finance training brochure

Education Finance Support

Essex Education Services

Please book all courses through www.EEScpdportal.org

Education Finance Support

We offer a wide selection of high quality courses designed to address current issues and developments in the changing world of schools’ finance for Essex LA maintained schools and academies.

The information given is in accordance with current regulations, legislation and recommended best practice. Each course is delivered by experienced Finance Consultants from Education Finance Support, using current finance tools developed for schools and academies.

Full descriptions of all the courses are detailed on the following pages. Additional courses may become available during the year, please look out for notification under the Essex Education Services section of the Education Essex Newsletter, on the training page of our website and course flyers.

If you cannot find exactly what you are looking for, we can provide a bespoke onsite training session to suit your specific requirements.

All training courses take place at Wickford CLC, which is located in the grounds of Bromfords Academy, Grange Avenue, Wickford, SS12 0LZ.

Please note: All sessions start at 9am tea/coffee for a 9.30am presentation. All day sessions will include lunch.

Course Date Time Location Page

Accounting for Schools and Academies

9/7/15 All day Wickford 4

Benefits of Benchmarking 19/11/14 All day Wickford 5

Catering Trading Accounts11/9/1425/6/15

MorningMorning

WickfordWickford

6

Finance Administration 23/9/14 All day Wickford 7

Forward Financial Planning 9/6/15 All day Wickford 8

Headteacher Training: 9

Module 1: Funding and returns 1/10/14 Morning Wickford 10

Module 2: Budget Setting and Benchmarking

2/12/14 Morning Wickford 10

Module 3: Budget Monitoring 9/2/15 Morning Wickford 10

Module 4: Forward Planning 30/4/15 Morning Wickford 11

Module 5: Regulations and Risk Management

30/6/15 Morning Wickford 11

Successful Budget Planning and Monitoring

9/12/14 All day Wickford 12

Training Schedule

In addition to these courses, we also offer bespoke governor finance training and our regular Financial Information Networking Session (FINS), details of which can be found on our website at www.education-finance-support.org

Bespoke Governor Services 13

Finance Information Networking Session (FINS) 14

Terms and Conditions 15

This one day course is designed as an invaluable introduction for Finance Staff from academies, schools that may be going academy and for LA maintained schools to better understand their year-end accounts.The aim is to enable delegates to understand key finance terminology and double entry accounting, debit and credit.

The day will be very much hands-on, with structured examples and explanations, followed by practical questions to work through to help embed the knowledge. The course is not intended to be fast paced and candidates do not have to have any prior accounting knowledge.

There will be lots of opportunities throughout the day for delegates to ask questions.

What next?

You will leave this course with an understanding of the basic double entry principles of accounting which will help both schools and academies to complete and interpret their year-end accounts/returns and financial statements.

• T Accounts• Control Accounts • Trial Balance• Accounting for Assets • Depreciation • Income Statements (Profit and Loss) • Statement of Comprehensive Income (Balance Sheet)

Course content includes:

Accounting for Schools and Academies

Dates for your diary

Date 9/7/15

Time 9.30am - 4pm

Venue Wickford CLC

4 Book online at www.EEScpdportal.org

This computer based course is designed for school Finance Staff and aims to give an overview of the processes involved in benchmarking and how to report to governors.

What next?

You will leave this course with the ability to produce your own benchmarking reports and the confidence to analyse and discuss the data to perhaps find savings for your school.

• Reasons behind Benchmarking and why it is important • Relevance to SFVS• How to Interpret the Data • Guidance on Presenting the Data to Governors • Opportunity to Access own School’s Data via the

Benchmarking Website • Start the Process of Collating the Data needed for

Reports

Benefits of Benchmarking


Date 19/11/14

Time 9.30am - 4pm

Venue Wickford CLC


5Book online at www.EEScpdportal.org

This computer based course is designed for school and academy Finance Staff whose schools provide a catering service. The aim is to enable delegates to produce Catering Business Plans and Trading Accounts.

What next?

You will leave this course with the understanding of the importance of monitoring the trading functions within a school/academy, the ability to produce a Catering Business Plan and provide monthly catering budget monitoring reports, plus a copy of the Catering Trading Account spreadsheet tool.

