Essay: Evaluating professional development / aspiring SBM

1. The School and the Community it serves:
My school is a Local Authority (LA) maintained school nestled in outer London, a suburb located on the boundary of East London and Essex consisting of a large Asian community, the largest groups in the school being of Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Indian Heritage, based in an affluent area where unemployment level is low, playing a pivotal part in the schools performance: “Compare school and college performance” (Gov.UK, 2016)
KS2 achievement Dec 2015: Level 4 or above; reading, writing and math’s
I believe poverty; unemployment and borough deprivation has an impact on a child’s development, where parents are less engaged with their children’s education and progression, in contrast to those parents who are employed.
My school promotes community cohesion successfully and understands the responsibility in equipping pupils to thrive and live with people from many different backgrounds.
1.2 Key characteristics and type of school:
My school is a mixed primary formed in 2006 amalgamating with an Infant School. Age range is 4 to 11 years with a nursery setting. Ofsted rated ‘Outstanding’ in 2013 (Ofsted, 2013). Recently becoming 4-form entry in Reception and Year 1 consisting over 700 pupils. My school has extensive grounds with a large field and 2 playgrounds. A new building extension was completed in September 2016 giving a total of 23 teaching classes; much-needed library, extra dining space along with 2 halls for sports and assemblies, all classrooms are well resourced with high quality ICT, also benefiting with a swimming pool based in the garden area.
Currently, there is a below average proportion of pupils supported by additional funding through the pupil premium, including those to be eligible for free school meals also a lower than average proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs.
1.3 Organisation of Business Management and Professional roles within:
As per above organogram, we currently do not have a SBM so the leadership team share duties associated with this role. The Deputy Head, Office and Site Managers report to the Associate Head who reports to the Executive Head.
The Office and Site Mangers carry out most of procurement, financial and facilities management tasks. The Associate and Deputy Head manage HR and Marketing whilst overseeing the school budget.
There is a strong need for a SBM in our school so he/she can manage the additional responsibilities the heads and deputy have undertaken, to ensure their time is dedicated to high standard of teaching and learning, not dealing with certain staff issues or the day-to-day budget, this will also enable more productivity from all resources through better management, a SBM would play an important strategic role in implementing best value by making the most of school resources in the most sustainable and environmentally friendly manner, so more is available for the school’s core activities.
1.4 Own Professional role and relationship with staff and SLT:
My school works very closely with both stakeholders internal and external, acknowledges and actively monitors the concerns raised and takes their interests appropriately into account in decision-making however, from a business point of view I believe our external stakeholder group are more influential as some like the governors determine the schools budget, staffing structure and when required appoint Headteachers. LA monitors the performance of maintained schools in its area and ensures all improvement necessary, is carried out effectively and expeditiously.
My role consists of daily involvement with our internal stakeholders, I believe stakeholder engagement is vital to the success and improvement in a school, I issue weekly newsletters to parents with school activity updates, arrange weekly staff meetings and assemblies for pupils, this is to ensure internal stakeholders are kept informed and the school is securing the community’s obdurate support.
“Community-engagement strategies are also widely considered central to successful school improvement by many individuals and organizations that work with public schools” (Great School Partnership, 2014:1)
As an admin officer reporting to the office manager, my role consists of: undertaking all office administration including weekly HR returns. As a recent member of the admin team I have developed exceptional working relationships with my colleagues and leadership team. My work experience and corporate background allows me to conduct myself in a professional manner and create a cohesive working environment.
As an aspiring SBM and referring to the NASBM framework, I believe I obtain the required skillset to become a SBM. In my previous role as HR Supervisor I developed my personal skills to provide direction and facilitated change in the work place, I supervised staff and monitored their progress. I have acquired transferable skills in relation to process, systems and procedures. I currently fall in tier 1 on the NASBM Professional Standards disciplines, but believe with my previous experience can also fall in tier 2 in the HR and Marketing area, I am certain by completing this course I will develop my skills further in areas such as Finance and Infrastructure.
