In the summer our smoke alarm started beeping so I set about looking for a new battery. My husband was adamant that the alarm was wired into the electric and, therefore, there was no battery.
I’m debating with him over my shoulder as I’m digging through a pile of useless keys and old chargers in our bits-and-bobs drawer while he is frantically checking the fuse board under the stairs.
Finally, I produced a battery and, after another long (and noisy) fifteen minutes spent debating underneath the still beeping alarm, he decided to prove – once and for all – that the alarm does not have a battery. He muttered quietly to himself whilst fetching a ladder; I remained quiet – hands on hips, eyes in permanent roll mode.
I didn’t know it was possible for someone to stomp up a ladder, but he somehow managed it! Over the screeching alarm, his words were barely audible, “Pass me the battery.”
This type of thing happens regularly. It’s earned me quite the reputation of ‘always being right’. I can see how it looks that way, but the trick to it is simple. I only nail my flag to the mast when I’m already 99.9% sure I know what I’m talking about – which makes me right 99.9% of the time!
If I don’t know what I’m talking about, I’m the first to say, ‘I don’t know’ and ask someone who does. (Ok, this is usually my husband… He is right sometimes!)
As school business leaders we find ourselves in plenty of situations where we know we’re right, and we will die in that ditch if we have to; but there are other times when we just don’t know the answer.
Not knowing the answer can sometimes feel like SBL-kryptonite – and even worse, admitting it can make us feel like we’re bad at our jobs or that people will think we’re stupid.
Nothing could be further from the truth
Saying ‘I don’t know’ shows that you have self-awareness, that you’re secure in yourself, that getting it right is more important than what other people think and, more importantly, that you’re willing to find the answer. This will not only make people feel more confident in you, but also that they can trust you to get the job done.
Nobody knows everything – and the ones who say they do are lying! Confidence does not equal competence. Those who ‘talk the talk’ do not always ‘walk the walk’. We all know someone like this, and what do we think of them? Not much.
Assuming we should have the answers, and beating ourselves up when we don’t, is defeating ourselves before we even get started. The true power, in a world where everyone feels that being seen to be right is more important than actually being right, is to admit that we don’t know, and to commit to finding the right answer, the right way, or the right person to help us.
So, don’t worry about feeling like you’re on the back foot. Don’t worry if there’s an awkward pause. Nail your flag to your mast with just as much conviction as when you do know the answer and declare ‘I’m not sure but I’ll look into it’ or ‘I don’t know but I know someone who can help’.
People won’t remember all the times you said ‘I don’t know’, but they will know that you’re rarely wrong, always have an answer and are almost always, always right. Just ask my husband!
Appeared in: Education Executive Magazine (@edexec)
Or so Joey and Chandler tell Rachel in Friends when she says she’s sick of working as a waitress and wishes she could get a job in fashion. They say that as long as she has that job, she doesn’t have the motivation to go out and get the job she really wants.
Watching this episode got me thinking about confidence, and about how sometimes we need the right set of circumstances to push us forward.
I’m a ‘feel the fear’ type of person. I do my best work under pressure (especially when I’m skating too close to deadlines) and some of the best things I’ve done are the ones that I crapped myself doing, or when the clock has been ticking and I’ve not had time to talk myself out of it. The magic happens for me when I’m pushed forward by circumstance, or other people who believe in me – even if I don’t.
Over time I’ve got better at generating that ‘fear’ myself – stepping forward before I think I’m ready, and speaking out when I’d normally stay quiet – but it does take work!
I’m not saying for a minute that you should quit your job – no way – but if you’re feeling held back somehow, think about what it is that you want to achieve and why you feel like you can’t. I know external factors play a part in this but, when it comes to building the confidence to deal with these, that’s down to us.
Confidence is a fluid thing and, in order to understand how to tap into it, it’s useful to spend some time unpicking the reasons why we feel that we can’t or shouldn’t do the things that we really want to.
Reasons may include…
You don’t believe that you’re capable of it.
You feel that the goal is too big, or unachievable.
You’re worried it won’t work, won’t be good enough or will go wrong.
You’re not naturally outgoing or assertive or [insert other appropriate adjectives!]
You’ve had some bad experiences in the past and you don’t believe this time will be any better.
You’re worried about what will happen if you do it; what people will say or think about you.
Understanding what’s holding you back is the first step to moving forward; whatever your reason is, ask yourself what you can do to create the momentum you need.
So…
What’s your goal? What’s stopping you? What’s the one action that you feel ready to take?
You don’t have to be a ‘feel the fear’ type of person to create momentum – it might be that you need to take smaller steps, or to unpick some of that negative self-talk, until you’re left with logic instead of doubt.
When it comes to recruiting a School Business Manager, it’s important to remember that there are many different types and flavours.
Though they may all have the same or a similar job title, they will have varied experience, qualifications and specialist areas of expertise.
To ensure that you appoint the right SBM for your school, I’ve put together some tips to help you navigate the process.