• Budgeted Trading Accounts• Catering Business Plans• Universal Infant Free School Meals• Catering Trading Account Spreadsheet• Monitoring Actual Expenditure and Income• Stock Control• Meal Pricing • Reporting Requirements


Catering Trading Accounts


Date 11/9/14

Time 9.30am - 12noon

Venue Wickford CLC

Date 25/6/15


Venue Wickford CLC


This one day course aims to provide Finance Officers with the information needed to help them understand the background of school or academy finance and administration.

There will be opportunities throughout the day for delegates to ask questions.

You will leave this course with an understanding of how this diverse range of financial knowledge fits together, which is an integral part of the school Finance Officer’s role.

What next?

On completion of this course, new Finance Officers would be advised to attend the Successful Budget Planning and Monitoring course.

• Financial Regulations• Internal Financial Controls• Funding• Reporting Requirements• Financial Administration• Hands-on Activities


Finance Administration


Date 23/9/14

Time 9.30am - 4pm

Venue Wickford CLC

7

Excellent presenters and excellent content! Glad I came! Really informative.

Karen Sapsford, Bentley St. Paul’s

Book online at www.EEScpdportal.org

This largely practical, computer based course is designed for school Finance Staff or Headteachers who prepare, or assist with preparing, multi-year budgets. The aim is to introduce delegates to the theory behind forward planning as well as providing the practical skills to produce and maintain a Forward Financial Plan, using the most up-to-date tools available.

What next?

You will leave this course with the confidence and ability to produce a comprehensive Forward Financial Plan and report on the findings to your Senior Leadership Team and Governors.

• Theory of Forward Planning• Forward Financial Planning Spreadsheet• Staffing Calculators• Links to School Development Plan/Asset

Management Plan• Requirements for SFVS• Opportunity to work on own School’s Data


Forward Financial Planning


Date 9/6/15

Time 9.30am - 4pm

Venue Wickford CLC

Information relating to your own school will be required, full details on what to bring will be provided before the course.


Headteacher TrainingModule 1Funding and Returns

Module 2Budget Setting and Benchmarking

Module 3Budget Monitoring

Module 4Forward Planning

Module 5Regulations and Risk Management

This series of modules is aimed at both Headteachers and Deputy Headteachers and is designed to follow the school’s financial cycle throughout the academic year. The content of each module is updated to reflect current legislation and recommended best practice.

Delegates may choose to attend the whole series, which is recommended for newly appointed Heads/Deputies, or select relevant modules. Experienced Headteachers may find individual modules useful as a refresher course.

9

Brilliant Course! Every module was fantastic and I now have the knowledge to ask questions and make checks with my school Finance Officer.

Nathalie Watson, St. Anne Line Catholic Junior School

Book online at www.EEScpdportal.org

Module 1Date 1/10/2014


Venue Wickford CLC

Module 2Date2/12/2014

Time9.30am - 12noon

VenueWickford CLC



Venue Wickford CLC

This module aims to help delegates effectively monitor their school’s budget.

Course content includes: Interpreting System Generated Reports • Relevance to SFVS • Reporting to Governors: What to Present and Frequency • Reporting to Local Authority

Module 3 | Budget Monitoring

This module aims to help delegates to understand the complexities of school funding.

Course content includes: Explanation of the Section 251 Budget Statement • Review Delegates own School’s S251 • Annual Financial Cycle • Statutory Returns Timetable • Role of the Finance Officer

Module 1 | Funding and Returns

This computer based module aims to guide delegates through the school budget setting process and introduces relevant financial tools that are available to assist them in confidently setting a school budget.

Course content includes: Budget Setting • Finance Tools • Financial Benchmarking Process • Benefits of Comparing Individual Financial Information with National and Local Comparators • Schools Financial Value Standard (SFVS)

Module 2 | Budget Setting and Benchmarking

Headteacher Training


Course content includes: Theory of Forward Planning • Sustainability of Expenditure • Long Term Resource Management • Relevance to SFVS • Practical Skills

This module aims to assist delegates with their understanding of preparing multi-year budgets.

Module 4 | Forward Planning

This final module aims to enable delegates to review financial regulations and understand the essential elements contained within them.

Course content includes: Financial Regulations • Scheme of Delegation • Internal Financial Control procedures • Management Checks • Risk Management

Module 5 | Regulations and Risk Managementan-

Headteacher Training

Once all the modules have been completed you will have confidence to assess the school’s delegated income and understand the Finance Officer’s role with an in-depth knowledge of why financial budgeting is important within a school and how it can be achieved in a realistic manner.

