School business manager

A school business manager (SBM), sometimes known as a school business leader (SBL) or bursar, is a senior member of non-teaching staff responsible for managing non-teaching activity in a school. This position exists in schools in the United Kingdom, but not in most public schools in the United States. They oversee the business management of schools – all the administrative and logistical aspects of running a school so that these are done in the most effective and efficient way possible. Through this, they free up the school's headteacher to focus on leading teaching and learning.

Although generally not in possession of Qualified Teacher Status, SBMs with appropriate training and experience are increasingly serving on the school's leadership team, bringing additional leadership skills and a commercial outlook to the school's strategic decision making. Almost all secondary schools and about a third of primary schools have school business managers serving on their leadership team.

Duties

The SBM role has evolved from that of the school bursar, but whereas bursars typically focus on purely financial administrative matters, SBMs have a broader remit. SBM duties vary from school-to-school and include:

Financial management, including setting budgets, negotiating contracts with suppliers

Financial reporting, fundraising and making best use of resources

Management of support staff, such as teaching assistants, catering staff and cleaners premises management

Human resources, including overseeing staff training strategic planning, including meeting long-term education challenges and developments, such as the Every Child Matters Agenda

Health and safety

Relationship management with other schools and external partners

In secondary schools – or where groups of schools are working together in a cluster or federation – SBMs will often have a broader, more strategic role, with some functions delegated to administrative support staff. In primary schools, an SBM may have an even more hands-on role, spending time on detailed administrative and financial tasks.

The SBM position is still evolving, with higher-level, more strategic roles, such as Advanced School Business Managers and School Business Directors, emerging.