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School budget & expenditure
- Approving the budget: questions to ask (finance committee) Know what questions to ask school leaders when you're scrutinising the budget (including considerations as a result of coronavirus), so you cover all angles before passing the budget on to the full governing board for approval.
- Approving the budget: questions to ask (full board) Know what questions to ask your finance committee before you vote on the school budget (including considerations as a result of coronavirus), so you can be sure that the budget has been scrutinised properly.
- Coronavirus: additional funding for your schools Get up to speed on the current school finance landscape so you know what government support is available and what financial challenges your school might be facing.
- Efficient staffing budgets How can our school be more efficient with the staffing budget? The largest proportion of any school’s budget will be spent on staffing, so we look at how schools can achieve best value for money. We relay expert advice and refer to government guidance on how you might do this.
- Governors and trustees supplying schools with goods or services Find out how to manage conflicts of interest if you’re buying a governor's goods or services. If you're an academy trust, understand the rules around managing related party transactions.
- How to monitor and scrutinise the budget in finance committee meetings Find out what to do before your finance committee meetings and use our questions to help you scrutinise the budget throughout the year. It's a long read, but it'll help you go through your budget with a fine-tooth comb.
- Local governing bodies (LGB): how to monitor value for money Be clear on how you can go about monitoring value for money in your school if you’ve been delegated this responsibility.
- Local governing bodies: your role in school finance and budgets Get an idea of how you might be involved in school finance, like the budget setting process, regardless of how much delegated power you have.
- Pupil premium: spending UpdatedKnow what your role is in monitoring pupil premium spending, and get up to speed with the rules on what it should and shouldn't be spent on.
- Refusing to approve the school budget This is a serious decision. Understand the different situations where your governing board might refuse to approve the budget, and what you can do next if this happens.
- The budget approval process in maintained schools Find out how this process works so you're clear on the different steps and how you'll be involved.
- The budget approval process in MATs The budget approval process can vary from trust to trust. Use these examples to get an idea of what the process might look like in your multi-academy trust, where you could be involved and what you'd need to do.
- The budget approval process in single academies Get an idea of what your budget approval process might look like, so you're clear on when you're involved and what you need to do.