EDUCATION
EXECUTIVE
DECEMBER 2021
Digital wrap edition
SUPPORTING BUSINESS AND F INANCIAL EXCELLENCE IN SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES
CLIMATE CHANGE: the time to act in your school is now Helen Burge on promoting sustainability in your school
P A R W L A T I G DI ALSO INSIDE THIS MONTH:
SHARING WHAT IS GREAT ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL Creating a social media crew at your school
HOW TO GENERATE INCOME FOR YOUR SCHOOL
SENIOR MENTAL HEALTH LEAD TRAINING
Top tips and ideas to turn you into a fundraising pro
How to apply for a grant and access DfE training
Editor’s comment It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The festive season is here which means we have finally made it to the end of 2021, and, I’m sure we can all agree, we’ll be glad to see the back of it. Christmas cheer is exactly what we all need after another challenging year - and as Buddy the Elf says, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” So whether you fancy yourself as a bit of a Mariah Carey, enjoy a bit of Wham!, or like to keep it traditional with some Bing Crosby, it’s time to crank up the Christmas tunes and sing your heart out! You have all earned a well-deserved break and I hope Santa delivers the goodies you have written on your Christmas list. To celebrate all things Christmas, we have a LIVE IT Christmas special to really get you feeling jolly! As well as this, we have plenty more in our final issue of the year. We look at why the pandemic is a turning point in the private school debate, and why children now need the tools to fix the climate crisis. Speaking of which, we sit down with Helen Burge to discuss how sustainability can benefit both your school and the environment. Simon Hepburn explores how you can use your students to help market your school by creating a social media crew and Stephen Peach discusses why SBLs need to engage with students and the learning process in order to develop it. In terms of finance and funding, we take a look at what grants you can access for senior mental health lead training, Craig Smith gives seven top tips for insurance renewals, and we explore how you can generate income for your school through fundraising. As always, we’d love to hear any suggestions you have for the magazine. If you’d like to get involved with EdExec, or if you’d like us to cover a certain topic, please do let us know. Contact eleanor@intelligentmedia.co.uk or tweet @edexec with ideas, opinions or success stories. As my final editor’s comment of the year, I’d just like to take the time to wish you all a very merry Christmas, a happy new year and to thank you for your support in 2021! I look forward to WE WANT TO speaking to you all again in 2022! 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 eleanor@ intelligentmedia.co.uk
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A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of our wonderful readers! We can’t wait to see what 2022 brings and to be there to support you every step of the way.
Contributors
EDUCATION
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 – essentially, all you need to run your school. Our contributors, drawn from the Education Executive team and sector innovators and experts, offer invaluable business insights from both the sidelines and front line.
ELEANOR POTTER Editor Education Executive
HELEN BURGE Deputy chief operations officer The Priory Learning Trust
CRAIG SMITH
Ho Ho Ho from YPO! We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Chief operating officer Bedfordshire Schools Trust
SIMON HEPBURN Founder Marketing Advice for Schools
STEPHEN PEACH Assistant headteacher and business manager Dacorum Education Support Centre
Contents NEWS & VIEWS
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NEWS Latest school business management news in brief
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WHY THE PANDEMIC IS A TURNING POINT IN THE PRIVATE SCHOOL DEBATE Frances Ryan explores the gulf in provision
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CHILDREN HAVE THE FACTS, NOW THEY NEED THE TOOLS TO FIX THE CLIMATE CRISIS A recent poll shows children are anxious yet hopeful about the future LEADERSHIP BY EXAMPLE
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THE BEST WAY TO SHARE WHAT IS GREAT ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL? USE YOUR STUDENTS How to create a social media crew at your school
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CLIMATE CHANGE: THE TIME TO ACT IN YOUR SCHOOL IS NOW Helen Burge on how to promote sustainability in your school
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WHAT GRANTS CAN YOU ACCESS FOR SENIOR MENTAL HEALTH LEAD TRAINING? How to apply for a grant and access DfE training
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MANAGEMENT
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WHY SBLS NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE LEARNING PROCESS IN ORDER TO DEVELOP IT Stephen Peach emphasises the importance of understanding the learning process
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SEVEN TOP TIPS FOR SCHOOL INSURANCE RENEWALS Craig Smith gives advice after renewing his trust’s insurance premiums
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WHAT IS THE SOLUTION TO AIR SAFETY IN SCHOOLS? COVID has drawn attention to the issue of air safety ICT MATTERS
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HOW TO GENERATE INCOME FOR YOUR SCHOOL THROUGH FUNDRAISING The ways in which you can become a fundraising pro
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.
@EdExec Design
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LIVE IT Close your eyes. Inhale. Count to five… now exhale. Time to take a few moments out for some light and interesting reading – a wellearned break from numbers and statistics!
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60 SECONDS WITH… Emma Norman, school business manager, Chapelford Village Primary School
Graphic designer Amanda Lancaster alancasterdesign.com
Editorial
Editor Ellie Potter eleanor@intelligentmedia.co.uk
Sales
info@intelligentmedia.co.uk
Publisher
Vicki Baloch vicki@intelligentmedia.co.uk
News and views {NEWS}
NEWS
The latest news and views from the world of education
Bristol infant school limits heating to tackle fuel costs Summerhill Infants School in St George, Bristol, has told parents it faces bills of more than £30,000 if it does not change its energy consumption habits. The National Education Union said it shows the ‘sad, hard truth’ that schools still do not have enough financial support. Bristol City Council said it was trying to support affected schools. In an email sent to parents the school said it will limit the time the heating is on during the day, turn down thermostats for hot water and turn off lights when not in use. If it did not take action, it said, its costs would be ‘more than double’ its previous annual costs. One parent, who wanted to remain anonymous, told the BBC she was concerned that the decision could affect her child’s asthma. “Being in the cold can really affect her, so I think that she can potentially get ill,” she said. “If she starts getting ill I will take her out because I can provide her heating at home, as much as that’s expensive. If it was something that they asked me to pay £10 towards, I would pay some money. I would happily provide money.”
@SwailesRuth: Everyone’s tired aren’t they?
PR firm enlists Tilston Primary School to deliver Christmas joy Tilston Primary School has supported a Cheshire-based PR firm in helping children around the world celebrate Christmas. Source PR, based in Tattenhall, delivered 21 gift-filled shoeboxes to the school as part of Operation Christmas Child. The collection consisted of shoeboxes put together by team members, and contributions made by residents of the Tattenhall community. Donations from locals ranged from complete filled and wrapped presents to unique, hand-knitted, gifts and toys to fill up the boxes which were dropped off at Tilston Parochial Primary School, ready to make their way to children across the world in time for Christmas.
@CrowtherSim: Directing that nativity like Mr Poppy. 60 children on stage freestyle dancing to the final instrumental is a sight to behold.
December 2021
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News and views {NEWS}
News in brief
Abersoch school will close after concerns rejected The closure of a small primary school has been backed for a second time after concerns were raised about the decision-making process. Ysgol Abersoch’s seven pupils will be transferred to Ysgol Sarn Bach from January. Gwynedd Council cabinet’s decision is expected to save nearly £100,000. The closure was originally approved in September, but cabinet members looked at it again after a report used to make the decision was criticised. Among issues highlighted by members of the education and economy scrutiny committee were that the report was ‘inaccurate and misleading in terms of the impact on the community’, as well as the Welsh language.
