure they would be happy to only receive copies of the named documents, this could save you a lot of time.

GATHERING THE INFORMATION

This is where you find out everything and anything that is held on your

systems and where staff training and an understanding of SAR and the process is going to save you from any stress/worry about the information you will uncover.

TOP TIPS TO SHARE WITH STAFF

● Do not send emails containing personal or derogatory comments

● Do not send emails discussing a colleague’s performance, appearance or integrity

● Do not accept colleagues emailing in a tone or manner than would fall into points 1 or 2. Call it out and ask for communication containing your email address or name in these emails to be deleted

● Have a policy, clearly communicated with all staff that states when emails will be permanently deleted, this could be a timescale that suits you, there is no clear legislation on this,

Requests can be submitted in writing, verbally and through social media and there is no specific format that individuals must use to make this request

however at a recent conference it was recommended that emails be deleted when they are 12 months old

● Speak to your IT provider about setting up rules that mean emails will be deleted as part of your data retention policy and schedule

● Use face to face communication where possible

● Ensure your IT Policy and Acceptable Use Policy and signed individual agreements are up to date and that your documents are clear about what you hold and have access to as the Data Controller and what will be reviewed and shared in the event of a SAR

● CCTV footage may be included if any recordings are specifically requested You may consider these to be common sense however, I am aware of instances where such emails have had to be shared with staff and this has caused unnecessary

conflict and upset. If staff have no idea that their work emails and files are not private when it comes to these requests, they may be upset when you inform them that they are being shared.

The Information Manager should redact third party data, confidential business information and legally privileged communications. You do not have to share everything if it is deemed unnecessary, make sure you check everything and that you stick to the timeframes.

Given all this information, now it is time to consider how to communicate this with your staff. If you received a SAR tomorrow would compiling all the requested information be a simple job or take hours, leaving some people red-faced? If you are unsure, act today - there is more information on the ICO website Right of access | ICO – my advice is BE PREPARED! And as always, you’ve got this! 

The Role of an SBL Network

Driven by the aspiration to create a supportive and helpful environment for SBLs to find solutions, gain support, and feel less isolated, LISA BOWER embarked on a mission to establish a network. Here’s how she took it from concept to conference rooms

In 2017, frustrated at the lack of support for school business managers in our area, an SBM friend and I started to talk about setting up a networking group. The Local Authority seemed to be scaling back their support, and there were no opportunities for us to meet and take part in Continuous Professional Development (CPD). We were very conscious that we didn’t want to work against the LA, and so had meetings and approval in order to set up, and in 2018 SASBM was born. It has been a very steep and not always easy learning curve, understanding the range of needs for our members across a wide range of schools - nursery, primary, secondary, special and pupil referral unit - has been difficult, and we haven’t always got it right. What we have learnt is to listen to our members, to adapt and not beat ourselves up too much when things don’t go as planned.

A CONSTANT COMPANION

SASBM has around 90 members and operates in two very distinctive ways. We have a website with a closed forum, which is incredibly popular. It works as a safe space where anyone can ask anything, no one passes judgment on anyone else’s question, the old adage 'There’s no such thing as a silly question' applies. In our experience, someone else was normally wanting to ask the question but didn’t want to! We are incredibly proud of how active our network is and there are regularly over ten members active at any one time. For me it is like having a constant companion that you can use as a sounding board, and I have noticed that a number of people log on in the morning

and stay online all day.

Over the years we have had several companies request access to our network and have offered to sponsor it. We have always declined. For us, it is an environment where people can talk openly and honestly, they can ask for feedback about companies, issues and for support. We believe that having a supplier (or potential supplier) on there will limit that discussion and change the way our members interact.

EVENT NETWORKING

Alongside our online network we hold two conferences a year. This is the part of running a network group that has been the trickiest. Finding a balance of speakers, interactive discussions and opportunities to network is difficult, and we have learnt not to expect to please everyone all the time. At one of earlier conferences, held in a lovely hotel, halfway through the first speaker there was a power cut. The room went into darkness, we couldn’t use the screen and it was difficult to communicate. I’ll be honest, we panicked. But in hindsight, it was one of the best things that happened to us. Our members absolutely loved the time to talk to each other, they moved around the tables, shared stories and built networks outside of their usual groups. It was so successful that we now build in much more time than we previously did to allow our members to do just this.

