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Career journeys: school business manager

Morag Somerville is school business manager (SBM) at a federation of two primary schools in Sheffield – Monteney Primary and Foxhill Primary. She has held the post since the schools joined forces in September 2009 and is a member of the senior leadership team.

Real impact

“This is a vocation as much as a career and I have no doubt that my work as a school business manager has a direct impact on the children. If I do a good job it means more resources for the school and our children will ultimately have a better chance to succeed.

My team and I have already generated an extra £100,000 for the two schools by bidding successfully for extra capital funding from the local authority. It was the result of a couple of standard letters that came to all schools – the sort of thing that would normally have ended up at the bottom of a big pile on the head’s desk. But it came to me as SBM and so we were able to take advantage of the opportunity.

A full in-tray

Managing the school finances is one part of the job. I also look after buildings, health and safety and human resources at both schools. And I keep an eye on the children’s centres that operate on each school site. Of course, I don’t do it all myself. Across both schools there is a team of six full- and part-time staff to help me. It’s this diversity that I love, although it makes for a long day. I officially work from 8am-4pm but I tend to do what needs to be done however long that takes. So if there’s a governors meeting to go to until 6pm then that’s what I do.

I start with a walk about to make sure everything is OK and we have enough staff in school. I like to be around when the school doors open at 8.35am to meet and greet pupils and parents but what I do after that depends on what’s going on and which school I’m at. This morning I was at a meeting about the role of a children’s centre leader. But I might also get involved in a premises project or monitor the accounts or sort out some job advertising.

How did I get here?

I started working at Monteney Primary School in 2005 and was initially taken on as a senior administration officer. I’d never worked in a school before but having managed a building society branch and helped run a small local charity I brought some valuable financial skills and management experience with me.

This made it easier for the head to expand my role into an SBM. However, putting me on the senior leadership team (SLT) was quite a cultural challenge for the rest of the staff. Until then all SLT members had been qualified teachers. It’s not been a difficult move but we have taken it quite slowly.

A qualified SBM

The headteacher is a complete believer in the role of SBM and has encouraged me to keep my professional development up to date as the job has expanded. I have now completed the National College certificate, diploma and advanced diploma in school business management. This has truly deepened my understanding of how schools work and is enabling me to develop my leadership skills.

For example, I’ve recently started carrying out lesson observations. Again, it’s unusual for a member of the non-teaching staff to be involved in this but it’s not a gimmick. As a member of the leadership team I have to know what outstanding, good, satisfactory and inadequate look like in the classroom. With my SBM hat on, it also helps me to evaluate how we are using resources and where perhaps particular children need something more.

Advice for the next generation

Anyone interested in school business management should first find out what it is like to work in school by, for example, shadowing an SBM. Then check out the SBM qualifications that the National College is offering. The great thing is that you don’t have to work in a school to take them.”

Further information