Get the fit right
When it comes to recruiting a School Business Manager, the wider context of your school is hugely important. Consider the role in the context of your Senior Leadership Team and what your SBM will be expected to contribute to the school at that level.
They will of course have a different remit to the rest of your SLT but helping you to develop strategic plans, managing resources, providing reports and contributing to the efficient and effective running of the school are just some of the ways that your SBM can add value and have an impact on your school.
If this isn’t how you envision your SBM operating, then maybe it isn’t an SBM you’re looking for. If you’re working within a MAT, think about how the MAT operational systems and infrastructure influences the role of the school SBM and what this means in terms of your approach to recruiting.
Also consider the people management element of the role and the people/ teams your SBM will be line managing. What ‘soft’ skills will your SBM need in order to ensure that these teams operate effectively?
Get the job description right
Think carefully about the role your SBM will be undertaking. Is there a bias towards one particular element? Perhaps you have an old building that requires a lot of looking after or you have big plans for expansion.
Maybe the finance needs tighter management and monitoring or your staffing processes need updating and coordinating. Consider what third party contracts and SLAs you have in place relating to the role of the SBM.
What level of expertise will your SBM need? Are you expecting to bring more of your business services in house or will your SBM be working alongside other specialist providers making sure that things get done and run smoothly?
When you have a clear idea how much autonomy, skill and experience you want your SBM to have in each area, you can shape the job description and person specification in a way that is totally bespoke to your school.
There is a huge difference between leading, undertaking, administrating and overseeing so be clear at exactly what level you want your SBM to work.
Get the recruitment right
Recruiting to the post of SBM requires specific expertise. Your recruitment panel should include an experienced school business professional. If you’re in a MAT, you might ask your CFO or COO to assist. If not, someone from the LA, another school or your local SBM group will be able to support you.
Role-specific knowledge is essential in terms of recruitment; especially when it comes to assessing the practical exercises your candidates will be undertaking.
Make sure that the recruitment tasks are focused on school priorities and the areas you need your SBM to excel and give candidates the opportunity to evidence their knowledge and skills in analysing, interpreting and presenting their conclusions.
Remember, if your candidate pool includes people from a non-educational background, be as inclusive as you can with tasks by providing enough contextual information to ensure that they are not disadvantaged.
Almost every day we read a news article about a MAT scandal. Whether it be a financial notice to improve, a poor Ofsted report or a failure of governance, these stories have become all too common.
The questions that are often asked are: why has it taken Ofsted, the DfE or the ESFA to come along for people to realise how bad it is? Why hasn’t something been done before?
A MAT cannot lose all of its money or shift from good to special measures overnight. These things happen over time.
So how do you know if you’re working in a mismanaged MAT? What are the symptoms you should be looking out for that may lead to a detrimental diagnosis?
In my experience, there are three key areas that you should assess to determine whether your MAT is being mismanaged:
Governance
Consider the constitution of your Board and Governing Bodies. Determine whether they are the right people to undertake these roles in terms of their values, skillset, personal interests and capacity.
Review the governance self-evaluation systems that are in place. Consider how objective this process is, how often it is undertaken and how effective your MAT is at following up on areas for development.
Evaluate the effectiveness of your Scheme of Delegation. Determine how well it is adhered to and whether it is effective in operation.
Assess the quality of your meetings in relation to schedule, agendas and records of discussion. Evidence of accountability, scrutiny, challenge and support should be clear and documented.
Consider the level of transparency of your governance systems. You should be able to clearly articulate your decision making process and justify the actions of governors both to local stakeholders and external bodies.
Leadership
Consider the capacity of your leaders in relation to delivering sustainable improvement within your MAT.
Assess how well your leaders tackle poor performance and conduct and whether they execute their role as leader fairly, equitably and consistently.
Determine how well your leaders apply the policies of your MAT. Consider how you ensure that MAT systems and processes are followed in relation to education, employment law, finance and compliance.
Review the performance management processes for your leaders to ensure that they focus on MAT determined core competencies beyond education specific targets. Consider finance management and people management as indicators of leadership quality.
Consider how well the leaders within your MAT respond to challenge and the opportunity to collaborate. Issues within these areas can indicate an underlying cultural problem that can erode the effectiveness of the MAT over time.
Finance
Consider the level of experience of your finance staff and the qualifications they hold in the context of the role that you expect them to perform. Assess their ability to provide correct and timely information and whether they present it in an audience-appropriate way.
Determine how your finance team responds to challenge and scrutiny both within meetings and from external bodies. Questions that cannot be answered or data that cannot be supported is a red flag that should not be ignored.
Review the financial systems within your MAT to ensure that there are appropriate checks in place to act as an ‘early warning’ system. An external audit report should not be the first time that you learn about financial issues within your MAT.
Assess the value of the MAT central team in terms of the capacity that they add to the schools and whether the relationships between the financial team and local school leaders enables sound financial management.
