Editor’s comment

Happy March! The daffodils are here, Easter eggs are filling up shelves and British Summer Time is on the horizon. I don’t know about you, but that’s certainly enough to put a spring in my step!

This issue features a series of articles centred on the theme of SBL self-belief and the value of the SBL role. Andrew Blench starts things off by looking at the reasons why SBLs need to make themselves a priority, and recognise their value. Laura Williams gives her advice on why you should stop comparing yourself to others, Phil Burton looks at the steps you can take if you are feeling undermined by your team and, after posting a tweet asking why so many school business leaders are leaving the profession, Val Andrew was overwhelmed with responses - with many citing the feeling of being undervalued as one of the main reasons for leaving the role. Turn to page 36 to read Val’s thoughts on this.

We also look at a range of other hot topics this month. Stephen Mitchell explores how putting philosophy into practice could help SBLs deal with the daily ethical dilemmas they face, and Sue Birchall explains why investing time and energy into effective staff appraisals could help to combat the current recruitment and retention crisis in schools. Simon Hepburn wants to know if you consider yourself an extrovert, an introvert or an ambivert? He explores the difference between these three personality types and discusses how schools can engage better with those who class themselves as introverts – a somewhat overlooked group in schools, he feels.

We have not one but three IT experts on hand in our ICT MATTERS section, ready to give their advice on three diverse topics. Neil Limbrick gets the ball rolling by looking at how you can get a grip on your crucially important IT service desk, and Nigel Milligan closes the section by explaining why, as the time approaches to renew your IT support contract, it’s really important to not disregard your IT technicians. Sandwiched in between is an article from Gary Henderson focused on a topic that is currently dividing opinion – ChatGPT. Gary discusses the benefits and drawbacks of the AI bot that has been the centre of many recent heated debates - read to the end of the article to discover the twist!

The education sector can be difficult to navigate at times, and those in school business management play a pivotal role in steering schools to success. Tasked with everything from finance and procurement, to HR and admin, you keep the education cogs turning. Education Executive addresses the most pressing matters faced by SBMs, offering meaningful insights and practical advice.

ELEANOR POTTER

Editor Education Executive

ANDREW BLENCH

SBL consultant School Business Partner Ltd

STEPHEN MITCHELL Director KeystoneKnowledge

LAURA WILLIAMS Director L J Business of Education

SUE BIRCHALL

Long-standing SBL

SIMON HEPBURN

Founder MarketingAdviceforSchools

PHIL BURTON Business manager HallbrookandCosbyPrimarySchool

NEIL LIMBRICK

Founder theEducationCollective

As always, we’d love to hear any suggestions you have for the magazine. If you’d like to get involved with EdExec, or if you’d like us to cover a certain topic, please do let us know. Contact eleanor@intelligentmedia. co.uk or tweet @edexec with ideas, opinions or success stories.

Is your school doing something wonderful? Do you have an opinion or experience you’d like to share? A story suggestion? Or some advice you’d like to share with your peers?

Get in touch – email eleanor@ intelligentmedia.co.uk

GARY HENDERSON

Director of IT Millfield School

NIGEL MILLIGAN

IT technician manager

StHerbert’sRCPrimarySchool

22

YOU BEING

28 CHATGPT IN EDUCATION: EMBARGO OR EMBRACE Gary Henderson’s

32 TECHNO GEEK

Sparing a thought for your IT technician

LIVE

34 LIVE IT

Close your eyes. Inhale. Count to five… now exhale. Time to take a few moments out for some light and interesting reading – a wellearned break from numbers and statistics!

36 WHY ARE SO MANY SCHOOL BUSINESS LEADERS LEAVING THE PROFESSION?

Val Andrews explores after opening up the conversation on Twitter

Education Executive is the first business management magazine written exclusively for school business managers and bursars, bringing you the latest issues affecting your role, from finance to premises, procurement EdExec delivers the lowdown on all the hottest topics in education management right here, every month.

@EdExec

Amanda Lancaster alancasterdesign.com

Editorial Editor Ellie Potter eleanor@intelligentmedia.co.uk

Sales info@intelligentmedia.co.uk

Publisher Vicki Baloch vicki@intelligentmedia.co.uk