For most SBL’s taking a day out of school is difficult, it is normally a sacrifice and is laden with problems and concerns. However, it is very necessary, and no one should be so important that the school can’t operate without them for a

day. It is important for us that we recognise the sacrifice and the time that is being given by busy SBL’s, so we try to make our days as productive as possible. We normally pay for one keynote speaker, someone who will inspire and that our members will remember. We then support that with presentations from a range of people within education. We have had amazing speakers (I highly recommend seeing TheRealDavidCameron), but we have had some absolute disasters. On several occasions, I have sat with cold sweat on my back, watching a speaker as people around the room disengage, start looking at their phones, and on occasion talking.

Building an agenda is time consuming and difficult. It takes a large amount of work to find the right people, get a balance of subjects covered and engage a room of people for a long time. We ask our members what they would like to see covered, we follow other groups on social media and see who they have had at their conferences, and we also attend national conferences ourselves to try to get some inspiration.

We don’t charge our members to attend a conference, we have sponsors who come along and pay for a stand. We ensure that we never have two similar companies doing this, and limit sponsors to ten for each conference. This gives us the budget for the day. It also means that getting a sponsorship slot is difficult, we could sell them three times over, but we don’t believe that this is in the best interest of our members - so we don’t do it. Our sponsors are always happy with the interaction that they have had with our members, and our members feel that they have learnt something.

It works as a safe space where anyone can ask anything, no one passes judgment on anyone else’s question

MEMBER FEEDBACK

When I was writing this, I asked our members what they feel the role of the network is, and how it supports them - after all, the network exists for them. I put this question in the forum, and by the end of the day had ten replies. All the responses I got were very positive - which is typical of the SBM community working to help each other.

On information sharing:

“I find it a valuable source of advice and recommendations, it’s useful to see things other schools are thinking about as well even if not directly relevant to me on the day as if it hasn’t happened to us yet it probably will soon!”

On support for new SBMs:

“I was new into post back in November, this group has been invaluable. If I have a question, I know I can go onto this group and either ask or look through previous discussions and often find what I am looking for. There is a wealth of experience on this group, and I am very grateful to each and every one of them”.

On general appreciation:

“This forum is a godsend! Ask any question, no matter how stupid, and you always get a response. You can get advice from all the knowledgeable business managers on here and you can be certain someone has been through whatever you are going through!”

And last but not least, there is always one reference to cake or bacon butties…..

“And of course, meeting up at the conferences and putting names to faces while munching on a bacon roll has just been the cherry on the top!” 

SWITCHED ON

The latest news and views from the world of ICT and edtech

School Extends Hours to Limit Screen Time

As reported by The Independent, All Saints Catholic College, Notting Hill, has introduced a 12-hour school day to help students break their smartphone addiction. The secondary school will open from 7am to 7pm, offering extracurricular activities after lessons.

Andrew O’Neill, the school’s headteacher, said he wants to help children who spend their lives 'buried' on their devices, with some unable to make eye contact or maintain a conversation. “At this school, we are trying to break the cycle of kids using phones causing so many problems,”

Mr O’Neill, 42, warned that failing to tackle the issue of phone overuse could result in a 'generational' problem within workplaces and society more broadly. Pupils at the school, rated outstanding by Ofsted, will be offered art, drama, dodgeball, basketball and

cookery classes, and will also be served a hot dinner, after the official school day ends. Earlier this year, the government announced a crackdown on mobile phone use in schools - the guidance, issued in February, backed headteachers in prohibiting the use of mobile phones throughout the school day.

Girls' Computing GCSE Participation Plummets

As reported by The University of Reading, the number of girls taking computing GCSEs in England has dropped sharply since 2015, raising concerns about gender equity and the UK’s tech ambitions. In 2015, 43% of those who took the GCSE in ICT were girls. But last year just 21% taking the newer GCSE Computer Science in 2023 were girls.

Of the girls who did not take the GCSE, 74% said that they didn’t expect to enjoy the curriculum. Girls tend to be significantly more interested in topics such as digital media and project work, which was included in the old ICT curriculum but is extremely limited in the new Computer Science curriculum.