Consider how the finance function integrates with other areas across the MAT including school development planning, curriculum planning, staffing strategy and capital expenditure. A financial team that works within a silo cannot be effective.
In the world of Academies, GAG pooling is seen as something of a taboo. Though it first featured in the Academies Financial Handbook in 2013, it has been until recently, largely ignored.
With the increasing financial pressures on the sector and the depletion of resources throughout the system, it has steadily risen to the top of the agenda.
The DfE, the ESFA and numerous financial experts all cite the process of GAG pooling as a way to further increase efficiencies and improve the effectiveness of MATs.
“To enable financial governance to continue to improve it is essential that MATs become more centralised. This will, in turn, facilitate GAG pooling which will enable MATs to ‘look after‘ the financially weakest schools in the system.”
“I would like to share more widely across the audit sector several key points that will help boards govern more effectively and make best use of the freedoms they have. We are aware that a substantial proportion of trusts are still hesitant about implementing some of the freedoms and mechanisms to enable this.”
He encourages auditors to discuss these freedoms with their clients; GAG pooling being at the top of the list.
He said:
“This is one of the greatest freedoms a MAT has. The opportunity to pool GAG is particularly valuable, in particular, to simplify the provision of support to weaker schools in a MAT until they can grow their pupil numbers. It is worth remembering that a MAT is a single financial entity.”
Interestingly, out of the 350 Trusts represented in the Kreston report, only 3 are currently GAG pooling. In the opinion of Kreston, it is clear that ‘there is something holding the sector back’.
There’s no doubt that moving to a GAG pooling model requires a significant shift in both the mindset of leadership and governance and the culture, systems and processes of the organisation.
But with approximately 50% of MATs showing an in-year deficit, an increasing number of MATs having a cumulative deficit and continually depleting reserves sector-wide, why are so many MATs reluctant to GAG pool?
The Kreston report states that MATs said they were not GAG pooling because:
The politics were challenging (SLT, Trustees, LGBs) 46%
Financial position 22%
It was too difficult to implement 14%
They will do it or are seriously considering it 5%
Other reason 13%
The issues surrounding the ‘politics’ of GAG pooling include:
The belief that school-level funding allocations are for the benefit of the students in a specific school and therefore should not be redistributed
The concern that the deployment of resources from a central perspective would disadvantage individual schools and students
The reduction in the autonomy of schools, Headteachers and Local Governing Bodies
If the financial landscape was rosier, it’s clear that GAG pooling would remain an overlooked clause hidden in the depths of the Academies Financial Handbook. But with the financial future of the sector looking increasingly bleak, MATs may find themselves having to grasp this nettle.
If you’re open-minded to the concept or are actively considering GAG pooling and you’re wondering how best to approach it, then I’ve put together a list of frequently asked questions to help you navigate this largely uncharted territory.
What options do we have in relation to GAG pooling?
Receiving all school funding centrally and allocating resources to individual schools and to the centre (removing the need to top-slice a ‘management fee’)
Allowing school allocations to continue at a local level but pool reserves and other specified incomes streams (whilst continuing to top slice a ‘management fee’)
In addition to the top sliced ‘management fee’, top slice an additional specified amount for central reserves/contingency
Increase the percentage of the management fee and from this, create a centralised reserve
How could we use these pooled funds?
Again, it depends on where the money comes from, how much of it is pooled and the overarching strategy of the MAT. Outside of school allocation, (however this is determined), the money can be used for:
Supporting the financially weaker schools in the MAT
Creating a contingency for cashflow, unforeseen emergency costs, building maintenance, ICT replenishment etc.
Increasing central resource and achieve efficiency savings MAT-wide (through centralisation and procurement)
Funding projects cross-MAT to support improvement and build capacity
In what situation would GAG pooling be most effective?
If there are clear inequities across your schools funding with surpluses and reserves varying to the extreme, you can argue a case for GAG pooling. The ESFA, though it monitors individual school performance, is more interested in the overall financial sustainability of the MAT as a whole. GAG pooling is one way to secure that. For financially vulnerable schools, joining a MAT should provide them with adequate protection rather than expose them to further threat.
If all of the schools in the MAT are running close to the red line, then you could argue that pooling these funds would not achieve much at all; like shifting the deck chairs around on the Titanic. If your central budget is not capable of generating surpluses either, then your MAT will likely need to consider a more drastic approach to bring things back into line and secure sustainability.
But redistributing funds away from the schools it was intended for is not right!
You could argue that having a ‘management fee’ does exactly the same thing as GAG pooling but is simply called something different. When you look at the size of or uses of the ‘management fee’ in some MATs, it could be said that they are GAG pooling already, with some reserves and contingencies sitting centrally. The difference with this is that the route to challenge and scrutiny by the schools is stronger and more defined in terms of quantifying the value for money provided by the MAT. In fact, I worked with a Head recently who said they felt the management fee that they paid their MAT was too low and they would gladly pay more to enable the MAT to do more for them.