Part 2 – Establishing your professional needs
2.1: Review own personal skills and characteristics as a learner
My dominating style of learning is reflective; Learning style diagnostic supported this, reflective practice has increased my self-awareness, which is a key component of emotional intelligence, it also helps me to develop creative thinking skills. My learning style might have an affect on some parts of the unit on this course where I cant relate to or had personal experience in certain tasks at work, but this is where I am able to adapt my learning and communication style, as different tasks and different people require different approaches for the best end result. The Time Management Matrix showed most of my duties fall between Quadrant 1 to 3, this consists of dealing with upset parents, photocopying or incoming calls, however to manage my time more effectively I use simple tools such as:
• Organising
• To do List
• Personal Goal setting
• Prioritising
• Managing Distractions
I obtain excellent communication, IT and interpersonal skills and have the ability to work under pressure, handle many tasks at busy times and priorities my workload. Referring to the NASBM Standards, as an aspiring SBM I believe I obtain the personal skills required to be an effective SBM with previous experience in HR & Marketing, however this also identifies areas I need to develop in; such as Finance therefore, would say I currently sit in the school administration area (Tier 1) In most areas and hope to gain the relevant knowledge required to be a successful SBM by completing this course.
There is much scope for me to develop my skills further which this course will allow me to do and enable me to practise this knowledge in my school, developing myself further in management and leadership skills highlighting the need for an SBM and securing this opportunity if it arises.
2.3: Analyse own professional role and challenges
Above is an illustration of my role analysis; based on current role this shows much of my time is spent completing administration duties,
To extract myself from mainly admin duties and step into more management and leadership activities, I have put in a request to shadow the office manager once a week and attend SLT meetings to learn about how the goals are set then see how the objectives can be met, the challenge I would face is falling behind on admin duties, however this can be tackled by better time management and also delegating a few duties to other team members. I have previous experience working in a HR field as a supervisor, therefore have developed skills in areas such as open communication, HR, marketing, negotiation and excellent time management, however this also identifies the need to develop my skills in the school finance and infrastructure area.
2.4: Produce a professional development plan based on a review of own professional needs:
See Appendix 1, an area I need to develop my knowledge is school finance, with reference to the NASBM I want to be able to understand the school procedures in processing and recording financial transactions and producing financial information and believe this can be gained by receiving training on the school finance system and observing finance officer, I believe this will help me to move to tier 2 (NASBM) and enable me to understands financial accounts and the principles of double entry booking. My second objective is to develop a better understanding of school asset management; by reviewing and updating the current asset register and ensuring an effective system is in place. I will need to liaise with the site manager to allocate time for training purpose.
Part 3 – Exploring the political and organisational context of school business management
3.1 Research current policy context:
The education and regulatory environment constantly changes, regional networks and publications such as TES and KEY are valuable sources for SBMs to keep updated on policies especially with expenses that are not planned for. The effects of Brexit will undoubtedly be felt in our education system, what will happen to our European students and teachers? No one can predict exactly, there is a slight tension across our school however at this point our school leaders must carefully consider future outcomes and prepare accordingly.
With the government promoting academisation and increased autonomy from Local Authority (LA) schools are having to make the decisions on how to use their funds. Current government is keen to see improved performance in the country’s schools, according to Schools White Paper 2016 “We want to put more power into the hands of the best school and system leaders, and to extend their reach. A more autonomous school system is even more dependent on outstanding educational leaders “ (Gov.UK, 2016:13) clearly the governments aim is to create a school system that is self improving, embedding better training systems to develop more high quality leaders also making schools more autonomous.
An SBM works with Headteachers ensuring schools manage resources effectively and efficiently to achieve better outcomes for pupils, allowing Headteachers to focus on leading, teaching and learning. My school doesn’t have an SBM, if we did the school would be better prepared for any changes, taking pressure off the Heads by not only making significant savings, but also identifying new sources of funding ensuring successful results of school improvement plans. This will also allow for better preparedness and manage risks by planning ahead.
3.2 Key drivers behind the development of the profession to date & challenges for the future:
SBM role has expanded significantly over recent years; there is an increase in the professional development offered to SBM’s.
