Feedback from reports under the Independent Schools Inspectorate’s new framework
Essential advice before embarking on a fundraising campaign
A nursery as a valuable addition to your prep school
The best way to deal with troublesome staff relations
Effective strategies for attracting parents
Welcome to the June 2024 edition of Independent School Management. Thank you for your continuing support for the magazine; it really is appreciated.
We appear to be racing through the school year and schools will shortly be in the midst of key exams which will influence their pupils’ futures. For many schools, the quality of the results will be a major factor in their ongoing survival.
This is a key time for truly understanding what parents in your catchment area are looking for when considering a new school: are they only interested in exam results? Or are they more likely to be impressed by luxurious facilities? Perhaps a wide range of extracurricular activities is more to their taste? It may be that the key message that you present through your communications about how you will develop their children into happy and accomplished adults will be foremost in their considerations. Either way, you need to know.
You also need to know about their respective ability to afford your fees (let alone any possibility of an extra 20%). Where do they live? Are they local or will you need to set up a bus service to bring in pupils from outlying rural villages?
It is also vital to understand these prospective parents’ experiences when approaching your school: how do your communication stack up? Do you know? How?
We have a special focus on marketing, branding and targeting prospects in this edition to help enhance your school roll for September and beyond. While your school roll may be healthy now, it is vital to avoid complacency.
We also analyse what school leaders
and governors can learn from the first term of ISI inspection reports under the new framework. This deep dive is quite the eye-opener. So far, 14.5% of schools inspected have been judged not to have complied with aspects of the Independent School Standards and related requirements. This is an increase on the 11.3% of schools identified from a much larger sample in 2022-3. Too soon, of course, to describe this as a trend, but it shows the importance of monitoring the inspectorate to assess what schools can expect.
Lived experience is the best kind for your personal development. But unless you have decades of experience, there are likely to be some scenarios that you may never face or, if they arrive unexpectedly, will be challenging. We have commissioned three pieces on such scenarios that lead you through the pros and cons of those topics, and guide you towards favoured outcomes. One of those is on where a parent defaults on fees; this is probably going to be an issue for most independent schools and how you handle the situation will be watched closely by other parents.
Another scenario is on an organisational change initiated by a head that has upset a few members of staff, while the third looks at how to approach an international iteration of your school. The latter may be only relevant to schools of a certain size, but the organisational change scenario is likely in many schools where strategic change is vital rather than a whim.
Elsewhere, we continue our series of Merger watch, where the latest mergers are identified, with some analysis of
significant cases. Also, we continue the series on finance for heads where in this edition we tackle the thorny issue of budgeting.
We have introduced a new feature looking at the relationship between the head and the bursar. This is such an important relationship for the day-today school affairs. More broadly, the relationship with the chair of governors and chair of finance provides the ‘Golden Square’ that underpins the school’s broad strategy. But if the head and bursar fall out, this can have a deleterious effect on the school. All relationships will be different in their own way. While the two don’t need to be best friends (although that can be a boon), they at least need to be able to appreciate each other’s professional approach to their role. Mutual respect is key.
To keep up with the latest sector news and people moves, follow us on Twitter: @IndSchMan
Andrew Maiden Editor, Independent School ManagementTo keep up-to-date with the latest independent schools news, ensure you receive future copies and sign up to our newsletter, please visit our website.
To keep up-to-date with the latest independent schools news, ensure you receive future copies and sign up to our newsletter, please visit our website.
To keep up to date with the latest independent schools news, ensure you receive future copies and sign up to our newsletter, please visit our website
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Editor Andrew Maiden andrew.maiden@nexusgroup.co.uk
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Independent School Management is published six times a year by Investor Publishing Ltd. ISSN 2976-6028
© Investor Publishing Limited 2024
The views expressed in Independent School Management are not necessarily those of the editor or publishers.
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your school
your school
Recognise parents’ priorities
16-17 Three steps to a clear brand
Define your identity to your stakeholders
18-19 Schools’ five-star service
Offer parents an individual experience
20-21 Add a nursery
A valuable addition for independent prep schools
22-23 The art and science of valuing schools
How the professionals arrive at an opinion
24-25 Money streams
Make the most from diversified revenue
26-27 When parents default
How to handle those avoiding fees
28-29 Troublemaker tactics
Advice for heads having difficulties with staff
30-31 Going global?
Deciding to set up an international operation
32 Walk the walk
Movement improves strategic thinking
33 The importance of budgeting
Align with the school’s longer-term plans
34-37 First term report
The Independent Schools Inspectorate’s new framework
38-39 From DIY to MSP
Informed technical support choices
40-41 Know your constitution
Back to basics for your school’s operation
42-43 Prevent and protect
Schools’ duty to mitigate terrorist threats
44-45 Correct payments
Guidance on holiday pay and the National Minimum Wage
46-49 This is planet Earth
A school dedicated to sustainability
50-51 Plan fundraising campaigns
Feasibility studies as a useful tool
52-53 People moves
The relationship between head and bursar
Inspired Learning Group (ILG) has recently acquired two private schools. In March the company acquired Derby Grammar School, a selective co-educational independent school for children aged from four to 18.
The governors stated that they decided to seek a long-term sustainable solution to enable Derby Grammar School to continue with its development plans.
The school’s head Paul Logan said: “Visitors to Derby Grammar School are struck by its warmth, family feel and sense of community. Staff are committed to promoting the wellbeing and ensuring excellent all-round intellectual development of all our pupils. We are proud of our academic achievements and our extensive extra and co-curricular programmes.”
In late April ILG acquired Shebbear College in north Devon from Methodist Independent Schools Trust. Founded in 1841, the school is an 85-acre independent day and boarding school that teaches pupils aged from four to 18.
Shebbear College’s head, Charlie Jenkins said: “Throughout our history, Shebbear College has striven to provide a community not just of learners but of people who care about each other which is why, with our shared values, Inspired Learning Group is the perfect partner to build further on our rich tradition of academic and co-curricular excellence.
ILG comprises 25 independent schools and nurseries, catering to 3,000 pupils in the UK.
The former Ursuline Preparatory School in Wimbledon, Southwest London, has been put on the market, with a guide price of offers in excess of £7 million.
If the freehold property is not sold to an educational buyer it is likely to be put to an alternative use or development.
Last operated as a Roman Catholic predominantly all-girls preparatory school and nursery that had a presence in Wimbledon since around 1892, the property features a Victorian villa, along with several other buildings including St. Angela’s, a modern facility which was built in 2015 to house the early years and school’s offices. Outdoors there is a multi-use games area and gardens. There is 21,609 square feet of accommodation across the 1.14-acre site. Property company Knight Frank is handling the sale.
Gordonstoun School in Elgin, Moray has announced plans to invest around £15 million on facilities, including a solar farm and a new base for its coastguard service, The Northern Scot has reported.
The school has also obtained planning permission for a building to house its sixth form and its business and enterprise classes, which will open later this year, and which has been sponsored by the Mikellides family who are currently parents at the school. The building is expected to open in 2026.
Gordonstoun stated it intends to begin building its solar farm by the end of the year and that it will be linked to the national grid and provide low-carbon energy for the school and, the school said, perhaps for some of its neighbours.
Gordonstoun’s principal Lisa Kerr said: “As Gordonstoun celebrates its 90th year, it’s thrilling to be announcing these projects which both look back to our founding ethos of service to others and forward to a more sustainable future for the school.”
Bickley Park School, an independent preparatory school for boys, is to become co-educational. The school in Bromley, Southeast Greater London, currently caters to boys aged two-and-a-half to 13.
The transition begins in September this year when the school will admit girls and boys into its reception classes. In the second phase from September next year, places for both girls and boys will be available from nursery through to Year 3. These year groups will then move through the school.
The school said the decision follows a period of consultation and reflects strong demand from current and prospective parents.
Bromley High School, a girls’ independent school located in Bickley, Greater London, announced it is launching an “innovative middle school”.
The school stated it is “pioneering a new approach that begins at Year 5 and extends through to Year 8 to effectively bridge the traditional Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3 divide”.
The innitiative is motivated by research
indicating that girls can experience decreased self-esteem post-transition to secondary school, with a positive transition programme mitigating these effects.
Bromley High School’s headmistress
Emily Codling wrote: “The Middle School at Bromley High School is a genuinely distinctive offer that sets us apart as experts in providing a successful junior-to-senior school transition in a girls-only environment. The needs of girls are unique, making our work crucial and providing sisterhood at a time when girls can be at their most vulnerable.”
Bromley High School is part of Girls’ Day School Trust, which has 25 schools across the country.
The former Belmont School at Holmbury St Mary, near Dorking, Surrey, which closed at the end of last year, has been put on the market with an asking price of £7 million.
For the past 70 years, the school operated as a co-educational day and boarding school with a nursery, prep and senior school. Included in the sale are 14 buildings which provide teaching and boarding accommodation, dining hall, theatre, sports hall, early years centre, headmaster’s house, as well as various outbuildings. The school grounds extend to more than 44 acres and includes two hard surfaced playing areas, playing fields, formal gardens, woodland, as well as outdoor tennis courts and a heated outdoor swimming pool.”
The Grade II listed property was built as a country house called Feldemore for
Edwin Waterhouse, co-founder of the accountancy firm Price Waterhouse.
The sale is being facilitated by property consultancy Knight Frank. The sale has been organised RSM UK Restructuring Advisory, the joint administrators of Belmont School (Feldemore) Educational Trust.
Independent education group Wishford Education has acquired Rupert House School in Henley-on-Thames, a nursery and prep school for children aged three to 11 years.
Charles Lowe, chair of governors said: “We are delighted to have found a partner in Wishford who can fully realise our ambitions for Rupert House and that will enhance the already outstanding education we deliver to our pupils. They share our values and are keen to support and develop our close links with the wider Henley community. Wishford brings the scale, back office expertise and financial clout that will see Rupert House looking forward to its next 100 years with confidence."
Merchant Taylors’ Girls’ School is to merge with Merchant Taylors’ Boys’ to create a single, co-educational senior school from September next year.
The newly created Merseyside school will be known as Merchant Taylors’ School and will teach pupils aged four to 18. It will be based at the boy’s school site, known as the Harrison site.
In a statement on its website Merchant Taylors’ said: “This strategic development allows us to broaden and strengthen our academic provision, while developing new opportunities and ensuring that access to those opportunities is the same for every pupil at Merchant Taylors’.
“Remodelling our structure to become co-educational will provide greater operational and financial efficiency and will allow the school to help ensure that every pound generated in fee income from parents is invested to support the pupil experience. Uniting the senior schools on one site will mean that we can invest in one estate, refurbishing and developing it to meet, and indeed exceed, the requirements of all our community.”
Hemdean House School in Reading has announced it will close on 12 July after 165 years as a school. Hemdean House is a mixed independent primary and nursery school for children aged three to 11.
In a message to parents the school said: “With ever-falling numbers, and few prospective pupils, the business model is no-longer sustainable, and it would be remiss of the governing body not to take action. I hope you can appreciate what a very difficult decision this has been. Our role now is to support you and your child during this difficult time. As a school we will be here to support you as you make decisions regarding your child’s future.
The school is contacting other independent schools, as well as state schools, in an attempt to find places for each of its children for the school year starting in September.
David Preston. headmaster of Arnold Lodge
Spa discusses the strategic changes that drove his school’s growth
The ‘to do’ list of any independent school headteacher is an extensive one. When we are tasked with turning around a school’s fortunes and driving school growth, the task can seem particularly daunting to increase pupil numbers, retention and recruitment. Looking to the future, the already competitive independent school market will only become more-so and having clarity about your strategy for the future will be crucial in the success of your school. For effective pupil recruitment, we each have to be able to answer and explicitly explain why a parent should choose to send their child to our school over any other.
In September 2016, at the start of my headship, pupil numbers at Arnold Lodge were about 160 and reflected a steady decline in pupil numbers over a number of years. For September 2024, we have more than 480 pupils confirmed on roll and we will continue to recruit through the rest of the academic year. To have 200% growth in just eight years is an outstanding performance for the school. Our success in recruitment and retention is not down to any one thing and, while we cannot profess to have all the answers, I am hopeful sharing some of the steps we have taken may be useful to other school leaders seeking to drive school growth.
Before moving to go all-through in 2008, Arnold Lodge had been a preparatory school. The move to all-through changed the very nature of the school. Before, we prepped for the eleven-plus. After the
“Building an ethos and culture that focuses on the welfare and happiness of children is, we think, central to learning.”
change, we didn’t. This, in many ways, had a destabilising influence on the culture of the school. What exactly did we stand for? What did we want to achieve? Which pupils and parents were our demographic?
While working through these questions, I read about Simon Sinek’s principle of the ‘golden circle’ (you are probably familiar with this, but if not, look it up on YouTube).
Too often, schools will focus on what their results are and how they achieve them. In many cases schools take the same approach and therefore the marketing message is almost the same. The only difference is that there’s a different school logo.
The ‘How’ (excellent teaching, small classes, wider curriculum opportunities) and the ‘What’ (excellent results, wellrounded pupils) is, I’m sure, something we all strive for and, more or less, all have in common. Instead, if we focus on why our schools exist, we can provide a clear differentiation within a competitive market. What is the motivation of your school? What do you believe as a community? Why do you get up each day to do the job you do? Why does your school do what it does?
At Arnold Lodge, we believe happy children learn best. Building an ethos and culture that focuses on the welfare and happiness of children is, we think, central to learning. That is our ‘Why’ and, in many ways, the ability to articulate this has been central to the shift in growth. Arnold Lodge School’s mission is: ‘To develop the happiness, confidence and skills of each pupil so they can be successful in their aspirations’.
As our ‘Why’ evolved into a school mission, it became clear that the ‘values’ of the school needed to be reviewed in line with this. Previously, we had had a series of values (there were around five) and each had a series of statements that were written by the leadership team. These were, if I’m being frank, nonsense. The culture and values of a school is not what we, as senior
leaders, say it is. Nor is it what we post on the website.
Instead, it is the lived experience of every part of your school community, every moment of the school day. If the staff, pupils and parents within a school community are not able to articulate and aspire towards the vision, values and ethos, then it simply is not there. The process to work through a shared vision and values deserves a write-up of its own – suffice to say that the more stakeholders engaged in the process, the more genuine the outcome becomes. For Arnold Lodge, three school values emerged – Honesty, Hard Work and Kindness. These values reflected the heritage of the school, the more recent success and values that would serve the school community well in the future.
Our Pupil Parliament of the time (school council, in effect) developed the idea of building a new house system around the values. Our old house system (Saxon House, Stuart House, Tudor House and Windsor House) had allowed for pupils to enjoy friendly in-school competition but there was little to differentiate between the meaning for the houses (save the associated colour). Our new house system set out to be able to give daily meaning to the pupils in relation to the school values and add an extra competitive edge.
Alongside the benefits of a freshly rebooted – and now fiercely competitive
“If the staff, pupils and parents within a school community are not able to articulate and aspire towards the vision, values and ethos, then it simply is not there.”
– house system, the change meant that every pupil has a firm grasp of the culture, ethos and values of our school. While I am pushing my luck a little with Reception, from Year 1 onwards every pupil can explain to me the house they’re in, the core values of their house (and the other houses) and the ethos of the school. This, I think, has been the key change for Arnold Lodge in the past few years.
No longer is the ethos something that is intangible or found on the website –now, it is something that staff, pupils and parents can all directly engage in, every day. Having pupils explain the culture and ethos of Arnold Lodge on a tour with prospective parents is more effective than it could ever be coming from me.
As we asserted clarity around our values, ethos and vision, we were able to provide clear differentiation in our marketing and messaging. While this was a significant step towards improving recruitment, it would not have been enough on its own. We invested in developing our marketing and admissions team to ensure that we had adequate staffing to handle enquiries. It is important that interactions with the school from the very first enquiry be of an excellent quality and I don’t think we can overstate the value of polite, helpful and timely responses to initial enquiries. In a competitive market, the relationship built with the admissions team can make
the difference between one school and another.
Growing the reputation of your school and increasing awareness for prospective parents is, of course, another facet to growth in pupil numbers. Before delving into marketing, there is one thing you have to get right: your school website and your school Wikipedia page. Parents will search your school and they will read your website. Invest in your website and a good-quality photographer for the images and you will most certainly see the return. Check on the Wikipedia page
“It is important that interactions with the school from the very first enquiry be of an excellent quality.”
“In a competitive market, the relationship built with the admissions team can make the difference between one school and another.”
as it will, like your website, be read by prospective parents (and do not forget it can be changed). It cannot be overstated the impact good first impressions have for parents and a modern and well-maintained website is key. In a similar vein, we prioritised capital expenditure last summer towards the school’s reception area and the creation of a ‘meeting room’ for parents to ensure those initial moments of entering the school reflected the qualities – and values – that we aspired for.
When looking for growth in pupil numbers, it’s all too easy to feel that a large marketing spend is the answer. If you are a smaller school like Arnold Lodge,
it is impossible to match the marketing spend of larger schools in the area. It is important, therefore, that any money spent on marketing goes towards high-quality and high-impact items. Over the years, we have tried a whole range of marketing (billboards, text message blasts, bus backs, Facebook advertising, leaflet drops, newspaper adverts, local sponsorship). Each, in their own way, was effective, but often the value of the return simply didn’t make it a worthwhile investment. Instead, we target our marketing budget on billboards for key entry points (September for Year 7, for example), digital advertising (brush up on using Facebook business manager – you can directly target your specific audience) and local PR (newspaper editorial, adverts and local placement). This, we have found, provides the best value for money.