Dr Emily Tanner, Programme Head at the Nuffield Foundation, said: “This report demonstrates that changes are needed to ensure that girls have equal access to the digital and technological jobs of the future. Stronger links between employers and educators would help the curriculum keep pace with rapid changes in the labour market.”

Schools Urged to Teach Digital Literacy

As reported by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), researchers call for digital citizenship education to help students and adults navigate AI, disinformation and online challenges. Professor Shakuntala Banaji and Dr Fiona Abades Barclay from the Department of Media and Communications at LSE were funded by the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to carry out an independent evaluation of the effectiveness of Common Sense Media’s free Digital Citizenship Curriculum in primary and secondary schools.

Their research found significant inequalities in digital knowledge and experience, not only between

groups of pupils, but also between teachers and schools. Under-resourced schools were the least likely to have taught modules on digital citizenship. The need for further funding and rigorous evaluation of critical learning in this area is urgent.

The researchers designed a set of rigorous evaluation tools, involving both qualitative and quantitative methods, to carefully investigate more than 200 children’s pre-existing digital knowledge and then evaluated changes through quizzes and interviews. They found that pupils’ ability to navigate the online world improved after being taught Common Sense’s Digital Citizenship Curriculum for as little as six weeks.

Is Your School Ready to Strike Back Against CyberAttacks?

IIAN STOCKBRIDGE explores the critical need for schools to develop and maintain effective cyber incident response plans, highlighting the lessons learned and best practices for safeguarding educational institutions from cyber threats

n early 2022, I wrote an article, “WarGames - how safe is your school?”. In that article, I highlighted the increased risks to schools fuelled by the need to quickly deploy remote learning and remote administration solutions during the COVID-19 global pandemic.

By linking the article to the classic sci-fi film WarGames, I discussed the value of testing your cyber incident response plan in the safety of a simulated cyber incident (better known as a tabletop exercise) and mentioned the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) Exercise in a Box tool to help facilitate this.

Since then, I have joined the education-only cyber security company, Secure Schools as a cyber security auditor. I have continued developing my cyber security skills, gaining Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Ethical Hacker CEH, IASME Cyber Essentials Assessor and IASME Cyber Assurance Assessor certifications. In my new role, I discovered a significant flaw in my original article which inspired another tenuous sci-fi film link.

THIS IS SOME RESCUE…

In “Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope”, during her rescue from the Death Star, Princess Leia says, “This is some rescue. You came in here; didn’t you have a plan for getting out?”.

In my previous article, I had, perhaps optimistically, assumed that every school already had a plan. However, while conducting cyber security audits, I discovered that many schools have yet to produce one. Therefore, I would like to make amends by taking a step back and looking at why schools need one and best practices for creating one.

WHY DO I NEED A CYBER INCIDENT RESPONSE PLAN?

Depending on when a cyber-attack happens and how far-reaching the effects are, the damage incurred can be financially and reputationally significant, but keeping a school open without putting safeguarding at risk is the absolute priority. The purpose of having a cyber incident

response plan is to both limit the damage of a potential cyber incident and be able to recover within an acceptable timeframe from any associated damage caused by the incident.

If you do not have a plan for when a cyber incident occurs, reactive decisions can be made in the heat of the moment which can create new problems. This could be rushing to restore systems from backup and unintentionally deleting crucial forensic evidence required to identify the incident’s root cause, making containment and eradication that much harder. You get my point.

If that is not reason enough, then let us consider some guidance and requirements. The DfE cyber security standards for schools and colleges guidance recommends that “Your business continuity and disaster recovery plan should include a regularly tested contingency plan in response to a cyber-attack” and that this recommendation be implemented as soon as possible. The guidance also reminds readers that a cyber incident response plan is a current requirement of the school’s financial value statement (SFVS).

Then, there are cyber insurance requirements to consider. Many schools purchase cyber insurance by joining the Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA) or through an independent insurer to reduce the potential economic impact of a cyber incident. The RPA has several requirements for the cover to be valid, one of which is that the school “Must have a Cyber Response Plan in place”. Put simply, if you do not have a cyber incident response plan, you probably don’t have insurance coverage. It may also be worth double-checking with your insurer to see if your cyber insurance policy has any prerequisites for coverage to be valid.

WHAT SHOULD WE BE INCLUDING?

