Teach Primary Issue 18.4

1 | DON’T JUST USE LAST YEAR’S BUDGET Managing school budgets gets more challenging every year. Gone are the days of replicating last year’s budget lines and simply adjusting them for inflation; using that approach now is a sure-fire way to make more work for everyone in the long run. Take the time to analyse outcomes from the year-end. What did you overspend on, what wasn’t worth the investment, where could you make efficiencies? This will help you create a budget for the future which is going to work harder for your school. 2 | DOUBLE-CHECK YOUR PUPIL NUMBERS The number of pupils on roll is an important factor in the National Funding Formula, and for planning provision, so it’s a key piece of information for realistic budget setting. To make sure your student number predictions are as accurate as they can be, check your figures against your local authority’s place planning data to see what they are predicting for your area. 3 | ALIGN WITH YOUR SIP Your budget should reflect your school’s strategic plans for growth and development, and the resources you are going to need to get you there, so check everything against your School Improvement Plan/School Development Plan. 4 | REVIEW YOUR STAFFING LEVELS Staffing should account for between 75 per cent and 80 per cent of your total revenue income. If your costs exceed this, you might need to consider how to structure both classrooms and the back-office to optimise impact. Start by looking at how many teaching staff you will need to deliver the curriculum effectively, and then allocate classroom support hours against a strategy designed to ensure the highest quality learning outcomes for every pupil. Budget deficits are like a rising tide, so it’s key to your financial sustainability that you take early action if you have too many teaching and/or support staff in your structure. Don’t delay, and utilise any resignations as an opportunity to rethink structure and staff deployment. FEATURES SCHOOL BUSINESS 5 | FULLY COST YOUR SEND PROVISION Provisionally mapping your SEND support is essential. Review how much it’s costing to provide SEND support for pupils versus the additional funding you receive, and ensure these two amounts are in balance. Don’t forget to include the £6,000 notional SEND budget per pupil. If you’re struggling to make the numbers align, consider how you could deliver support in a different way and in line with the funding received. For example, moving from one-to-one support for children with SEND to a team teaching approach for a group of pupils. 6 | PUPIL PREMIUM NUMBERS A large percentage of your Pupil Premium expenditure will invariably be sat within your staffing expenditure already. Ensure that you have calculated your Pupil Premium staffing costs before adding additional non-staffing expenditure such as subscriptions, therapies, trips and activities so that you are clear on the resource envelope available to you. 7 | CHECK YOUR WORK If you want to check that your budget is on the money, so to speak, the Integrated Curriculum Financial Planning (ICFP) tools on the Department for Education website ( tinyurl.com/tp-ICFP ) are really helpful. You can check where your proposed budgets sit in comparison to national thresholds, and it has a calculator to help you work out the teaching resources needed to run the classes in your school. 8 | BE PREPARED TO MAKE DIFFICULT DECISIONS If you can’t make the figures fit in your budget, you will have to make some tough choices about your expenditure – sooner rather than later. The longer the books don’t quite balance, the larger the deficit position the school will find itself in. This will have a cumulative impact on education outcomes, staff morale, your mental health and much more. We always suggest school leaders open a dialogue with staff and be honest with them about any financial challenges the school is facing. Pin down the essentials to create an effective budget that will help your school deliver a great education for every child 8 WAYS to ace your first school budget JACKIE KEEGAN is resource advisor at HFL Education (hfleducation.org) . She has been supporting schools with their finances for over 20 years. www.teachwire.net | 11