Last week the Department for Education launched its refreshed school resource management strategy - of which, I was pleased to write the foreword.

The strategy has been characterised by some as a cost-cutting exercise; however, the Institute of School Business Leadership (ISBL) would not be lending its support to an initiative that sought to take money out of the system and put even more financial pressure on schools.

In fact, we are confident the intention is the exact opposite.

Of course, we recognise the unrelenting nature of the school business professional (SBP) role - the long hours, the volume of work, the constant distractions, and the heavy burden of accountability.

This all needs to be addressed with a degree of urgency.

Indeed, some of this is being tackled in the refreshed strategy, and ISBL will work closely with the DfE and other stakeholders to ensure this does not slip down as a priority.

But there are also more aspirational reasons we are supporting this strategy, based on two fundamental points.

Why good resource management is a continuous effort

Firstly, it puts SBPs at its centre, and secondly, it aims to open up the resource management conversation among all stakeholders.

Resources are not limited to consumables; they extend to premises, facilities, and technology, but also people - teachers, leaders and support staff.

Good resource management should result in new opportunities to reinvest. There is no intention to take money away from schools.

One could go further: evidence of a highly efficient approach to the management of currently available resources strengthens the sector’s case for a more generous funding envelope in the future.

The strategy makes clear the imperative for schools and trusts to have access to the right expertise.

A raft of welcome measures 

We welcome the commitment to future investment in CPD, specifically for SBPs but more broadly the upskilling of other leaders, governors and trustees.

To this end, among other things, the strategy will:

• Provide bursary funding for a second cohort of aspiring chief financial officers (CFOs).
• Expand the School Resource Management Adviser programme.
• Make a new commitment to investing in professional development and training.
• Support a refresh of the nationally recognised, sector-endorsed SBP standards.
• Offer new training and guidance on the use of integrated curriculum and financial planning (ICFP).
• Pledge to cut bureaucratic burdens.
• Support a further roll-out of the Capital Advisers Programme, offering expert support on good estate management.
• Help schools monitor and reduce energy and water usage.
• Signpost to competitive deals.

Some school leaders do not like scrutiny being placed on resource management and reject any notion that they are not already operating as efficiently as possible.

But the evidence suggests that, while there is an acknowledgement that schools and trusts across the system are working extremely hard, they are not always as effective as they could be.

Even those sceptical about the School Resource Management Adviser initiative would have to concede that the findings in many of the visits have been telling.

Always room for improvements 

While schools and trusts are doing many things well, there is almost always room for improvement. In some cases, small modifications lead to very significant long-term efficiencies.

For some schools, it’s simply a case of refocusing or reprioritising that leads to improvements.

For many, the language of efficiency has negative connotations - it suggests cutting, reducing or removing. But in reality, efficiency is simply about using the minimum effort or resources needed to get the best results possible.

School leaders are faced with multiple demands on their time; they are faced with many options to consider and a plethora of information.

Leaders need agility in their decision-making process, and in order to do this, they rely on timely information, efficient systems and clear processes.

Cutting down waste and inefficiencies 

Schools and trusts that are inefficient with systems and processes will have trouble finding enough time for the pupils and staff they serve, often getting bogged down and feeling overwhelmed by the tasks in front of them.

Again, recent workforce surveys suggest an unmanageable workload among SBPs and other leaders, a situation often exacerbated by inadequate systems, the poor delegation of tasks and a lack of investment in professional development.

The strategy aims to address this issue in the section “Effectiveness and efficiency in the school’s workforce”.

Improving levels of efficiency across our education system will inevitably improve the quality of education provision by reducing waste (both tangible and intangible) and freeing up important resources.

While all stakeholders need to play their part (trustees, governors, principals and teachers), the majority of the responsibility for effective resource management is likely to continue to reside with the school business professional.

Why it matters now more than ever

The imperative to invest in this element of the education workforce could never be greater.

The White Paper sets out some bold ambitions for our education system and suggests trusts are the optimal delivery model.

Over the coming years, maintained schools will be encouraged to join a multi-academy trust, and small trusts will be encouraged to grow or merge.

Roles will be recalibrated as trusts grow and leadership and governance structures change.

Our job here at ISBL is to ensure that all of our members are suitably trained and qualified to confront whatever is coming their way.

As mentioned in the school resource management strategy, ISBL is currently reviewing the SBP standards and simultaneously conducting a training needs analysis, to ensure that training provision responds directly to the real needs of practitioners.

In the interests of transparency, we need to declare a commercial interest in the strategy. ISBL is the largest supplier of school business professionals acting as School Resource Management Advisers.

We were awarded this contract in 2021 following a robust and transparent competitive tender process.

We make no apologies for positioning the SBP community as credible system leaders operating with parity to National Leaders of Education and National Leaders of Governance.

Stephen Morales is chief executive of the Institute of School Business Leaders