First Principles

1. Media TrainingAmy Leonard(Director, Denford Associates)andCeri Evans(Director, Gelert Associates)

2. First Principles • High Level Narrative • Your story; who you are, what you are trying to achieve • Core and Key Messages • Core Messages: stand the test of time, touchstones to return to • Key Messages: topic specific • Develop a Core Script for all key personnel • Spokesperson • One consistent voice: the go-to person • Advocates • Local supporters • Helps balance “you would say that, wouldn’t you...?”

3. Golden Rules • Be available - always take the call • Never say “no comment” • Respond quickly – no hanging charges • Don’t lie, exaggerate or get drawn into a subject you don’t know • Don’t believe those who say it doesn’t matter – press coverage is not just tomorrow’s chip paper (JGI!)

4. Communication and Engagement Paul Allen

5. Communication and Engagement • Community • Engagement Tools • Communication • Common Errors • Sharing

6. What is a Community? • What or who makes up your • community? • Know it, measure it, map it and • mark it • RSA Connected Communities

7. Horses for Courses • Make no assumptions • “You can’t handle the truth!” • Buddy up • Focus and impact

8. Feedback and Challenge • A vacuum will be filled • Timely and accurate

9. Where did it all go wrong? • What common errors do we • make?

10. Real Life Examples • What are your current • challenges?

11. Effective messaging Fiona Bulmer

12. Developing effective messages • Targeting • Timing • Tone

13. Who is your audience? • Parents • Students • Local authority • Officers • Councillors • Media • Residents • The opposition

14. Getting the content right • Decide what you want to say • Tailor to the audience • Tell them what you want them to do • Register • Support • Respond to a consultation • Keep it simple • Repetition, repetition, repetition • Proofread

15. Delivering messages • Adapt the message to the channel • Always have material to give people • Old fashioned communications still work • Letters • Leaflets • And remember nobody watches videos

16. Effective messaging?

17. Effective messaging?

18. Welcome to partnering with AstraZeneca Improving health is one of the toughest challenges facing society today. As a global pure-play biopharmaceutical company, AstraZeneca has a key contribution to make by providing innovative medicines for some of the world’s most serious diseases. Why partnering is important to us We cannot meet all the challenges alone. Driven by our philosophy that health connects us all, we believe that by forming synergistic partnerships, we will be more successful in delivering the medicines that people really need and value. What we offer partners We bring a broad range of skills and resources to every partnership including:leading discovery, development, and commercialisation capabilities that are global in nature and coupled with local experience and knowledge. Our partnering process We are committed to working with our collaborators to create tailored partnerships that are structured to best achieve our mutual goals. Talk to us If you would like to begin a discussion about partnering, we look forward to talking and starting the process Effective messaging?

19. Effective Messaging? We secured a new supplier for the Highways Agency - saving £84 million

20. Effective procurement, better services The UK’s National Traffic Information Service (NTIS) provides travel information to over 10 million road users and helps the Highways Agency reduce congestion. In 2010, the ten-year contract for the provision of this information was nearing expiry and the Highways Agency wanted to secure a better service and reduce costs. [ The context ] They asked [ ] to help them procure the new service. We started by developing a tailored procurement strategy, including benchmarking and evaluation of suppliers. We facilitated their engagement with the full range of potential suppliers and then helped them to restructure the contract to accommodate budget reductions. We also ensured they gained the skills to run future procurements themselves. [What you offer] As a result of our work, the new contract delivered savings of 50% amounting to £84 million over its seven-year life. In addition, the new service is providing improved information that is helping to reduce congestion. [The result] To find out more about how we can improve your procurement process, contact……. [What we want you to do]

21. National Association of School Business Management William Simmonds FRSA HonFCoT Freeman Company of Educators

22. What is NASBM? The National Association of School Business Management is the UK’s leading association working exclusively on behalf of the school business management profession.  The Association was established to support the training, qualification and professional regulation of the role of school business managers.  The Association offers the profession an influential voice in national educational policy and continually strives to raise the profile of school business management. 

23. What our members say: • ‘The NASBM provide a good base for supporting school business managers and the organisation helps me to keep abreast of developments. I cannot think of any additional specific support that would deliver better value for money.’ • ‘I find the conferences to be really useful. The News Bulletin is helpful. I am participating in the MSc programme which in turn provides networking possibilities.’ • ‘I find NASBM extremely useful already. Their courses are good and give SBM’s across the country the chance to meet and share issues. Their News Bulletins are very informative.’