If the MAT has a large amount of cash sitting in the bank but ‘cannot’ use it, it will merely be an onlooker as one or more of its financially weaker schools fail; thus negligent in its financial stewardship. In these cases, if the sole purpose of GAG pooling is to secure long-term financial sustainability of the MAT, then GAG pooling in some form should be a no-brainer.
So how do we reconcile the inequity that GAG pooling creates in the schools that are financially effective?
MATs need to decide how committed they are to GAG pooling and whether they are in it for the long term. Depending on the level of need and ‘pooling’ that needs to be done, MATs might consider some form of internal loan and repayment system to overcome short-term difficulties. If the GAG pooling mechanism is being used as a means to secure sustainability in the short term – either until funding becomes adequate, pupil numbers increase, or further local efficiencies can be achieved – then the MAT can account for the internal redistribution and repayment of funds. This mitigates the perspective of schools ‘losing’ or ‘giving away’ their reserves and being ‘penalised’ for their financial efficiencies. This option should be considered carefully, taking into account context, the level of need, the financial position and the long-term goals of the MAT. GAG pooling in any form needs to be articulated clearly in relevant MAT policies including the Reserves Policy.
What if there are other reasons that we need to use the reserves/pooled resources?
Implementing a transparent system around the management of these reserves is essential. If your MAT is pooling reserves to secure tighter financial control, it should implement a process whereby schools can apply for funds as and when they need it. The MAT should ensure that the criteria for decisions taken and the prioritisation of expenditure are clear so that no school feels like it has been unfairly treated. The Academies Financial Handbook states that an appeals process for such circumstances be articulated clearly in MAT policies. My advice is that the more specific you are around the allocation of pooled resource, the less chance there is that complications will arise further down the line. Ambiguity fosters distrust. If the MAT doesn’t have a robust process for managing GAG pooled resource and cannot justify its expenditure decisions, then appeals may be lost and the impact on the relationships within and the culture of the MAT may be devastating.
What about the National Funding Formula?
If the National Funding Formula achieves its goal to balance funding across UK schools, then this will ‘iron out’ any imbalance that the GAG pooling process is designed to achieve – thus making GAG pooling, at least at its extreme, redundant. Instead, the focus will shift back to the ‘management fee’ and value for money of the MAT.
Our MAT isn’t in financial difficulty – should we still consider GAG pooling?
If your MAT is in a sound financial position but determines that it could add more value if it had more control over its funds, then this is where GAG pooling becomes particularly contentious; especially if you’re opting for Option 1 – total control over school allocation. In effect, it means that your MAT is saying that it will override the methodology of the funding formula and all its component parts and determine itself how much money each school needs – in other words, ‘acting like a Local Authority’ (Robert Hill). This is where the argument in relation to the autonomy of Headteachers and Governing Bodies grows strong. If a MAT opts for this type of GAG pooling, it indicates a significant shift in culture, operation and autonomy beyond what is currently common in the sector. These ripple effects will impact on the role of the Head, the management of the schools and the way in which the Scheme of Delegation operates.
Before going down this path, the Trustees and central team need to be clear about what they are trying to achieve and whether GAG pooling is really the best way to do it.
Our MAT is looking to grow – should we be looking at GAG pooling?
Much of your decision making in relation to GAG pooling will depend on the points made above. However, growth does pose both financial opportunities and threats to a MAT. If your MAT is looking to grow, GAG pooling is just one piece of the puzzle and should be considered in relation to the context, strategy and objectives of your MAT both in its current and future state.
For those MATs who are looking to grow or are already in a growth phase, download my Guidance for Growth Tool, written for Capita SIMS, to enable you to articulate your vision for growth, test and risk-assess your strategy and identify actions to implement your strategy successfully. Just click the image below:
So how do we move forward?
In summary, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to GAG pooling. You’ll need to assess the current position of your MAT and identify your long-term challenges, priorities and goals to see if it is the right path for you.
For additional advice in relation to GAG pooling, get in touch with your auditors who will be able to provide you with bespoke, detailed guidance and support.
Monthly management accounts are the most useful financial tool a Headteacher has at their disposal. However, when presented with a spreadsheet full of numbers, for some, it can be difficult to know where to start or what questions they should be asking their Business Manager. Here are the top five things that you should be digging into each month:
1. Analysing monthly performance
Your management accounts should clearly state your actual expenditure for that period (month) against the forecasted expenditure for the month. The forecasted expenditure is usually the annual budget distributed evenly across twelve months. By comparing this information, you should know if you are behind, on track or ahead of budget. You should know whether a variance is planned (i.e. an annual invoice) or if there is an issue that requires monitoring (i.e. an unplanned overspend). Your SBM should provide you with details on any significant variances for the month and outline any mitigating action if required.
