School Improvement When Budgets Bite

When budgets are tight, school improvement can feel like a luxury.  In reality, the right decisions on spend, staffing and curriculum can deliver real gains without burning cash you do not have.  This session focuses on practical ways to prioritise investment, rebuild financial stability and make cost-effective choices that improve teaching, learning and pupil outcomes.  Expect straight talking, usable frameworks and examples you can take back to SLT and governors.

In this session we explore

• What “impact” looks like in budget terms and how to spot high leverage spend

• Prioritising and protecting what matters most, and pausing what does not

• Rebuilding finances, including stabilising budgets and managing deficit pressure

• Using curriculum and staffing decisions to improve value and sustainability

• Quick tests for value for money in both small purchases and big commitments

• How to present trade-offs clearly to SLT, governors and trustees

Take home points

• A simple prioritisation method

• Practical examples of low-cost improvement levers

• Confidence to make and defend tough trade-offs

• Clear links between spend decisions and pupil outcomes

• A stronger narrative for SLT and governors

This session is for

School business leaders, heads, deputies, CFOs, COOs and trust leaders in maintained schools and MATs who need to drive improvement while protecting financial stability.

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