As NASBM makes the transition to the Institute of School Business Leadership (ISBL) on 20 November, we caught up with chief executive Stephen Morales to discuss the differences for members and the aims of the move.
Is it just a name change?
In a word: no! The evolution from NASBM to the Institute of School Business Leadership (ISBL) represents a much more than simply a name change and is very much about role and remit. NASBM is everything you’d expect from a representative body, it is about bringing together school business practitioners, sharing experiences and supporting each other.
The move to become an Institute is a step change and has been an 18-month process. ISBL will incorporate everything NASBM already does, but will also focus on professionalism - setting and maintaining standards, developing clear career pathways, and supporting practitioners with a continuum of professional development that is robust.
When will the changes be introduced?
The new institute officially launches on Monday 20 November, following the final NASBM Annual Conference (16-17 November).
Why are you making the change?
In past 10 years, the role of school business professional has changed immeasurably and this has resulted in increased demands and levels of complexity within the role. The core function of our schools is to ensure the best possible outcomes for our students. School business leaders provide essential specialist support to head teachers to effectively manage the business aspects of running a school or trust, maintain its facilities and allocate and be accountable for financial resources.
The change to Institute status gives the profession a more powerful and credible voice at a time when it is urgently needed. Schools and trusts are under more and more pressure and school business practitioners play an essential part in identifying innovative ways for schools to relieve these pressures and ensure financial stability and sustainability.
You asked school business professionals what they believe the priorities should be in the new institute. What did people tell you?
School business professionals feel the priority for the ISBL is to ensure they have greater professional status and credibility. In addition, more than 90 per cent of school business professionals felt their roles were increasingly complex with greater levels of responsibility and accountability. These give the institute a clear mandate, which we embrace.
What do you hope to achieve with the changes?
Most importantly, it’s about creating a professional culture where everything we do is about continuous improvement, learning from each other and from those beyond our own environment (other schools, other jurisdictions, other industries), and about encouraging innovation.
By doing this, we give all those involved in education - teachers, head teachers, principals, CEOs, school governors, parents and many more - the confidence that our professional community is fit for purpose.
What differences will members see?
You can expect clearer standards, robust continuing professional development, new qualifications and rigorous evaluation of practice. In addition, ISBL will provide quality assurance, research, events, resources and policy interpretation to help keep members on top of their game.
Membership of ISBL will validate and provide assurance about individuals’ professional competency. The institute will provide all members with the facility to assess themselves against the national professional standards which we set out in 2015. The institute will focus on professional development across all levels of school business leadership from entry to executive level to assist all school business professionals in achieving their professional aspirations regardless of career stage.
What are the biggest challenges school business professionals are facing right now?
When I speak to school business professionals, two challenges repeatedly come up.
The first is, unsurprisingly, funding. All schools need to make savings. Budgets are stretched and senior teams are facing difficult decisions about what to cut next. Every school can make savings and these don’t need to be the ‘last resort’ cuts to staff or core services. A school business professional can help their school or trust to make the right kind of savings, and our role is to support them in this key part of their role.
The second major challenge for school business professionals is that their roles are increasingly demanding. As schools become more complex organisations, school business professionals are on the frontline. The new Institute is committed to delivering greater support on qualifications, and personal development, to enable the workforce to cope with the increasing demands of the role and to be prepared for the day-to-day pressures they face.
Want to keep up with the latest education news and opinion? Follow Tes on Twitter and like Tes on Facebook
