School Business Manager Skills Audit Pack

A quick-and-easy pack to audit the skills of a School Business Manager or anyone in school-based finance role. This pack contains concise guidance to support you in effectively utilising the skills audit, whether you're line managing an SBM or finance lead, or whether you're in a school finance role yourself and you want to evaluate your strengths and areas for improvement. 

Included is a 15-page template covering the different areas of skills that a school business lead may need. These are split into handy sections, such as self-management and personal skills, resource and financial management, estate and site management, school improvement, and more, so the skills audit can therefore be used flexibly. Questions include:

• In what ways am I taking a lead role in the development and implementation of school improvement plans, ensuring a strategic approach to enhance the overall quality of education and school effectiveness?
• How am I actively engaged in long-term budget management, considering factors such as value for money, future costs and alignment with the school's values and vision?
• How do I assess necessary repairs and site improvement projects against the available budget, ensuring a strategic allocation of financial resources for optimal impact?
• How do I engage and collaborate with the governing body on financial planning?

The pack is aimed at supporting school business managers but can be used by anyone who line manages an SBM or anyone in a school-based finance role, such as a finance manager, finance assistant, finance officer, bursar, CFO, finance director or school business lead. This can help to inform appraisal and performance management processes, as well as identify CPD needs for the school business manager.

Whether staff members are new-to-role or have vast experience in their area, skills audits are a valuable self-evaluation tool. When a staff member reflects on their competencies and expertise, they’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of the strengths they bring to their role while identifying opportunities for growth or next steps. This self-awareness can boost confidence and self-belief, as well as enabling individuals to articulate their unique contributions to the team.

When skill gaps are identified, performance targets can include specific objectives aimed at addressing these gaps, allowing those with line management responsibilities to support the staff member through professional development and further training. Skills audits can also help school leaders to create balanced teams, prepare for change, support staff retention and assist in succession planning. 

Key questions answered:

• Why is it important for staff to utilise skills audits?
• How should a skills audit be conducted?
• How can skills audits inform performance management targets?
• How can leaders identify individual staff training needs?
• What other ways can skills audits be used?

Skills audits can be used as a valuable part of the induction process when a new staff member joins your team. Find out more about how to craft staff induction procedures that allow staff to get off to a flying start in your setting with the following pack: 

• Staff Induction Pack

If you know that your staff have training and development needs, and are looking to enhance your CPD planning, this pack will support your thinking: 

• CPD Planning and Preparation Pack

If you're thinking about recruiting a School Business Manager, and want to use the skills audit as part of that process, then you'll find the following packs and pages useful too:

• School Business Manager Interview Pack
• Recruitment, Interview and Employment Compliance Guidance Pack
• More information on our job interview packs for different roles
• More skills audits for different roles