Managing our schools well is critically important, but the challenge is getting harder with constrained resources and a variety of increasing demands. More of everything is needed, so what is the way forward for those involved in school business management?
Our children spend around seven hours of their day in schools - learning, developing personally and growing relationships. It is where their future opportunities for further education and work are most significantly shaped. Schools which are well run, efficiently managed and focussed on positive experiences for children in the classroom and outside are therefore one of the most important environments that we can shape.
However, the task of keeping these critically important institutions running well is not easy. Aside from the complexity of managing both the routine and the unexpected tasks within our schools, there are also a range of other factors to address. Constrained finances, staffing shortages, the developing rights of both children and staff and ever changing rules and expectations all add to the complexity of managing schools. It is therefore essential that those with the task of managing our schools are able to keep up to date with the skills, insights, and knowledge of best practice across a range of disciplines and emerging issues needed to help deliver excellence within our schools.
This conference is intended to support professional development, best practice and skills development specifically for the range of education professionals involved in school business management. The performance of those people is central to the running of schools and, ultimately, the experience of the children attending. Staff performing the role of school business management are active in every school whether in single schools or across clusters of schools. Whilst the job titles and those vested with the responsibility may vary from one area to another, the tasks and management duties are similar.
Schools depend on efficient and forward thinking management to run the best school possible for their pupils. How can the skill set and business management of leadership teams within and across schools promote best practice and therefore better learning across Scotland? What is next for educational leadership? What should excellence look like? This conference will reflect on how devolved school management is working, the outcomes from cluster management of schools and the ways in which this affects those with school management roles and responsibilities.
This conference discusses the challenges involved in managing Scottish schools, how to best engage with recurring themes in school management, opportunities to raise quality within the school and coming to terms with broader matters affecting culture and practice within school and reputation in the wider community. It will do so in three sessions:
Topics to be discussed
Who should attend
This conference will be relevant for anyone involved in the day to day and strategic management of scottish schools. This includes:
School Business Leader - St John's CE Primary School, ISBL Fellow, Associate CIPD and BDAT Leader of Education, Member of the ISBL Advisory Panel and Accredited Lead Practitioner
Presenter, Trainer, Consultant
The Real David Cameron
Chief Executive
Institute of School Business Leadership
09:10 Chair's opening remarks
Session 1: Where does school business management stand now?
09:15 School business management: Where does it stand?
David Cameron, Presenter, Trainer, Consultant, The Real David Cameron
realdcameron
09:30 How and why do you do your role?
09:45 School business management: Standards, support and values
David Cameron, Presenter, Trainer, Consultant, The Real David Cameron
realdcameron
10:00 Question and answer session
10:15 Comfort break
Session 2: Addressing core school management issues
10:30 Getting to grips with social media - Communicating with parents and reputation management
10:45 Improving leadership and management
11:00 Understanding human rights and rights of the child
11:15 Question and answer session
11:30 Comfort break
Session 3: Where do we go from here?
11:45 My life in school business management - Case study
Lesley Allan, School Business Leader - St John's CE Primary School, ISBL Fellow, Associate CIPD and BDAT Leader of Education, Member of the ISBL Advisory Panel and Accredited Lead Practitioner
12:00 Getting organised for professional development and personal resilience
Stephen Morales, Chief Executive, Institute of School Business Leadership
ISBL_news
12:15 Future themes: What's on your shopping list?
What are the challenges and issues you face from day to day, week to week and month to month? This session presents an opportunity to set the agenda for future discussions on the key themes faced by those working in school business management. In our next event, what should we cover and what would be most helpful to you? Raise your main interests for professional and personal development, the concerns you would like to see discussed and the opportunities you would like help to develop.
12:30 Chair's closing remarks
Lesley Allan
School Business Leader - St John's CE Primary School, ISBL Fellow, Associate CIPD and BDAT Leader of Education, Member of the ISBL Advisory Panel and Accredited Lead Practitioner
David Cameron
Presenter, Trainer, Consultant
The Real David Cameron
The Present
I am a presenter/speaker, trainer, mentor, coach and adviser. I have delivered at conferences at home and abroad, including TEDx Buenos Aires, Northern Rocks and I work with schools throughout the UK and internationally, alongside some of the most influential people and the best practitioners in the world of education and training. You can use the links to access reviews and videos.
I want to make a difference and believe that I can.
The difference that I want to make is ensuring that all young people have an education that brings richness to their lives.
I want them to be able to think for themselves and to be committed to building a better world than the one that they are inheriting. I think that I can do this by helping those working with them to recognise their strengths and to find the energy to build on them.
I want to offer support, perspective, analysis, approaches and tools so that aspirations become ambitions and ambitions become realities, all to the beat of some banging tunes, heartrending videos and a lot of laughter!
The Past
Lest anyone thinks that I am some mere chancer with a line in motivational quotes, here is my professional pedigree. It might not get me to Crufts, but it has served me pretty well.
