Procurement that works

Strategic buying bringing consistency and value, that stands up to scrutiny.

This session takes a clear, practical look at what effective procurement really looks like across schools and trusts, and why it so often becomes fragmented, inconsistent and quietly inefficient.

Drawing on patterns seen across a wide range of schools and trusts, it explores how procurement can support both consistency and local autonomy, rather than pulling them into conflict.  The focus is on proportionate processes that reduce risk, stand up to scrutiny and actually make procurement lighter work for schools.

From contract creep and missed renewals to duplicated “low value spend” that adds up fast, the session unpicks where procurement commonly goes wrong and what stronger organisations do differently.  It looks at how CFOs, COOs and SBLs can create clearer oversight without centralising every decision, and how procurement can become a strategic enabler rather than a bureaucratic brake.

In this session we explore

• What effective, proportionate procurement looks like across schools and trusts of different sizes

• Where procurement typically leaks value, including duplicated contracts, inconsistent buying and overlooked renewals

• The CFO and COO lens: risk, governance, audit readiness and why procurement decisions are rarely low risk

• Supporting schools to follow good procurement practice without adding workload

Take-home points

• A practical “checklist” to tighten procurement oversight across multiple schools

 - Ways to identify and reduce hidden cost created by fragmented, low value spend

• Clear guidance on balancing compliance, quality and cost in a way that supports both scrutiny and school autonomy

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