One-in-four autistic children wait over three years for school support, poll finds The National Autistic Society says long waits for educational help is leaving families ‘on the edge of crisis’. One-in-four autistic children wait more than three years to receive the support they need at school, leaving families ‘exhausted and on the edge of crisis’, according to the National Autistic Society. Seventy-four percent of parents who were polled by the charity said their child’s school did not fully meet their needs – double the dissatisfaction levels of four years ago as set out in the charity’s last education report. Parents also complained that they faced lengthy battles trying to secure the right support for their child, with 57% reporting they had waited more than a year, and 26% waiting more than three years. The NAS School Report 2021 - based on surveys of 4,000 parents, carers, autistic children and young people - also highlights the impact of the pandemic on autistic children, with 44% of parents of the view their child has fallen behind with work and 59% concerned their child has become more socially isolated. The charity says the education system is not working for autistic children in England and is calling on the government to take action in its SEND review.
Swindon council agrees new plans after academy u-turn School leaders will now have a say in whether they become academies due to a new approach which has been agreed by Swindon Borough Council and the head teachers’ union NAHT; this follows protests against plans to turn all 23 council-maintained schools into multiacademy trusts. The council was forced to make a dramatic u-turn after it faced mounting pressure from teaching unions and parents. The original plan was said to have been drafted in line with the former secretary of state’s ‘direction of travel’ to make all schools academies, but that line has since softened. Following discussions the council have assured the headteachers’ union that no school in Swindon will be forced to become an academy, and that and no stand-alone academy will be made to join a multi-academy trust.
@AidanSevers: If you showed people round your school, what one thing would they really notice and be amazed at in a positive way?
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December 2021
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News and views {NEWS REPORT}
Why the pandemic is a turning point in the private school debate The gulf in provision for private and state pupils has never been more stark. Who can doubt now that private schools entrench privilege? FRANCES RYAN explores
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eir Starmer’s pledge to end the lucrative tax breaks given to private schools has, predictably, brought out the usual critics. The chief executive of the Independent Schools Council, Julie Robinson, told the Times it was wrong to “put politics before the interests of young people”. Presumably Robinson did not mean the interests of most young people – just the ones whose families can afford tens of thousands of pounds of school fees. The ‘charitable status’ of private schools
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is an oxymoron of longstanding. These institutions hoard advantage for the wealthy – and are then rewarded for their ‘good work’ - and yet, the debate about that status rarely progresses. We have been stuck listening to the same old myths for years, from the idea that private schools deserve tax breaks because they provide bursaries to poorer children (in fact ‘financial assistance’ is considerably more likely to go to affluent middle-class families), to the claim that tax breaks let ordinary families buy an elite education (the average annual fee for independent schools is £15,191, by some
News and views {NEWS REPORT}
Any attempt to make education fairer must also look at wider society estimates, half the average UK salary, before tax). It is a testament to the hold that class privilege has in this country that even such a modest attempt to keep private schools in check is repeatedly resisted. There is a chance the pandemic could be the turning point. More than a year of unprecedented disruption to schooling has highlighted – and widened – the gap between young people in fee-paying schools and the state sector. Private school pupils were cherry-picked for higher A-level results, with independent schools in England giving 70% of pupils top grades compared to 39% for comprehensive pupils. Lockdown saw rich families hire governesses while the poorest struggled without lessons; research by UCL found that private school pupils were five times more likely to get near-full-time teaching online than those in the state sector. In an era when kids on free school meals have lost months of learning because they can’t even afford the internet, giving tax breaks to private school families feels particularly unjust. The private school system is often spoken about by its proponents as if it were harmless, but advantage does not exist in a vacuum; whether it’s siphoning off bright classmates and influential parents from the state sector, or depriving the state of resources through tax breaks, every leg up that private schools enjoy erodes the life chances of less lucky pupils. That is, after all, the point of them. Starmer’s move to frame ending private schools’ annual £1.7bn tax break as a way to fund the state sector is a useful narrative; tackling unfair advantage will mean a better education for all children.
STARVED OF FUNDING Ending charitable status could be the beginning of a greater drive to tackle our two-tier education system; it will require more funding for struggling state schools, which have long been starved of resources, including catchup
funds for working-class pupils who have fallen further behind during lockdown. It should also include help for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) who are facing ongoing cuts in support from underfunded local authorities. Parents of SEND children who can afford it are too often forced to the private sector as their only hope, while lower-income families with disabled kids are simply left without. Any attempt to make education fairer must also look at wider society and the growing gulf between wealthy and poorer families. Economic inequalities outside the classroom need to be addressed by reducing child poverty through higher wages and social security, and building affordable housing to stop children growing up in temporary, crowded homes. As long as some parents have enough income to pay Eton fees, while others can’t afford to buy nutritious food, children in this country will never have anywhere close to a fair shot at getting ahead. None of this will happen easily. Even the slightest attempts to tilt the balance towards state school pupils are too often greeted with hysteria from private schools. Those who are used to having a near-monopoly on university places, top jobs and power will not loosen their grip willingly - but progress, slowly but surely, has a way of breaking through. The pandemic has brought home the unfairness of circumstance that means some families have so much and others so little through nothing more than a quirk of birth. In a society where life is so often rigged by class, education should be an escape route, not a way of entrenching unfair advantage. If there are sensible measures we can take to start treating pupils more fairly, they should surely be taken. You could call it the charitable thing to do. CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/ commentisfree/2021/sep/30/pandemicprivate-schools-pupils
December 2021
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News and views {NEWS REPORT}
Children have the facts, now they need the tools to fix the climate crisis ZOE WILLIAMS discusses a recent poll which has shown that young people are justifiably anxious about the future of the planet - but also hopeful
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here was a rare nugget of hope in the assorted news and polling on the climate crisis recently; 18-to-24year-olds in Britain are the most optimistic that the planet is still salvageable, with 73% agreeing with the statement presented by YouGov, ‘We are still able to avoid the worst effects of climate change, but it would need a drastic change in the steps taken to tackle it, and fast’. Only two-thirds of older cohorts held the same view. Young people’s positive outlook stands in contrast to the actual state of the environment, to which they are extremely attuned; sure enough, the under-30s are much more worried about the climate than any other generation. While, overall, the differences don’t look stark – threequarters of the young versus two-thirds of those over 65 fall under the umbrella term ‘worried’ – twice as many young people as any other cohort described themselves as ‘very worried’. We should note one quirk of the fieldwork; ‘very’ was the strongest word in the poll. Who knows what depths
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of anxiety would have been uncovered if the poll had included ‘extremely worried’ or ‘climbing the wall’? This generation, lacking a retiree’s capacity for denial, has the clearest sense of what its crisisridden future might look like, so these young people have to believe that environmental collapse can be averted the alternative is despair. It ought to continually surprise us to see very young teenagers engaging in direct climate action, such as school strikes across the globe, and even younger children trying to change their diets to minimise their carbon footprints; political awakenings now happen earlier and earlier. This is not an accident, or a consequence of ‘wokeness’; these anxieties are the unremarkable result of education, of curricula that diligently scope anthropogenic climate crisis and chart its course.
