Getting value for money

Does your institution have the funds it needs? Have you found ways to make your budget go further?

Regardless of the pressures the national funding settlement will bring upon schools, all ASCL members realise the importance of spending money thoughtfully, with clear links to development plan priorities, which themselves are likely to be linked to improvement. And, although the Government may call it 'efficiency savings', we all know that budgets are being squeezed in schools and colleges.

Therefore, starting in the next issue of Leader, we would like to provide a regular selection of tips for saving money, ensuring value for money, or improving efficiency in some way.

Do you have ideas you would be prepared to share? Many members may already have implemented some straightforward initiatives, such as network automatic close-down, shopping round for electricity and gas supplies, costing the timetable and knowing the break-even size of an A level group.

But what about using the MIS creatively to save staff time, or looking at information flow and simplifying systems? How do you manage CPD without huge cover costs and the attendant disruption to learning? Has anyone found effective ways of increasing the field of applicants for key posts?

If you are happy to share ideas, however big or small, please email leader@ascl.org.uk with your idea, in a maximum of 200 words, and we will select a range to appear in the next issue.