2. Analysing year-to-date performance against budget
Looking at the year to date expenditure against the full year budget can indicate if any significant issues require attention. Quality management accounts provide a full-year forecast based on year to date expenditure which is based on the assumption that current spending patterns will continue. This data highlights how any overspend may impact your planned year-end position and also flag up cost centres that require additional control or are indicating significant underspend. An in-year budget reforecast based on this information is considered good practice and should be undertaken by your SBM in consultation with yourself and governing body or MAT.
3. Reviewing staffing and agency costs
Depending on the structure of your management accounts, your core staffing and agency costs may be lumped together. Ensure that you receive expenditure, forecast and budget figures for these areas separately to gain a concise picture of staff costings. Ask your SBM to further break down agency costs into vacancy cover, sickness cover, planned absence and training cover. This way you will gain further insight into your agency costs and whether any overspend can be offset against any underspend in areas of your staffing costs or whether you are heading for an overspend.
4. Track key expenditure lines
Ensure that income and expenditure lines for areas such as catering, uniform and school trips are accurate and regularly reviewed to determine whether there is a profit or loss in these areas. Ensure that any loss is forecasted and factored into the bottom line. Also ensure that if any expenditure is to be recharged to departments or teams (i.e. reprographics, hospitality, stationery) that this is undertaken on a regular basis and that department expenditure is reviewed and communicated with Heads of Department.
5. Reviewing planned expenditure for the year
Odds are that since you set the budget, you’ve had to purchase some items that you hadn’t planned for, or needed to pay some unforeseen maintenance costs. Sit down with your SBM and make sure that your planned budget is still realistic, and determine whether any of your plans need to change to accommodate your financial position.
There are few things more nerve-wracking than attending an interview.
We worry about what we should wear, what time we need to leave at, what questions we might be asked and whether the other candidates will be better than us. But in all honesty, once we set foot through those doors what happens next is anybody’s guess.
The only thing that we can focus on is how we perform, how we come across and doing the best that we can to convince the panel that we are the person that they’re looking for.
If you’ve not had an interview in a long time or you’re preparing for one right now and want to make sure you’ve got your bases covered, then this blog post is for you.
As an experienced interviewer, I’m going to share with you some of the things that I look for and have trained other interviewers to look for outside of the 45 minutes that you’re sat in front of the panel.
Whilst some of these might seem like small things, put them together and they add up to either a good impression or a bad impression. Sure, you want to be a memorable candidate but make sure that it’s for the right reasons!
1. Presentation
Beyond the obvious, in terms of whether you’ve dressed appropriately for the day, we’re going to be checking out your body language. We’re going to be looking for whether you make eye contact with us when you introduce yourself, whether you smile and whether you’re giving off good energy. No, I’m not going woo-woo on you! I mean, are you presenting as someone that’s happy to be here? Good recruiters don’t judge people for being nervous, but they will be able to tell if you’re positively engaged in the process the moment that they meet you. Show them you’re invested in the opportunity or they will feel you are wasting their time.
True story…
Unsurprisingly, the worst impressions I’ve had of candidates have been within the first 30 seconds. I’ve seen them slouched on chairs, had them chatting away on their phone and refusing to hang up and even ignore me completely to watch what was going on behind me as I introduced myself. As a recruiter, it’s difficult to shake these first impressions and it means that these candidates have to work a lot harder throughout the day to recover from this, even if they don’t know it.
2. Preparation
Candidates who’ve done their homework and ask insightful questions make an impact. Those who make reference to our organisation when they answer questions during their interview impress us. So do candidates who bring along everything that we’ve asked them to; identification, qualifications etc. By doing your research and providing any additional information we need you show that you are prepared, that you’re well informed and that you pay attention to detail.
True story…
I’ve had candidates who have not only arrived late but have then gone to great lengths to bemoan their commute. They’d say things like ‘wow, I didn’t realise it was this far away’. It might seem obvious to most of us, but they clearly didn’t check out our location or Google Map their route beforehand. Any candidate who said this basically told me that they were already having doubts about working for us and made me wonder that if they did accept the job, how long they would stay.
3. Attitude
What we don’t openly tell you (but you should assume) is that we’re watching you for the entire time that you’re in the building. Ok, maybe not the entire time – you’re safe in the toilet – but everywhere else, you’re under observation. It’s important that you treat everybody that you come across as a potential interviewer. Ensure that your behaviour and attitude throughout the day is consistent with how you present to the panel.
True story…
I’ve had candidates be rude to the Receptionist, throw a tantrum at the ICT Technician who was trying to help them log on to a laptop and even talk openly on the phone, negatively, about the interview day. The panel got to hear about it and of course, they took this into consideration during their deliberation.
Why these things are important…
All these things are hard to measure, and they’re not covered in the person specification. But when it comes to looking beyond what can be measured, we’re going to start considering who would be a good fit in our organisation. How you conduct yourself throughout the day shows a lot about the type of person you are and what your values are. As recruiters, if we’re stuck between two candidates who have performed equally well, we’re ultimately going to pick the candidate who we feel can not only work with us best but also represent us and what we stand for.