CLIMATE CATASTROPHE It was only during lockdown that I got a sense of how powerfully dominant in education is the drumbeat of climate
catastrophe. I call it ‘homeschooling’ but, realistically, with 12 and 13-year-olds, it was more a case of having their live lessons on in the background while I tried to concentrate on more important things, like whom to believe, Meghan Markle or Prince Charles. It was not unusual for them to have four consecutive classes that were about the environment; a geography lesson on the crisis in the oceans, design technology on the devastating lifecycle of the plastic bag, a science lesson on the feedback loops that accelerate CO2 emissions and, finally, some postapocalyptic literature in English. This, unsurprisingly – and I suppose we have to tip our hats to the emotional impact of a global pandemic at the same time – caused a lot of anxiety, to the extent that I started writing a book, just for my son, on why we weren’t necessarily doomed. I sought 10 reasons for optimism - and found five. First, it may look as though the adult world is incapable of action, and technically we have known about carbon emissions for decades, but the consensus
News and views {NEWS REPORT}
We don’t want our children to perish, or theirs for that matter on fighting climate breakdown is relatively recent, and this era of global political will is quite new. Even if you look back to 2009, and the frustrated outcome of the Copenhagen COP summit, you can see how different the context was when nations weren’t in accord on the nature and urgency of the challenge. Second, there is a huge amount that we now know; how to end fossil fuel dependency, how to build houses carbon neutrally and live carbon-neutral lives in them, how to rewild landscapes and greenify deserts, how to harness the power of the sun and wind. Discovery was the slow bit; enactment will be faster. Third, look at the modelling of the geophysicist Brad Werner, described in Ann Pettifor’s Case for a Green New Deal. Analysing resource depletion across
the world, Werner concluded that, in an unrestrained capitalist system, such actions were ‘so rapid, convenient and barrier-free that ‘earth-human systems’ were becoming dangerously unstable in response’. Yet there was one source of potential interruption; mass resistance movements. Extinction Rebellion, student climate strikes – we notice these things because they make the news for disrupting traffic - but they are also among the few factors that shake up the modelling that otherwise points to accelerating environmental degradation.
A GREAT IMPROVEMENT Fourth, if you look at action on climate change as restriction, a necessary curtailment that will deplete our quality of life, like a diet, then it does start to look rather unlikely. Yet if you look at it instead as something that will improve our lives greatly, both directly (in the liberation from the worst consequences of the climate crisis) and indirectly (in the greater equality that a different distribution of resources will inevitably
bring about) then it all starts to look more practical and probable. Fifth, you can say what you like about politicians and billionaires, about boomers and the inept Generation X, but one thing is true of all of us; we don’t want our children to perish, or theirs for that matter, and this ought to be our guiding principle, obliterating all other concerns. I want to say these notions changed the mood of the household, but I was missing the point. If kids are going to be presented with the facts of the climate crisis, as they must be, this cannot be counteracted with loving boosterism. You need to teach them how to harness and act on their own political power. You need to teach them how to build those resistance movements that are all that’s standing between us and Earth’s galloping instability. You cannot educate a generation on the dangers posed to them without giving them the political tools to respond. The education secretary who periodically pledged to ‘depoliticise’ the curriculum has now been sacked, but that’s probably not the end of silly, attention-seeking, skirmishes in a confected culture war. The urgent, meaningful work is to politicise the curriculum. CREDIT: This is an edited version of an article that originally appeared on The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/ commentisfree/2021/sep/16/children-factsclimate-crisis-poll-anxious-planet
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Leadership by example {MARKETING}
The best way to share what is great about your school? Use your students SIMON HEPBURN, of Marketing Advice for Schools, discusses why you should develop a social media crew at your school
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n my school days one of my favourite TV programmes was Press Gang – the story of a school newspaper. It made making a school newspaper glamorous and, no doubt, inspired many of my generation to become journalists (perhaps no surprise as it was written by ex-teacher Steven Moffat who moved on to create Sherlock!) Visiting schools today there is much that has changed and improved since the 90s but I’ve also noticed that there are far fewer students involved in creating stories about their schools than there used to be and that surprises me for two reasons: ● F irstly, because many more students will go on to careers that require a wide range of mediarelated skills such as writing scripts for video, interviewing, presenting, shooting and editing video and sharing content online. ● S econdly, because schools are in severe need of content to promote themselves to increase admissions, raise extra funds or just show the local community the positive things they do every day – and students have the time, ability and insight to do this. Create a ‘Student Media Crew’ (your own Press Gang) today with a focus on video rather than print and you can set up your own TV channel or supply great videos for an existing school website or social media. The only downside is an initial investment of time and, perhaps, some new equipment (although schools often have a lot of relevant IT kit!)
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Below we look at the key stages in the process – and show the outcomes already achieved by one school.
HOW TO SET UP YOUR CREW
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FIND THE RIGHT TEAM: you will need motivated students, and staff who can inspire them as well as sensitively monitoring what they produce! To recruit the students, I’d suggest asking around the staff room and inviting individuals as well as putting up posters around the school. The team needs to be balanced between those creating content (producers, writers), appearing on screen (interviewers and presenters) and those managing the technical side of the process (recording, editing) – a team of eight is probably the ideal initial number. FIND THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT: you will need a green screen (or other suitable background), at least one video camera (‘phones and tablets are good enough to start with, but you might want to move up quickly), a good microphone and editing software (you can
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Leadership by example {MARKETING}
Case study – Orwell Park School
start with free products such as iMovie). Over time you can invest in lights, live broadcasting tools and much more! TRAIN YOUR CREW: while your students may have a lot of experience with video, you should be aiming for higher quality than a typical TikTok. You may be able to find suitable trainers in your school, or a school you feed your students into, or you could use experts such as Just Teach (https://www. justteach.com/ - see the case study to the side. RESEARCH YOUR STORIES: it’s a good idea to focus on an initial big event such as a student production, science fair or music festival. This gives a range of people to interview over a long period of time. One recent example is the Motorsport School Team Challenge – this video was filmed by students and gives their impression of an important event - https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=mD7Qxsd1DhY. CHECK SAFEGUARDING: in a school you need to be very careful about what you share externally. It’s important
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to make sure that all those featured have permission to appear in promotional videos, and that nothing is shared with the outside world without first being checked by members of staff. SHARE YOUR CONTENT: there are many ways to share your creations with the wider world. The easiest initial way is to add videos to your school website, assuming you are able to do this in-house. An alternative is to share them using social media, perhaps using a scheduling tool such as ContentCal (https://www.contentcal.com/). The big advantage of this tool is that it has built-in permission management so all content can be approved before it is sent - or you could set up a YouTube-based TV station! SUSTAIN YOUR CREW: once you’ve succeeded with an initial event it’s time to bring the whole school on board. Ask other members of staff and students to share their ideas and create a practical story calendar based around the school’s key messages and events.
JustTeach worked with Orwell Park School, in Ipswich, involving students in a range of live broadcasts around sport, music and awards evenings which suffered from limited access due to COVID restrictions. Some students operated the cameras, others the video switchers and audio mixing equipment to then live stream the events onto the school’s website using professional broadcast equipment from LiveU. An annual Desert Rat’s Memorial Service is held at Orwell Park as that is where they departed from, and young students again used professional broadcast equipment to make the event available online to parents and members of the Desert Rat’s Association. Various social media coverage of this work… https://www.facebook.com/ orwellpark/
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Leadership by example {CASE STUDY}
CLIMATE CHANGE: the time to act in your school is now We speak to HELEN BURGE, deputy chief operations officer at The Priory Learning Trust, about her passion for sustainability and why putting in place sustainable projects and actions in your school is not only good for the climate but also for your school’s budget Tell us a little bit about your trust. I work for The Priory Learning Trust, which is a relatively new multi-academy trust (MAT) in the southwest of England. It’s about four years old, we’ve got 5,000 students and about 760 staff. We’re based in North Somerset and Somerset. We have two secondaries and two primaries in Weston-Super-Mare - these include a speech and language base, an all-year-round nursery and a preschool. Then we’ve got one secondary in Burnham and Highbridge with a sixth form, and three primary schools in that hub.
