Schools are facing a looming hidden crisis through the “huge” loss of “crucial” staff who help balance the books at a time when they are under ongoing financial pressure because of Covid-19, heads have warned.
A majority of school business leader members of the NAHT school leaders’ union who responded to a poll (56 per cent) were thinking of leaving the profession in the next three years, mostly because of “workplace stress”.
The poll also found that only three per cent of respondents reported having a strong field of applicants to choose from in their recruitment rounds in the past three years.
More:
Comment: ‘School business managers make the impossible possible’
Warning: Heads supply may collapse as less than half recommend the job
Covid: Most schools can’t afford costs created by pandemic survey finds
The findings have been published at the Institute of School Business Leadership (ISBL) annual conference taking place today (Thursday 11 November).
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of NAHT, said: “The education sector is potentially facing a huge loss in skill and knowledge when our current school business leaders leave or retire, and the government has done nothing to secure a strong pipeline for these crucial roles.
“The government does not have a strong understanding of this part of the profession, or the career path leading to school business leadership, with limited data gathered through the school workforce statistics, so the problem is largely hidden.
“An effective and holistic strategy for the SBL profession is required, one which focuses not just on recruitment but retention as well.
“The government must recognise that school business professionals are under more pressure than ever before, which in turn is impacting on wellbeing.”
The NAHT school leaders’ union survey revealed that 73 per cent of school business leaders feel that in the last 12 months their role had a negative impact on the quality of their family life or personal life.
Mr Whiteman added: “In the face of immense challenges, school business leaders have played a key role in helping schools deliver all that has been asked of them.
“The stress of trying to keep things going in schools this year cannot be underestimated.
“The decade-long school funding freeze has led to increasing financial pressure on schools, and it is school business leaders who are required to balance the books.
“The Covid pandemic has only exacerbated this financial pressure, with tens of thousands of pounds of additional costs and lost income.
“The government must act urgently to address the recruitment and retention issues facing this crucial sector of school workers. It must learn from previous mistakes, made with other parts of the workforce and act now to ensure that there is a clear and attractive career path for future school business leaders, and that there is clear action on those key areas we know are important for retention including pay, workload and CPD.
“NAHT has long called for a national pay scale for school business leaders, recognising their central leadership role and delivering parity and equity. The government must not delay.”
Stephen Morales, ISBL’s chief executive, said: “In a fragmented education system with further reforms on the horizon, school business professionals are experiencing unsustainable demands on their time.
“We must do more to protect this critical workforce from an unmanageable workload and continue to invest in their professional development to equip them to confront the future complexities of our system.”