In many ways, the best marketing is the one that is free. Word of mouth is most powerful, but there’s plenty that can be done in addition to this. Engage with your local community as often as you can (in full uniform) to get the word out there about your school. Sing at a retirement home, run charity events, have a stall at the local food fair and sell cupcakes – while this will be beneficial for your
pupils’ experience, it will engage the local community in your school. There really is not a magic recipe to successful school growth. While I am hopeful that Arnold Lodge’s story may provide help for some, I know that so much varies on the local context, the nature of your competitors and the context of your own school, too. If you do one thing to support your plans for retention and recruitment, answer the question “why pick our school?” and ask a variety of stakeholders to do the same. If the reasons the stakeholders give are the same, wonderful. Share that and build on it for your messaging. If they are not, seize the chance to begin sharing the story of your culture, ethos and vision. Either way, it will make a difference.
“If you do one thing to support your plans for retention and recruitment, answer the question “why pick our school?”
The first few months of 2024 have proved a busy and interesting time in the education transactions world with a significant number of transactions being undertaken as predicted.
Prep school mergers (either by joining a group or senior school) remain a dominant feature and we have received a large number of new instructions which appear to suggest this will continue as prep schools look to secure their future as part of a larger organisation.
Smaller schools and preps have generally suffered most in terms of market share of enrolment. Further, they are more likely (with exceptions of course) to be disproportionately detrimentally affected by the proposed imposition of VAT on school fees, given not only their inability to absorb some VAT through schemes such as the Capital Goods Scheme, but also by their generally more price-sensitive parents and higher fee income reliance.
A number of our senior school clients are considering multiple acquisitions over a relatively short period of time which is indicative of the trend towards groups of schools (both charitable and for-profit) expanding further. We know from the data that senior schools absorbing prep schools is a proven as a positive and proactive strategy (which may have incidental defensive benefits). There are benefits of scale and expertise, proven increases of pupil feed into senior schools and much more, as illustrated below. Of course, careful management is required of parents, teachers and other stakeholders and the reputation of the senior school is critical.
The commercial groups remain active and we expect to see further penetration of the for-profit groups into the sector as they grow their market share. With an ever-decreasing availability of proprietorial schools to acquire, some commercial groups continue to explore charitable school
opportunities. The schools joining those groups benefit from being part of a larger family of schools, both in terms of onthe-ground benefits, but also the financial security of being part of a larger group rather than operating on a stand-alone basis.
On this theme, and as mentioned in this article in the last issue (February), we are increasingly experiencing charitable governing boards exploring options from a position of strength rather than distress and taking a strategic decision to join a commercial group of schools. Those governing bodies have seen this as a route to ensure their thriving schools can do so in a market that many predict – for several reasons – will be increasingly challenging. One such recent example on which we advised was Rupert House School – a co-ed pre-prep and prep school in Henley-on-Thames – joining Wishford Educational.
The governors realised that in order to deliver its development plan, the school needed greater access to capital, expertise and scale beyond the capabilities of a stand-alone charitable foundation. The governors therefore engaged with third party experts to conduct a strategic review of the school’s opportunities.
As a financially healthy school with an outstanding academic record and a strong brand, the governors received interest from numerous parties which has enabled
it to choose the best partner to take Rupert House confidently forward into the future with the benefits of scale.
Unfortunately, not all such scenarios end in success and we are seeing an increasing number of schools either selling at a point of distress or indeed being forced to close, sometimes with very little notice. This shows the critical importance of taking advice early and having clear strategic aims for the success of your school.
Some recent transactions completed in the early part of the year include:
• Derby Grammar School: acquisition by Inspired Learning Group.
• Rupert House School: acquisition by Wishford Schools Group.
• Micklefield School: merger with Reigate Grammar School.
Moneyfacts offers the best
Andrew Maiden sets out a general health and safety checklist for potential hazards around your school
Health and safety is such a key part of managing a school effectively and safely that it is important that an assessment of potential hazards on the school campus should be carried out on a regular basis. It is most effective when it is led by the bursar along with a couple of governors to provide those extra pairs of eyes. We have compiled a checklist below to assist in this process.
■ How do you demonstrate membership of your health and safety committee? hse.gov.uk/involvement/membership-cont.htm
■ What have you done to ensure your school, at all levels including the board, receives competent health and safety advice?
■ How are you ensuring all staff – including the board – are sufficiently trained and competent in their health and safety responsibilities? hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg345.htm
■ How confident are you that your staff are consulted properly on health and safety matters, and that their concerns reach the appropriate level including, as necessary, the board? hse.gov.uk/involvement
■ What systems are in place to ensure your school’s risks are assessed, and that sensible control measures are established and maintained? hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/risk/index.htm
■ How well do you know what’s happening on the ground, and what audits or assessments are undertaken to inform you about what your school and contractors actually do?
■ What information does the board receive regularly about health and safety, for example, performance data and reports on injuries and work-related ill-health? hse.gov.uk/leadership/auditing.htm
■ Do you compare your performance with others in the sector or beyond?
■ How are changes in working arrangements that have significant implications for health and safety brought to the attention of the board?
■ What do you do to ensure appropriate board-level review of health and safety? hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/HSG65.htm
Movement around the classroom (slips and trips)
Is the internal flooring in a good condition?
Are there any changes in floor level or type of flooring that need to be highlighted?
Are gangways between desks kept clear?
Are trailing electrical leads/cables prevented wherever possible?
Is lighting bright enough to allow safe access and exit?
Are procedures in place to deal with spillages, for example, water or blood from cuts?
For stand-alone classrooms:
■ Are access steps or ramps properly maintained?
■ Are access stairs or ramps provided with handrails?
Work at height (falls)
Do you have an ‘elephant-foot’ step stool (also known as a kick-step stool) or stepladder available for use where necessary?
Is a window-opener provided for opening high-level windows?
Furniture and fixtures
Are permanent fixtures in good condition and securely fastened? for example, cupboards, display boards and shelving.
Is furniture in good repair and suitable for the size of the user, whether adult or child?
Is portable equipment stable, for example, a TV set on a suitable trolley?
Where window restrictors are fitted to upper-floor windows, are they in good working order?
Are hot surfaces of radiators etc protected where necessary to prevent the risk of burns to vulnerable young people?
Manual handling
Have trolleys been provided for moving heavy objects, for example, computers?
Computers and similar equipment
If you use computers as part of your job, has a workstation assessment been completed?
Have pupils been advised about good practice when using computers?
Electrical equipment and services
Are fixed electrical switches and plug sockets in good repair?
Are all plugs and cables in good repair?
Has portable electrical equipment, for example, laminators, been visually checked and, where necessary, tested at suitable intervals to ensure that everything is safe to use?
(There may be a sticker to show an item has been tested).
Has any damaged electrical equipment been taken out of service or replaced?
Asbestos
If the school contains asbestos, have details of the location and its condition in the classroom been provided and explained to you?
Have you been provided with guidance on securing pieces of work to walls/ceilings that may contain asbestos?
Fire
If there are fire exit doors in the classroom, are they:
■ unobstructed,
■ kept unlocked, and
■ easy to open from the inside?
Is fire-fighting equipment in place in the classroom?
Are fire evacuation procedures clearly displayed?
Are you aware of the evacuation drill, including arrangements for any vulnerable adults or children?
Workplace (ventilation and heating)
Does the room have natural ventilation?
Can a reasonable room temperature be maintained during use of the classroom?
Are measures in place, for example, blinds to protect from glare and heat from the sun?
Daniel Cohen says schools must recognise what different parents prioritise
As the UK independent school sector braces for the impending addition of VAT on school fees, institutions find themselves at a pivotal juncture, compelled to re-evaluate their value propositions. The introduction of VAT poses a significant financial burden, prompting schools to scrutinise their offerings and reaffirm their commitment to excellence in education. Where education is concerned, defining value transcends monetary considerations, encompassing educational quality, holistic development, and community engagement. Historically, independent schools in the UK have prided themselves on delivering a premium educational experience distinguished by small class sizes, stateof-the-art facilities and a rich array of extracurricular activities. However, the imposition of VAT on school fees challenges the traditional notion of value, compelling schools to articulate their unique selling points more effectively.
Importantly, defining value requires a nuanced understanding of diverse stakeholder needs and aspirations. How many school leaders possess a thorough comprehension of their market's top priorities? Indeed, values and their significance vary across diverse demographics. For instance, individuals with incomes exceeding £150k prioritise
“Individuals who lack experience in the independent school system may have different expectations compared to those who have.”
an all-round education, while those within the £70k to 100k bracket are particularly focused on academic excellence. Moreover, individuals who lack experience in the independent school system may have different expectations compared to those who have. Without a deep understanding of one's market, effectively articulating value becomes nearly impossible.
Market research is an essential part of developing this understanding. School leadership teams and governors must actively gather feedback and information about their current markets and anticipate their evolution to ensure ongoing alignment with market demands. Relying solely on anecdotal feedback or employing a ‘finger in the air’ approach is inadequate in today's dynamic landscape. Instead, leveraging data is paramount to making informed, evidence-based decisions that enable schools to adapt and thrive in a competitive environment.
Many schools have made public declarations stating they will absorb the VAT increase rather than passing it on to parents, with some focusing whole marketing campaigns around this message. A pertinent question parents might consider asking is whether these schools, capable of absorbing a 15-20% rise, were delivering good value beforehand. What changes are they now making to accommodate this expense?
Community engagement represents another cornerstone of value in independent schools. Beyond being educational institutions, schools serve as vibrant hubs of community life, fostering connections among pupils, parents, staff and alumni. As the VAT imposition looms, schools must strengthen their ties with the broader community, engaging stakeholders in meaningful dialogue and collaborative partnerships. These must also focus on genuine community enrichment rather than mere marketing
endeavours. While initiatives showcased on platforms like the Schools Together website (schoolstogether.org) highlight commendable collaborations between the independent and state sectors, there’s also evidence of recruitment-centric events disguised as community engagement.
Amid the VAT upheaval, innovation emerges as a catalyst for redefining value in independent schools. Schools must be seen to embrace innovation in all its forms, from digital technologies and educational methodologies to operational efficiencies and sustainability initiatives. By leveraging innovation, schools can enhance the quality and efficiency of their educational offerings while differentiating themselves in an increasingly competitive landscape. The introduction of VAT on school fees represents an opportunity for UK independent schools. It marks a critical juncture for these institutions to reaffirm their value proposition and redefine their position within the educational sphere. While not all schools may succeed in this, those that do will be the schools that emerge with resilience and confidence.
Daniel Cohen is head of business development at marketing research firm MTM.
Carolyn Reed stresses the importance of understanding your brand and defining it to all your school’s stakeholders
In Wimbledon where I live and work, there are three big senior schools that all carry the name of their location: Wimbledon College, Wimbledon High School, and King’s College, Wimbledon. This could be confusing to parents new to the area, but all three are very clearly defined brands.
The first, Wimbledon College, is an all-boys Roman Catholic and most importantly Jesuit school and the Jesuits are very clear about what they stand for both as a ‘brand’ and as educators: “We are the Society of Jesus… pastors, teachers and chaplains… especially in our education ministries, we seek to nurture men and women for others.” Such is the strength of the Jesuit brand that many of the great and good Catholic families of the surrounding area choose Wimbledon College, a maintained school, for their sons over and above the best local independent schools.
The second, Wimbledon High, is as unequivocal in its brand definition. It’s an all-girls, academically successful and once again (and most importantly) a member of a larger well-respected and understood organisation – the GDST. And like the Jesuits, the GDST is a very clearly defined brand. Founded in 1872 by a group of pioneering women who believed that “girls should be entitled to the same academic education as their brothers”, this spirit of fearless women, many of whom became active in the suffragist and suffragette movements, lives on: “In our schools, academic excellence is a given. But GDST girls also learn to
“Schools are fighting for favour from a diminishing pool of families able to afford the potentially increasing fees.”
be confident, happy and fearless, to be prepared for the opportunities of the future.” No confusion here.
The third, and possibly the best known outside its local environment, is King’s College, Wimbledon. From a commanding position overlooking the Common, it’s a school for boys to 16 and co-ed in the sixth form, with intellectual achievement and a progressive spirit ingrained due to its heritage of originally being the junior department of King’s College London. Developing this theme, it now looks to the future with the clear mission of offering a true education in mind, spirit and heart with the very best preparation for the world beyond school and is one of the most sought-after schools in the area.
These three all have strong inherent values derived from their heritage. In that sense they are lucky to be able to call upon this, and many other schools are not so fortunate. However, what is most important is these schools regularly examine, review and adapt their brand values and definition to ensure they remain relevant and future-proofed.
For independent schools facing possibly their most threatening existential time, this is a crucial activity for governors, heads and senior leadership teams. And it’s even more important for independent schools in less affluent areas than SW19 where the competition can be intense, and schools are fighting for favour from a diminishing pool of families able to afford the potentially increasing fees.
So how do you strengthen your brand definition and make your school distinctive and recognisable?
As independent schools are multimillion-pound businesses, it would be a foolish board of governors willing to take a punt on brand definition (and in effect strategy), without robust research and an evidence-based rationale. It’s also far easier for marketing departments to implement the brand definition via all the marketing channels if the process has
gone through the right channels and has been agreed at the top level.
So, these are the steps to success:
Step 1. Obtain the relevant information
Conduct stakeholder research – talk to parents, staff, alumni, local schools, feeder heads and, very importantly, your pupils. Find out what they think are the most important aspects of the school and what it does well. What are the words they use to describe the school? What have been their favourite moments?
You’ll find the most useful information will come via commissioning independent research with experts conducting focus groups and interviews. This way you’ll glean honest and in-depth insights where stakeholders feel they can talk in confidence to non-partisan interviewers. If you’re doing this on a tight budget then split the process with some expert interviews alongside your own in-house online surveys.
Delve into your history – most schools are not new-born brands. They emerged decades, if not centuries, ago with specific purposes that were relevant to their time and place, so look back into your history and heritage. Is there an aspect that is relevant today and clearly differentiates you? What were the core values and mission of the school? Who was the founder and what did they stand
“There are far too many similar school crests in the independent school marketplace.”
for? Were there characters in the school’s history who helped to define its identity? You’d be amazed at what can come out of the woodwork that can be applied to redefine your school’s brand.
Here is an example of using historical fact to define your brand – St George’s Ascot defines its brand with three words: Confident, Capable, Connected. While the use of three words has become commonplace by schools, they have true integrity for St George’s as we discovered via an old prospectus owned by the admissions director and an alumna. St George’s always made sure its girls were ‘well-connected’, very capable and confident in all areas of life. These values are deep-rooted in its historic culture and headmistress Liz Hewer has simply adapted them to the requirements for success for girls in today’s world.
Step 2: Analyse your findings, discuss them and then agree the redefined brand
Once you’ve gathered the information, look through and analyse which are the common themes. Which of these are relevant and deliverable and, most importantly, can differentiate your school from the competition? Avoid anything that is simply a ‘concept’ without true
integrity and the ability for it to be present in every aspect of daily life. Once you have agreed your brand definition, the school will have to deliver it across every aspect, not just marketing.
When you’ve thoroughly discussed the detail, achieve consensus on your definition with key leaders in the school and ensure the chair of governors signs it off.
An example of delivering your brand definition with integrity is offered by Tom Rogerson, headmaster at Cottesmore Prep in Sussex. He told listeners during my company’s recent AGBIS artificial intelligence podcast that the school aims to straddle its traditional roots while being sharp when it comes to technology. Like St George’s Ascot, this description is represented throughout the school with truth and integrity. It’s at the forefront of the role of AI in education, but balances this with the joy of outdoor life, away from screens, enabled by the school’s beautiful rural Sussex location.
First, tell the staff and all other key stakeholders, so they can support your new brand definition.
Then apply it to everything you do –culture, actions, initiatives, charitable work, outreach and, very importantly, marketing. Frame your agreed brand definition and put it on the wall to refer to every time you have a new idea. Does the idea match? If so, go ahead, if not, dispose of it, because if it doesn’t communicate your brand definition it will gradually erode the clarity of your brand.
You may have made a major change to your school definition, perhaps by updating its structure in age groups, joining a group, or merging with another school. If this is the case, then it’s important to redesign or refresh your school logo and brand identity to ensure it communicates what you now stand for. It’s also important the design you choose is significantly different to your competitors. There are far too many similar school crests in the independent school marketplace.
An example of a new brand definition and look came about last year in Woking when girls-only Halstead Prep School formed a partnership with co-ed St Andrew’s Prep School to become a fully co-ed prep and senior school to 16. This meant the combined school needed to devise a new brand definition as it was a new entity with a new vision – to be ‘the school of the future for Woking’. This required a new name: Halstead, St Andrew’s and a new logo that combined elements from the original two schools’ identities. These changes communicated a clearly defined brand definition for the new era.
So, take inspiration from these examples and, as it’s spring, give your brand renewed definition before the start of the next admissions cycle comes around.
Carolyn Reed is a consultant with marketing and research firm Reed Brand Communication.