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What is your role in the MAT? I’m the deputy chief operations officer. I report to the chief operations officer and I support and work with the head of finance, head of HR, head of IT and head of estates and compliance. The operations managers report to me, so I’m the link between the central team and the operations in each school, helping the managers to deliver operations successfully. If there’s an issue, I help solve it. I’ve a got a particular focus on internal scrutiny, supporting the development of our preschool provision and, also, sustainability!
Leadership by example {CASE STUDY}
There are areas of the world that are going to be uninhabitable in 15 years’ time
What was it that first drew your personal attention to sustainability? When I was growing up in the 1980s it was all about acid rain, and the impact of acid rain on the environment. I can remember, when I was growing up, seeing on the news big swathes of forest being destroyed because of the acid rain, and then also seeing the famines in Ethiopia and other parts of Africa, so that drew my attention to the devastating global impacts of climate change. And then, when I became a mum 20-odd years ago, I started to think, ‘What’s going to happen to my kids, and what about their kids if we don’t reverse climate change?’ I want to look my grandchild in the eye and say, ‘I’ve tried everything.’ Due to COP26 the global community have recently been focusing on climate change. If you were having a conversation with someone unaware of what contributes to climate change, and what its impacts are, how would you explain it? I think the most important thing to emphasise is that climate change is a global issue, and we contribute to that global issue every time we travel somewhere, eat red meat or choose to use single-use plastic. There are areas of the world that are going to be uninhabitable in 15 years’ time because of the massive increase in temperatures, which means that they can’t produce their own food, they can’t live safely, they won’t have access to clean, fresh, water easily. So, if you are worried about refugees coming into the country, you
need to be aware that we are currently creating our own global refugee issue. We’ve got the power to change that, and it is unfair that we are making decisions that are going to have this awful, devastating impact on people’s lives. Just because we aren’t the ones experiencing the impact doesn’t mean that it doesn’t matter. You recently spoke at our EdExec LIVE South event and you mentioned there that putting sustainability at the forefront of the agenda would not only help the climate but also help schools. Tell us a bit more about what you meant. You can bring about financial savings by making sustainable changes. For example, if you do a water audit and discover that you have a minor water leak somewhere, if you get it repaired you’ll see an improvement in your water bills. You can also think about who you’re procuring supplies from. If you’ve got a supplier that sends a ridiculous amount of cardboard for a small item, or sends multiple items in lots of different packaging rather than in a big bulk, you’ve then got to pay for that cardboard to be disposed of. So, if we consider our procurement cycle, our suppliers, and how green or sustainable they are, we then will see a reduction in our waste costs. The biggest cost after staffing is energy, and using more sustainable energy can also save you money. If you’ve got LED lights, you can put them on timers and set your management system to turn them off earlier or later. You can also monitor your energy consumption, which means that you
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Leadership by example {CASE STUDY}
I want to look my grandchild in the eye and say, ‘I’ve tried everything’ can double-check that you’re not using the same amount of energy in the half-term breaks and in the holidays, and you can make financial statements that way. Also, there could be an opportunity to generate income - maybe with solar panels or wind turbines if you’re in the right location. When you spoke at the event you also talked about grouping sustainable actions together. What are these groups? It can be overwhelming when you have massive list of things that you need to do. To make it less overwhelming you can group them into the following categories - major projects, quick wins and thankless tasks. Major projects are things like decarbonising your heat, or maybe putting in electric vehicle charging points, and they’re not going to happen overnight. Major projects are high effort but also high impact, and you need to put these on a longterm time scale for implementation. Quick wins are tasks that are low effort but high impact. For example, putting more recycling bins around your site, or changing your procurement so that you’re not going for that cardboard-heavy supplier, you’re going for a different one - looking at your suppliers’ green credentials, and maybe reducing the amount of single-use plastic within your school, or reducing laminating. So, in your action plan, you’d deal with the quick wins and first and then have the major projects going on long-term in the background. Thankless tasks are those things that are high effort and low impact and these should be avoided. It could be that, for some schools, putting in electric vehicle charging points is one of those things that takes a high amount of effort but
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has a low impact, because you can’t put enough points in to make it worthwhile. Tasks may be categorised differently depending on the setting. For some schools switching to a greener energy supply will be a quick win; rather than having a brown energy source which relies on coal-powered electricity, you’re going for pure green electricity - solar, wind, nuclear, that sort of thing. However, in a different setting, this might be a major project because you might have to streamline this with other contracts across your trust, and other energy contracts. As well as grouping actions, you also discussed grouping stakeholders. How does this work? It’s basically a simple stakeholder mapping. You look at those people who have low to high interest, and those people who have low to high influence. You want to be concentrating on those with high interest and high influence, because they are your top priority. They will be the people who can help champion the green agenda within your school and create enthusiasm in other people. These stakeholders might include the whole of your eco-schools committee; you might have a geography teacher in there, or there could be a member of staff who regularly attends protests about climate change. You might want to tap into them, and their network of influence and interest. You’ve also got to be mindful of those who have low influence and low interest and think, ‘Okay, I’m not going to concentrate my efforts on them yet’ - and then think about those people you might have to ‘handle with care’. They have high influence but low interest; for example, if you had a CEO who was a climate change denier – a person with high influence, but low interest in climate change, leading your organisation - it’s going to be really hard to bring about changes within your trust. So, apart from maybe having a CEO who is a climate denier (!) what would you say are the biggest challenges faced by schools trying to
Leadership by example {CASE STUDY}
bring sustainability to the forefront of the agenda? I think that the biggest challenges are time and budget. School business leaders are time-poor which is why you need to make use of other people who also want to champion the cause. Then there are the financial implications, especially in relation to capital projects. For example, if you’ve got a leaking roof you’re going to prioritise replacing that rather than changing your heating system. I think that sort of conflict that is really hard to manage - but, if you are going to have to replace a leaking roof, make sure it’s really good so that you can put solar panels on top! That’s all I would say to that. It can also be quite deflating when you apply for grants and you’re not successful, but you’ve got to keep up that momentum and you’ve got to keep up that enthusiasm - which can really hard to do when you’ve got the day to day job to do. That’s why it’s key to get other people involved, then it’s not all on you to try and solve these issues! When it does all feel overwhelming, what are the small steps you’d recommend SBLs can take to kick off their sustainability journey? I’ve talked about speaking to people - speak to your trustees and governors, speak to experts, about energy in particular, identify your ‘Powerful Allies’. You could just dust off your display energy certificate report and look at the recommendations in there; then you can see whether you’ve implemented all those recommendations or not. You could also look at the compliance and servicing record of your boilers and heating systems and double-check that you’re keeping on top of that. It’s best to use the evidence that you’ve already got within your school, so you don’t necessarily to commission more reports. Speak to experts and define your sustainability strategy. In our trust we’ve started small and we’ve linked our strategy to the eco-schools framework. The first year of our sustainability plan was to audit ourselves, including our waste, water and energy consumption, to see
You want to be concentrating on those with high interest and high influence what the data told us. You might have all that information somewhere already, or you might need to speak to your water company for them to come and do a water audit, or a waste audit. Find out where you’re currently at, look at your intensity ratio if you’ve done a streamline energy carbon report for your year-end financial accounts, and just think, ‘How can I reduce our carbon footprint?’ I’d also talk to other schools in your local area about what they’ve done, and what has worked well for them, because it could be that they switched to a particular supplier for something, and have realised some great changes, and all you have to do is copy their lead. So, looking to the future, what are your sustainable hopes for the next five years? For the trust, I would like us to have decarbonised our heating systems, and to have put a mechanism in place so that we can help any new schools joining their trust to decarbonise their heating systems. I would like single-use plastic to be completely gone, and for it to be normal for people to take their own water bottle with them, and normal for people to refill water bottles. I would also like it to be normal that people don’t eat meat every day. Change can happen - and I hope it happens quickly. As a country I hope that we can help other countries which will, in turn, help the schools and students in other countries. I hope we can help them cope with the changes in the climate, which are having a really negative impact on them. Join Helen and others in the sustainable discussion on Twitter by using the hashtag #GreenSBL and mentioning Helen in your tweets using her handle @DeputyCOOatTPLT
UK Schools Sustainability Network The UK Schools Sustainability Network (https://www.transformour-world.org/ukssn) – which brings together staff and students from across the UK working on sustainability and environmental education in schools – would like to invite any school business managers to join a group of peers to discuss and share best practice on carbon audits, energy efficiency, catering, grounds management etc. After meeting UKSSN staff and students at COP26, the Department for Education is interested in working with them during this academic year to develop their climate education proposals. Please email Dr Jess Tipton, school teacher and head of youth networks at Global Action Plan, who founded UKSSN (jessica.tipton@ globalactionplan.org.uk), to be added to a private Microsoft Teams site.
