Business/Office Manager Cross-Phase Network

Networks provide a strong and supportive professional learning community, ideal for leaders and teachers who wish to work together to explore best practice education from a national and local perspective. They provide the opportunity for professionals to collaborate and share strategies to improve outcomes and experiences for pupils in all schools.

This network is designed to support and develop practice for business and finance colleagues, providing an opportunity to share best practice and offer support to one another.

The network will focus on the following areas:

Thursday 15th December 2022, 1.30-3.30pm
This session will focus on anti-fraud. Exploring the types of fraud which occur most often in schools and what we can we do to prevent this from happening to us.

Tuesday 7th February 2023, 9.30am-12pm
A delve into the strategies for dealing with difficult people. The reasons why people might behave in certain ways and what we can do in response to these behaviours.

Wednesday 24th May 2023, 1.30-3.30pm
Budget Setting and Income Streams: A look at the national picture regarding funding. Consider the budget assumptions for the year. A review of the income streams that come into our schools and where these come from.

Thursday 13th July 2023, 1.30-3.30pm
Managing Absence at Work: A review of what we could do to support colleagues who are long-term absent from work and strategies to successfully re-integrate them back into the workplace. What to do when we need to apply the attendance policy. Consideration of how to work effectively with the member of staff and their union representative.

Network lead:

Jacqueline Straw has a back ground in finance and internal audit, with specific experience in schools. She has a first-class degree (BA Hons) in School Business Management, is AAT qualified (Association of Accounting Technicians), and holds an up to date IOSH (Institution of Occupation Safety and Health) qualification. Jacqueline also has significant experience in HR, having managed large teams for more than 15 years and is a trained mediator. Jacqueline is an SLE (Specialist Leader of Education) with a specific skill set in the financial and business leadership and management of schools and has been deployed on a number of occasions to support in this area to secure improvement. Jacqueline is currently the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of MITRE and heads up the central business functions of the Trust.