School Finances Masterclass -Tuesday 19 January 2027 (Online)

This course is for: Heads and members of Senior Leadership Teams in HMC and other independent schools.

Description

Course Programme

Time

Session

15.30

Welcome and introductions

 
  1. Brief overview of areas covered in Foundations of School Finances Course
  2. Heads as CEO in schools – managing schools as businesses
  3. Economic climate / external factors
  4. Pressures on budgets – internal and external
  5. External income generation / opportunities and assumptions
  6. Deeper dive into accounting – principles of accountancy / accounting systems and links to MIS
  7. Depreciation and how it works / assumptions
  8. Funds / endowments / investments / reserves – what are they?
  9. M&A – process / pitfalls / experience
  10. Difficult financial conversations
  11. Budgeting and strategic planning – how to achieve the best results
  12. Investment group experience
  13. Case studies – review of different school accounts

A short refreshment break will be ‘timetabled’ at the start of the course.

 

18.30

Close

Speaker Biography:

Nick was a Bursar of 36 years standing, having worked in day, boarding, single-sex and co-educational schools, and he is also a former Chairman of the Independent Schools’ Bursars Association (ISBA), before locking away his slide rule for the last time. He is now Chair of the Galaxy Global education Group, which owns 4 schools in the UK and others overseas, and also undertakes consultancy assignments in the independent sector. He has been Course Director for HMC PD’s Understanding School Finances courses for more than a decade. Nick is based in Anglesey, where he also runs a smallholding and holiday business with his wife, Suzi, a former Headmistress.