December 2021
17
Leadership by example {TRAINING}
What grants can you access for senior mental health lead training? Find out how to apply for a grant and access DfE quality-assured training to help develop a whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing
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he Department for Education (DfE) is offering a £1,200 grant for a senior member of school staff to access quality-assured training to implement an effective whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing in your school. Grants of £1,200 will be available to around a third of all state schools this financial year. This is part of the government’s commitment to offer this training to all eligible schools and colleges by 2025. The grant is provided to cover (or contribute to) the cost of attending a quality-assured course and may also be used to hire supply staff whilst leads are engaged in learning.
WHAT DOES THE TRAINING COVER? The learning outcomes for senior mental health lead training are aligned with the principles of Public Health England (PHE) and the DfE’s promoting children and young people’s emotional health and wellbeing. Research indicates that taking a coordinated and evidence-informed approach to mental health and wellbeing leads to improved
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emotional health and wellbeing in children and young people, and greater readiness to learn. Schools and colleges which have taken this approach often report improved attendance, attention, behaviour and attainment. You can reflect on your setting’s existing approach to mental health and wellbeing using the following: ● the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) preparing for recovery: self-review and signposting tool; ● an approach developed by Oldham Council, the whole school and college approach to emotional health and mental wellbeing; ● L eading Change, developed by the Anna Freud Centre.
WHO IS THE TRAINING FOR? Senior mental health lead training is relevant to all education settings and courses are available to meet the learning needs and preferences of senior leads, whatever their level of experience, type of setting, or location. All state-funded schools and colleges are eligible to apply for a training grant.
Leadership by example {TRAINING}
Schools can decide who gets the training as every setting’s circumstances are different. Training could be for your: ● headteacher; ● deputy headteacher; ● member of the senior leadership team (SLT); ● i f not a senior leader, an appropriate member of staff, working with colleagues, who is empowered to develop and oversee your setting’s whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing.
EXISTING MENTAL HEALTH LEADS Existing mental health leads, or someone who has previously had mental health and wellbeing training, can still be nominated for this training. While you can still nominate your existing mental health lead if they are not a member of the SLT, you will need to consider whether the individual has the authority, capacity and support to influence and lead strategic change within the setting. The grant must be used on DfE qualityassured training to help develop or introduce your whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing; existing senior leads might wish to: ● d evelop or refresh their knowledge and skills in specific priority areas; ● g et more advanced training; ● g et a relevant qualification.
MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT TEAMS (MHSTS) If you are already working with an MHST, your nominated senior lead can also be your MHST co-ordinator, responsible for liaising with the team, or it can be a different member of staff.
HOW DO I APPLY FOR A GRANT? The grant application service is now available for schools and colleges to apply for a senior mental health lead training grant. If you are eligible, and intend to book a course soon, apply for a grant BEFORE you book a course. Grants are now available on a first-come, firstserved, basis until the DfE have issued all available funds for this financial year. Once the DfE have issued all the available grants the application system will ask if you want to join its waiting list and the DfE will confirm future grant funding in the spring of 2022.
Schools can decide who gets the training Before you apply for a grant, you should check that you meet in full the eligibility criteria and terms for the training grant, including that you have: ● c ommitted to develop or implement a whole school approach to mental health; ● i dentified a senior mental health lead to oversee your whole school approach, and they are available to commence training before 31 March 2022. When you apply, you will be asked to complete the following online process to receive a grant. 1. Apply and confirm your eligibility. You will need to provide your school or college details to confirm you are an eligible setting and make a series of declarations as described in eligibility criteria and terms for the training grant. 2. You will be contacted to complete a second online form (later in the autumn term), to confirm which DfE quality-assured course you have booked and to submit evidence of your booking, so the DfE can authorise your grant payment. You will be given at least two weeks’ notice to complete this form. To ensure grants do not go unclaimed, the DfE will release your grant to applicants on their waiting list if you do not complete this final stage of your application by the deadline given. After completing the first stage of your application, the DfE encourage you to proceed without delay to book and attend your training. After you provide evidence that you have booked a DfE quality-assured course, payment of your grant application will be authorised and you will receive the grant. The DfE will also ask you provide feedback on your completed training as a condition of your grant.
HOW DO I ACCESS DFE QUALITY ASSURED TRAINING? You can assess your specific learning needs and preferences and select the most suitable qualityassured course using the online tool, Choosing a senior mental health lead training course. Contact details will be provided to then book your selected senior mental health lead course(s) directly with a training provider. You must retain evidence of booking in order to complete your grant application.
December 2021
19
MANAGEMENT {LEARNING PROCESS}
Why SBLs need to understand the learning process in order to develop it
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t always concerns me when I meet an SBM/SBL/whatever we’re called this week (WWCTW) who doesn’t want to engage with children. I understand that children in general – and teenagers, in particular – can be a peculiar breed; sullen and uncommunicative, still dragging the backs
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December 2021
of their hands on the floor as they walk and touching soap with the kind of fragility that others would use when handling arsenic - all of which can make them resemble creatures from Star Wars; their faces hidden at the bottom of a dark hood with only their bright eyes visible to the outside world. It can be a scary façade.