Reed Brand produces and presents the AGBIS Independent Schools podcast. You can listen to the podcast with Tom Rogerson at: reedbc.co.uk/podcasts
Rachel Hadley-Leonard on the importance of ensuring that parents get an individual experience of your school
During the last Easter break, I was lucky enough to be able to experience a fabulous fourstar hotel, offering five-star service. It was interesting to reflect on the fact that the shift from four to five stars wasn’t attributed to costly gimmicks or luxurious touches, but rather to the staff's unwavering dedication to meeting and often surpassing my needs and preferences. The hotel got it right. So right in fact, that I have waxed lyrical about the hotel since returning, spread the word to many, and will almost certainly return next year.
In this increasingly uncertain future, where family finances are tight and expectations soar, the ability to tailor the customer journey to meet the unique needs and preferences of parents has become paramount within our sector. Indeed, providing an outstanding customer experience is no longer merely advantageous but essential for futureproofing our schools and to avoid joining those that are falling by the wayside, losing their identity through mergers, or shrinking in size.
The transformative power that sits at the heart of this approach is a personalised customer experience for parents seeking the perfect educational fit for their children, but at a time when they are questioning every pound they spend. Central to personalised customer
“Providing an outstanding customer experience is no longer merely advantageous but essential for future-proofing our schools.”
journeys lie the recognition and understanding that no two families are alike. Each parent comes armed with their own set of aspirations, concerns and priorities, making the one-size-fits-all approach obsolete in today's independent school sector. Instead, schools must embrace the art of personalisation, crafting bespoke experiences that resonate with the individual journey of each parent.
Gone are the days of a generic prospectus and mass mailings. Instead, parents crave authentic, meaningful interactions that speak directly to their interests and concerns. Whether it's through personalised website landing pages, a tailored virtual tour specific to the child’s interests and needs, bespoke email communications, or targeted social media outreach, many schools are embracing the art of personalisation, and creating connections that feel personal and relevant to each family’s unique circumstances.
But personalisation extends far beyond the initial touchpoints of the customer journey. It permeates every facet of the parent-school relationship, from
“Central to personalised customer journeys lie the recognition and understanding that no two families are alike.”
the admissions process to ongoing engagement and support. In other words, we can’t stop making families feel
“Many schools are embracing the art of personalisation, and creating connections that feel personal and relevant to each family’s unique circumstances.”
loved once they are through our doors. Personalisation doesn’t have to equal costly budgets, but it does mean having all staff on board.
Every single member of the school community must understand the value of each admission, and their role in ensuring that journey is outstanding for every family. And not least, embrace the underlying philosophy that an investment of a family’s two most precious commodities, their child and their income, deserves the very best customer experience.
Whether it's addressing concerns about academic outcomes, wellbeing, or co-curricular opportunities, schools must demonstrate a genuine willingness to listen, adapt and evolve in response to parental feedback and input. I often talk with schools about becoming a ‘listening school’. Parents need to feel heard, they need to feel they have a voice, and their contributions need to be taken seriously. The sector is about to be squeezed, and parents will rightly want both value for money and exceptional service.
In an era where parental involvement and advocacy play an increasingly pivotal role in a school’s success, the importance of nurturing these relationships cannot be overstated. Parent ambassadors and testimonials will always be the most effective form of marketing, and when parents feel they are part of something special they are more likely to become a lifelong advocate for the school.
Creating an exceptional customer journey is not a job for the registrar, or the marketing manager, or the head. It’s a collective endeavour for every member of
“Every single member of the school community must understand the value of each admission.”
the school community, together creating a five-star experience for every family along the whole journey, from first hearing about the school, to becoming a lifelong member of the alumni community. By uniting efforts to create a five-star experience for every family, schools can foster trust, loyalty, and a sense of belonging that lasts a lifetime.
Just as the Hotel Josl in Obergurgl, Austria, left a lasting impression on me, schools have the opportunity to create similarly memorable experiences that might resonate with families for years to come, and turn moderately satisfied parents into passionate ambassadors for your school.
Rachel Hadley-Leonard is an independent marketing and admissions consultant.
Katie Cardona explains why establishing a nursery as part of an independent prep school can be a valuable addition
The media is currently awash with stories about childcare. Improved funding for two-year-olds is about to be introduced, the demand for all-year-round childcare has increased during the cost of living crisis as both parents work full time, there’s a shortage of places in nurseries and pre-schools in some areas of the UK, and there are difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff.
Childcare comes in many shapes and forms, with the majority of the options having a hefty price tag attached and there may be problems with childminders, nannies and day care settings (which can be part of large groups of nurseries and nurseries within schools, both state and independent). The choice facing parents is bewildering, but the option of a nursery setting for your child within an independent school could provide a simple and compelling proposition.
Recently we at Reed Brand Communication carried out two pieces of significant research that left us convinced that nursery provision is a much-needed opportunity for growth for prep schools. The first research project focused on the experiences that marketing departments had had when focusing on early years. The second was looking outward at the early years sector as a whole and part of this was an in-depth study of independent day care nurseries. Their sophistication was enlightening, revealing an in-depth understanding of parents’ needs as borne out by their comprehensive websites and marketing.
“The option of a nursery setting for your child within an
independent school could provide a simple and compelling proposition. ”
These independent nursery chains, such as Busy Bees, Kids Planet and Bright Horizons, provide a compelling and attractive option for parents in terms of hours and provision. Their educational offering is impressive as they tend to follow a curriculum like a state school nursery would, they offer hours to suit working parents, and advice and support for parents in the form of talks and forums. Independent schools can easily match this and potentially offer more.
So, what is the value of a nursery to an independent school? Here are the main points to consider:
• Financial sustainability is at the top of all governors’ agendas. A bigger school will offer better resilience in the current climate and what better way to grow your school than by starting at the bottom of the educational pyramid? Bearing in mind that the average annual cost of a full-time nursery place for a child under two in the UK is around £15,000, a well-run nursery with an excellent reputation represents a significant source of income. We are seeing large numbers of independent schools opening a nursery from scratch or developing the current provision by extending the hours they offer and/or reducing the age of the children they take, led by parental demand.
• Nurseries within school settings are a valuable recruitment tool for attracting families, most particularly for prep schools which are already facing admissions challenges due to the affordability of school fees and a drop in the birth rate. Parents seeking a seamless educational journey are more likely to choose a prep school that offers a nursery. Schools are very aware of this so work hard to make places in the nursery available to families who express an interest in their child staying at the school. For a prep school this could mean seven years of fee income and, for an all-through school, substantially more.
While there is the set-up cost of a nursery, it’s likely that the school will have the space to do this and the nursery (unlike independent day care nurseries) won’t have any rent or mortgage to pay.
We are all aware that the Labour Party has confirmed its intention to add VAT to independent school fees should it win the next election, but there’s still much debate on whether this would include nurseries. Would nursery provision qualify as welfare services and be exempt from VAT? Until Labour publishes its manifesto the details are unknown. Without 20% VAT on the fees, nurseries within independent schools could look even more attractive.
Another big plus is that independent school facilities and resources are very attractive to families. Extensive grounds and specialist teachers for PE, music, languages and art can be used and adapted for younger children, giving nurseries in independent schools a competitive edge over the day care nurseries.
What could be more convenient and reassuring for parents than to take their child to nursery at 8am, collect their child at 6pm, and have the peace of mind during the day that their child is in a stimulating early education environment
“Nurseries within school settings are a valuable recruitment tool for attracting families, most particularly for prep schools.”
where cognitive, social and emotional development are key elements of the provision, thus laying the foundation for future learning which can take place in the same school. Parents often talk of a ‘family feel’ in prep school settings. If this is evident in the nursery, it is an additional attraction for parents.
Continuity of education is an increasingly important factor for parents choosing a nursery setting. They are able to establish a relationship with the school
and maintain it throughout their child’s school years. Their child’s friendship group and familiarity with the setting are key reassurances.
The nursery provision must meet the parents’ needs in terms of hours offered. 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday, for 48-50 weeks a year is what most working families are looking for. Most independent school nurseries offer places to two and threeyear olds, but the trend for baby rooms accommodating infants from the age of six months is growing to meet the needs of parents as they come to the end of their maternity and paternity leave.
It must be appropriate for your school to factor a nursery into its strategy. Whether you are considering starting a nursery from scratch or developing your current provision, research is key to your decisionmaking. Insight and data are vital to assess whether there is demand in your catchment area, the ability to pay nursery fees, and
what the competitive landscape looks like.
Communicating your nursery’s provision in clear terms to prospective parents is of the utmost importance. Parents needs to see quickly and easily the age group catered for, the hours on offer and the cost. When a school nursery is a relatively small part of a wider, all-through provision it is often buried within the school’s website which makes finding the all-important information difficult for parents.
If a school gets the nursery provision right in terms of offering and communicating that offering, it can make a very valuable contribution to the school’s financial sustainability and growth.
A nursery within a school can enhance the overall educational experience offered, as well as providing practical benefits for busy families, making the school’s overall offer more attractive. Katie Cardona is a consultant with marketing and research firm Reed Brand Communication.
Morgan Allen, a partner at property firm Gerald Eve, reflects on the considerations in arriving at an opinion of the value of school properties
School properties are enormously rewarding assets to value – they can have a fascinating history with unique characteristics and ethos, and can also include listed buildings in attractive settings.
When invited to quote to value a school property, we identify the property to be valued. Is it freehold or leased, vacant or operating? Is the trading activity mature, failing, or in a turnaround situation?
Defining the purpose of the valuation at the outset is key, as this determines the valuation method to be adopted. The purpose may be for:
• Secured lending.
• Purchase report/investor due diligence.
• Designated advisors report.
• Rent negotiations with a landlord.
• Financial reporting purposes.
• Insurance (building surveyors rather than valuers undertake these, therefore this article will not cover insurance valuations).
‘Market value’ is the most commonly used basis. In simple terms, it’s the realisable price between a willing buyer and willing seller after a reasonable marketing period and at arm’s length.
The typical bases of value are:
• Market value assuming vacant possession: This is also referred to as ‘bricks and mortar’ (not a technical term), which assumes the school is closed/vacant. It ignores any business operating from within the property.
• Market value as a fully equipped trading entity: This is also referred to as ‘going concern’. Usually if the school is making a healthy profit/surplus, this figure is higher than the vacant possession value. Generally, expanding school groups prefer to acquire a school which is operating rather than a vacant school, due to the long time lag to reach mature levels of occupancy.
• Fair value is adopted for financial reporting purposes. This usually equates to market value assuming a continuation of the existing use.
There are various valuation methods, depending on the above (purpose and basis).
• Comparison method – We gather evidence of transactions of schools which are then analysed, adjusted and applied to the subject property on a pound per square foot basis. This is why accurate floor areas are enormously helpful (it can also reduce the cost of a valuation, as one can take check measurements from scaled plans rather than undertaking a full measured survey).
We make adjustments to reflect the size, location, condition, configuration and the range of facilities compared to the subject. We may apply additional sums if the property benefits from sports facilities such as tennis courts, multi-use games areas and astroturf pitches, for example.
We would also apply discounts if there are onerous title or planning restrictions which affect the use of the property (for example, restrictions on pupil numbers).
• Profits method – This method is used to value the trading activity which operates from the school property. (It is also used for trading properties such as hotels and care homes).
Transactions of trading schools fall into two categories:
• Profitable schools selling to forprofit providers under which the Fair Maintainable Operating Profit (FMOP) is capitalised, which can be similar to EBITDA, commonly, for freehold schools, at years purchase multiples (or market-based yield) of between about eight-times and 13-times (inside London). A deduction for catch-up capex may be required The higher multiples would tend to be in London and affluent Home Counties, and,
• Asset sales out of a charitable trust, where the school is operating at a deficit
and is no longer financially viable without external third party investment. In this case, the key driver of the value as a trading entity is the underlying vacant possession value of the property assets, making allowances for working capital and investment requirements to transition the business to expected levels of profit, for example, a turnaround which could take two-to-three years. In this instance, the value as a trading entity would be less than the vacant possession value.
In the current climate, there is generally less demand for turnarounds and a greater divergence of values, that is, good demand for well-performing schools and perhaps only several buyers for failing schools operating with a substantial deficit.
A valuer will request two years audited accounts, the current-year budget, forecast, pupil numbers, fee schedule and the staffing schedule. This is part of our information gathering, investigations and due diligence. We will ask to see competitor fee analysis in order to benchmark the fees. With the threat of VAT on school fees, we suspect that parents will now shop-around and want value for money, which may see enrolment fall in due course, particularly if the school is situated in a competitive location.
We assess the income that could be generated by a ‘reasonably efficient operator’.
We make deductions for expenditure, staff costs and other running costs. We benchmark/sense-check our assessment of revenue and profit against the previous accounts, the current-year budget, and our own knowledge of schools’ trading performance. We check the amount for repairs and maintenance and make a further allowance for sustaining capex.
We thus arrive at our assessment of FMOP, which may be equivalent to EBITDA. We then apply a capitalisation yield (years purchase multiplier), which we derive from sales of other trading schools. This produces the market value as a fully equipped trading entity.
We may need to make an additional deduction if the school buildings require catch-up capex (that is, more than sustaining capex). That is, market value, plus a deduction to bring the property into repair.
• Is the school in a competitive environment?
• Is it over- or under-performing?
• Could discounts be reduced, or staffing costs perhaps?
• Is there scope to increase fees and expand pupil numbers, perhaps via development/expansion, opening a nursery, or going co-ed?
A discounted cash flow involves projecting cash flows over an assumed period (usually between five and ten years), plus an exit value. This method is used when a school is not operating at full potential, that is, if the school:
• has only recently opened or has potential to grow enrolment or increase fees (although the potential to increase fees by a material amount is less likely with the threat of VAT on fees).
• has had a fall in pupil numbers, but has potential to recover to previous levels.
Typically, a for-profit operator would seek to grow profit via a combination of increasing revenue (fees and/or pupil numbers) and reducing expenditure.
A for-profit school operator would seek to reduce overly-large discounts gradually. However, this can’t be done overnight, as staff discounts may be required to attract and retain key staff. Fees, staff costs and other costs are then inflated over the period, while overly-generous discounts are brought down, and any big capex projects accounted for in the cash flow.
The cash flow is then discounted back to the present day at a discount rate (desired rate of return).
• Investment method – This method is used when a property is producing rental income, which is capitalised to produce a gross capital value and a deduction made for purchaser’s costs. It may be prudent for the valuer to make an allowance for a letting void and rent-free period if there is less than five years until a tenant break or lease expiry.
• Residual method – A vacant or surplus school asset may have development potential for a highervalue alternative use. If this is the case, the residual method of valuation is used to calculate the ‘land value’, which assumes it has planning permission for a development. It can be highly speculative without a planning consultant and architect’s advice on feasibility.
The valuer assesses the gross development value (GDV), which is the aggregate of sales rates of any flats and/ or houses (or other commercial property types) which could be accommodated on the site, factoring in any affordable housing requirement. From the GDV, one deducts build costs plus a contingency, S106/CIL costs to the local authority, professional fees, finance, and any other costs. The residual land value can then adjusted for planning and other risks.
We would then cross-check this with comparable evidences of land sold with planning permission, on a price per acre and a price per unit basis.
Note: School uses are often protected
by planning policy as ‘community uses’ and their loss resisted by councils. However, if school property become surplus and there is no demand for continued use, a council may consider alternative uses. Typically, a council would want to see a lack of demand demonstrated via a marketing campaign before considering alternatives.
• Relies on accurate information.
• Highly sensitive to inputs and minor adjustments.
Thus, we run a sensitivity analysis, that is, if we assume the sales rates drop by 5%, and/or the build costs increase by 5% or 10% – what affect this has on the land value and would a hypothetical development then become unviable?
• Depreciated replacement cost – This is used for specialised buildings which rarely or never sell in the market. It is typically used for valuations for financial reporting purposes or for business rates.
The approach is based on the current cost of replacing an asset, less deductions for physical deterioration, obsolescence and optimisation, and the cost of the land.
• Reinstatement cost assessment – Banks request this to check if the buildings are adequately insured. This figure is rarely close to the actual market value of the asset. It is important not to confuse this with ‘market value’. A valuer’s estimate of a reinstatement cost assessment cannot be used for insurance purposes. This is a different exercise which would be undertaken by a building surveyor rather than by a valuer.
In summary, valuing school property can be relatively opinion-led, but an approach which includes a review of comparable evidence, an assessment of the trading potential, and development appraisals to estimate the alternative use value is a solid basis for arriving at an opinion of value.
Leanne Chandler reports on the Schools’ Enterprise Association’s annual conference and explains how schools can make the most of a diversified revenue stream
The independent school sector is at a crossroads. With a traditional reliance on tuition fees as their primary source of revenue, the rising cost of education and a potential change in government is prompting a shift in approach. As a result, independent schools are starting to look at the wider strategy which includes a renewed focus and emphasis on commercial acumen to diversify revenue streams and change the way the schools are run.
The Schools’ Enterprise Association (SEA) pulled together commercial managers and bursars from a wide range of independent schools at its annual conference at Charterhouse School in Godalming, Surrey, looking at the theme ‘1+1 = 3: Driving synergy and improving returns'.
