School business manager - a profile
Meet Trevor Hughes. Trevor is the school business manager (SBM) at William Farr C of E Comprehensive School in Lincoln. He oversees most aspects of the support side of the school, including managing budgets, overseeing health & safety procedures, premises management as well as providing a line management function to over 60 members of staff.
So what does a school business manager do?
School business managers bring specialist expertise on a range of support functions, such as liaising with external partners to secure additional funds for the school, managing budgets, looking after health & safety, premises and project management, negotiating contracts and ensuring the environment of the school is encouraging students to maximise their potential.
As a member of the School Leadership team the roles and responsibilities of SBMs are incredibly diverse and developing, but fundamentally it’s about allowing headteachers to concentrate on what they do best – leading learning and improving their students’ well being and attainment.
How did you come to be appointed?
Originally I trained as an accountant in the petroleum and oil industry – a world away from school business management! I was finance director at an independent oil company, when it was sold some 12 years ago. After winding down the business I was looking for a new challenge. I saw the job for school business manager at William Farr, and thought that with my training, I could certainly meet the demands of the financial side, and with the right support, learn the other aspects of the role as I trained. I applied, was successful, and haven’t looked back!
What do you enjoy about the job?
Working in a school is completely different to working in industry. By the time my company was bought out, I had become disillusioned with the pressure of worrying about who our next customer would be, or how we would manage our cash flow requirements. There is none of that in schools. We are free to concentrate on how best to utilise our budget (which is currently £7m per annum) to ensure we provide the best resourced learning environment for our students. No two days are ever the same; one moment I can be involved in liaising with suppliers and contractors or planning the summer maintenance programma, and the next discussing with the students on the school council how to best decorate their reception area. The most rewarding element of my job is seeing the pride in which the students have in their environment. That they all feel confident, safe and ready to learn is testament to the work that the school’s leadership team have put in.
What have you achieved in your role?
The school has changed dramatically in both size and structure in the 12 years since I was appointed. It has grown from 900 to 1500 pupils and with tremendous assistance from my teams I have overseen the building of four major new blocks and the redevelopment of a further four existing buildings, which have come in on time and within the budget. In this time we have also seen a pre school play group, children’s centre and youth club built on our 37-acre site, and we are very proud to accommodate them.
During the expansion in students the school went into deficit, but through some prudent financial management and a highly effective five year plan, we were able to turn this around, which again is testament to the hard work and commitment of all staff. It’s important to remember though that it really is a team effort. I’m fortunate to have a progressive headteacher and school leadership team who have a great vision for the future.
What courses are available for those wanting to become a school business manager from NCSL?
I have just graduated with my Diploma of School Business Management (DSBM), which gave me some fantastic skills, such as critical analysis, strategic management and managing school improvement. I have also enrolled on the Advanced Diploma of School Business Management (ADSBM), which will help hone my skills further. There is also the Certificate of School Business Management (CSBM) which is the most popular and is the first place to start. All of these are internationally accredited qualifications by the Institute of Administrative Management and through these courses, there is now a real career path for school business managers and those working in school finance.