STEPHEN PEACH, assistant headteacher and business manager, Dacorum Education Support Centre, explores the reasons why SBLs need to observe the workings of the learning process closer I find that making the effort to get to know children is always worthwhile - you get to know their individuality and uniquenesses - but, more importantly, you learn what their needs are and can prioritise these accurately. If you don’t take the time to work out what those needs are, how is the SBM/SBL/WWCTW going to meet them?
MANAGEMENT {LEARNING PROCESS}
Behaviour is often a reflection of an unmet need By way of example, I work in a Pupil Referral Unit with learners aged 4-16 years who come to us with a variety of SEMH problems. When the younger children become dis-regulated, and are unable to contain their behaviour, staff face significant difficulties in handling them because, in their moment of rage, when all they can see is impenetrable red mist, they seem to need to feel a sensory rush to begin the process of re-grounding and re-aligning their behaviour with social norms. Currently, they’re meeting this need by scaling a 2.4m anti-climb fence and doing their very best to escape from site. If they make it through the gate, all they do is run 50 feet to hide in a den.
THERE ARE TWO WAYS OF LOOKING AT THIS PROBLEM Firstly, I could solve the obvious problem and install prison-grade fencing to stop them climbing and remove all items that could be used to facilitate escape. Although this might mean that I feel that I have done my best to keep them safe, it would merely exacerbate the problem, as the children would have nowhere to go. In these circumstances, just as anyone would do if they felt trapped, the children tend to channel their destructive tendencies on the building itself, which is neither safe for themselves or staff, and costs a lot of money to rectify. Alternatively, with my teacher hat on, I know that behaviour is often a reflection of an unmet need, so instead of merely preventing the dangerous behaviour, I can examine and discuss the children’s behaviours, triggers and needs with the specialist teachers who handle situations like this regularly. By putting
the welfare of the child at the centre of discussions, we can determine what needs are not being met and, therefore, how to dissipate the aggression and help the children learn to self-regulate. By installing a really big climbing frame with a difficult to access escape space, situated in the opposite direction to the main gate, we can provide a focus for children’s behaviour at a time when they are unable to make sense of, or channel, their feelings in appropriate ways. In this way, staff would know where the children are and be confident that they are safe – which is not currently the case.
ANALYSE THE NEEDS OF THE LEARNERS
The more I think about the process that led to this solution, the more situations I can think of where our response to complex situations should be to put the needs of the children first. Staffing conundrums, COVID testing protocols, financial priorities, pretty much every problem that requires a - not-straightforward solution - is best addressed by analysing the needs of the learners. Sometimes this feels counter-productive, awkward even; but being able to prioritise appropriately is the key to being a successful SBM/SBL/WWCTW. Being able to recognise conflicts and paradoxes, and working out solutions that value the ‘impact on learners’ above everything else, are the skills required to be an effective business leader in a school, and
Schools exist for the benefit of the learners
not just a manager/WWCTW. I’m sure many people reading this will have seen some SBM/SBL/WWCTW’s prioritise financial rules over the work of the school - typically, by refusing to book events, or insisting on published deadlines being delayed for everyone because a couple of random parents have not yet paid, and generally putting financial priorities ahead of learners’ needs. I think this is so wrong; schools exist for the benefit of the learners and their families (stakeholders) and if the financial rules are so inflexible, or the managers involved aren’t fully invested in the work of a school, people suffer, and a lot of unnecessary conflict and stress is caused because the teachers and financial managers are pulling in opposite directions. Business managers – when was the last time you observed the workings of the learning process up-close? How well do you know the school SENCO and the children in each year group who they work with? When was the last time you watched a teacher inspire a class and thought through the specifics of what made the entire process so effective? And what, as SBM/SBL/WWCTW, you could do to improve it? When was the last time you covered a class when a teacher was absent and properly understood the pressures and joys that teachers and staff experience every day? If your answer to that question was ‘never’ or ‘rarely’, how can a SBM/SBL/WWCTW possibly expect to do their job effectively? Or to put it another way, headteachers – does your SBM/SBL/ WWCTW have the right attitude to do the job you’ve given them, or are you setting yourself up to struggle to deliver your goals before you’ve even left the morning SLT briefing?
December 2021
21
MANAGEMENT {FINANCE AND FUNDING}
Seven top tips for school insurance renewals CRAIG SMITH, chief operating officer at Bedfordshire School Trust, gives his advice after recently renewing his trust's insurance premiums
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hilst insurance renewal may not be the most exciting of annual tasks, it is an important one – especially when put in the context of what happens when you are making a claim, the legal requirements, and seeking to ensure best value for your school budget.
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TIP 1 – START EARLY Each year the task of renewing our trust-wide insurance policy seems to creep up on us (our renewal date is November 1st) so last year we decided to be clever and put diary dates in for early summer to start the task in good time. This meant we were able to ask all our schools to check their school level information and share this with the broker we use to take to the
MANAGEMENT {FINANCE AND FUNDING}
market. I am sure this enabled us to manage the process for our needs rather than respond to tight deadlines as in previous years
Leaving it late may force a rushed decision
TIP 2 – CHASE FOR QUOTES EARLY Despite starting early, we have still found the insurance quotes come to us in mid-October – throw in half-term in late October and we still did not have that much time to complete the important stage of reviewing and negotiating with the broker. Whether you go direct to insurance companies for quotes, or use a broker, I think you need at least a couple of weeks to properly investigate and test out quotes. Leaving it late may force a rushed decision, possibly based on the need to ensure adequate cover is in place in time rather than securing a good deal – never a good place to be.
TIP 3 – DON’T BE AFRAID TO HAGGLE School business practitioners (and anyone else!) can find it difficult to haggle, especially as we are usually multi-taskers, juggling many demands, and don’t always feel we have the expertise or specific knowledge to challenge ‘experts’ in specific fields. I always route myself back to the core principle of working to secure the best outcome possible for our schools - for me this equates to a good level of cover at the right price. Asking for better pricing or explaining why this quote will not be accepted – always politely – has been incredibly successful, including this year.
TIP 4 – KEEP THE CLAIMS LOW Whilst this may be difficult to control it does lead to better quotes and increases your ability to secure the right outcome for your school(s). Any insurance claims need to come via the trust office so we work with schools to manage this as well as we can. Tricky but effective!
TIP 5 – ONLY PAY FOR THE COVERAGE LEVEL YOU NEED This is, perhaps, linked to being tight on time but most insurance renewals tend to be looking to secure last year’s level of cover plus anything obviously needing to be added – perhaps a new school has joined the trust, or a new building has been constructed? A thorough review of the
level of cover, school by school, is often a very effective way to reduce your premiums without compromising on quality. Schools hold less and less cash yet cash in hand levels impact on your premiums – this is one of numerous quick wins in cutting your premium.
TIP 6 – HOWEVER, MAKE SURE YOU ARE ADEQUATELY COVERED The key, as stated earlier, is to gain good value at the right price. New areas of risk emerge all the time and, recently, cyber insurance has figured prominently for us. Identifying the right risks for your school(s) is as important as removing any unwanted areas – driving down premiums by leaving your school without appropriate cover is never going to be a good policy in the long run.