The conference, hosted by SEA chief executive Dorothy McLaren, and the chief operating officer of Alleyn’s School, Guy Collins-Down, provided a space for attendees, including bursars, chief operating officers, and enterprise and commercial managers, to discuss how schools can start to future-proof against upcoming changes and increased pressure.
A key aspect of diversifying revenue is the development of aligned commercial programmes – the co-commercial aspect of school life. While some stakeholders may be hesitant to embrace an increased
“A key aspect of diversifying revenue is the development of aligned commercial programmes – the co-commercial aspect of school life.”
focus on non-fee revenue generation, it’s important to remember that independent schools are businesses and the need to generate and sustain additional revenue streams has never been more acute.
It was clear that attendees realise commercialisation doesn’t mean independent schools should abandon their educational mission – ‘dual-use, school-first’ should be at the heart of any commercial consideration. Increasing non-fee revenues enables schools to focus better on their educational mission by providing them with the resources they need to continue to offer high-quality education and pastoral care.
Collins-Down feels the focus of how schools are run should be moving more along the lines of how businesses operate. He said: “If I were the CEO of a FTSE 100 company and I was only using my facilities 30% of the time, I’d be fired. The opportunities have always been there, schools have just never had to tap into them. It’s the schools that have already begun to explore these opportunities that will benefit most. While achieving internal buy-in can be difficult, it’s time to start thinking outside the box. ‘No’ doesn’t always mean no – it can mean ‘not now’ or ‘not like that’.”
Getting buy-in and support from your governors, senior leadership teams and broader staff, and embedding the commercial aspect of school life into the school’s strategy is key to ensuring that schools build sustainable, longterm value-add commercial ventures. Governors are starting to understand this and many governing bodies are requesting training and advice in this area, including changes to approach and wider governance structure reviews.
As well as responsibility for setting the strategic vision and determining the overall aims and conduct of the school, governors’ remit also includes understanding the opportunities for enterprise projects within the school and providing the right level of support
for this increased, focused commercial activity.
Mark Taylor, chair of AGBIS, said: “Reducing fee income dependency needs to be a focus. This is about diversifying the income. Setting the strategic plan for the school will be key and it is important that UK schools start to move closer to the American model where, on average, fee reliance is only around 65%.” In the UK, it is estimated that reliance on fee income is around 98%.
Diversification of income, however, has to extend beyond simply letting out your swimming pool or sports hall in the evening. It needs to be a focus on building life-changing and mutually beneficial partnerships and addressing wider income generation activities –developing sustainable long-term valueadd programmes.
“If, for example, fundraising is done properly it is still buoyant,” says Taylor. “Development roles will become increasingly important and this can cover a number of income generational activities from improving relationships with alumni, finding innovative ways to protect future initiatives, and looking at international franchise school development.”
Haberdashers’ Elstree Schools has worked to combine efforts across its sites in order to make the most of the opportunities, Rob Dunn, chief operating
“The educational landscape is constantly changing, and independent schools need to be willing to adapt in order to stay competitive.”
officer of Haberdashers’ Elstree Schools noted when looking at diversification of income: “If we didn’t do something about it, we’d be letting the children in our schools down. We’ve developed the operational capability to create a framework which works across our selection of schools. This is about creating a co-commercial strategy and we had the support of our governing body which is incredibly important.”
As most seasoned commercial directors and bursars will tell you, one of the most crucial (but often the most difficult) aspects is bringing the school community with you as you explore a more commercial approach to non-fee revenues. Strong education and cocurricular models and cooperation with a range of departments across the school’s community will be key in ensuring success.
By strategically expanding income sources, independent schools can unlock the full potential of their resources and staff. This not only strengthens our financial resilience in challenging times, but also fosters deeper connections within the community and positions us as leaders in innovative education and community engagement, all while staying true to the core mission.
Setting out key pillars can be crucial to achieving this buy-in. Haberdashers’ Elstree has looked at ensuring that five key ‘asset’ pillars remain at the core of its co-commercial strategy across the schools: education, co-curricular, community and public benefit, provenance, and buildings and facilities.
Independent schools can maximise their potential by fostering collaboration across internal departments. Marketing and admissions teams, for example, can become strong proponents of commercial activities when they understand the overall benefits. Sharing resources, like a school sports field with a local primary school after hours, can generate income while forging long-term partnerships through joint events or programmes. These interactions may ultimately lead to increased interest and admissions for the independent school.
Additionally, data collected by marketing and admissions departments holds great value. By analysing these insights, schools can gain a deeper understanding of their target audience and community needs. This knowledge allows them to tailor commercial activities for maximum impact and
correspondingly attract potential students to the school.
Collaboration shouldn't be confined to within a single institution. Engaging with competitors can be a powerful tool. Sharing best practices and exploring joint ventures can strengthen the entire independent school sector. This collaborative approach, coupled with utilising all available skillsets – marketing, admissions, finance etc – allows schools to future-proof their pipelines and ensure a flourishing educational landscape for all.
Parents are the primary stakeholders in independent schools. It is important to keep parents informed about the school's policies and programmes. It is also important to listen to parents' concerns and suggestions.
Independent schools should also be willing to change. The educational landscape is constantly changing, and independent schools need to be willing to adapt in order to stay competitive. This may mean changing the curriculum, offering new programmes, or adopting new technologies.
By focusing on strategically aligned, quality programmes, engaging parents and the wider stakeholders and being willing to embrace change, independent schools can future-proof their schools and ensure that they continue to provide their students with the best possible education.
Leanne Chandler is chair of the Schools’ Enterprise Association and director of operations at Denstone College.
It is a tale you will have heard many times before: a parent removes their child without notice and seeks to complain about the service received from your school to avoid paying the fees.
The bursar and head will be on the front line dealing with these issues, and there are important strategies you can deploy when the vital lifeblood of your school, its cash flow, is jeopardised.
This article focuses on the common fee issues that can arise before admission and after the pupil has started, before analysing how to deal with them.
It ought to be simple: ‘no payment – no place’. However, there’s an increasing propensity of parents with children entering at Year 7 to hedge their bets between a place at an independent and one at a state/grammar school. A parent accepts the place offered at your school, pays the deposit, but following allocation day on 1 March, seeks to withdraw their child.
While the deposit will be forfeited, it will not be sufficient to replace the loss of income from that family for the next five to seven years. So what can you do?
Strategies include:
• Revise your admissions policy – create a reserve list of potential pupils who could be offered a place in the event of a withdrawal to help mitigate the loss.
However, there is no guarantee that the reservists will be willing to accept an offer from your school after allocation day, so you could still be left with an
“A parent removes their child without notice and seeks to complain about the service received from your school to avoid paying the fees.”
empty seat come September.
• Increase the size of the deposit – an enhanced deposit for incoming Year 7 pupils could provide an increased disincentive to withdrawing. Setting it too high, however, may dissuade parents from applying at all.
• Alter the sequence of payments on or near acceptance – if the deadline is close to or after allocation day, and you still have places to fill, this approach may be more relaxed, but requiring payment of the first term’s fees on or before allocation day will ensure that child turns up in September. Again, there’s a risk that the outlay of a term’s fees six months before the start of term could put some parents off. This could be mitigated by creating a short-term instalment plan which creates the liability for the full amount on acceptance, but allows it to be discharged before the end of summer term. This way, if they try to withdraw, they are still liable for the first term’s fees.
• Check your contracts – ensure the clauses in the admission form and parent contract are consistent and have been brought to the parent’s attention in a clear and unambiguous way. It is also worth ensuring that any ancillary documents (the prospectus, parent handbook etc) are not referred to in a way that elevates such document to a contractual status.
• Be truthful – avoid making claims in marketing literature that are inaccurate. If you claim that your class sizes do not exceed 18 pupils, do not take on 24. There’s a danger that if representations made to parents could be deemed false, the parent may try to rescind the contract and recover monies paid.
• Assess whether the parents have the financial stability to fund the child’s place – this does not have to be a ‘means test’, but identifying if they may choose an alternative place at a state/ grammar school should be borne in mind before offering a place. Also, identifying property owned by the
parents in the jurisdiction that could be used to secure payments of fees gives greater peace of mind should the worst happen.
Assuming there has been no fundamental failure in the educational services provided, a fee dispute will usually only arise because of a change in the parent’s circumstances. They may have divorced or lost a job. As this will have an impact on the pupil, there could be an associated downturn in his or her performance at school, which a parent may seek to rely upon as being a failure of your school.
Obviously, such circumstances need to be handled sensitively. Here are some strategies that should be considered:
• Keep to the contract or formally vary it. It is acceptable and reasonable to adapt the approach to fit the circumstances, but where that involves contradicting the terms of the parent contract, extreme care must be taken. For example, if you are willing to extend time for payment or rely solely on one of the parents for payments, there ought to be a written variation of the parent contract, agreed by all parties to the original. That variation might be permanent or temporary but must be in writing so that it can be referred to later.
• A court order in a matrimonial dispute cannot dictate a change to the parent
contract unless the school was a party to those proceedings. Therefore, if the court makes a school fees payments order, that does not alter the joint and several liability of each parent who signed the admission form and this should be made clear to both parents upon receipt of such an order. If the school is minded to vary the contract then the strategy above should be adopted.
• Excluding a child for non-payment is a difficult decision to make, but you should enforce that term of the parent contract as consistently as possible. Any divergence in how the exclusion clause is applied could lead to criticism with connotations of discrimination:
o Start swiftly – on the day after the first payment was missed, the parents should be reminded of the consequences of a failure to pay.
o Be clear – state the date and time of payments.
o Be sure – the banks are not infallible, so payments can go awry. But it is relatively easy for the parent to provide proof that the transaction has been actioned. You will need to verify it has not arrived in the school’s system before taking action.
o Be firm – an exclusion just before GCSE or A-level exams has the potential to be damaging for the
pupil, but remember it is the parent that has created that risk, not the school. If your school is minded to support the pupil, any temporary concession should be recorded in writing (as a variation of the contract) with the parent accepting liability for the missing payments, preferably providing security for the payments in the interim.
• Occasionally, bullying is used to justify termination without adequate notice. To mitigate against such allegations, it is imperative to ensure your school’s anti-bullying policy is consistently complied with, any issues that amount to bullying being accurately recorded and followed up. A parent will obviously place the welfare of their child above the need to pay fees, so your response to such an allegation should be tempered accordingly (perhaps even refraining from mentioning the fees in the same correspondence that deals with the allegation). Give appropriate consideration to the issue, demonstrate how it has been appropriately investigated and engage as positively as possible with the parents.
• Finally, should a parent refer to a failure to deal appropriately with their child’s learning disability (dyslexia or autism spectrum disorder, for example) as justification to terminate the parent
contract, the head and bursar will need to be satisfied that:
o Any condition has been properly diagnosed (it is not your school’s responsibility to diagnose, but if there are reasons to be concerned, appropriately qualified guidance should be sought).
o The school’s action plan to adapt to the child’s needs has been implemented, was appropriate, and supported by the staff assigned to that child.
o If the parent had raised any issue earlier, those issues had been dealt with swiftly and to the parent’s satisfaction.
o The parent’s complaint actually relates to the school’s performance and is not just a manifestation of their disappointment in the child’s performance.
The approaches outlined above are all high level, and each parental complaint connected with a fee issue will need to be addressed on its own facts. However, without robust and enforceable terms, the school would find it difficult responding to any complaint. So make sure your school’s terms and conditions are consistent and do what they need to.
Steven Murray is a senior associate solicitor at law firm Harrison Clark Rickerbys.
Tim Toulmin and Anthony Longden consider a scenario where a head is having difficult relations with his or her staff
In this imaginary scenario, a recent review and reorganisation at a prominent independent school has resulted in tension between the head and a small number of disgruntled staff members, who are resistant to the changes.
In an attempt to derail the exercise, they have contacted the regional BBC News programme claiming that the head’s plans have reduced the school to near chaos. They tell the journalist that the head and the senior leadership team have forced the changes through by bullying anyone opposing them. Morale is at rock bottom and, the informants add, there has been a revolt in the staffroom, teaching quality has been compromised, and there’s mounting concern over safeguarding.
The BBC contacts the school, saying that having spoken to several staff, past and present, it intends to run a story on tomorrow’s evening news bulletin. In the interests of right of reply it asks the school for a response and offers the head an interview on camera.
The head strongly suspects that one of the former members of staff referred to by the BBC is someone who left the school after being disciplined for poor performance and inappropriate behaviour. The staff member signed a non-disclosure agreement on his departure.
This individual has not managed to find a satisfactory new job and is known to have turned his anger and frustration back towards his former employer.
In addition, two current members of staff have been on bad terms with the head ever since the plans were announced.
“Doing nothing will certainly not kill the story and is likely to be taken as acceptance the allegations are true.”
One of them is a close friend of the exmember of staff, and the head believes this lies behind much of the campaign to cause trouble; the other is unhappy about a reallocation of duties which she sees as a demotion and has been vocal and indiscreet in her criticism of the entire senior leadership team.
The head believes the sources all have an axe to grind, and she doesn’t recognise the situation as described by the BBC.
Option 1
Do nothing. These are plainly ridiculous and vexatious allegations, and any reasonable person will see them for what they are – a malicious attempt to undermine the authority of the head. Attempting to engage with this will entail time and expense, as well as giving the troublemakers what they want by effectively acknowledging that there’s something wrong that requires a formal response.
Call in the lawyers and threaten to sue those you suspect of being sources for the story – it’s the only language these people understand. Don’t issue any statement for broadcast, but tell the BBC that taking legal action is the most appropriate course in the face of such serious, inaccurate
and malicious claims. Remind the BBC of its obligations regarding accuracy and fairness.
Reply to the BBC journalist with a ‘strictly not for broadcast/publication’ note that pushes back firmly against the allegations being made and highlights their likely motivation. Challenge the basis for broadcast by supplying counter information on a ‘background’ basis only, citing evidence including independent audit and inspection reports, and state there are no grounds for broadcast. Resist pressure to give an interview, since this will merely help to give the story credence.
Option 4
Launch an internal inquiry to find out who’s behind the allegations, with a view to dismissing them for gross misconduct. Don’t engage with the BBC – it can’t run a response it doesn’t have, and there’s no need to dignify such malicious nonsense anyway.
Option 5
Issue a balanced statement to the BBC featuring a positive explanation of the changes, but also an acknowledgement that while there was a little resistance in the common room initially, this is all in the past and was not in any case of great significance. Draft and send an explanatory
letter to parents and other stakeholders before broadcast, so they know what to expect.
Option 1
Not advisable. Passing up the opportunity to put your side of the story could result in significant reputational damage. Doing nothing will certainly not kill the story and is likely to be taken as acceptance the allegations are true. It’s very difficult to regain any degree of control once something has been broadcast and it will take time and expense explaining the school’s position to parents and other stakeholders – an explanation that will necessarily have to explain the school’s initial silence.
This will escalate matters needlessly and dramatically, portraying the school as heavy-handed, and giving truth to the lie that the school bullies its staff. It will be a gift to the BBC, which will waste no time in fully exploiting such a juicy new angle. Avoid.
“Giving a ‘strictly not for broadcast/ publication’ background briefing clearly demonstrates the school is trying to be cooperative.”
Definitely worth trying in the first instance. The BBC journalist will, quite properly, want to balance the report, pitting the allegations against the school’s response. Giving a ‘strictly not for broadcast/publication’ background briefing clearly demonstrates the school is trying to be cooperative, but is dismayed at the vexatious allegations that are being dredged up. A robust explanation of the position can often help a journalist realise that the sources have an axe to grind that could undermine their credibility. There’s a good chance here that nothing will be broadcast – but if the BBC insists on going ahead, then you can offer a statement at a later date. Do not offer a spokesman for interview on a story like this: face-to-face encounters immediately boost the value of the media story and may move it up the running order.
Unwise. Leak inquiries create an atmosphere of suspicion and fear. They invariably look puny, paranoid or defensive, and seldom if ever achieve anything other than making the hole deeper and fostering discontent. Any inquiry will detract from dealing with the issue at hand and do nothing to put the BBC off.
Depending on the exact circumstances of the case, this approach can often be the right thing to do. However, it should be weighed against the fact it will guarantee a story being broadcast, since the statement confirms the school accepts something has happened. In this case there may still be a chance to head it off completely – see below.
• Have confidence in the strength of your position and don’t be tempted into knee-jerk responses at the first sign of media attention. Journalists will not concede any weakness in their position at the start of the process, but this doesn’t mean that they have total confidence in every story. Bear in mind that dealing with the media can be like a formal negotiation – you might get a much better outcome if you are robust from the very start of the engagement.
• Do not attempt to root out or pursue sources. An aggressive response will be likened to a witch-hunt and is likely to make matters far worse.
• Once specific problems have been identified, carefully consider them –ignoring them will magnify the issue and will look like an admission of guilt.
• Remember that the media operates in a regulated environment and has to satisfy the requirements of various laws and codes of practice relating, for example, to ensuring accuracy and offering a reasonable right to reply. The end result may not look like the situation as described to you – journalists have to take into account what they are being told on both sides, and will then make an editorial judgement about whether the story is worth publishing or broadcasting.
• Situations like this can be very unsettling indeed, so it’s important to avoid operational paralysis. Respond quickly to developments and make the most of what thinking time you have – the more you can carve out for yourself, the better the quality of your response.
Tim Toulmin and Anthony Longden are consultants at advisory firm Alder.