With all the above being said, I don’t want you to think that if you’ve forgotten your ID you’ve blown it. Or if you’ve had to take a call from your boiler repairman at an inconvenient time that we’re going to write you off. How you manage any hiccups throughout the day also tells us a lot about you. So be open, be honest and be professional.
One final thing that you should remember is that you are interviewing us too. If you show up for an interview and you’re greeted by someone who doesn’t make you feel welcome, if staff are rude to you or if the day is completely chaotic, this will tell you a lot about how the organisation operates and will give you an insight about what it would be like to work there. Again, issues crop up – printers don’t work, a panel member might have been replaced at the last minute or a meeting room might have been double-booked. Watch how we handle it and you will learn a lot about us too!
In all the roles I’ve had in education in the last decade, I’ve led on recruitment. I’ve recruited Executive Leaders, Headteachers, Senior Leaders, Support Staff and temporary staff.
Whilst the roles and job descriptions vary, the application process does not. I must have read thousands of application forms over the years and whilst some have been amazing and even a pleasure to read, many have had me banging my head off the desk.
If you’re considering applying for a new job or are in the process of writing an application, then this blog post is for you.
Here are my top 7 tips for writing a quality application. By taking note of these, not only will you increase your chances of getting an interview, you will also help those who manage recruitment in schools and MATs stay sane!
1. Do your research
Before you start writing your application, ensure that you:
Read the advert, job description and person specification carefully and thoroughly
Look at the website to learn more about the organisation
Research the structure of the organisation and the governance arrangements
Check the latest Ofsted report and performance tables
Google the name of the organisation (and its leader) and see what comes up
Research the community they serve as well as their partnerships, collaborations and affiliations with other stakeholders
All of the above will help you to understand the organisation you’re applying to work for as well as where your role fits in the broader picture.
2. Arrange a visit
Visit the organisation before you submit your application. This is especially important for leadership roles. It may save you time in the long run and you will learn so much. Before your visit, make sure you use your research to draft some questions to ask when you’re there. The aim of a visit is to find out more about the organisation as well as see what it’s like in action. Is it somewhere you can see yourself working? What are the people like? How does it feel? If you don’t like it, you’ve not wasted your time writing an application. If you do like it, the insights you gain will help you to write a stronger application. Win-win!
3. Do exactly what you’re asked to do
Wherever there is a box on an application form, always write something in it; even if it’s N/A. It shows that you’ve read the form thoroughly and it doesn’t leave recruiters wondering if you left a box blank accidentally. If they ask for online applications, submit it online – don’t post it. If they specify a format for an answer, use it. If they ask you to keep your answers to a specific length, do it. By completing the application correctly, you’ll not only demonstrate your ability to follow instructions but also the recruiter will be very grateful!
4. Personalise it
Filling out applications is time-consuming. The education sector does not do enough to make it easy to apply for jobs, especially if you are applying for multiple jobs simultaneously. This is why you need to be savvy in terms of personalisation and structure. All recruiters have to judge you on at this stage, is what you write on that application so, as small as these things may seem, they matter a lot. Recruiters will make a judgement about you if you address your application to the wrong person or leave in references to the last organisation you applied to. When recruiters read your application, you want them to feel that you’re invested in getting this job, not just a job. It’s harsh but it’s true; if you slip up on this one or you write an application that is clearly copied and pasted (they can tell), then you could be bumped down the shortlist.
5. Structure it
Recruiters learn the most about applicants from their ‘personal statement’. The first few pages of the form are to check that you meet the basic requirements in relation to education, qualifications and suitability. The personal statement is what truly differentiates you as a candidate and can be the difference between your application being selected or tossed to the side.
Make sure that your personal statement:
Outlines your knowledge, skills and experience in a way that directly relates to the role and person specification – before you start writing, map out the criteria and write some bullet points for each area to ensure that you don’t miss anything
Is written in a way that is easy for recruiters to tick off the criteria listed in the person specification – they don’t want to spend time hunting through pages and pages of narrative. They shouldn’t have to try to figure out whether what you’re saying matches the person they are looking for. You should make it abundantly clear. (Also, if you structure your personal statement carefully, you’ll find it easier to personalise and edit it for other applications)
References your experience explicitly and specifically – some applicants think that it is enough to say that they meet the criteria without demonstrating how, or fill the page with broad, vague statements. Be specific about what you’ve done, how you did it and what impact you had so there is no room to question your expertise or credibility as a candidate.
Uses your research to best effect – whilst maintaining your focus on the role you’re applying for, look for ways to incorporate other skills and experience that may be relevant but not explicitly referenced on the person specification. If you know that literacy is an issue and you have previously led a successful reading initiative, then talk about it. If you know that finance is an issue and you’ve got experience in bid writing or fundraising, talk about that too. This attention to detail and ‘marrying’ of your skillset with their needs will help to set you apart from other candidates and make you more memorable. Just be mindful not to get too carried away or stray too far from the core role.