TIP 7 – USE RPA TO HELP YOU MANAGE PREMIUMS This could mean switching to Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA), if you are not already using it, or benchmarking against RPA to drive down premiums. Whilst RPA is not like-for-like it is very useful to benchmark against and we do this every year to ensure we maximise our leverage in the market; without question, RPA has been highly effective in keeping our premiums as low as possible. The ESFA asks us, quite rightly, to justify why we are not in RPA each year, so we always have the market testing information available to show we secured the best deal for us. We approached the insurance renewal process with some concern this year – would premiums rocket after COVID and the school trip cancellations we all endured recently? Would increasingly tight budgets be under further pressure from an insurance industry that has had a difficult time over the last 12-18 months? I am pleased to say that a bit of forward planning, knowing our schools well and, therefore, what cover we wanted has worked well – at least until we start all over again next year!
December 2021
23
MANAGEMENT {HEALTH AND SAFETY}
What is the solution to air safety in schools? After plans to use ozone machines to disinfect Welsh classrooms were recently abandoned, EDEXEC wonders what the solution to air safety in schools might be
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he Welsh government confirmed last month that they were abandoning the use of ozone machines to disinfect classrooms after a review found that they were potentially ‘highly harmful’ to children. Welsh ministers had previously announced they would spend £3.31m on 1,800 new ozone machines developed by Swansea University - they then U-turned and said that this cash would, instead, be used in schools and colleges to improve ventilation. At the time Swansea University defended the safety of the machines. However, the review warned that the gas ozone, which can be used as a disinfectant ‘is a highly harmful indoor pollutant which
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December 2021
is associated with harm to human health at low concentrations and damages diverse and integral components of indoor environments’. It found that children, and those with underlying respiratory conditions, were ‘particularly sensitive to ozone exposure’ and that the gas ‘reacts with a range of compounds present indoors to generate persistent harmful secondary aerosols’. Despite the issues with these machines, the Welsh government said they were still committed to the roll out of carbon dioxide monitors in classrooms which is set to be completed by mid-November. The monitors will notify teachers and lecturers when CO2 levels rise, so they can identify where ventilation
MANAGEMENT {HEALTH AND SAFETY}
needs to be improved. David Evans, the National Education Union Cymru’s secretary, welcomed the ventilation investment, saying it was “critical to ensuring that education can remain open over the winter for as much of the time as possible”.
A KEY SOLUTION Ventilation is one of the key solutions to preventing the spread of coronavirus in the classroom and, as we head into winter, leaving the windows open in the classroom will no longer be a viable option so other ways to ventilate need to be introduced. Not only is keeping the cold out one reason not to use open windows for ventilation; a significant proportion of indoor air pollutants also come from outside sources. For example, particulate matter (PM2.5) and nitrogen oxide (NOX) from vehicle emissions can enter the classroom through open doors and windows. In the UK, one-in-11 children suffer from asthma - more than any other country in Europe - and indoor air pollution is a major cause. These statistics mean that 1.1m children across the UK are now seen as vulnerable in the face of COVID-19, highlighting the urgent need to clean up our indoor air. “There are many ways that schools can improve indoor air pollution, from restricting the number of doors and windows that are open during peak traffic times, to planting hedges around roads to mitigate the pollution all together, or by ensuring that the classroom has adequate ventilation,” Prashant Kumar, chair of air quality and health at the University of Surrey, and founding director of the Global Centre for Clean Air Research told Air Quality News. “Proper ventilation is important, now more than ever before; it is essential for preventing the spread of coronavirus, but it is also essential to prevent air pollutants like CO2 from becoming trapped inside the classroom. Some solutions are simple to action, but we need to come up with a way where everyone can do their bit to mitigate indoor air pollution.”
WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS? CO2 monitors As previously mentioned, the Welsh government is hoping to complete their roll-out in November and the Department for Education (DfE) began spending £25m at the start of September to provide 300,000
Ventilation is one of the key solutions to preventing the spread CO2 monitors to schools in order to alert staff and students to rising CO2 levels. However, whilst high levels of CO2 indicate that a room needs additional ventilation, there are other pollution elements that need to be addressed, which may become regulated in the near future.
Air purifiers High-quality air purification and sterilisation units can remove contaminants from the air, including bacteria and viruses, making for safer indoor spaces. They cannot, however, reduce or remove CO2, so it’s still advised to open windows regularly, avoiding rush hour and the school run at both ends of the day. Air purification units should incorporate a HEPA13 filter as a minimum, which will capture 99.9% of particulate matter down to 1µg/m³ (micrograms per cubic meter of air) and, preferably, also uses a high grade activated carbon filter to reduce chemical pollutants (VOCs), NO2 and other gases. The government launched a trial of air purifiers in 30 schools in Bradford, which is designed to assess and whether they can reduce the risk of COVID transmission. With the first results from the trial due before the end of the year, this could pave the way for a rollout of the technology across the country in 2022.
WHOLE-SCHOOL MENTALITY As well as using devices and equipment to directly tackle the issue of air quality, it is also important that schools create a culture in which air safety is an area that all pupils, staff and parents want to concentrate on and improve. Schools and councils are encouraged to actively adopt measures to reduce pollution around schools. Measures include ‘no car zones’, no idling campaigns, and the promotion of active travel on the school run. Schools are also encouraged to make use of The Clean Air Schools Framework, a free online tool that gives teachers, headteachers, parents and local authorities a bespoke list of actions to help tackle air pollution in and around the school.
December 2021
25
ICT matters {FUNDRAISING}
How to generate income for your school through fundraising SBLs know how important it is to generate income for their schools - and fundraising is one of most impactful ways of doing it. So, how can you become a fundraising pro?
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round £1.8bn is collectively amassed by schools in England through income generation activities. However, only two per cent of school leaders feel like they have the resources needed to raise extra funds. Grant funding still remains the traditional way of generating funds for schools, but this is often an unpredictable and unreliable source. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, and the
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impact it has had on national grant funders, it has become even more unpredictable and unreliable. So, is there a better approach? Well, one thing the pandemic has taught us is the power of the technology. We’ve already relied on our digital devices more than ever over the last 18 months, and our increasing use of our ‘phones, laptops and tablets is here to stay. Schools need to adapt to this change and use their school websites and social media as two of their key platforms for fundraising too.
ICT matters {FUNDRAISING}
HOW YOU CAN USE YOUR WEBSITE ● C reate ● ●
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an ‘Our Fundraising’ tab. acilitate online donations and gift aid forms. F I nclude downable ‘key facts’ about each project you are asking for funding for. emonstrate the impact each donation D will have.
HOW YOU CAN USE SOCIAL MEDIA ● P ost
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regular updates to keep supportive people involved and informed. reate short campaign videos which C include the children. se hashtags to build momentum and U interest which parents can use too.
THE KEY FOUNDATIONS OF SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISING ● I t’s
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a team sport – parents and pupils are your best ambassadors, so get them involved as much as you can. ake it to the highest level – get your T headteacher and governors involved; the higher you can take it, the more income you will raise. ake a clearly strategised plan – integrate M whole school development into the plan, prioritise greatest need and impact, and identify quick wins you can make. ot all projects are made equal – identify N which ones may be slower burners and make longer-term plans for these. I dentify which stakeholders are most important for each individual project and don’t use the same strategy for every project - take each one as it comes and create a bespoke plan for each of them.