I was Director of Children’s Services for Stirling Council. Before that I was Head of Education in East Lothian. I have been an Area Manager providing support and challenge to a large group of schools in Fife, Performance Review Manager with overall responsibility for Quality Assurance and, before that an Adviser responsible for curriculum development and assessment.
I worked in schools up to the early ‘90s and have extensive experience in school management at all levels and experience of leading a major national development of curriculum and assessment in Scotland introducing new Standard Grade courses.
I was President of the Association of Directors of Education Scotland and have been involved with a range of national groups, notably on Curriculum for Excellence, Outdoor Education and Looked After Children.
As a consultant, I have supported Midlothian Council in their reorganisation of services to Children and Families and engaged with Skills Development Scotland in a major review of policy procedures and practice. I have since led reviews on class size regulations and arrangements for devolved school management.
Stephen Morales
Chief Executive
Institute of School Business Leadership
As the Chief Executive of the Institute of School Business Leadership (ISBL), I have dedicated the last 10 years of my career, in a national role, to unleashing the potential and promoting the professionalisation of a disparate community of school leaders. In collaboration with the Department for Education (DfE), ISBL has supported over 10,000 practitioners in gaining formal qualifications. As part of my vision for a professionalised workforce of school business leaders, in 2015, I instigated the development of professional standards that are now nationally recognised and feature in the Academy Trust Handbook.
In 2017, I led the complex transition of the National Association of School Business Management to institute status. The process involved making a robust case to Companies House, securing Secretary of State approval and ensuring unwavering support from key sector stakeholders.
Since I took up the reigns of the organisation nearly 10 years ago, ISBL has trained thousands of school leaders in the areas of financial assurance and effective resource management. We have secured numerous government contracts including a developing programme for clerks, better access to financial expertise for primary schools, the school resource management adviser (SRMA) initiative, and, more recently, the trust CFO mentoring pilot.
I strongly believe that school business professionals and indeed their leadership and governance colleagues are better equipped, more sophisticated and technically stronger as a result of ISBL’s work over the last decade. As a standing member of the DfE’s Financial Reporting Programme Board, I am privy to data that supports this assertion.
In a non-executive capacity, as an Academy Ambassador, I have discharged my governance responsibilities with oversight of school improvement strategies, ensuring appropriate support for children with additional needs and providing Ofsted with confidence in our work.
This experience and influence has afforded me unique insights into both policy and practice. I have a very strong understanding of policy levers and the role of key actors in the ongoing evolution of our mixed economy education system.
As well as leading transformational change at ISBL, I have supported trust leaders across the country with a range of strategic priorities, including the importance of a clear organisational culture and values, organisational design, preparing for growth, developing central teams, striking the balance of autonomy over funding, and how to attract and retain talented staff by becoming an authentic employer of choice. In addition, I work with numerous think tanks and sector bodies, addressing some of the main issues confronting society.
I initiated and continue to chair a sector leaders’ equity, inclusion and diversity focus group.
In my current capacity as CEO, I believe I have fostered a culture of continuous improvement, where we embrace new thinking and individual contributions are recognised and valued.
It is my belief that the success of any education system cannot exceed the quality of its workforce. Highly motivated and valued teachers are central to any high-performing education system. The mix of ingredients including strong culture, robust structures and effective talent management is essential to any successful trust and, most importantly, the outcomes for the children it serves. Any people strategy must successfully attract and retain committed and highly motivated teachers if we are to ensure optimum pupil attainment. Supporting the personal and professional ambition of the staff, both pedagogical and non-pedagogical, should be a priority for any school.
I have been a long-standing advocate of joined-up leadership, and I have spent my career promoting the importance of a strong leadership triangle where pedagogy, business and governance operate seamlessly and inclusively together. To that end, in 2021, I published a paper entitled “Barriers to joined-up leadership in the English education system”.
I understand the heavy scrutiny on trusts and the effort required to adhere to a very demanding regulatory framework. I have a deep understanding of these requirements, and I have been close to many of the policy developments related to trust accountability. I have a background in strategic finance and understand the importance of rigorous evidence-based planning, optimal resource management and robust controls.
As a sector leader, I am not afraid to challenge orthodoxy, and I will always encourage innovation and creative thinking. My leadership approach is underpinned by the Boyatzis self-directed learning model characterised by a continuous improvement loop of plan, do, review and reflect.
This conference will take place online.
How to book
You can book to attend, or order the video only, in 3 ways:
Conference fees
GROUP DISCOUNT – organisations booking 3 or more delegates will receive every third delegate place free of charge (please complete further forms if necessary)
PLEASE NOTE – the option of ordering the video recording only is intended for any individual who would normally have attended the event but – for whatever reason – is unable to do so on the day. It is not permissible to share this recording. Please contact us if you wish to share this recording. See our terms and conditions for further information.
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