School finance

School finance: The Spending Review, the Budget and you

18 January 2022

Now the dust has settled on last term’s Budget and Spending Review, we asked funding specialist Julia Harnden to look at the implications for the education front-line in schools

The Pupil Premium strategy statement

13 October 2021

The DfE’s new Pupil Premium strategy statement is aimed at helping schools to explain how they are using this crucial funding. Suzanne O’Connell looks at what it entails and what’s involved

Free school meals uptake: Removing the barriers

8 June 2021

There are still a number of barriers that put children and families off applying for and taking up free school meals. Georgina Burt advises on how schools can remove some of these barriers

Assurance: It’s not sexy, but it’s important

2 February 2021

From boilers to putrefied rat remains, from magic buckets to burglar alarms – assurance is not well understood in education and the consequences can be catastrophic. MAT chief executive Mark Wilson explains

PFI: Challenging overly expensive contracts

18 January 2021

As an academy trust CEO, Andrew Chubb successfully challenged aspects of his school’s PFI contract, leading to substantial savings. He looks here at why PFI often proves unfairly expensive for schools – and what can be done about it

Why you should renegotiate your school’s contracts now

3 November 2020

How will the Covid-19 pandemic affect your purchasing power? Procurement consultant Naomi Clews says it makes sense to revisit your existing contracts now to secure best value for money for your school

Covid-19 and schools: Taking stock and the challenges ahead

7 October 2020

As half-term approaches, Geoff Barton takes stock on the first five weeks of full re-opening and the challenges still facing schools. He covers Ofsted, examinations, remote education, budgets, accountability and life after the pandemic...

Spending the £650m Covid 'catch-up' funding: Some things to consider

5 October 2020

The government’s £650m so-called catch-up premium amounts to £80 per-pupil. Matt Bromley looks at how the funding is being delivered, how we might spend it, and Ofsted’s role in the coming months

Saving money on your school's rateable value

29 June 2020

What is your school’s rateable value? Are you overpaying? Mark Paterson looks at how schools might be able to make substantial savings

Social justice and schools: Resources & funding

8 June 2020

In a seven-part series, teacher and school leader David Anderson considers how schools can be a key driver for social justice and how we can make our education system more equitable. In part three, he considers huge disparities between state and private schools when it comes to resources and funding

SEND and SENCO support: Tenets of best practice

4 March 2020

The high numbers of pupils with SEN are putting a huge strain on school finances – and on SENCOs themselves. Margaret Mulholland looks at some tenets of best practice, what Ofsted wants to see, and how schools can best support their SENCOs

Funding pledge: What it means for your school...

6 November 2019

What will the government funding pledges – announced earlier this term – mean for your secondary school? Funding specialist Julia Harnden looks at the figures

What your school business leader can do for you

9 May 2019

Do you get the most from the expertise of your school business leader? Hayley Dunn looks at how schools can maximise the impact of the business leader position

Integrated curriculum financial planning

6 February 2019

Integrated curriculum financial planning, which brings together curriculum and budget, is all the rage, but it is not a new concept. Julia Harnden explains more and asks what it can do for us...

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Resource management in tough times

21 November 2018

Schools are having to get serious about how they manage their resources. Liam Donnison talks to the leader of a large cross-phase multi-academy trust about their approach to this crucial area

The growing pupil population – implications for secondary schools

7 November 2018

There is a growing demand for secondary school places in England. Zoe Claymore explores what the data tells us and the possible implications for schools and teachers

School finance: Spotting and avoiding scams

17 October 2018

Financial scams, including bank mandate fraud, often target schools and staff need to be aware of what to look out for. Dave Verma advises

Fundraising: Using your school site

20 June 2018

Raising income by using your buildings and grounds can be one way of boosting your school’s finances. Brin Best advises

The evidence on school funding

13 June 2018

Complaints about a lack of school funding are frequently hitting the headlines, with concerns over how budget pressures will affect schools and colleges in England. Maire Williams looks at what the evidence tells us

Securing funds from businesses

6 June 2018

Continuing his recent series of fundraising advice articles, Brin Best looks at how schools should engage with business – both locally and further afield – in order to raise funds and attract other support

Are you aware of fraud risk?

16 May 2018

Figures suggest that discovered fraud in the schools sector was in the region of £1 million last year. Expert Dave Verma offers eight steps schools can take to lower the risks

School improvement on a budget

9 May 2018

Today’s school leaders are faced with the challenge of school improvement in times of tight budgets. Warrington head Jon Wright shares his approach to this issue with Liam Donnison

School fundraising: Grant-making trusts

25 April 2018

Many schools do not consider applying to grant-making trusts for funding, even though they are well-placed to make successful bids. Brin Best explains more and lists some of his top trusts to apply to

The Academies Show 2018

3 April 2018

Effective school fundraising applications

10 January 2018

The secret to fundraising success can often come down to writing and compiling effective applications. Brin Best offers nine steps to planning and writing successful funding applications

School funding and finance