Over the last term we have established a Finance Advisory and Scrutiny Group. This group is made up of Headteachers (4), myself, our strategic business manager, rep’ from finance, Manager Teaching and Learning, Manager Inclusion and Equality, Admin’ support rep, teaching unions rep’ and a parental rep’.

The function of the group is to do “exactly what is says on the tin” – scrutinise budgets and provide advice , by identifying where money comes from and how it is allocated to all the budget headings for the department.  Given that we are talking about a budget of 71 million GBP this is no small matter. The group has met on four occasions to date and is still trying to get to grips with understanding all the various budget streams and budget headings. I think there’s always some doubt in people’s minds about whether or not all the funding that should be going to education is actually finding its way to support that function.

The group asks some very challenging questions but their role in helping to provide a very clear strategic steer for how budgets should be allocated over the next few years has already proved invaluable.