Ian Allsop outlines a scenario to help decide whether to set up an international operation
In this imaginary scenario a head is keen to open up a British school overseas since other schools are doing the same. As well as furthering a commitment to high-quality educational provision in line with a long and proud tradition and ethos, he hopes that it will bring in some much-needed cash. It could beef up the school’s bursary programme to satisfy concerns about compliance with public benefit. It could also provide a funding boost for some capital projects, which governors have identified as being crucial to long-term sustainability. But will it be expensive and risky? How do you begin to plan such an ambitious undertaking, let alone put it into action?
The number of independent schools setting up offshoots overseas is increasing. That international schools, particularly British ones, have been successful is because of a continued demand for high-quality independent education in many areas of the world. There is still a premium for the ‘English’ quality brand and curriculum, so these schools are attracting developers and investors. Areas such as China, the Gulf states and southern Asia have seen significant growth, as have central Asian countries where oil and gas wealth is driving economic growth.
As well as providing an extra source of income, what better way to instil confidence in parents than to say you are a global educator? There are further advantages in teacher and pupil exchanges and developing a global alumni network.
“As well as providing an extra source of income, what better way to instil confidence in parents than to say you are a global educator?”
Harrow, Brighton College, Sherborne and Repton, among many others, have taken this step. There’s a temptation to think “why not us?” But such a strategy needs to be grounded in more concrete reasoning than mere empire-building or keeping up with the Joneses. It is important that a carefully mapped process is undertaken to identify the school’s vision.
There are many considerations for governors before they even start discussions with overseas partners, let alone begin building work. It needs to be well-thought through and costed, with the risks clearly defined:
• Does it fit in with the school’s strategic plan?
• Do the benefits stack up?
• What will it cost both in terms of time and upfront investment?
• Will it alienate parents at the home school who fear the school will lose its focus? (and possibly fear a fee hike to cover any investment).
There are opportunity costs in terms of school time and effort and the risk of a diversion of focus to the new venture at the expense of the home school. It will involve the school working with people often at arm’s length, and it will also be reliant on local agents or organisations acting on their behalf. The school will
need to have discussions around local regulatory and legal requirements, which cannot always be conducted without a suitable entity put in place.
There’s a reputational risk as the brand of the school is immediately associated with the exercise, no matter whether the school proceeds with the venture. Confidentiality is crucial. The international sector has many organisations attracted to making profits where there is a strong market, so schools should keep projects secret during the planning stage.
Once these risks have been assessed and accepted, governors should address the following questions:
• What is the educational rationale for launching overseas?
• How do you quantify the benefits for your school?
• How and when should you engage stakeholders at your home school?
• How will a governance structure be established at the new school?
• How do you decide the best location and target market?
• How will the design and construction be financed?
• What is the timescale?
• How will you manage the additional workload without compromising educational quality in the UK?
• How will you protect your reputation and brand?
Once you’ve undergone thorough preplanning and made a case for the benefits, you may feel comfortable to proceed, but only after answering one final question: what type of operating model should you use? The most common one is a franchising arrangement, but there is a case for going it alone.
Franchising – the attraction here is increased income from service charges. Many agreements feature no investment
from the school, except time, energy and some basic costs. The risk is that by letting a third party essentially own and manage the school in your name, you risk poor performance reflecting badly on your brand. It is essential to delineate responsibilities so that the operator runs the business, but the school manages the educational side.
It is critical that exit points are determined by the governing body, both prior to opening and once up and running, though due diligence and strong working relationships should significantly reduce risks once the school is operational. This can be ensured by the permanent position of school representatives on the international board.
Going it alone – Marlborough College Malaysia is a genuine expansion of the home school. Taking the starting point that good governance is vital in the running of any educational establishment, this model helps it maintain a greater level of control and avoid the risks associated with franchising. Management and governance is directly linked to the home school. The operating company in Malaysia is directed by old pupils of Marlborough College, as well as the
current and previous masters. This has been invaluable in ensuring the transfer of Marlborough's ethos, culture, values and strengths to Southeast Asia.
However, such an approach will be costly in terms of both time and money to get the school up and running, even if you can identify a dedicated and able group to take on management and governance.
Whichever of these two options you consider, the hard work has only just begun, but if you have carried out the appropriate preparation then the rewards may well be worth it. Or you may have chosen a final option.
Decide against expansion overseas –the risks associated with setting up an international school may not be worth it, or the benefits may not be clear. But that doesn’t mean that other people aren’t prepared to exploit your good name in the UK market. In any case, you should consider trademarking your school name in key jurisdictions to prevent its use by a third party. Otherwise you could find it attached to an outfit half-way around the world over which you have no influence.
Ian Allsop is a freelance journalist.
Mike Buchanan recommends the power of movement to improve creative and strategic thinking
Most days during my time as a headteacher, I would find myself getting restless after lunch. This was my cue to get up from behind my desk and start wandering around the school with little purpose other than to find interesting things going on and talk to people, students and adults, about what they were doing. It also gave me an opportunity to think
Neuroscientist Shane O’Mara believes that plenty of regular walking unlocks cognitive powers in the brain like nothing else. In his book In Praise of Walking, he reveals what happens in our brains when we are walking. He discusses what he calls a “motorcentric” view of the brain, essentially, that it evolved in particular to support movement and, as a consequence, the less we move the less effective our brains work.
When we walk with others, there are rhythms in the brain that are activated which are absent when sitting. Also, our senses are sharpened.
He also highlights a study from 2018 that tracked a group of participants’ activity levels and personality traits over a couple of decades. It revealed that those who moved the least developed personality changes. They scored much lower in positive traits such as openness, being agreeable and extraversion. Furthermore, there’s a growing body of data that shows that walkers have lower rates of depression.
and consider matters that were on my mind. Almost always, the result of that leisurely walk around the school campus was greater clarity, renewed energy, wider imagination and enhanced creativity. It is perhaps unsurprising that this is so as, inevitably, ideas are often sparked by seemingly random conversations with people, or timely observations of what people are doing.
More recently, I have taken to holding important conversations with others while walking. This might be your standard phone conversation or, more importantly, in-person conversations, one-to-one. Walking side-by-side, taking in the environment and the atmosphere as you walk, seems to lend itself to gentler, more productive, and more creative conversations. This is precisely why Steve Jobs designed the Apple HQ in California as an enormous doughnut with wide open interior spaces and an extensive park in the centre of the doughnut. He recognised the value of walking and talking to enhance the creativity, connection and imagination of his engineers and designers.
If you remain unconvinced, then I hope you are sufficiently open-minded to give it a try. If you need some evidence to help you, have a look at a 2014 study by Oppezzo and Schwartz, which shows very clearly a correlation between leisurely
“Even walking on a treadmill indoors has a marked effect when compared with being sedentary.”
walking and creative thought. Of course, that is not to say that there is a direct causal link and further research, no doubt, will seek to investigate whether it is walking specifically, or gentle exercise which boosts the creative juices. In the meantime, though, the correlation is a strong one. Even walking on a treadmill indoors has a marked effect when compared with being sedentary.
Composers, writers, playwrights, painters, sculptors, directors, scientists, engineers, politicians, historians, mathematicians and many more have all used the power of leisurely walks to promote their inspirational thinking and imagination. It may well apply to you, your staff and your students, so why not give it a go?
Build solitary walking into your daily routine and try having those important conversations side-by-side, step after step.
Mike Buchanan is the founder of consultancy Positively Leading. He is a former headteacher and chair of HMC.
The annual budget shouldn’t be considered in isolation, but aligned to your school’s longer-term financial plans, says Tracey Young
As your schools start the final term of the academic year, you will already be planning for the year ahead. An essential part of the process is preparing the financial budget. A lot of hard work will have already gone into preparing the first draft – which will have helped to inform the fee increase announcement and expected inflationary pay awards. However, for many there will be a few more iterations before it is finalised, as expected pupil numbers become clearer.
The budget is your financial guide for the year – setting out your expected income and planned expenditure. However, the annual budget shouldn’t be considered in isolation – it must be aligned to your school’s longer-term financial plans. Financial decisions made now will impact your school’s ability to fund future capital projects, repairs and maintenance projects, loan repayments or weather future financial challenges. Therefore, in situations where income is below expectations, action may need to be taken quickly to reduce expenditure, so the financial result is kept in line with budget.
For many schools the starting point for the budget is considering past expenditure and adding on the impact of pay awards, expected changes in pupil numbers, inflation and other operational changes. However, in the current climate, there continues to be more challenges to the ‘business as usual’ approach by the desire to control costs. Large changes compared to prior years should be challenged and understood.
Communication is a key part of the process – many of the decisions you make will have cost implications which need to be considered, justified and planned for. Ensuring all budget holders are involved in the budgeting process is essential. This will ensure their plans and the associated costs are factored into the budget. It is often the case that aspirations exceed the budget available, but a proper process will ensure informed decisions can be
made, communicated and plans adjusted accordingly.
Staff costs are the largest element of your school’s costs base. Inflationary pay awards and scale point movements all have a significant impact. In addition, the operational decisions you make may also have an impact on the headcount needed and costs. Understanding the detail behind this budget area is essential. Ensure you talk to your bursar or finance lead, so he or she is clear about your plans to ensure costs budgeted fully reflect your school's needs and plans. The budget should be considered before any recruitment decisions are made.
Consideration also needs to be given to staff sickness and maternity cover. Although in some cases the roles and responsibilities may be covered in the short term by others, it is common to include a contingency in the staff budget to allow for such situations.
Focus also needs to be given to the other large budget areas, such as IT, repairs and maintenance, and catering. A condition survey of your school buildings will help inform and prioritise your repairs and maintenance programme to limit emergency repairs and to ensure you aren’t storing up costly problems for the future.
All budget holders should be clear about their budget, and have procedures in place to ensure their spending remains within it. However, even with good planning there can be unexpected costs. In these cases, you need to consider if savings can be made elsewhere, or ensure there’s a clear justification for the overspend. In some cases, approval may need to be sought from your governing body in line with your school’s scheme of delegation.
It’s usual to include a small contingency in the budget to allow for those
unexpected items. It is important you understand the total level of the contingency included within the budget and where it is. Including small amounts of contingency throughout the budget means monitoring is more difficult and can lead to poor budgetary control. Use of the contingency should be subject to approval and careful monitoring.
A well-prepared budget provides the framework against which your school can monitor its performance during the year within the management accounts, and take corrective action as necessary. For many schools a significant proportion of repairs and maintenance occur at the end of the financial year over the summer break, which means it is a common area where expenditure can be flexed depending on the financial position. However, continued cost-cutting in this area is not a long-term solution.
In the current climate it’s imperative that your school challenges costs as part of the budgeting process. Ensure you understand the make-up of the budget, ensuring it fully reflects your operational plans and the associated costs and is aligned to your long-term financial strategy. And just in case things don’t go to plan, know what levers you could pull to curtail spending and bring things back into line. Knowing this from the outset will mean you can take swift action.
Tracey Young is a partner at accountancy firm haysmacintyre.
Durell Barnes on what school leaders and governors can learn from the first term of the Independent Schools Inspectorate’s reports under the new framework
Schools which were inspected during the autumn term have largely been concerned about the delays in publication of reports arising, the ISI tells us, from the enhanced quality assurance (QA) undertaken to ensure that all the reports made sense and that the judgements in reports are supported by evidence.
The logjam is clearing and at the time of writing the ISI is nearing a 90% target for publishing reports on time. Discussion continues about what that enhanced QA consists of, and late report publication has meant that feedback on the whole inspection process has been delayed, but the reports speak for themselves. We can all learn from those published from the first term’s routine inspections and this is particularly helpful for schools preparing to be inspected imminently or in the longer term. (This article does not take account of nonroutine inspections, that is, material change inspections, progress monitoring visits or additional inspections required by the Department for Education).
Some stakeholders had been concerned about a perceived shift in emphasis on the part of the inspectorate to finding fault with schools rather than highlighting their strengths. So far, 14.5% of schools inspected have been judged not to have complied with aspects
“Some stakeholders had been concerned about a perceived shift in emphasis on the part of the inspectorate to finding fault with schools rather than highlighting their strengths.”
of the Independent School Standards and related requirements (the National Minimum Standards for boarding schools and the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements). This is an increase on the 11.3% of schools identified from a much larger sample in 2022-3. The number is too small to allow for the identification of trends, but it will come as no surprise that most failings are around welfare, health and safety, including issues relating to safeguarding policy and procedures, safer recruitment and risk assessment (including supervision arrangements). All but one of the schools deemed to have failed one or more of the other Standards was judged not to have met Standard 8 (the quality of leadership in and management of schools).
Alongside these stark statistics, it’s clear from reports that inspectors have been applying the ISI inspection principle of proportionality (that where ‘some relative weaknesses or minor errors that can be easily rectified’ and are not ‘indicative of systemic failings’ these will be recorded in the report but not lead to a judgement of non-compliance [ISI Framework paragraph 9]). Instances have related to fire assessment recommendations, recruitment checks, attendance registers, risk assessments and out-of-date policies. Schools are not let off the hook, as these extracts show – but each of these was deemed compliant.
“An administrative error in one preemployment check was rectified swiftly during the inspection.”
“However, with regard to the outcomes of the fire risk assessment there was a delayed response to addressing the recommendations.”
“A small number of maintenance issues relating to the school site were identified during the inspection. These were promptly addressed by the school.”
A controversial element of the new framework is the identification in some reports of significant strengths which are regarded as in some way exceptional –although that word is never used (and the ISI doesn’t want this element of reporting
to become fodder for any kind of league table). So far, 11.6% of schools have been identified as having a significant strength, leaving some of what have been described as the finest schools in the world somewhat aggrieved. The significant strengths identified have covered behaviour, teaching, pupils’ technological skills, pastoral provision, provision for SEND, a challenging curriculum and also more nebulous elements, like “an atmosphere and culture which promotes self-knowledge, self-esteem and selfconfidence”, “nurturing relationships” and a “customised approach to every pupil’s progress”. There is guidance on what constitutes a significant strength in paragraph 103 of the Inspection Framework. And in the following paragraph there is guidance which is proving controversial on the ground.
“Significant strengths in provision should be apparent to the inspection team as part of their ongoing inspection activity without signposting from school leaders. Inspectors should be mindful that school leaders may want to bring to the inspection team's attention aspects of school provision that leaders consider are significant strengths. If any such signposting dominates the inspection discourse or interferes with the ability of inspectors to inspect provision against this framework, the reporting inspector should respectfully remind school leaders that the primary purpose
“It’s clear from reports that inspectors have been applying the ISI inspection principle of proportionality.”
of inspection is to evaluate the totality of provision against this framework. The reporting inspector may also wish to remind school leaders that evaluation of significant strengths lies with the inspection team and request that any excessive signposting ceases.”
Schools are not afforded the opportunity to detail to inspectors what they feel their significant strengths might be and this has caused some discontent. Representations about this are being made to the inspectorate.
In all the training provided by the ISI about the new inspection framework, the focus on school culture has been emphasised and recent webinars have
given insight into how the ISI views the guidance; it has referred schools to the Harvard article ‘What makes a good school culture’ [see the webinar ‘Self evaluation guidance (1/2) –4 March 2024’ on the ISI website: isi.net/inspection-explained/support/ webinar-recordings]. Extracts from reports demonstrate how this is viewed by inspectors.
“Leaders have created a calm and supportive culture in the school.”
“Leaders have established a listening culture where pupils’ views and ideas for improvement are sought, and any issues acted upon.”
“Pupils of all ages appreciate right from wrong and the role they play in forming a cohesive and positive school culture. Kindness to others is clear throughout the school and a positive contributing factor to this is role modelling from staff who interact with the children with warmth and gentleness.”
It is evident that pupil voice is an important source of evidence about school culture, but inspectors recognise the role of governors and leaders in creating it.
There had been some concerns about how inspectors would report when they encountered ‘Level 3’ of school culture, where “some members of the school community (and this may be a small number) are impacted by negative and damaging behaviours such as racism, misogyny and bullying.” [Inspection Handbook paragraph 16]. We can now see how this is handled, as in the following extracts.
“Leaders are aware that a small minority of pupils and parents feel that the issue of racist behaviour has not been dealt with effectively by the school.”
“Leaders recognise that positive feedback from a majority of pupils may not represent the view or concerns of some pupils, so leaders provide a variety of opportunities for listening to pupils’ views.”
These highlight the importance of effective self-evaluation as well as pupil voice. Inspectors want to know that schools are aware of minority views about specific issues, or how those could emerge where they are not known.
Risk appears in reports both at the level of risk assessments, which are frequently referred to with a particular
interest in how risks are mitigated and assessments followed up, and at a more strategic level in terms of self-evaluation and development planning. These extracts give an insight into how this is viewed, both as a strength and where it causes concerns.
“Leaders’ plans carefully consider any associated risks and unintended consequences.”
“Any risks, including those of unintended consequences, are recognised and mitigated.”
“Teachers manage behaviour inconsistently because they are not trained to deal with some behaviour effectively… The risks associated with this are not recognised and mitigated.”
“There is no risk assessment policy and the proprietor and leaders have a limited understanding of risk management. This includes the contextual risk of a new leadership structure which does not have clearly understood responsibilities.”
Risk assessment therefore forms a key part of school culture, and there is no aspect of school life to which it should not be applied.
