Schools to get business advice from industry experts

Over 40 business advisers are signed up to start offering bespoke business support to schools.

School Systems Minister Lord Agnew, announced the initiative, which will help schools save money and run more efficiently.

The advisers will offer tailored advice to help school leaders maximise their resources and budgets. This could include smarter ways to buy essential services like water or electricity, or innovative ways of timetabling classes to free up teachers time.

Evidence shows up to £1 billion of savings could be made on non-staff spend in schools by 2019-2020 which could be reinvested in frontline resources. This will help raise standards in schools even further, with 1.9 million more children now in good or outstanding schools than in 2010.

School Systems Minister Lord Agnew said:”How schools use their money is important in delivering the best outcomes for pupils and business leaders are essential in ensuring the cogs of a school keep on turning.

“We know time is precious for school staff and making every penny count is vital. Together with our wider package of support for schools, these advisers will help us to maximise resources, freeing up teachers to focus on delivering a knowledge-rich education and giving every pupil the opportunity to make the most of their lives.”

The advisers are part of a new pilot run by the Department for Education with the Institute of School Business Leadership. Since January, they have been going into schools and trusts with the greatest need. Following the visit, each school is expected to develop a plan which will set out how it intends to improve.