During a cyber incident, school functions need to be managed throughout the incident lifecycle. This is why I prefer the use of the term cyber incident management plan (CIMP) as opposed to cyber incident response plan. The plan must manage the safety and well-being of staff and students, and a vital part of that is communication with staff, students, parents, local authorities, insurers, law enforcement agencies, regulators and the press.

This requires the involvement of the Senior Leadership Team, internal or external IT support team, Human Resources, Legal, Finance and Public Relations. In parallel, the technical response to the incident must be coordinated. This may require specialist third-party incident response services, who will need to communicate with the IT support team, insurers, and law enforcement while being instructed by the school on recovery priorities and dependencies.

The technical response to the incident must be coordinated

At a minimum, the plan should contain the details of all key contacts and their roles. It should have an escalation matrix defining how serious an incident is, who needs to be informed at what stage and who can make what decisions. It should have an agreed out-of-band method of communication for key stakeholders that is not dependent on any school IT systems. Finally, it requires some basic guidance on legal and regulatory requirements, such as who to engage with and when.

The National Cyber Security Centre has some excellent resources to assist you in creating and improving your plan. The DfE cyber security standards for schools and colleges include a link to the RPA cyber incident response plan template. Remember, this becomes a living document, not a compliance tick box to file on a dusty shelf. Once you have produced it, you must update it whenever there is a staff, system, or supplier change and review periodically - even if there are no changes. Do not forget to ensure the plan is accessible even when IT systems are down.

May the force be with you.

The Rise of the Refurb TECHNO GEEK

Year on year, as budgets in schools shrink and costs rise, it becomes harder to maintain an up-to-date and reliable estate of IT devices. This month, NIGEL MILLIGAN investigates the rise of refurb and why it may be a good option for you

The subject of device selection has always been quite contentious, as many IT providers prefer schools to stay with onsite Windows Servers with Windows desktops and laptops in use for teachers and students. Many of these lower cost Windows devices need to be changed every three years. Over the last 16 years I have actively encouraged schools to think out of the box and look at alternatives. The most recent alternative ideas are to seriously consider buying refurbished devices rather than new.

APPLE IPAD

Let’s start with Apple’s iPad - a popular choice for many schools who have realised that this device is a fantastic alternative to traditional laptops in many ways. The main point to keep in mind with iPad is the Operating System, iPadOS. iPads are excellent in supporting the latest versions of iPadOS for many years before rendering an iPad useless. For example, the

latest Apps for iPad now require a minimum OS version of iPadOS15 or later. This means that the oldest iPad at this time that supports that version is the iPad Air 2 first released in 2014. As you can see, that’s a 10-year-old device which is still more than capable of supporting the apps you use in school.

The main issues with devices of that age are usually the limited storage of 16gb that many of them had as standard or the batteries failing. The longest time I would suggest keeping an iPad in general use would be six years to support the latest iPad OS version. You can keep them another year or two longer if the budget is so bad. Hopefully from this introductory explanation you will see where I am heading!

This year there are many 32gb 8th Generation iPads coming available from ex lease/rental programmes in schools etc. The cost to buy these - complete with a case and a warranty - can be anywhere around £120 +VAT per device, and it’s best to shop around various refurbished resellers. This is less than half the cost of a new iPad. The 8th generation iPad should be capable of running the latest version of iPad OS for at least another 3 years. At these lower prices it shows how quickly you could head towards a 1:1 roll out.

CHROMEBOOKS

The next option is Chromebooks. New Chromebooks vary on price but on average, with a new Google Management licence assigned, come in at around £275+VAT each. Google has had an amazing option available for free for some time now called Google Flex. This is a simple upgrade option for old Windows or Mac computers (Desktop or Laptop) which converts them into a Chromebook.

All you need to buy is the management licence which retails at £30+VAT from Google or in many cases can be bought for less than this from resellers. As an example of this, one school we took on in the last 12 months had 180 Windows laptops that they couldn’t afford to replace. We converted them all to Google Flex and 180 licences were supplied at a discounted price. The best part of this option is that when these older devices fail, each licence can be removed and re-used on another Google Flex device or a new Chromebook. This means that the upfront outlay for the licences would last at least five years or more. If you need to refresh the laptops, then there are fantastic refurb offers available on Windows laptops which can come in around half the cost of a new Chromebook.