It is unsurprising that health and safety issues feature large in inspection reports. Those responsible for this area of school life can productively comb reports to find features which have been commended (for example, regular meetings of governors with health and safety and HR leaders to check the effective implementation of appropriate policies, governors reviewing accident and incident reports, the commissioning of external reviews or co-opting of experts
“It is unsurprising that health and safety issues feature large in inspection reports.”
to boards) and their concern about when actions from these are not followed up properly.
Safeguarding is the last section of the report. A risk-based approach to this is frequently referred to. One report describes a school’s approach and gives something of a blueprint which others might like to use as a checklist.
“There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Leaders ensure that robust systems are in place for responding to, reporting and tracking any concerns about pupils’ welfare. Staff and proprietors take part in regular safeguarding training. They have a secure understanding of safeguarding procedures. Staff know how to refer any concerns they may have. Leaders ensure that all appropriate checks are made to ensure the suitability of staff. The proprietors maintain an effective oversight of the safeguarding policy and procedures and ensure that monitoring and filtering of the internet is in place.”
Fears that what happens in the classroom might not receive the attention it deserves have been dispelled by the consideration which it receives in reports. The terms ‘health and safety’ and ‘safeguarding’ feature on average 18 times in each report. Again, combing reports allows readers to identify elements which inspectors commend. Examples of good practice include teaching which focuses on all individuals’ needs, shows understanding of pupils’ learning styles, exemplifies consistently high expectations, features lessons which are well (but not over-) structured, where pupils learn from their failures, engage with marking (including peer marking), is based on planning informed by assessment data, is evaluated through lesson observation (including peer observation) and learning walks, and is characterised by consistent application of clear behaviour policies and procedures (and record-keeping). Reporting focuses on how these features arise from effective
leadership (or otherwise), as these extracts demonstrate.
“Initiatives put in place by senior and middle leaders, such as peer observations, inter-departmental sharing of practice and pupil surveys are developing teaching practice. As a result, much teaching challenges pupils’ thinking, allows collaborative and discursive approaches to learning that is carried out in a spirit of discovery together. Consequently, pupils of all ages are typically highly engaged in their learning. They show resilience and understanding that small failures are often the route to long-term success.”
“However, some teaching is less effective in ensuring that pupils’ individual needs are met… Many subject leaders monitor the quality of lessons closely, to see when individual pupils may be falling behind. They then intervene promptly to ensure teachers provide support or greater challenge for pupils. Some leaders do not look out for uneven progress in the same way.”
Some readers may be surprised by the prominent place given to behaviour in reports. It is one of the areas where reporting is frank and sometimes stark, but again focused on how leadership influences it, as we see in extracts below.
“In the senior school, pupils’ behaviour has previously been identified by school leaders as occasionally boisterous. Leaders have taken positive and successful steps to address this.”
“Most pupils behave well, but some poor behaviour goes unnoticed and unchallenged. Leaders are considering how best to ensure their high expectations for behaviour are more fully understood by pupils. There is a lack of cohesion in the monitoring of behaviour by middle and senior leaders.”
It is evident that behaviour needs to feature as strongly in school selfevaluation as teaching and learning.
This is the area where the new framework differs most from the previous one.
Under the last inspection regime, leadership and governance featured only if they were contributory factors in terms of outcomes for pupils’ achievements and personal development. Now, all aspects of the school are seen through the lens of governance, leadership and management. This can be seen from the fact that ‘leaders’ (or ‘leadership’) feature on average 62 times in reports – the record is 78 times, and ‘governors’ (or governance’) 14 times. We have seen that self-evaluation, influenced by stakeholder voice, is a key feature of school governance and leadership. It is assumed that governors will thus be well informed about life at the school, which they will visit frequently and in a focused manner. This is where Part 8 of the Independent Schools Standards Regulations comes into play.
“The standard about the quality of leadership and management is met if the proprietor ensures that persons with leadership and management responsibilities at the school – (a) demonstrate good skills and knowledge appropriate to their role so that the independent school standards are met consistently; (b) fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the independent school standards are met consistently; and (c) actively promote the wellbeing of pupils.”
Inspectors seek assurance that the proprietor (usually the governors) oversee and monitor the work of the school leadership both in terms of their
assurance of compliance with regulatory requirements and the active promotion of the wellbeing of pupils. An example of how this is reported gives schools an idea of what is expected.
“Governors are successful in fulfilling their responsibilities to monitor and support the work of leaders. They use a range of focused committees to provide informed oversight of particular areas, such as safeguarding. They are supported by advice from external professionals… Governors ensure that senior leaders carry out their role effectively and any risks to pupils’ wellbeing are identified and mitigated.
Leaders fulfil their responsibilities effectively so that the Standards are met. They have a clear vision for what they seek to achieve, reflected in their detailed development planning. Both governors and leaders are proactive in monitoring the implementation of their strategies.”
It is neither possible nor appropriate to provide a checklist for governors in this context. But analysis of reports indicates that these are recognised as features of good governance: that governors can articulate how they know Standard 8 is being met; strategy is based on firsthand knowledge of the school; there is a cycle of self-evaluation, development planning and action plans; governors have oversight of all aspects of the life of the school; pupil voice is key; governors scrutinise policies and their implementation; safeguarding is a key priority.
This article has not discussed what has been learnt about the conduct of inspections on the ground, which awaits the availability of more systematic feedback on the whole process (watch this space). The ISI is providing guidance to schools as issues emerge in the Frequently Asked Questions section on its website, where stakeholders can also find helpful webinars on inspection update, the consultation on the complaints procedure, and on self-evaluation.
Some important elements of school life, which feature in inspection reports, have not been included in this article. Schools will be aware that important elements feature strongly in reports: personal, social and health education; relationships and sex education; careers; boarding; and the early years foundations stage. Future articles may explore these further.
There is, quite rightly, no blueprint of how to prepare for inspections, which are a live review of schools as they are at the time of inspection. But much can be learnt from the reports published from the first term of inspections under the new framework about how inspectors observe and experience school life, not with a view to following a blueprint, but in order to identify the best way to put forward to inspectors the best face of the school.
Durell Barnes is a governance specialist at consultancy RSAcademics.
Paul Sypko provides advice about making informed technical support choices in education
It seems almost too much a statement of the obvious to say that schools are demanding users of technology. However, it wasn’t always that way. Many of the people reading this article will remember the days of a BBC Micro being wheeled out once a week and pupils eagerly scrambling over each other to take turns at “using the computer”. Or, going a little less far back in time, they may have memories of their (somewhat unappreciative) classmates making jokes about the quality of the outdated equipment in the school’s ‘computer room’. Occasionally, one might have encountered some of the more tech-savvy and privileged pupils (who had access to ‘professional’ computing equipment at home) using a word processing package to draft an essay before handing their teacher a printed copy instead of a handwritten version. This sort of school IT environment wasn’t really all that long ago – certainly it was true of the early ‘90s.
Today's classrooms are unrecognisable from their predecessors, with interactive whiteboards, tablets, educational apps and even high-end computing tools such as Geographic Information Systems (for example, within a geography department) having become commonplace tools for teaching and learning. The Covid-19 pandemic further accelerated the adoption of digital technologies in education, prompting a widespread shift to remote and hybrid learning models. Looking to the future, emerging
“Today's classrooms are unrecognisable from their predecessors, with interactive whiteboards, tablets, educational apps and even high-end computing tools.”
technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality hold the potential to revolutionise education, offering immersive and interactive learning experiences.
However, the use of technology in a school environment goes much deeper than that. Schools have always had a huge administrative workload to support the classroom activities. Whether it’s student records management, staff management, financial management, timetabling and scheduling, facilities management, communication and correspondence, organising school events, admissions and student services, or ensuring compliance with policies and regulations set by educational authorities – the list is long, and the tasks are complex. Or, to put it another way, it’s prime ground for IT systems to be used to their full potential and to deliver tangible, meaningful benefit. It's no surprise therefore that the market for technology in the education sector is a big one – whether it’s to enhance the learning experience or to streamline administrative processes. Estimates and definitions vary, but reputable sources claim that UK schools spend an estimated £1.5 billion on IT products and services annually. Far from the days of IT being a novelty (or even an overcomplicated distraction), schools can rightfully now claim to be ‘power users’ of technology.
The challenge with all this technology that schools now use is that there are so many different areas to manage – each of which are often specialised professional disciplines in their own right. Somehow, a school that provides effective IT systems to its staff and students (not to mention indirectly to parents/carers through portals, apps and the like) has to manage:
• A large portfolio of software solutions and apps – for both education and administrative needs.
• The provision of technical support to hundreds or thousands of users.
• Efficient delivery of new IT projects, in an environment where there’s little tolerance for budget over-runs.
• The provision of a robust technical infrastructure – including networks, servers, Wi-Fi access points, cabling and devices spread across a large physical site.
• Security controls for safeguarding staff and pupils, as well as to protect systems from viruses, malware and cyber threats. This includes firewalls, antivirus software, encryption, user authentication, and data backup systems.
• Maintenance of end-user equipment – often encompassing hundreds or thousands of devices (with many schools expecting pupils to use laptops as an integral part of their education).
• Procurement, budgeting, negotiating contracts with suppliers, and ensuring value for money.
• Policies and compliance – for example, in relation to data protection and acceptable use.
• In many cases, curating and managing digital learning resources such as e-books, multimedia content, educational apps, and online courses to support teaching and learning activities.
• Promoting digital literacy skills among students, teachers and staff through training, workshops and education. This requires a vast array of skills and specialisms; while there are undoubtedly some talented individuals who can turn
“People now expect more from the school’s IT department than what a small team of talented individuals can typically provide.”
their hand to more or less anything they try, simply keeping up with the latest practices and trends would be an overwhelming task in its own right, if spread across all of these areas.
Quite rightly, people now expect more from the school’s IT department than what a small team of talented individuals can typically provide. They expect professionalism – deep, specialist knowledge; access to people who are wellversed in whatever quirky problem or issue they might have at that moment in time; highly responsive around-the-clock support; and systems that work.
A problem that a school has is that it typically cannot justify having a huge IT team that covers everything imaginable, and to a high standard as well. The ‘do it yourself’ approach of yesteryear, where a small but capable IT team might have done everything from selecting and implementing a new school management information system, through to cabling a new Wi-Fi access point into a classroom, is no longer realistic – the skills needed to do that effectively are now simply far too specialised.
So, what’s the solution? Some schools might pool their resources; this might be more viable in some sectors than others (for example, a huge multi-academy trust may be able to do it, but a smaller independent school may not have the option). Others might just spend more on having a bigger IT team. However, even then, the capacity and capabilities of the IT function will be limited.
Managed Service Providers (MSPs) can provide a depth and breadth of technical capabilities that far exceed what is possible in-house. Effectively, they act as an external service provider – taking on responsibility for defined aspects of the school’s IT provision. As the name suggests, they are used to manage certain aspects of the IT service.
The ‘certain aspects’ point is important here. Some schools may opt to enlist a specialist provider for specific tasks, such as managing the network, which might include maintaining servers, physical infrastructure, security, and backup solutions/resilience measures. Others might go for a more fully outsourced arrangement – asking the provider to provide more or less everything that’s needed to deliver an effective IT service to users, from service desk (technical support and handling user requests) through to strategic planning and even management of other suppliers (for example, providers of specialist software applications). Others might use the MSP as an ‘overflow’ for an in-house IT team or to complement or bolster its skills and capacity, handling issues that it either doesn’t have the time to do itself (for example, occasional projects such as
network upgrades) or the necessary skills (for example, cybersecurity audits).
While the idea of calling on the services of an MSP may be appealing in many ways, there are of course cost considerations (although they may not be as expensive when compared to an in-house function as one might expect), as well as issues related to ensuring that the service meets your school’s needs and expectations. Some MSPs are able to provide a more comprehensive service than others, some are more or less expensive than others, and some perhaps have a better reputation than others in the areas that might matter to you. As such, it’s important to review resourcing and capability options (ranging from fully in-house, through to hybrid and more outsourced models), design the service/IT operating model that works best for your school, and then choose the MSP (and other technology partners) carefully.
Whichever model you might decide works best for your school, the one area that it’s invariably not possible to buy from an external provider is the function of being the customer itself. There will always need to be at least someone in the school who remains accountable for managing external suppliers (including MSPs). That alone can be a full-time job – making sure that the MSP continues to provide value for money and delivers a service closely aligned with the needs of your school.
Paul Sypko is a partner at technology management consultants Adapta Consulting.
There are numerous external factors affecting current and future school operations. Front of mind is the potential for a change in government policy towards independent schools after the forthcoming general election. This, alongside greater scrutiny from regulators, and increasing societal demand for more environmentally and diversity conscious institutions, make it more important than ever for governing bodies to look inwards, to ensure they have robust and appropriate governance in place.
Ensuring that a school’s governance foundation is strong allows governing bodies to move quickly and confidently when they need to. We will consider wider governance reviews in a separate article, but in this first piece we go back to basics looking, specifically, at the charitable school’s constitution. This checklist highlights the provisions most likely to affect the administration of your school.
Knowing your constitution is essential, not least because it contains key information about your charitable purposes (which you exist to do) and the powers the governors have to further those purposes. Not only that, but the constitution will also include obligations and procedures that must be adhered to, for example, to ensure valid decisionmaking (and which may or may not be included in published guidance or legislation). Even if you have a working knowledge of your constitution, when
“Ensuring that a school’s governance foundation is strong allows governing bodies to move quickly and confidently when they need to.”
was it last reviewed to ensure that it is fit for purpose? Is it fit for a modern school facing new challenges?
1. What type of constitution do you have?
Most independent schools are governed by Articles of Association. This type of constitution indicates that the school is incorporated, which means that it has a legal personality of its own and can enter into contracts and own land in its own name. However, some constitutions are in the form of a declaration of trust, indicating that the school is unincorporated. The distinction is important because if your school is unincorporated the governors may be exposed to personal liability for operational liabilities incurred which cannot be met out of the school’s assets. If your school is unincorporated, it may therefore be time to consider whether this remains appropriate or whether it would be in the school’s best interests to incorporate (not least to provide limited liability for the governors).
2. What are your charitable objects?
When shaping a school’s strategy or considering a new activity, you should keep in mind how the proposal would further the school’s objects. This is particularly relevant for schools whose objects refine the charitable purpose of the advancement of education, for example, by reference to a particular faith. Governors should be mindful that objects must be compliant with the Equality Act 2010 to be considered charitable at law.
3. Does your constitution include an express power to borrow and grant security? If no such power is included, then it may be necessary to amend your constitution if your school is looking to borrow or grant a security. Sometimes having express powers in a constitution can help third parties, such as banks, be more
comfortable with lending.
This could be particularly relevant to schools looking to further a ‘green agenda’ due to environmental aspirations, as well as in the face of growing pressure, particularly from parent bodies.
4. Who can become a governor? Your constitution may require a certain number of governors to come from or be nominated by particular groups, for example, the livery company with which the school is associated, or your school alumni, or parent body. In addition, there may be limits on the size of the governing body and other requirements as to board composition.
Governing bodies should consider whether existing nomination rights or governor positions are appropriate in modern times, particularly in light of equality, diversity and inclusion aspirations. In some cases, it may be that the nominating body no longer exists. But in all cases, the governing body should be mindful of achieving a good mix of skills and backgrounds to ensure proper management and scrutiny of the school and, if necessary, take steps to amend the constitution accordingly.
5. How long can governors stay in office?
It’s good practice to ensure a regular turnover of governors and many constitutions provide that governors
are elected for a set term, for example three years. To that end, we generally recommend that a constitution includes a maximum number of terms or consecutive years which a governor can serve. It can also be helpful to have flexible provisions to enable a governor to be re-elected beyond this maximum period in exceptional circumstances, typically on the approval of at least two-thirds of the rest of the governing body.
A governing body should consider whether the current length and number of terms are appropriate. If the constitution does not facilitate a healthy turnover of governors, to bring fresh ideas and new scrutiny, then it may be appropriate to amend the constitution.
6. How can governors be removed?
You should understand what mechanisms are in place to remove governors, if necessary. Constitutions will normally set out disqualification and removal provisions in circumstances where the law requires a governors’ removal or where it is impractical for them to continue. It is common to provide that a governor can be removed by the governing body if he or she has not attended, for example, three consecutive meetings of
the governing body without leave. In addition, if your school is incorporated, and regardless of what the constitution says, the school’s company members (who may or may not be the same people as the governors) will have a statutory right to remove a governor by resolution.
7. What is the quorum for governor meetings?
Circumstances sometime require meetings on short notice, but if you don’t have enough governors to form a quorum then the decisions made at the meeting will be invalid.
8. Can you hold meetings electronically?
Lockdowns certainly expedited the use of videoconferencing platforms for electronic board meetings, but did the school’s constitution follow suit? If the constitution was not reviewed and amended, if necessary, to allow meetings by electronic means, then governing body meetings may be being held outside of what the constitution permits.
9. (If you are incorporated) do you need to hold an annual general meeting?
The Companies Act 2006 dispensed with the previous requirement for companies
to hold annual general meetings of the company members. However, if your constitution requires you to hold an AGM (which is likely to be the case for those drafted before the introduction of the Act) then this obligation still stands, despite the change to company law. Amending the constitution to do away with the requirement to hold AGMs provides for administrative ease and more time in the governing body diary.
