Larraine Cooper The Larian Consultancy Limited Benchmarking Annual Chore Or Beneficial Strategic Tool?

1. Larraine Cooper The Larian Consultancy Limited Benchmarking Annual Chore Or Beneficial Strategic Tool? t: 01462 730532 e: larraine.cooper@larian-consultancy.co.uk

2. WHAT IS BENCHMARKING? • Part of the “business planning” process • Otherwise known as the School Development Planning • Process involves • Situation analysis phase • Business decisions phase

3. WHAT IS BENCHMARKING? • Situation analysis phase • Educational results as viewed by OFSTED and Leadership Team • Business results-an assessment of Value For Money based upon educational outcomes and costs • An understanding of current business risks

4. WHAT IS BENCHMARKING? • Business decisions phase • Identifying key strategic issues to address • Taking strategic decisions to adjust approaches and resource allocations • Directing the school forward over a 3- 5-year period to remain modern and fit for purpose in the medium term

5. WHAT CAN BENCHMARKING CAN TELL YOU? • Historical spend trends • Last year’s income/spend compared to other schools in your benchmarking set • As a percentage of the costing structure • As an amount per teacher • As an amount per pupil • Your education results in comparison to others in the cohort • This is also obtained on the school performance tables site

6. WHAT CAN BENCHMARKING CAN TELL YOU? • Taken together with education results and benchmarking it will tell you • Whether you are directing school resources to the key areas in your School Development Plan • Whether there has been medium to long term underinvestment in parts of your costing structure • Whether your staff are more costly than your comparators and, if they are, whether they are adding educational value commensurate with their cost

7. WHAT CAN BENCHMARKING CAN TELL YOU? • Sometimes it will highlight staff crises through the extent to which you’ve relied on supply • If you have under invested in your premises it will tell you when they are becoming tired • It will highlight when your educational resources are looking tired and out of date • It provides a very good description of the effectiveness of the governing body and leadership team in achieving its objectives • Finances tell a story you cannot hide from!

8. WHERE DO I GET MY BENCHMARKING DATA? • Principally 2 sources • School performance tables • Only £ per pupil • Schools Financial Benchmarking website • £per pupil • £per teacher • Percentage of the total

9. WHERE DO I GET MY BENCHMARKING DATA? • Best analysis obtained from Schools Financial Benchmarking website • Significant level of fixed costs in schools • Fixed costs can distort unit costs • £per pupil • £per teacher

10. IMPORTANT TIPS • Essential to get the comparison criteria correct • Download chart data • Contact named schools and ask them if they would be prepared to discuss comparative education delivery models and costs with you • Remember-trying to be the same as everyone else breeds mediocrity!

11. IMPORTANT TIPS • Benchmarking is about COMPARISON and DIFFERENTIATION • If • You can afford it • It is sustainable • It delivers educational outcomes (Value For Money) • It’s okay to be different. • It’s the outcomes that make the justification

12. AN INTRODUCTION TO THE PERFORMANCE TABLES WEBSITE • A link to the Compare Schools Tool is on the home page of the Department’s website • http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/performance/ • Follow the link and search by • Post code • Locality • School name • Area • 2011-12 data • December 2012 primary schools • Late January 2013 Secondary schools • See example in notes

13. AN INTRODUCTION TO THE SCHOOLS’ FINANCIAL BENCHMARKING WEBSITE • https://www.education.gov.uk/sfb/Login.aspx

14. THE BENEFITS OF BENCHMARKING

15. ILLUSTRATION OF FIXED AND VARIABLE COSTS IMPACT UPON TOTAL COST Care – fixed costs differ from school to school as they reflect your previous management decisions. Your school’s figures will differ from these and trends will therefore be altered

16. THE “BALANCED” SCHOOL External Influences, competitor schools, technological developments Current situation and medium term impact School Development Plan Objectives Education type, range, quality of provision Analysis of costs and income sources Current and future students and stakeholders Personnel, physical and financial resources

17. WHY IS BENCHMARKING SO IMPORTANT? • It gives a picture of financial structures and compares and differentiates it from those in your benchmarking cohort • Enables evaluation as to whether your allocation of resources is appropriate, sustainable and cost efficient • It will underline if current spending patterns are affordable and sustainable in the medium term • It can alert you to direct resources to higher areas of priority • It will help you to maintain a "balanced" fit for purpose education delivery model in the medium term • It is an essential medium term strategic tool!

18. NAHT MEMBER BENEFITS • Full NAHT members are entitled to the following membership services and benefits • Education management and employment advice • Individual legal support and representation • Advice on pay, conditions and occupational pensions • Advice on education policy making across all phases • National collective representation on behalf on senior leaders in education • National and local conferences and Regional & Branch networks • CPD training programmes • Full access to the NAHT website • Public Liability Insurance • Personal Accident Insurance (subject to terms and conditions) • Publications, guidance documents and access to website • Access to the NAHT counselling and support line • Access to a wide range of value-added services from affinity partners

19. NAHT CONTACTS • MainContacts • Telephone number: 01444 472472 • Website: www.naht.org.uk • Direct dial for Events team: 01444 472405 or email: events@naht.org.uk • Website: www.naht.org.uk/welcome/naht-events