TEACHER DEVICES

The final selection I would like to discuss are the teacher devices. I work with schools who have had Macbooks for teachers which are now 10 years old and are now being updated with the latest MacBook Air models. The 10-year-old Macbooks will be converted to Google Flex and used for a few more years. If a MacBook for teachers isn’t an option, then the best way to have high performance laptops for staff that will last for up to four years is to consider refurbished units.

There are many refurbished partners who can supply three-year devices that have been

refurbished to a high standard. They look like new when they are shipped out. Various return to base warranty options is available with these laptops too. These are devices that when new would be over £1,000 each. The refurb prices are in the £400 - £500 +VAT price range. The performance of these devices is excellent and reduces the frustrations that many teachers have with the laptops provided at this price range.

If you need to refresh the laptops, then there are fantastic refurb offers available on Windows laptops which can come in around half the cost of a new Chromebook

There are many more reasons for considering refurbished devices. The main one is the reduction in waste. I have been an advocate for upcycling for many years. It’s only when devices have reached the point that they can’t be used effectively that they need to be collected by one of the many IT recycling companies for free (subject to a minimum number of devices).

LIVE IT

Time to take a few moments out for some light and interesting reading – a wellearned break from numbers and statistics!

Let us know your funny caption ideas by tweeting us @edexec

LIFE HACK

England Schools to Combat Misinformation

Children in England will soon be taught to identify fake news as part of a curriculum overhaul announced by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson. This initiative follows recent far-right riots across the UK, which highlighted the dangers of misinformation. Phillipson emphasised the importance of equipping young people with the skills to critically assess online content.

“Our curriculum review aims to embed these critical skills in lessons, empowering children to challenge the disinformation and conspiracy theories prevalent on social media,” she told The Telegraph. Dawn Alford, executive director of the Society of Editors, praised the government’s response, noting the urgent need to address the impact of fake news. Meanwhile, media literacy, including the ability to spot propaganda, is already a part of Finland’s curriculum, setting an example for other nations to follow.

Use a hairpin to easily mark the end of your tape roll. Just clip it onto the edge after each use. No more struggling to find the start of the tapejust pull the hairpin off and you’re ready to go!

Pub quiz

1. True or false. September is the only month with the same number of letters in its name as the number of the month?

2. What country has the shortest school year, at 36 weeks?

3. What is a grouping of bananas called?

4. What country has the shortest average school day?

5. Which British seaside attraction is 158 metres tall?

Finland 5.Blackpool tower

Answers: 1. True 2. France 3. A hand of bananas 4.

THUMBS

DID YOU KNOW?

Did you know? The longest English word is 189,819 letters long - it’s the chemical name for the protein titin

Things do not happen. Things are made to happen. John F. Kennedy

Copenhagen Rewards Green Tourism

Copenhagen has launched “CopenPay,” an initiative to promote sustainable tourism by rewarding visitors who use public transport or bikes instead of cars or taxis. Tourists who choose eco-friendly travel options can enjoy perks like free coffee, museum admissions, and extra ski time. The initiative addresses the gap between tourists’ intentions to act sustainably and their actual behavior. Mikkel Aarø-Hansen, CEO of Wonderful Copenhagen, hopes CopenPay will encourage visitors to adopt sustainable habits, not only in Copenhagen but also when they return home. The scheme includes activities like litter-picking, where participants are rewarded with free experiences. For example, GoBoat offers a free ride in exchange for helping to clean the waterways. The pilot project ran from July 15 to August 11, with plans to potentially expand it year-round and to other parts of Denmark. Copenhagen is already recognised as one of the world’s most sustainable destinations.

Well, knock me down with a feather!

FRANCE TRIALS SCHOOL SMARTPHONE BAN

Starting this September, students in France will be required to lock their phones away during school hours as part of a “digital pause” trial at 200 secondary schools. This initiative, announced by Education Minister Nicole Belloubet, aims to address concerns about the negative impact of early smartphone use on mental health. Students will store their phones in special lockers throughout the school day. If the trial is successful, the policy will be implemented nationwide by January 2025. This French trial aligns with a broader global effort to protect children from the potential harms of smartphones, with similar bans already introduced in the UK and Ireland.

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