A greater emphasis on schools to develop their own capacity as level of support offered by LA’s on core business functions has reduced. Demand for SBM’s is greater due to increased pressure on Headteachers, many coming solely from an educational background some maybe struggling with additional tasks of managing resources effectively, which might have a negative impact on deputies and middle leaders applying for headship.
According to NCTL report (Gov.UK: 12) “Secretary of State for Education pledged to qualify 1000 SBMs by 2006” helps by enabling Headteachers to focus on teaching and learning rather then administration duties. SBM programs were developed and implemented with successful results. Unfortunately, there is still a lack of understanding about the role and more needs to be done to increase the perception, my associate head for example doesn’t fully understand the role of an SBM, but is fully supportive of my development with this course another barrier is lack of funding for the role especially in Primary schools. However based on Geoff Southworth’s SBM A quiet revolution “Most secondary schools enjoy 90% access to a School Business Manager” (Southworth, 2010:6) there’s scope to increase the number of SBMs, if schools can tackle barriers such as affordability, LA resistant’s and lack of understanding for the role. NASBM and other associations are leading the way to increasing the profile of the role through the development of training programs such as DSBM, ADSBM and SBD the benefits of SBMs became more evident by financial savings and increased income, but much promotion is needed so schools reap the benefits of appointing an SBM, collaborations between schools and local communities by sharing expertise could be a way forward as outside school environment the perception of the role is still a mystery.
March 2016 the Chancellor announced all schools would be required to become academies by 2022, the proposal caused an uproar, so in May 2016 the government changed their position, then announced they would not force all schools to become academies, but introduce new legislation to enable the DfE to convert maintained schools to academies in ‘under-performing or unviable local authorities’. (BBC News, 2016), Academisation means SBMs are facing increasingly complicated and diverse duties, which would require greater management of premises and procurement of services for schools. Using relevant IT software can relieve pressure save time and increase accuracy however the scope of the role would be far greater.
3.3 Analyse key factors & trends impacting on a school:
See Appendix 2:
Political: Brexit is causing a lot of uncertainty with our European students and teachers; Brexit could cause a significant reduction in students from across Europe and reduce the diversity in schools also increase in staffing problems due to the lack of teachers from European countries filling in posts, teachers who bring new cultures and approaches to our schools and community. With so much turmoil in the government school policies like the national funding formula has been pushed back.
Economic: The rise in the minimum wage enables families to have more disposal income, therefore working extra hours or a second job may not be necessary which enables parents to devote more time to their children’s schooling and activities.
Social: Schools are adopting specific behaviours to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, implementing community centered strategies for parent involvement, monitoring of progress and providing individual learning support; schools have systems in place for early identification and intervention. Pupil premium awarded to raise attainment and also different strategies are used to engage with the disadvantaged families to increase parental engagement and improve academic performance.
Technological: Smart apps and devices are fast and furious, schools are confronted with challenging issues from online risks such as violation of privacy or fraud, schools are expected to educate children by raising awareness about these risks and how to avoid them, however budget restrictions is causing to be a barrier on latest ICT equipment and software.
3.4 Explain how a range of analytical tools can be used to investigate & address key management issues within a school:
Using analytical tools widens the approach of thinking, enabling SBMs to solve a problem, be predictive and be implementable. I believe the aim of using analytical tools is to sharpen the focus of the analysis and to ensure methodical, balanced approach, e.g. SWOT- helps to focus on internal and external factors, which SBMs can use to identify issues as well as barriers and solutions, useful to spot danger and improve weakness. PESTLE tool can be used to analyse various external factors, which impact schools.
SWOT (Appendix 3) Increase parent engagement by holding quarterly workshops: analysis clearly indicates the benefits of this objective and it will add much value to the school. It has highlighted the budget strain for additional workshops but the opportunity highlighted a possible solution parent’s contribution, another weakness could be lack of staff, however PTA involvement can tackle this. The analyses tool has highlighted issues on both the internal and external factors and also solutions.
PESTLE (Appendix 4) After school clubs with Parents:
Looking at the possible impact on introducing the above, Economic impact is the lack of budget to host the clubs and staff, a possibility maybe parent funding.