It is possible to let your constitution gather dust on a shelf and run a very successful school. However, ignorance of the underlying governance framework exposes the governors and the school to unnecessary risk which can be easily mitigated. If school practices have departed from those provided for in the constitution, then you should consider altering these practices or, if appropriate, refreshing your constitution so that it works for the school. Doing so ensures that the governing body has the structural underpinning it needs to be truly effective, as well as clear procedures to act quickly when it might be necessary to react to changes beyond a school’s control.
Kate Parkinson is a senior associate at law firm BDB Pitmans.
The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill, known interchangeably as the Protect Duty or Martyn's Law, was highlighted by King Charles in his 2023 King's Speech, indicating that it is on the government's to-do list this parliamentary session.
The government launched a public consultation (now closed) following feedback on the new Bill's requirements and have said that the Bill will be introduced as soon as parliamentary time allows. So, while we don't know exactly when it will be enacted, we do know that it's important for schools to start preparing for it.
In its current form, the draft Protect Duty provides a mandate for organisations, including schools, to increase security measures to reduce their vulnerability to terrorist attacks, either in public spaces or at events. This proposed duty requires a proactive approach to terrorist threat assessment and prevention. For schools, this links to safeguarding pupils, staff and visitors from terrorism-related risks, building on existing duties under the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations (ISSRs), National Minimum Standards (NMS) for boarding schools, and Health and Safety legislation for schools to keep pupils and staff safe from harm.
The Protect Duty itself forms part of the government's wider Contest strategy to reduce the risk from terrorism to the UK, its citizens and interests overseas so that people can go about their lives
“The draft Protect Duty provides a mandate for organisations, including schools, to increase security measures to reduce their vulnerability to terrorist attacks”
freely and with confidence. There are four component parts of Contest: Prevent, Pursue, Protect and Prepare, and schools will already be familiar with their duties under the Prevent Duty, which aims to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.
The government considers that without legal compulsion, counterterrorism security efforts often fall behind legally required activities, such as health and safety. The UK’s security services assess that individuals are more likely to take action that can reduce harm and save lives, if they have considered what they would do, and how, prior to a terrorist attack occurring and this approach has informed the new Protect Duty.
The draft Bill introduces new antiterrorism obligations for controllers of premises and events where a substantial number of the public, more than 100 individuals, may have access. This includes both qualifying public events and premises and introduces a two-tiered approach, categorised into Standard and Enhanced tiers, which are based on size and significance.
The Standard tier applies to events with a capacity ranging from 100 to 799 attendees, while the Enhanced tier is tailored to larger venues and events accommodating 800 or more individuals.
These tiers carry varying levels of duties and responsibilities, and will require registration and notification processes to a newly established regulator.
The planned enforcement mechanism for the Protect Duty is robust, and the new regulator will be empowered to impose fines for non-compliance. Standard tier fines may reach up to £10,000, while Enhanced tier fines could escalate up to £18 million or 5% of an organisation's worldwide revenue. Furthermore, individuals may face prosecution and imprisonment for violations.
The draft legislation confirms that schools with a public capacity of more than 100 will be required to meet the Standard tier, but further clarification of the meaning of 'public access' and 'public capacity' is awaited.
Schools should already have in place many of the Protect Duty requirements under existing compliance and management frameworks as prescribed by the ISSRs, NMS and the more general duty to keep pupils safe from harm under existing Health and Safety Law. Proportionality is a key consideration of the Protect Duty and many schools will have already considered security risk and critical incident response as part of their risk assessment process. If
and effective decisions which have the potential to save lives.
“The Protect Duty itself forms part of the government's wider Contest strategy to reduce the risk from terrorism to the UK.”
so, it may not require significant further work on their part other than an increased focus on antiterrorism, a review of existing security arrangements and registration with the regulator.
Nevertheless, the introduction of a new enforcement agency as part of the Protect Duty suggests a sharper focus on regulation in this area and, as such, schools may wish to review their existing security and critical incident arrangements through an antiterrorism lens, in anticipation of the change in legislation.
In preparation, schools may wish to contact specialist advisors such as Counter Terrorist Policing for training and support. They may also wish to consider raising awareness of the Protect Duty with governors and staff, sharing information and risk assessing events to ensure that staff are prepared to respond quickly to evolving situations and have the confidence to make quick
The following is a checklist of things to consider when preparing for the new Protect Duty:
• Review existing security and critical incident arrangements to reflect the requirements of the new Protect Duty.
• Update the risk register and consider doing a terrorism risk assessment using the draft standard terrorism evaluation published by the Home Office as a guide.
• Identify, implement and practise control measures, including crisis and emergency response plans, tailored to your school.
• Carry out training for staff to enhance awareness and practise emergency response capabilities in the event of a terrorist incident. Training is provided free of charge by the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) (see QR Code right).
• Review critical incident communication plans in the event of a terrorist incident. Consider how you keep staff and other stakeholders updated in real time with relevant information as an incident develops.
• Seek guidance from security experts, leveraging free resources like Counter Terrorism Policing for specialist advice (see QR Code right).
• Initiate discussions with insurers and
brokers to anticipate and address potential changes in insurance coverage concerning terrorism-related risks and compliance.
In essence, schools should be proactive in their preparations for the implementation of the Protect Duty by reviewing existing security arrangements and making sure they keep up to date with the new legislation.
www.protectuk.police.uk
www.npsa.gov.uk
Charlie Barnes says schools should review their holiday pay processes and offers guidance for employees earning the National Minimum Wage
The government recently published its response following a consultation on proposals to simplify holiday pay and entitlement, with new legislation which was introduced at the beginning of this year. This should come as welcome news to schools as it will provide clarity over the calculation of holiday pay for irregular hours workers, including visiting music teachers, sports coaches and exam invigilators.
The new legislation also makes clear how holiday pay must be calculated for those workers who earn a basic salary plus other pay elements, such as paid overtime or ‘on call’ payments related to their status.
With the Supreme Court recently confirming that holiday pay liabilities can go back two years, schools must plan carefully for these changes to mitigate the risk of errors.
For casual workers, most employers took the view that holiday accrued in proportion to the number of hours worked. This meant that for every hour worked, the worker accrued 12.07% hours of holiday, being the percentage of statutory holiday (28 days) workers are entitled to, based on the number of working days in a year.
However, the 2022 Supreme Court decision in Harpur Trust v Brazel judged this method of calculation to be unlawful, determining that holiday accrues based
“With the Supreme Court recently confirming that holiday pay liabilities can go back two years, schools must plan carefully for these changes to mitigate the risk of errors.”
on length of service, not the amount of time worked. This resulted in workers who have gaps of more than a week between work being entitled to more holiday and therefore more holiday pay – effectively meaning that any employer using the 12.07% method of calculation may underpay a worker’s holiday pay.
In a welcome step for affected employers, the government intends to reverse the effect of this judgment and has proposed legislating for a 12.07% calculation for irregular hours workers. This will simplify the payroll process for calculating holiday pay and will reduce holiday pay costs that arise from the Harpur Trust decision.
However, this amended basis of calculation only takes effect for annual leave years commencing on or after 1 April 2024. Until then, employers must still calculate annual leave entitlement and pay for irregular hour workers according to the principles set out in the Harpur Trust case.
The current holiday pay legislation states that where workers earn a salary, they are entitled to their ‘normal remuneration’ when they take holiday. Many employers typically only paid basic salary when workers took holiday, but this led to a raft of claims that normal remuneration also meant other payments such as commission, overtime payments and allowances. Most of these claims were successful, leading to employers having to review their holiday pay calculations.
The new holiday pay law clarifies what constitutes normal remuneration by bringing these case law decisions into the legislative wording. So, this isn’t really a change, but rather a confirmation of what the law already is. But it does mean it is now clearer what an employer must do when calculating holiday pay for workers who earn additional pay on top of their basic salary.
Unfortunately, there are still some aspects of holiday pay entitlement that
have not been clarified, such as what represents ‘regularly’ paid overtime. The previous case law on this point may now have little relevance given the effect of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023, so employers will need to consider carefully their approach to calculating holiday pay to avoid the risk of non-compliance with the new legislation and possible litigation.
From 1 April 2024, the highest rate of the National Minimum Wage (NMW), the National Living Wage, increased from £10.42 to £11.44. This applies to all workers aged 21 and over.
The increases may inadvertently create workforce tension when schools, unable to afford generous wage increases across the board, are providing less for those earning slightly above the NMW. Some have coined the term ‘pay compression’ which is creating challenges for line managers in schools who will have to tackle these conversations at pay review time and when analysing their benchmarking processes. School leaders may therefore need to get inventive with how they can continue to incentivise this group of workers where there’s no further room for pay increases.
The significant increase in NMW also increases the exposure to the risks of non-compliance. The penalties for noncompliance are severe – repayment of all underpayments going back six years, a 200% fine, and reputational harm from naming and shaming. The size of the increase may, for the first time, impact employers which had not considered themselves at risk of NMW breaches and they will need to understand the essential elements of NMW compliance outlined below.
The starting point for NMW compliance is to categorise workers correctly based on the work they are doing, as there are different rules which apply to each. An employer could inadvertently breach NMW by getting this wrong. There are four categories of work – salaried, time, unmeasured and piece rate. Employers commonly make a mistake by assuming that workers paid a salary are performing salaried work. However, there are certain contractual conditions which must be met for the worker to be performing salaried work. If any of those is not met,
the worker will probably be performing unmeasured work.
For employers, salary sacrifice schemes still cause compliance headaches, as they must consider the post-salary sacrifice pay for NMW compliance purposes. If an employer operates a pension salary sacrifice scheme which meets the basic auto-enrolment requirements (total 8% employer pension contribution), the employee’s gross pay before salary sacrifice must be at least £24,600 assuming a 40-hour working week. The eligibility for the salary sacrifice scheme will need to be considered for NMW purposes before workers are enrolled. It’s important to note though that the worker must still be automatically enrolled into a qualifying pension scheme.
Working time continues to be a challenge when complying with NMW. It is the time the worker actually spends working which must be considered. Employers need to understand what amounts to working time so that it can be captured accurately. For example, the time it
“Unfortunately, there are still some aspects of holiday pay entitlement that have not been clarified, such as what represents ‘regularly’ paid overtime.”
takes to get changed into a uniform or time spent training could be considered as working time. Employers also need to implement a time and attendance system which records when the worker is working.
This is not an exhaustive list but a starting point for those who have never considered NMW compliance before. There are many other NMW risks which employers need to be aware of. These significant rate rises mean a NMW audit should now become a priority to avoid the significant penalties which can arise.
Charlie Barnes is head of employment legal at accountancy firm RSM.
Jack Harty, Devon Earth Centre manager at Kingsley School in Bideford, describes the drive towards sustainability at his school
Kingsley School is a co-ed independent day and boarding school in the heart of North Devon catering to around 450 children ranging from nursery ages to sixth form. Sitting in roughly 12 hectares of land and located within the UNESCO North Devon Biosphere and on the doorstep of the UK’s only world surfing reserve, the environment plays a significant role in everything that goes on in school.
This has been boosted by the founding of the ‘Earth Centre’ concept in 2019 where new school owners felt the school needed to double down on its unique setting and centre everything around sustainability and environmentalism to help pupils develop a deep understanding of the challenges, opportunities and solutions related to the world around them.
The concept percolates through school life and strategy ensuring that sustainability, environmentalism and ecology is embedded in everything that goes on in the school, from the curricula that are taught, to the way the grounds are managed, or how the estate is run. One core pillar of the strategy laid out in 2019 was the decarbonisation of the school estate with an aspiration for netzero by 2027. Fast-forward to 2024 and a lot has changed, with great progress made in the past few years in several areas.
The way that we approached this was to conduct a full carbon footprint audit of the school. This was primarily to collect data for diagnosis of the site and
“The reality is that to decarbonise school campus certain offsite activities also need to be thought about closely.”
secondly to act as a benchmark so that any improvements could be quantified to satisfy governors and owners of the progress made, and also to act as evidence that certain steps and improvements were financially beneficial, and that these decarbonising efforts deserve to be on the school strategy.
Our carbon footprint consists of three areas: scope 1 are the emissions from sources that a school owns or controls directly, scope 2 are emissions that a school causes indirectly and come from where the energy it purchases and uses is produced, and finally scope 3 are the emissions a school is indirectly responsible for up and down its supply chain. So, the reality is that to decarbonise a school campus, certain offsite, activities also need to be thought about closely.
A step we have taken towards addressing our scope 1 values is the greater monitoring of our school-run minibus fleet. While electrification is on the agenda, at the moment financially this isn’t a step that can be taken. As a result, more careful monitoring of the school minibuses has been employed so that non-essential trips are reduced and an understanding of the impact our fleet has is better understood. Contributing roughly 10% of our 2021-22 carbon footprint at around 50 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e), percentage wise it doesn’t seem like much, but it is something that direct control can be taken over through policy and planning. Changes employed since have been the inclusion of carbon emission calculation within trip planning so that teachers wanting to use minibuses have to address directly the carbon associated with the transport manager, and that if this is deemed unnecessarily high, or if the transport isn’t being used efficiently, adjustments are suggested. The schoolarranged bus routes have also been redesigned, reducing the number of smaller minibuses on the road in the
morning and evening and replacing them with a larger, more efficient coach. These adjustments have seen a reduction last year by 4% in transport-associated tCO2e and an estimated additional 6% reduction this year with the recent introduction of the coach.
Due to being a boarding school, energy consumption on the site has a more continual output but of varying type. During the day energy peaks are due to electricity in the main school building (scope 2) and gas from the kitchens. In the evenings and weekends, consumption shifts to the boarding houses with electricity (scope 2) and gas for heating and hot water.
Within scope 1, the energy that is addressable is the volume of gas burnt, with historic pre-change volumes generating a CO2 equivalent of 258 tonnes. We have yet to look at the specific consumption data and quantify changes in the kitchens due to a new catering team taking over recently and their improvements/changing of practices being ongoing. But one improvement we have seen is with the installation of air-source heat pumps within some of the prep school classrooms and boarding facilities. This has reduced consumption of gas on site and while not substantial enough to create drastic change within our overall carbon footprint, it has been enough for future consideration for these
“Another step being developed this year is beginning to tap into quantifying the commuting data of staff and pupils.”
units when replacement of outdated units arises. This has been supported during the boarding house refurbishments with the replacement of old glazing units, thus reducing the lost heat energy.
Our largest current progress in terms of our scope 2 has been through the transition to a ‘green energy tariff’ for our electricity. This was managed through our energy brokers, with the electricity being supplied to the school coming from renewable and green sources. The results of this were a reduction of 75 tCO2e of our carbon footprint associated with our electricity supply to zero. This obviously presents great potential for the impact it has on other
elements of our carbon footprint, for instance, if all boilers could transition to air or ground source heat pumps, then the electricity associated with the running of those units would still generate nothing towards our carbon footprint, as would the full electrification of our minibus fleet, reducing the associated CO2 of our school-run transport to zero, both of which having profound impacts on Scope 1 measurements.
The next steps that we are taking towards our scope 2 comes in the form of the development and installation of a large onsite solar array. While initial surveys have taken place and sizes of systems specified to the school’s requirements, this forward momentum has slowed due to the return of investment changes in recent years when compared to the same outcome of zero tCO2e tariffs. Obviously, there are other considerations in terms of energy security and income from supplying excess energy back to the grid, but currently these are being outweighed by other factors. The added complication to our system is the location of it. Due to the sporadic nature of the school buildings and the most attractive location being that of the sports hall roof or a large bank near
the sports hall, this presents certain issues with the energy’s consumption. Plainly the energy produced by a system needs to be consumed at the meter that the system is hooked up to, for us our consumption is not required at the sports hall but the main school building and boarding houses. To address this, meters would need to be removed and changed with new cabling laid – all of which contributes towards extra cost and complication, and ultimately the decision whether to move forward or not.
Scope 3 is a minefield for any business, but for a school with a varying and large supply chain it is a mountain to climb. It is in scope 3 that we are continuing to perfect our monitoring and measurement and may actually see an increase in our value over the coming years as we learn how to include more components of scope 3.
With support from a local energy consultant (361 Energy) using the financial data we have on our suppliers, we calculated the associated carbon footprint. The general rule of thumb recommended to us was that the top 10% of spend in a supply chain will probably
“Our methods of measuring are constantly improving so variation is to be expected, as is the change in the number of factors and variables included within the overall value assigned to the carbon footprint.”
constitute 90% of the associated supply chain emissions. With scope 3 there’s also a decision to be made as to when you are absorbing your suppliers' carbon footprint; is it at the point of a product being created? or when it is shipped? or when it arrives at your door? There’s no hard and fast rule, so we elected to absorb scope 3 within our footprint at the point of creation of a product. As a result, our scope 3 in the 2021-22 academic year constituted 45% of our overall footprint
at 262 tCO2e. Moving forward, policy is being brought into place surrounding the consideration of suppliers and establishing thresholds to ensure careful purchasing. But, as mentioned above, a supply chain in a school is a tough nut to crack, and we continue to work on it.
