Primary School Management

[Keef]

I have only just seen the locked thread, and whilst I understand why that particular thread was locked, it does raise some interesting points for general disscussion.

Scruffy Mummy Wrote:

> At the end of the day, don't all the schools face

> the same budgetary restrictions or cuts?? So if

> there is a budget problem facing one school,

> surely other schools in the area are?

Mrs Keef is a primary teacher, and just had a terrible experience in a school in South Norwood. A big problem with schools, and from what I can gather, especially primary schools, is that unlike any other local authority service, they are very much self managed, which means the budgets are more or less controlled by the head.

In this school, the head was obviously mismanaging, and spending a load on some useless resourse, and not leaving anything for staffing. This meant very very little TA support for the teachers 2 mornings a week in a class of 30 with 9 special needs kids), and a general nightmare for all involved.

Mrs Keef gave up her job there at Christmas, and very nearly turned her back on teaching all together. However, since then she's done some supply and realised again how much better a well managed school is. Seriously, it is worrying how much control a head has over all aspects of the schools running! It is also very very worrying that in that borough (Croydon), only 25 kids would be statemented each year throughout the entire borough!!!! To me, that must be breaking several laws and legislation!

So, whilst each school may be given more or less the same budgets, the way they are spent can vary greatly!

Just thought this might be an interesting discussion.

[Keef]

Keef Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Just thought this might be an interesting discussion.

Or not... :-S

[SeanMacGabhann]

Nope - It is interesting but I haven't anything to add to what I said in the other thread at the mo

Although I can imagine if a head had less control over a school budget, and it started to struggle, people would say the head's hands are tied and they should be given more control

It's a minefield really

[SeanMacGabhann]

OOoooh - and another thing - by the time you get to series 4 of THAT US SERIES I KEEP TALKING ABOUT, the who series foucuses on the education system in inner cities - ie Baltimore. Very very good stuff it is too

[lozzyloz]

Maybe the issue is the quality of the head teacher.

[Keef]

Undoubtedly!

However, like in many other things suck as health and social services, managers / heads will all too often be hired not because they will be a great leader, and develop services, and care for their staff. No, they will be hired to control budgets and save where they can.

[lozzyloz]

Unfortunately it's rare to find good managers that can lead, teach, manage AND do budgets. I've seen people who are excellent at their job and then promoted into a management role and commit career suicide because they didn't have the skills needed to manage effectively.

[Keef]

Yeah, my current manager is exactly what you just described, and has now decided to leave and go back to doing what I do in another borough... Don't blame him at all, except HE WENT FOR THE JOB THAT I WANTED!!!!!!!!:X

You are exactly right though, which surely suggests that heads shouldn't be responsible for all the budgets, so they can just get on with running th school!

[Bellenden Belle]

Actually while the buck can stop with the headteacher, actually what needs examining are the School Governors, to whom the headteacher reports. Some governors are very experienced; very hands-on - others rely entirely on the headteacher.

A similar situation occurs in the charity field - in which I work - a good board can bring skills, expertise and demand transparency - a weak board can let charity directors do what they like - I have seen both.

[Fuschia]

If a school had to depend on outside authorities to plan its spending, it wouldn't actually have any resources with which to carry out its plans.