Are you ready?

I am staggered at the number of independent schools insufficiently prepared for the possible impact of VAT on fees, and, with an election looming, time is running short. It’s been an unfathomably tough run for schools: a pandemic, tricky talks re teacher pensions, the threat of VAT, and spiralling services fees on top of a cost-of-living crisis providing a perfect storm of financial woe. Who’d want to be a Bursar, eh?! Those schools with commercial savvy, who have adequately armed themselves, will win through. But many more who think they’re winning the battle may ultimately find themselves losing the war. Survival depends on agility and the ability to change course quickly as and when required. It is good to see that schools are looking outside the sector for support and taking guidance from industries in which robust business has been built on the back of change and uncertainty, by having the right strategies in place. But too few are taking the opportunity to learn the lessons of others.

ISBA has been working hard to give their members guidance and support to contain their operational costs, and there is a great deal more that can be done. Marketing strategies need to be under far greater scrutiny, and admissions strategies reviewed to ensure that your school is maximising each and every lead. You need to know how to get the most from your SLT even when the pressure is really on. Appraisals at this key stage will highlight where their strengths and opportunities lie and what is required to ensure that they have the backing of the entire team. Only then can the various plans be implemented with full effect. Parent contact is also key and much can be done to secure those relationships imperative for underpinning the added value the parents seek and the school is keen to promote.

If the view of the Governing Board or Proprietor is that you have all the necessary measures in place, question what this looks like 12 months on, or even two years down the line; then, if there is any uncertainly, you know there is still work to be done.

Headspace Academics; fresh thinking. Helping school leaders find solutions for their school’s long-term security.