NASBM awards celebrate SBM transformation

The recent NASBM awards ceremony showed how dramatically the role of the SBM has changed. But there is still more to be done to promote understanding.

The education landscape is in a constant state of flux: from policy change and academy growth to MATs expansion and LA contraction. These changes have, inevitably, placed a heightened focus on the school business manager.

With greater recognition comes greater responsibility: the SBM role is more complex and varied than ever; they are becoming more integrated into the SLT (and rightly so); they face burgeoning financial challenges; and many are working across a number of schools.

This year’s NASBM awards were a fantastic way to show our growing understanding and appreciation of the SBM’s role. The atmosphere was electric and it was a prime opportunity for networking and sharing best practice, new ideas and concerns.

But what really stood out was the overwhelming modesty of the winners. As each came up to collect their award, they were self-effacing and determined to stress that they couldn’t achieve anything without the support from other staff members. ‘Without the team at school and at home we’d be nothing,’ Hazel Wade, SBM at Sir John Lawes school, said as she collected her award for Strategy, efficiency and governance.

Collaboration

And this gets to the crux of what success looks like, not just for SBMs but for any job role or organisation: collaboration. From working in a small team to joining a MAT, it doesn’t take long to realise that working together is infinitely more effective than working alone. As the saying goes: ‘Competition makes us faster; collaboration makes us better.’

But this is still a work in progress: there are many staff members who still lack understanding of their SBM’s role; financial burdens are piling on the pressure and SBMs are having to think of more creative ideas; and we’ve heard many stories of how SBMs are still struggling to be heard by their senior leadership team.

The solution? We need more ceremonies like the NASBM awards to celebrate; we need more opportunities to network and share ideas; and we need to promote understanding of the role as wide as possible.

Further resources

• SBMs working in multi academy trusts
• Working with the SLT: 9 top tips
• How collaboration can be the key to outstanding
• The Spending Review: 10 things SBMs need to know

NASBM and the Professional Standards Framework

NASBM are currently consulting on their Professional Standards Framework: this could be transformational for school business managers. Optimus content lead, Alex Masters reports.

We have heard some depressing stories over recent months: SBMs have told us how they often feel disrespected and ostracised; many colleagues (sometimes including heads) don’t even understand their role. This needs to change. If we already have these frameworks in place for other staff members, why not for SBMs?

The National Association of School Business Managers (NASBM) wants your feedback on their Professional Standards Framework and have just opened consultation for the Marketing and HR sections.

Take the survey to have your say now. 

Note: this round of consultation closes on Friday 28 August at 5pm.

Both NASBM and Optimus Education feel strongly that developing a professional standards framework for SBMs is a major priority.

The aim is to develop a strategy which ‘positively promotes the school or Trust’, defines goals and maximises income generation. This is critical.

The framework

Representation of the NASBM Professional Standards Framework

To give some more detail, NASBM’s framework is intended to:

1. set out core and specialist areas
2. help SBMs to perform their role as expertly as possible
3. set out the content of initial and continuing professional development
4. provide a framework for future development of qualifications and other professional recognition.

NASBM hopes the standards will be used by heads and governors to ‘inform and underpin the recruitment and performance management’ of SBMs. This could lead to a sea change for SBMs.

After two rounds of consultation and hours of input from practitioners, stakeholders, and the NASBM project team, current thinking is shaped around the following framework model:

• core activities: leading support services, strategy, governance and efficiency
• functional areas: finance, procurement, infrastructure, human resources, marketing and policy
• behavioural characteristics: resilient, decision maker, collaborative, challenger, skilled negotiator, change catalyst.

Please don’t miss this opportunity to play a part in developing professional standards for SBMs.

Further reading

• School leadership: time to recognise the role of SBMs
• CPD for SBMs: going beyond core skills
• SBMs: qualifications to progress your careers
• What to do if a complaint is made against you
• Webinar: marketing your school
• SBMs: top ten tips for SLT survival

Having trouble accessing the resources above? Why not find out how Optimus supports schools with their CPD provision and request a demo of In-House Training and Knowledge Centre or take a free trial.