State of Education Report 2017 state-of-education-booklet-Final-WEB | Page 11

We can also expect less investment in teachers’ professional
development in nearly half (46%) of all schools, despite quality of
Beyond savings: income-generation and financial
efficiency in action
teaching being known to have the greatest impact on pupil outcomes 10 .
It remains to be seen whether these cuts can amount to the £1.7 billion While almost three-quarters (72%) of school leaders say they are
the DfE expects schools to save in workforce costs by 2019-20 . not confident in their school’s ability to generate additional income
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to combat budget pressures, many are adopting an entrepreneurial
Less investment in development and maintenance of premises is
spirit to source significant and much-needed extra money.
expected in nearly four in 10 (39%) schools that need to make savings,
and it seems that government plans to provide £216 million of extra We asked school leaders what solutions they are implementing, if any,
investment in improving existing buildings will not be enough. As to achieve greater financial efficiency or generate additional income.
the NAO reports , at least £6.7 billion is needed to restore all school More than four in 10 (42%) schools are letting their buildings and
buildings to a satisfactory condition. facilities – some are offering wrap-around and holiday childcare, for
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instance, or opening the swimming pool after hours. More than one in
Resourcing the curriculum is also
likely to prove difficult over the next
24 months, with only half (51%) of
school leaders feeling confident this
will be possible to do adequately.
Among schools that need to make
cuts, the budget for curriculum
resources is the second most likely
to see the biggest hit, behind
staffing, with 8% expecting to make
savings here. In some schools,
teachers are said to be “resourcing
lessons out of their own pockets”.
JOIN THE DEBATE
“Schools have to look
at themselves as
businesses, the leaders
as entrepreneurs who
think creatively about
what opportunities
they can capitalise on…
It’s amazing what you
can achieve with some
creativity and willpower.”
Stuart Pywell, Headteacher, St
Stephen’s Junior School
@THEKEYSL #STATEOFED
10 (13%) is building partnerships with local businesses, and a similar
proportion (10%) is setting up on-site nursery provision.
One school’s combined initiatives raise up to £300,000 a year, from
activities such as renting out the school hall almost every week-night
for anything from church groups to weddings, birthday parties or
language classes.
Many schools are also working together to achieve economies of scale:
nearly a quarter are sharing contra