6. Express yourself appropriately
When we read personal statements, we want to get a feel for what you’re like as a person. But remember, there is a fine line between showing personality and showcasing yourself like you’re on a shopping channel. Keep adjectives to a minimum, don’t use slang and don’t go off on a tangent. Be enthusiastic, confident and specific. It can be tempting to throw everything at it but hold something back for the interview. You want recruiters to read your application and see not only that you are appropriately qualified and experienced but that you’re an interesting person that they’d like to find out more about.
7. Proofread it
Recruitment season gets crazy I know, but try and give yourself at least enough time to write your application and put it away overnight before proofreading and editing. When you stare at something for too long, you lose your objectivity and typos, missing words and rogue capitalisation can slip past you. Read your application out loud to yourself – maybe even record yourself reading it. This way, you can catch any awkward sentence structures and disjointed statements. If you feel comfortable and you have time, ask someone else to proofread it for you, not only to make sure you haven’t missed anything obvious but also to give you some objective feedback.
Choosing the right coach for you is an important process.
If you subscribe to my e-mails or you’ve read my other blog posts, you’ll know that I’m a big advocate of coaching.
I’ve seen first-hand the difference that coaching can make in terms of improving mind-set, increasing confidence and setting and meeting goals. It really can be a transformative experience both professionally and personally.
One of the first questions that I get asked when I recommend coaching is…
How do I find a coach?
Quickly followed by…
How do I choose a coach?
Choosing the right coach is a critical step to achieving success through a coaching programme. It can be an intense process and whilst there are many factors in play, the relationship that you have with your coach is essential to you being able to engage, progress and succeed.
Here are my top tips on how you can choose the best coach for you:
Reflect
Before you start the process of choosing a coach, you need to spend some time thinking about what it is that you want to achieve from the coaching process. Ask yourself:
Where am I right now?
Where do I want to be?
What difficulties am I currently experiencing?
What do I want coaching to help me achieve?
What do I want from my coach?
What style of coaching would I respond best to?
Am I actually ready to commit to the coaching process?
If you’re not able to fully answer these questions, don’t worry. A good coach will work through this with you when you get started but if you at least have an idea of what you’re looking for (or what you’re not looking for), it will make the selection process a lot easier.
Research
There are lots of ways to source a coach – word of mouth, online, through professional networks etc. However, once you’ve got some names, it’s time to dig a little deeper.
Look at their LinkedIn page, website and/or blog if they have one and see how they describe their services, who they work with and how they articulate their offer
Look at their social media feeds and see what type of content they’re putting out there
Look at their testimonials and client feedback to find out what other people are saying about them
Look into their background, what sectors they have worked in, what sectors they work in currently, what type of coaching they offer and whether they understand your sector and your challenges (if that’s important to you)
Look at all of the above as a whole and determine what feeling you get overall; how do they come across, is this someone that you can see yourself working with? Do you believe that they can help you in your current situation?
By doing some due diligence, you’ll quickly be able to draw up a short-list of potential leads to follow up.
Interview
Never start working with a coach until you have had some form of contact with them, ideally face-to-face or over the phone. You are the client. You can and should ask as many questions as you feel you need to. Good coaches not only ask questions of you but are also keen for you to ask questions of them to ensure that you feel as comfortable as possible. Questions you should consider asking are:
What type of clients do you work with?
What type of clients do you prefer not to work with?
What kind of issues do you help people to overcome?
What is your approach to coaching? What is your style?
What can I expect from you as my coach?
How many sessions are typical for the type of issue that I have?
How are the sessions structured?
How frequent and how long will the sessions be?
Do I need to do anything to prepare for the sessions or after the sessions?
How much will it cost?
If you’ve not been able to find out something that you really wanted to know from your research i.e. specifics about their background, ask about this as well.
Once you’ve finished your telephone call, hang up the phone and sit for a minute. Consider how you feel immediately after talking to them. Are you encouraged, inspired, uplifted? Did they make you feel comfortable? Do you feel like they ‘got’ you?
All of these things are important to consider when it comes to reaching a final decision.
Agreement
When you’ve reached a point where you’re ready to select your coach, make sure that you have a written agreement in place with them before you get started.
This should:
Identify the specific goals that you’re working towards or areas that you’re going to focus on
Outline the agreement you’ve made in relation to the number, length and cost of sessions
Articulate clearly the expectations of the coaching process, of yourself as the ‘coachee’ and of them as the coach
Outline other relevant areas such as payment terms, contact protocols, confidentiality and data protection
Having a clear framework to refer to throughout the coaching process will help you to stay on track and ensure that you’re getting what you need from the process.
Choosing a coach to work with to support your professional development is both a big step and an important decision. Whatever decision you make, make sure it’s well informed and that it’s right for you and where you’re at right now.
In terms of hard data, your pupil numbers, curriculum model and financial bottom line provide you with more than a firm steer towards what your staffing structure should look like.