APPYING FOR GRANTS OR FUNDING Almost 30% of National Lottery Awards for All applications are rejected at the first stage of the process due to rushed applications, lack of real thought and poor planning. According to the National Lottery the main reason applications are rejected is due to “failing to show how the lives of beneficiaries will be improved.” So, what
Post regular updates to keep supportive people involved can you do to ensure your application isn’t in that dreaded 30%? ● U nderstand the eligibility criteria – how do you clearly meet their priorities? Do your research! ● E vidence the need for the funding – use a pilot project, letters of support or a video. ● P rovide both qualitative and quantitative data. Qualitative data can include information about what people think/feel/experience etc., about your project. Quantitative data should include information that you gather through your monitoring about things you can count, such as the number of people attending. ● D emonstrate value for money – show the grant funders how their money will be utilised effectively.
WHAT ARE FUNDERS LOOKING FOR? ● C ommunity. ● N eed. ● C onsultation. ● E vidence. ● S ustainability. ● L egacy.
SHOW THEM WHAT THEY’RE LOOKING FOR You can demonstrate the above factors through a two-page ‘Case for Support’ which should enable you to answer the key questions any donor or grant funder will ask: ● W hat you’re planning to do. ● W hy you’re doing it. ● H ow you’re going to make it happen. ● I mpact on users/beneficiaries. ● E vidence this is needed. Make sure this tells a story - everyone loves listening to stories, and grant funders are no different! Use case studies, videos, and write from the heart to grab their attention and make your bid memorable.
December 2021
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Live it
LIVE IT Time to take a few moments out for some light and interesting reading – a well-earned break from numbers and statistics!
Caption competition Let us know your funny caption ideas by tweeting us @edexec
LIFE HACK Want to do a Christmas wreath, but don’t want to damage your door? There’s no need for a nail, just use an upside-down Command Strip to hang your wreath from the other side of the door. Use a piece of ribbon to hang it on, and tie it to the strip instead.
BANISHED BOUNTYS
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December 2021
Pub quiz 1. Which country started the tradition of putting up a Christmas tree? 2. How many ghosts show up in A Christmas Carol? 3. In Home Alone, where are the McCallisters going on holiday when they leave Kevin behind? 4. In which country did eggnog originate? 5. How many gifts were given in total in The Twelve Days of Christmas song? Answers: 1. Germany 2. Four: former business partner Jacob Marley, and the spirits of Christmas past, present and future. 3. Paris 4. Britain 5. 364
As reported by the Evening Standard, new research suggests that 52% of British people will pick the Bounty last in the Celebrations box. The poll, commissioned by Celebrations, also revealed that a depressing 32% of us would rather throw away unwanted chocolate than eat it. However, this Christmas the Bounty-phobics of Britain can finally sleep peacefully knowing they have a Plan B - one that doesn’t involve unnecessary food waste or unloved Bounty bars. Mars Wrigley have launched The Bounty Return Scheme - a new initiative that will see Brits able to return unwanted Bounty Celebrations and swap them for Maltesers Teasers this January.
Live it
Thumbs up!
I’m dreaming of a white Christmas
The Independent has reported that Bookmaker William Hill has opened bets on the UK experiencing a white Christmas this year. Birmingham is the current favourite to experience snowfall on December 25th, followed by joint-favourites Newcastle and Edinburgh. It has been seven years since the UK saw snowfall on Christmas day in 2015, and 11 years since the widespread white Christmas of 2010 – the UK’s coldest winter on record. Bets on Birmingham experiencing Christmas snowfall are 7/2, meaning there’s a 22% prediction of snowfall. Newcastle and Edinburgh are both at 4/1 - a 20% chance of snowfall - and Belfast is at 9/2, or a 19% chance of snow.
Well, knock me down with a feather!
CHRISTMAS CRAZY!
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What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. Agnes M. Pahro
DID YOU KNOW?
If your children leave Santa a little snack to keep him happy on his journey, thank the Dutch. On St. Nicholas’ feast day, on December 6, Dutch children leave him food and drink to be exchanged for gifts overnight.
A woman dubbed the ‘crazy Christmas lady’ starts listening to festive songs in June and decorates her house before Halloween, BBC News has reported. Chloe Pickard put up a tree and set the dinner table, as well as decorating her Leicestershire house, in October. The 28-year-old said she was “happy to adopt the title” as early decorations had been a tradition for 13 years. Chloe said decorating her home early allowed her to enjoy the winter festivities for “as long as I can”, adding that her partner had to accept it. “I’ve always loved Christmas ever since I was a small child,” she said. “People call me the crazy Christmas lady - that’s the title I’ve now adopted happily.” She said friends and family “accept it for who I am”, adding she has never met anyone “on my level”. “I think I take it a bit too far. I can’t help myself,” she said.
December 2021
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Live it {60 SECONDS}
60 seconds with EMMA NORMAN, school business manager at Chapelford Village Primary School, tells us all about giant swings, colourful hair and where she takes inspiration from! What led to your current role? I worked for 10 years in the local authority, first in payroll and then as a finance advisor to local maintained schools. I hadn’t long since come off maternity leave after my second child and a school business manager role came up in a local school. I applied and haven’t look back since.
Something unusual or interesting about yourself? I am completely alternative; tattoos, rock music and having hair of many different colours is my happy place.
Favourite aspect of working as an SBP so far?
Emma Norman, school business manager at Chapelford Village Primary School
In my previous school we completely overhauled the reading scheme. I was able to be a huge part of this, not only finding the funds to finance all the new books that were needed but also visiting other schools to look at their reading schemes too, and choosing some of the new texts to be included. The school was awarded a silver reading quality mark, and this was also recognised in their Ofsted inspection in September.
Greatest professional achievement to date? Making it through the pandemic in one piece and still being in an SBL role! The first eight weeks of the first lockdown consisted of long hours of multitasking, home-schooling two children, providing the staff onsite with resources, supporting with home learning provision, supporting with safeguarding, and supporting staff wellbeing with Zoom get togethers - all whilst making sure the books balanced as that year we were facing a huge financial deficit. Somehow, we made it through and ended the year with a surplus. The fallout of the Edenred (FSM) debacle was when I discovered that I love gin!
How do you ensure you continue to grow, personally and professionally? The pandemic was difficult in a number of ways and, just like many others, my mental health and self-esteem has taken a hit. I was very fortunate to be able to access some coaching through Laura
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December 2021
Williams and her guidance and support has been invaluable over the last few months. She supported me with my application and successful appointment to a new role a few months ago – her series of SBL podcasts are pretty amazing CPD too! I also find that the SBL Twitter community are such a huge source of support; they carry a wealth of knowledge and the @sblconnect tea parties are just a breath of fresh air!
Where do you take inspiration from both work and life wise? My family. I am so close to my mum and siblings I just don’t know what I would do without them. We didn’t have much growing up which I think has provided us all with a great work ethic and the drive to push ourselves. As one of four, we probably drive each other to distraction, we see each other so often, but I know I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Three words to describe your role? Hectic, fulfilling, frustrating.
If there was anything about your job you could change, what would it be? I would love for there to be more recognition at a national level for the roles SBPs play in schools. Our work is integral to resourcing and allowing teachers to focus on high quality teaching and learning - in turn, enabling headteachers to focus strategically on school improvement without the distraction of all the issues behind the scenes.
Funniest SBM moment From a health and safety walk through the muddy forest school and (not so) gracefully slipping over, to allowing the Year 6 children be in charge of the rope of the giant swing on a residential visit where myself and another teacher screamed no end. My three and a half years of being a school business manager have been difficult, but have also been an absolute blast. I can’t wait to see what the rest of my career has in store!
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