Social: Support provided to disadvantaged families and engaging with the community. Parents will be trained on using ICT equipment’s and software’s and learn about online safety for children.
Legal: Be aware of staff/child ratio and ensure we have relevant policies in place. Environmental: Consider the usage of extra heating and lighting during winter months.
PAID (Appendix 5) has clearly indicated a problem with the uniform selling process, due to this process adopted for several years the need for change wasn’t implemented, however recent parents survey resulted a change is necessary as the access to purchasing uniform is limited, therefore embedding a online facility would be a more effective approach.
Part 4 Evaluating professional skills and impact on workplace
4.1 Assess own Leadership & Management
My understanding of:
Leadership
• Set the aims
• Motivate
• Inspire
Management
• Organise
• Plan
• Coordinate
Both skills are similar however, the key difference is leaders inspire a team and managers organise the team. With reference to NASBM standards I am between tiers 1-2 with previous experience. Planning, leading and managing a team will enable me to move up a tier.
To be involved in management and leadership activities; I observed SLT meetings and noticed key differences between leadership and management, our Executive and Associate Head advised the aims and goals with a inspirational speech then our Deputy explained how to achieve them.
My request to shadow the office manager was granted after a few negotiating meetings as my team were sceptical at first, so I decided to have a meeting with the team to reduce any misunderstandings and come to an agreement, I done a mock meeting with my manager which was a complete disaster, I didn’t plan for the meeting, was not prepared for any questions and found myself to be forceful which could’ve lead to staff conflict. I decided to complete the negotiation skills diagnostic again to explore different strategies and reflected on my previous supervisor role, as management skills are transferable in different environments.
4.2 Identify further improvements to professional skills and competencies:
My meeting was a success as my presentation was very clear and I was prepared with a compromising approach. This experience has highlighted areas I need to develop such as; Negotiating: Adapt to different techniques; soft and compromising not hard and forceful.
I obtain excellent communication skills however, when not prepared this was the opposite, therefore planning and preparing is very important to ensure a better delivery of objectives.
There was conflict with a member of staff, she thought all my workload would fall on her, I held a 1-2-1 meeting with her in my managers presence and cleared any misunderstanding in a calm rational way addressing her concerns, showed her how I have delegated my workload to the whole team, I changed my learning style to hers and noticed the positive difference in her reaction. My meeting was successfully lead and managed as the team understood my goal and how I intended to get there with their help. I now lead weekly staff meetings to be more involved in leadership and management activities and improve my negotiating and communication skills.
4.3 Review learning about SBM & relate to school setting:
As an aspiring SBM, this is the beginning of deepening my knowledge on behind the scenes of school business management, highlighting the importance of having an SBM in my school and areas where there is much scope for improvement such as; value for money (resources and services can be challenged regularly) identify areas where the school can save money. I have added on my PDP (Appendix 1) to conduct a monthly stock-take of stationery supplies eliminating surplus and unnecessary supplies, saving money for other resources promoting the schools vision.
I understand the importance of keeping up to date with policy changes and the necessity to adopt and adapt different learning techniques, also the positive impact of having an SBM on the Headteachers workload. Learning different analytical tools has made me notice areas of school improvement; what needs to be improved and how can it be improved. This course has helped me identify areas where I need to improve and enabled me to find ways of how I can develop myself further (Appendix 1). Also learnt how to use different learning techniques and negotiating skills and gained positive results, shadowing my manager is giving me valuable experience, I also made some suggestions she’s taken on board such as performance management should be throughout admin staff and training provided to staff to improve IT skills further for a more efficient service.
4.4 Priorities for further career development & professional learning:
My long-term career development is to secure an SBM position hopefully within my school. I need to further develop my leadership and management skills and believe this course, leading and completing my project along with the tasks I have undertaken will help me move up a tier on the NASBM standards. I also need to request to be involved in new projects assisting where possible. My PDP (Appendix 1) will help me to understand School Finance and Asset Management better. My new target (Appendix 1) will assist me in value for money, negotiation and delegation where possible to develop my management skills.
31.12.2016