A component of scope 3 at the opposite end of the supply chain is the volume of waste produced. In steps to address this, our waste management was changed to Southwest Metals. This firm operates a ‘zero-to-landfill' service so that now not only our recycled waste is repurposed, but our general waste is also sorted, recycled, reused, and avoids ending up in landfill. This supports the on-site composting that we already do for all our food waste produced, so that it is used on site in our ecology zone and market garden. The quantifying of these improvements in terms of the implications on the school’s carbon footprint is ongoing, with attention being turned to this in the current academic year as part of the curriculum.
We have addressed reduction in water wastage by working with Southwest Water. It completed a full water efficiency audit of the school site and fitted water saving devices and fixed any leaks around
sinks, taps, showers etc. Estimated savings from motion sensing urinal cistermisers come in at 396,000 litres a year, lavatory cistern bags at around 328,000 litres, and aerators on taps and showers saving around 460,000 litres. All told, the savings that Southwest Water predicts based upon the devices installed come in at 1,184,000 litres, roughly half an Olympic-sized swimming pool. How this translates to decarbonisation is through the associated reduction of the wastewater processing; for this volume of savings the reduction of our carbon footprint is around 322 tCO2e per annum. We have also stopped using mop and bucket systems for our cleaning practices across the school site and are now using flat mopping systems that use up to 90% less water.
Another step being developed this year is beginning to tap into quantifying the commuting data of staff and pupils. This is currently being done by pupils during lesson time, but the provisional data being generated by them suggests that the associated CO2e of all of this is around 187 tonnes. This will obviously show an increase in our carbon footprint in comparison to previous years as this wasn’t calculated previously,
but as mentioned above, that’s part of the journey we as a school are on in developing this in-house monitoring. In turn, this data will allow us to begin thinking about ways to improve the commutes of our community, with suggestions already being made of organised car-sharing, more buses, and the deployment of cycle to work schemes.
Offsetting is a very important part of ensuring sustainability. However, Kingsley has chosen to address the problem of the emissions ourselves. We have used methods within the school grounds that sequester carbon, locking it in, but have not included these measurements of carbon sequestration within our overall carbon footprint calculations.
During the 2022-23 academic year, more than 1,500 trees were planted on the school campus, adding to the 3,500-
plus planted over the previous four years over 2.5 hectares. This has continued into this academic year with trees being sourced for free from The Woodland Trust. These go some way in locking up CO2 with the estimated values of these newly planted trees locking in around 2 tCO2e per hectare per year, alongside our more established woodlands (5.5 hectares which absorb around 10 tCO2e per hectare per year.
A larger component of the sequestration in our school grounds is our ecology zone consisting of nine ‘no-dig’ regenerative permaculturefocused beds. Not only does this provide nutrient-rich food for the pupils (with no food miles), but also supports carbon reduction. No-dig practices speed up carbon sequestration in the soil, locking down more carbon, faster. And with soil’s potential to hold carbon being more than biomass (vegetation) and the atmosphere combined, it makes great sense to us to
look at supporting the growth of this store.
Our methods of measuring are constantly improving so variation is to be expected, as is the change in the number of factors and variables included within the overall value assigned to the carbon footprint. Clarity in this is important so that others know what our final figures represent and the meaning behind them.
For more information, The Independent Schools Council and Planet Mark published a research paper titled ‘Supporting Independent Schools on the Road to Net Zero & Sustainability’. The report delves into ways schools can enhance sustainability and transition to net zero. From data-driven strategies, to engaging students, the report highlights the pathway to a sustainable and costeffective future for schools which we have found very useful for support but also as a benchmark for comparing our figures to other schools.
Ian McLean advises conducting a thorough feasibility study before undergoing a major project to raise funds for your school
The decision to launch a fundraising campaign might be based purely on immediate needs or wishes of the school with little thought or preparation being given as to how the money will be raised and, most importantly, from whom. Successful fundraising campaigns will typically show the following traits:
• An inspirational and aspirational case for support, not fundraising out of desperation.
• Committed, enthusiastic and respected leadership.
• Strong financial management.
• An engaged and supportive parent, alumni and corporate community.
• A willing group of volunteers.
• Leaders of fundraising who are setting an example.
• A history of fundraising and a culture of asking within the school.
• Support within the school for the project(s) for which the funds need to be raised.
• An effective communications plan.
• The school is listening to its community and is mindful of areas of concern.
• The development office is well resourced to administer a major campaign. If your school cannot say a positive “yes” to these, the likelihood of success is greatly reduced. It would then largely depend on good luck but often, with there being only one chance for success, we want to minimise the luck factor.
“A feasibility study will aim to provide the reassurance and a level of confidence that the school is ready to proceed with a major campaign.”
Identifying potential donors, possible leaders and understanding the perceptions and likely support levels from within the school community can be guesswork. However, more precise knowledge and an understanding of the school community and its attitudes to fundraising is obtained by undertaking a feasibility study in advance of the campaign. The study will provide answers to many of the above (often) unknowns and enable the planning and preparation to be undertaken with the support of key members of the school community. More specifically, a feasibility study will aim to provide the reassurance and a level of confidence that the school is ready to proceed with a major campaign. This is vital if fundraising is a necessity in the funding mix for the development projects. It is important that the funding sources are stated so that potential major contributors in particular see and understand the financial picture and therefore the need for fundraising. A feasibility study will assess and evaluate:
• The school community’s perception of the importance of the need(s) for which the money is to be raised.
• How people regard the school's leadership and what impact that may have on fundraising.
• The level of support that is possible and therefore the viability of a campaign and what is a realistic fundraising target.
• What external factors might affect the campaign.
• The readiness, interest and the personal commitment of the board of governors and other key friends who would ideally assist with the development of cultivation strategies that might be used leading up to and throughout the campaign.
• The study will identify potential leaders, potential major donors and effective volunteers.
• The feelings, both positive and negative, about the institution and its mission and uncover potential problems.
“People
give to causes or projects promoted by people they know and trust.”
• The internal resources available for the campaign and the preparedness for the institution to undertake it.
Importantly, a feasibility study is an effective cultivation and process for key members of the constituency. It educates prospective donors and friends regarding the levels of giving expected in the campaign and should (if positive) provide a strong structure for the campaign. It largely determines the school’s readiness to proceed.
When conducted by an outside agency, the study will research, gather opinions and impressions and determine strategy –not solicit contributions. The consultant or agency does not have the in-depth knowledge of the institution, and is not a peer volunteer so is not the right or most appropriate person to solicit gifts. People give to causes or projects promoted by people they know and trust.
The study is to determine the readiness and infrastructure required to mount a
“A feasibility study is an effective cultivation and process for key members of the constituency.”
successful fundraising campaign. It is not the time to ask for a donation but is often the first step in engaging potential donors.
On receiving the findings of the study, it could reveal for example, that:
• The proposed project is not something for which the community perceives is a real need or is willing to support, or the community doesn’t believe that the institution should take on the project even though it is worthwhile.
• Campaigns are being conducted by
other institutions that have a conflict and are perceived to have higher priority.
• You will not be able to attract the quality of campaign leadership or lead donations to set the standard of giving, or sufficient volunteers.
• You will not be able to raise the money you need in the time frame of the campaign.
• The institution needs to do specific things to get its house in order before undertaking the campaign.
A careful decision is then required.
It’s a dangerous risk to alienate people important to the institution by ignoring the study’s recommendations. If the study results are not what was hoped for, the results should not be hidden. The more negative the results, the more important to heed the recommendations.
It is better to not start a campaign even if it means postponing the project, than to begin a campaign that fails. A failed campaign will reflect negatively on the campaign leadership, volunteers,
the board, the staff and the institution’s image, and make it harder for future campaigns to succeed. People give to organisations they perceive to be competent and volunteer leadership is drawn to those perceived to be winners.
The study is about whether the time is right to act now, so there should be an immediate plan of action after the results of the study and not a long time lapse.
“People give to organisations they perceive to be competent and volunteer leadership is drawn to those perceived to be winners.”
Ian McLean is an independent development consultant.
Ardingly College Prep School in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, has appointed Laura Lamont as the new head, replacing Harry Hastings who is standing down at the end of this academic year after more than 30 years as a teacher and headteacher to begin a new career as an executive coach.
Ardingly College Prep School caters to boys and girls from age two until 11, when most pupils transition to the college’s lower school at Year 7.
After graduating with a first-class degree in art history from Bristol University, Lamont spent two years travelling the world on cruise ships, giving lectures to international audiences on 19th century American and European Art. An opportunity then came up to work in the primary school on the Isle of Mull which she had attended as a child. She subsequently undertook a PGCE and a master’s in education, joining City of London Girls’ Prep School in 2012 where she was appointed deputy head in 2016,
before taking on her first headship at Queen’s College Preparatory School in London in 2020. She has since gained a national professional qualification for headteachers from University College London.
Casterton, Sedbergh Preparatory School in Cumbria has appointed Kate Martin to be its next head from 1 January next year, taking over from Will Newman, who has been head since 2017.
Martin has been the head at Mowden Hall School in Northumberland since 2020. She has more than 25 years’ experience in the independent sector, in day and boarding schools, including roles as deputy head and director of sport at Mowden and head of girls’ games at both Oundle School and Ampleforth College.
Martin is married to Simon and their son Ted will join School House in Year 9 in September.
Chard Prep School in Somerset has appointed Becky Pielesz as its new head of school, rejoining the institution where she was previously deputy headteacher and head of maths from 2018 until last year.
Pielesz has more than 21 years’ experience in education and leadership roles.
Independent day and boarding school DLD College London has appointed James Kidd as its new principal, effective from September, replacing Irfan Latif who is moving to become head of Royal Hospital School in Holbrook, Suffolk.
DLD College London teaches pupils from age 14. Kidd is currently senior vice-principal at DLD. He has worked for nearly 20 years in education, including a leadership role at St John’s School Leatherhead.
Lucton School in Herefordshire has appointed Andrew Allman as headmaster, effective from September, Your Herefordshire has reported.
Lucton School, is a private co-educational day and boarding school.
Allman was educated at Shrewsbury School and then Durham University where he gained a degree in theology and a master’s in education before joining the staff of Barnard Castle School in County Durham. He joined Myddelton College in 2017 which had reopened in 2016 in the buildings formerly occupied by Howell’s School for Girls which had closed in 2013. Allman joined as deputy headmaster and became head two years later.
Newcastle High School for Girls has appointed Emma Barnett as head of junior school.
Barnett was appointed as assistant head of junior school in 2022 and has been acting head of junior school since last September.
Terrington Hall in Yorkshire has appointed Huw Thomas as its next head from September, replacing Simon Kibler who leaves in the summer after four years in the role to become head of King’s Ely Prep in Cambridgeshire.
Terrington Hall is an independent co-educational day and boarding school catering to children aged three to 13.
Thomas has 25 years’ experience in independent education in prep and senior boarding schools, and is currently head of prep at Plymouth College, a day and boarding school in Devon. He previously held leadership roles at Sherborne Prep School in Dorset, was a housemaster at Glenalmond College, Perth, and worked in multiple roles Blundell’s School in Devon.
Thomas moves to Terrington Hall with his wife Becca, who leaves her position as head of English at Plymouth College. The couple have sons aged 21 and 19.
The school is part of Girls’ Day School Trust, which has 25 schools across the country.
Andrew Maiden talks to Alex Jenne about the relationship between the head and the bursar at his school
Sometimes good friends, sometimes bitter rivals, a school’s future depends on the effective cooperation between a head and bursar. Over the course of the past decade or more, the job descriptions for both have changed markedly.
Heads have had to deal with increasing performance pressures from fee-paying parents and an escalating burden of regulation, as well as concentrating on the primary function: education. There’s also increasing pressure to consider themselves as business-like chief executives.
Meanwhile, the bursar has now become responsible for all the financial, estate management, operational management, commercial asset management, human resources and health and safety (to name just a few) aspects of a school.
The relationship between the two offices must work well for the school as a whole to succeed, and this will be a key concern for any governing body. The cost of getting these appointments wrong, both in terms of time and money, can be acute.
When recruiting for either role, a sensible governing body should assess the potential compatibility between the head and the bursar. In a close-knit, often residential environment, tensions between these two figureheads can occur and it’s surprising how often governing bodies fail to see the impact that this can have on their school.
Positive tension can occasionally result
“The relationship between the two offices must work well for the school as a whole to succeed, and this will be a key concern for any governing body.”
in creative growth and development. However, negative tension is invariably disastrous. It breeds poor staff morale, high staff turnover and fuels rumours among existing and prospective parents that all is not well at the school. Hence identifying the best way of nurturing the partnership between the two should be a prerequisite of the selection process for the roles. The relationship should be formalised within a defined structure and it should also include the relationship between the individuals and the governing body.
At Hereward House School in Hampstead, London, the head is Pascal Evans and the bursar is Alex Jenne. It is a small proprietorial family-owned school which was originally launched in 1951.
Leonie Sampson took over as headmistress and proprietor in 1980. She is now chair of governors of this boys’ four to 13 prep school. Jenne is her grandson.
The advisory board helps the school with compliance, financial decisions and the general running of the company. Official oversight comes with twice termly meetings of the board that the head also attends.
Jenne says: “We have invaluable input from three ex-heads, but also my father is one of the governors and he supports with the commercial side, having had a long career working at PwC. He can bring a perspective from outside the education sector, which is increasingly important nowadays. One of our exheads, Mike Abraham, who has a great deal of experience within the education sector, provides a lot of practical support and is on-site quite regularly through the term to help us on specific areas, for instance safeguarding and learning walks.
“Obviously, heads and bursars have slightly different goals. My focus is to keep the school running in a financially sound way and ensure we meet the everchanging compliance landscape, while
Pascal’s focus is on getting exceptional exit routes, as well as working hard on the pastoral side. Most of the time, we are pulling in the same direction, but occasionally, there are sticking points with budgets or risk management. It is really important for heads and bursars to appreciate that the other will have a different point of view at times. They need to be able to talk to each other and work things out in a way that suits both parties. What we do here is absolutely maximise what we can do on school life, exit routes, teaching etc, all within budgetary constraints.”
Unlike most relationships within the school, Jenne finds himself in a very different situation to other bursars. “I’ve got a very odd position in that I am the bursar but also sit on the board, so I have to adopt two roles at the same time,” he says. “I have to be conscious that there can be friction between my two roles, and to that extent, try to create a sort of internal firewall inside my head; I’m aware that, as a governor, I see way more than a normal governor would. I recognise that in some ways Pascal and I have an odd relationship, a unique one which actually helps to prompt us towards a collegiate approach.” It helps that the pair are supported by a very able deputy head, Paul Cheetham. “Quite often, there may be three of us looking at a particular issue,” says Jenne. “This works really well, and either Pascal or I will accept the majority view. It doesn’t usually get to that stage; normally, if there is one of us who is
in disagreement, we see this as a sign that we need to properly discuss the issue again. We believe that everyone needs to be at least reasonably content with any outcome and understand that their voice is heard. We don’t want to be in a position where one of the three feels steamrollered. We all feel a deep responsibility to each other.”
It’s important for a head to be given the freedom to lead the school in the way he or she sees fit, with a supportive senior management team and governing body. “If Pascal has a particular idea for the school and thinks it’s absolutely the right way to proceed, then I will support it as a bursar,” continues Jenne. “Several members of the governing body are there as ‘critical friends’ and, with my governor hat on, I am careful not to try to influence them. I’ll be more reticent on those topics. If there’s an issue for governors that I want to raise, for instance, setting up a seven-plus entry process, I will mention it to Pascal and explain why I believe the governors need to discuss that issue. Being on-site every day, there are areas I’m aware of that I wouldn’t otherwise see but governors might need to know about. It would be very easy to lose that trust with Pascal and the other governors without being this transparent.
“I have to say ‘in this part of the job I am the governor; in this part of the job I am the bursar’. And I can’t use the privileged information I have from one role in the other,” adds Jenne.
“This duality of role can actually work
really well, even though on the surface that might sound a contrary statement," Jenne says. “Sometimes you have governing bodies that don’t understand the pressures that the executive is under or you might have an executive that doesn’t understand the pressures that the governing body is under. With a foot in both camps, I’m a very useful conduit. In that regard, I think I play a crucial role in reducing any potential adversity.
“Pascal formally placed me on the SMT when he became head and this has meant I’ve been able to clearly see the benefit of effectively resourcing systems that support pupils’ progress.”
Heads and bursars need to work together effectively. But do they need to be friends on a personal basis? “Pascal and I have a really friendly relationship,” Jenne says. “We have a shared love of fantasy football. He’s an exceptional fantasy football league player, often offering transfer advice to parents and staff on Friday evenings. Young children have meant I’ve lapsed playing this year, but Pascal’s suggestions were essential in winning my mini-league two years in a row.
“It’s great if you like each other, that makes working together much easier. But the key is that there is professional respect. You don’t necessarily have to be best friends with someone. If you understand their vision, respect what they’re doing, what they’re trying to achieve, then I think you can appreciate where they’re coming from and that there are different ways to achieve the same goal.
“More importantly, the head and bursar need to be shooting in the same direction, looking to achieve the same aims. There will be times when either of you will think that there are different routes to achieve the same result: you could say, ‘I may not have done it this way, but I appreciate your view on this’.
“But whether the relationship is friendly or not, if you start moving in different directions, that’s where you’ve got a significant problem.”
Andrew Maiden is editor of Independent School Management.