Whether you need to undertake a full restructure or simply make a few tweaks, your staffing structure is the nerve centre of your school and it requires almost constant attention.
The truth is, schools are always in the process of restructuring their staff – but by doing it with a long enough lead time, it becomes a change management process rather than a wholesale HR operation to be completed in a half term.
In the current climate of continuous change:
How do you make sure that not only is your staffing structure value for money but also fit for purpose?
How do you make sure that good on paper is good in practice?
Below is a three-phase self-evaluation tool designed to help you achieve just that.
Phase 1: Determination – Where do you need to be and what might stop you getting there?
It’s essential to determine your ‘destination’ before you set off on this journey or you are risking the wheels coming off along the way.
Curriculum led financial planning and benchmarking are key cornerstones of school budget management but other factors need to be taken into account before you start reshaping your staffing structure.
It’s easy to delete lines from spreadsheets and merge classes in SIMs but when it comes to dealing with people, assessing, evaluating and implementing the changes you need to make isn’t as straightforward.
Considering the current context, wider picture and long-term goals of your school is the starting point of any staffing review.
Ask yourself:
Is our vision, mission and strategic plan reflective of what needs to be done and where we need to get to?
Are there any external threats to our organisation that need mitigating?
Could upcoming legislation changes impact our capacity or hinder progress towards our objectives?
How can we ensure that accountability lines remain clear in the face of upcoming change?
How can we protect the continuity of operation and facilitate knowledge sharing to mitigate the impact of turnover?
What skills are we lacking that we’re going to need over the next year?
What knowledge do governors need and what role should they have in relation to any changes that we need to make to our staffing structure?
Phase 2: Assessment – What do you already have, what else do you need and how can you fill the gaps?
Determining your destination will almost certainly have flagged a number of issues that need your attention.
Recruitment or redundancy is often seen as the obvious way forward but both options can prove costly and therefore should only be undertaken if all other angles have been explored. It’s at this stage where marrying together as much as possible the ambitions of your staff and the ambitions of the organisation can really bear fruit.
The more you know about your staff and where you need to be – and the sooner you know it – the better you will be able to implement the changes you need to make. It may even be the case that upon assessing your current position, you re-evaluate your final destination.
The future is not predetermined so go through as many draft versions as you need to.
Ask yourself:
Do we have accurate and up to date information about our staff in terms of pay scales, job descriptions and skillsets?
Are the jobs being done across the school being done by the right people?
Are all the jobs being done needed to be done? Can they be done a better way?
Do we have capacity and is it in the right place?
Would a review of job descriptions, an investment in CPD and appropriate remuneration mitigate the need to recruit and secure best value from existing staff?
How can appraisal inform our thinking in terms of skills and talent management?
Could leadership roles be redefined across the school to reduce head count and cost but also foster talent management and create new progression pathways?
What impact will these changes have on our support staff and operational capacity?
Would a service level agreement or local collaboration be a preferable option?
If we need to recruit, what terms and conditions will suit both the role and need of the organisation best?
Phase 3: Evaluation – What risks come with your proposed strategy and how are you going to communicate it?
When it comes to staffing, there’s always going to be a curve ball that you didn’t account for. A maternity leave, a resignation or a long-term illness.
This phase is about both testing and safeguarding your strategy in as many ways as you can. Determine if this is a process that can be managed over time or if it needs to be implemented quickly.
Ask yourself ‘what if’. Think of your Head of English, Business Manager, Deputy Head and your Union representatives and what they could say about your plan. Think about would worry them, what would make them anxious and what questions they might have. Now think about what answers you would give them.
Ask yourself:
Will our proposal achieve for us what we need it to?
Are the reasons we have decided to make changes to our staffing structure sound and objective?
Are there any factors that are non-negotiable?
What are the main risks with the changes we are proposing and is our risk management process robust enough?
Have we truly exhausted other options and are we able to justify our decisions?
What is the best way to communicate these changes?
How can we include feedback from stakeholders in a meaningful way?
How can we be sure to demonstrate fairness and transparency throughout change implementation?
Top Tips
Beware the ripple effect– one seemingly small change can create a lot of problems. Don’t assume anything and always think at least two steps outside of the immediate ‘impact zone’ when it comes to adding, removing or changing any roles.
Have a contingency– don’t hang your strategy on one person or one plan. Have an alphabetised file of back up plans. ‘Just in case’ never hurt anybody!
Don’t be held hostage – if you do end up caught out, negotiate on your own terms. Don’t get panicked into a ‘knee jerk’ – and likely costly – response. Remember that hostage situations can be negotiated.
Consider intelligence, not just evidence– do your homework. Don’t just rely on hard data. Triangulate your knowledge with numerous sources before committing to anything.
You don’t need to be a mystic, just be aware– it’s not just about planning for the future; you can only plan so far after all and as we’ve said, the unexpected can and usually does happen. It’s how often you review your plan that enables you to be agile when you find yourself on shifting sands.