24. Online Support – NASBM Website • Latest news • Discussion Forum • Training Information • Calendar of Events • Approved Partners • Helpful Links • Document Library • National Awards • NASBM Conferences • http://www.nasbm.co.uk

25. NASBM Benefits • Provide immediate advice on changes in national policy • Fortnightly newsletters - keeping up to date with latest issues • Consultation on national initiatives • Sharing of best practice • Advice on CPD, training & development initiatives • Extensive support on individual school issues • Excellent online resources • Provide links to approved partners/companies • Access to SBM’s across the country for advise and networking • Provide Free legal advice to members

26. National Support Staff Awards • Nationally acclaimed awards • Raising the profile of support staff in schools • 10 Award categories • Judged by a National Panel • Awards Ceremony in London on 6th October 2012 • For further information please email training@nasbm.co.uk

27. Membership Costs The cost of standard membership per annum is: • £105 for Primary/Special • £155 for Secondary/Local Authority In most cases the membership is paid for by the school. If you join within 7 days of this meeting and Quote NASBM1210 on your membership form Primary/Special £87.50 Secondary/Local Authority £129.20

28. Ensuring financial oversight

29. Accountability • Accountability • Public Accounts Committee Report • Securing value for money • Local Authority and EFA responsibility for financial oversight • Is there weakness in the system? • Local Authorities cutting back • National Audit Office survey – reduced internal audit coverage of schools

30. Whose responsibility is it? • It is not mine! • The School Business Manager will become paramount as budgets reduce. • The SBM should be an integral part of the Leadership Team, as budgets reduce • Governors should expect the SBM to raise more money through sponsorship and available grants • Governors should encourage collaboration in purchasing with other schools

31. The New Competency Framework • There are six separate sections of the competency framework – in no particular order and of equal weighting

32. The Skills Table

33. Fraud in Schools • Does it occur? • Why and how does this happen? • Governing Bodies lack of financial expertise? • 25% of Local Authorities thought so, more so in the Primary sector • Lack of an accountability framework? • Lack of spontaneous checks?

34. Leasing • Recent leasing difficulties of some schools • Mainly supplier scams • Finance or Operating lease • NASBM lease checker – www.nasbm.co.uk • Lack of understanding of lease documentation • Deal or no deal?

35. Confused@ • School Financial Value Standard • Governors responsibilities • Finance competencies matrix, Governors and school staff • What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Governing Body? • Submission annually to Local Authority • Auditors to confirm agreement to the content of the SFVS

36. Types of Lease • From an accounting point of view there are only 2 forms of lease: • Finance Lease • Form of borrowing – 100% of capital repaid +interest • Usually funded over the equipment’s whole life • Operating Lease • Less than 100% of capital repaid, usually between 85% & 89.9% +interest • Must be funded over a maximum of the equipment’s prime life (not whole)

37. Operating Lease • Rentals paid by the school = • less than all the cost of the equipment Capital received by lessor under lease Less than cost of equipment paid Return the equipment or continue to use Residual Value Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 For a lease to qualify as an Operating Lease the term of the lease cannot be for longer than the PRIME life of the equipment. If a lease term is for the WHOLE life of the asset it will be a finance lease.

38. Buying ICT Goods and Services • ICT Services Framework – specifically designed to help schools, single Academies, school consortia, Academy Trusts and Free schools to purchase ICT equipment and services • Information Management & Learning Services Framework – a new framework. It is owned and managed by GPS, but has been developed using key educational input from DfE including NASBM Member School Business Managers

39. Benefits of using the DfE Frameworks • Suppliers with existing knowledge and experience of delivering educational solutions • Evaluated suppliers via an EU compliant competition process • Suppliers are quality assured • Limited risk exposure to customers • Suppliers have signed up to pre-determined contractual terms and conditions • Suppliers are subject to contract and management and reporting • Access to specialist advice and tender templates via DfE

40. NASBM/CIPFA training • Structures, Governance and standards • Education Funding streams • Financial Reporting for Schools and Academies • Risk Management • Economic appraisal and the business case • Budget Management and Control • Communication and presentation of figures • Fraud awareness

41. Success Success is not a destination – it is a journey Zig Ziglar