You will have the necessary skills to monitor budgets and confidently report on the school’s financial position, alongside the practical skills to produce and maintain a three year financial plan. The understanding of financial regulations will enable you to mitigate financial risk arising from mistakes, poor financial decision making and fraud.

Module 4Date 30/4/2015


Venue Wickford CLC



Venue Wickford CLC

11Book online at www.EEScpdportal.org

This computer based course is designed for school Finance Staff and aims to give an overview of the processes involved in budget planning and monitoring as well as raising awareness of the reporting responsibilities both internally and externally.

There will be lots of opportunities throughout the day for delegates to ask questions.

You will leave this course with the ability to produce a one year budget plan and the confidence to present this to your governors.

What next?

On successful completion of this course delegates would be advised to further their training by attending both the Catering Trading Accounts and the Forward Financial Planning courses.

• Different Funding Sources • Understanding the Section 251 Budget Statement• Staffing Calculators• Budget Planning Spreadsheet• Methods of Monitoring the Budget • Reporting requirements of the DfE and the Local

Authority• Key Elements within the Schools Financial Value

Standard


Successful Budget Planning and Monitoring


Date 9/12/14

Time 9.30am - 4pm

Venue Wickford CLC


We can design tailor made finance training sessions for your governing body, whether school or academy, to be delivered on your premises at times to suit you, including evenings. Examples of tailored finance sessions are:

Introduction to Finance

This session aims to explain to governors the basics of school’s/academy’s finance.

Session contents: Basics of Finance • Finance Terminology • Schools Funding/Academy Funding

Report Interpretation/Budget Monitoring

This session aims to assist governors to understand their own school’s/academy’s finance reports.

Session contents: Reading System Generated Reports • Interpreting the Information • Best Practice for Reporting Procedures • LA/DfE Reporting Requirements

Roles and Responsibilities

This session aims to equip governors with information on their financial roles and responsibilities.

Session contents: Financial Responsibilities • Financial Regulations • Delegation of Authority • Budget Setting and Approval • Budget Monitoring

Benchmarking

This session is for schools only and aims to demonstrate the benefits of financial benchmarking.

Session contents: What is Benchmarking • Relevance of Benchmarking • Accessing the DfE Benchmarking Website • Undertaking the Benchmarking Process • Interpreting the data

Bespoke Governor Training

13

The course was delivered very clearly and questions answered in full.

Bill Gosnold, Canvey Island Infants School

Call 01245 436248 for more information

Finance Information Networking (FINS) are usually held twice a year in Autumn and Spring, at a range of convenient and accessible venues around the county. Where there is sufficient information to impart, a Summer FINS will be arranged.

These lively and interactive sessions are intended for school Finance Staff at all levels, Finance Officer to Business Manager, and provide a wealth of useful and topical information in the school finance arena.

Alongside the information gathering aspects of these sessions, there is also an opportunity for Finance Staff to informally network with colleagues both before and after the presentation, enabling individuals to share ideas and seek solutions to problems over a coffee.

Dates and venues are advertised in the Education Essex Newsletter.

Finance Information Networking Sessions (FINS)

The booking forms are held on the FINS page of our website www.education-finance-support.org

14

Very useful as always. Wellpresented and relevant.

Alison Miller, Oak View School

Cancellations may be made via the booking website. For bespoke courses or FINS, cancellation must be made in writing or by email to: [email protected]

Cancellations received at least four weeks prior to the event will be fully refunded, any received after this deadline will be charged the full course fee. Schools are free to send an alternative delegate.

We may have to cancel courses at short notice as a result of unforeseen circumstances. We reserve the right to cancel or re-schedule an event at any time. We will always try to inform delegates of any changes as soon as we are aware of them.

Essex Education Services reserves the right to cancel the session without liability; if this happens, the fee will be refunded in full.

Information provided/discussed during the course/session, will be to the best of the organiser’s knowledge. We will not accept any legal liability for any action taken as a result.

Any notes provided to delegates are copyrighted to Essex Education Services and must not be reproduced.

Neither Education Finance Support, Essex Education Services, Essex County Council, their employees or Consultants can accept responsibility for delegates’ actions, or those of other people reading the notes or interpreting the notes in litigation; or responsibility for any loss incurred as a result of relying on the training or the notes.

Terms and Conditions

15

This booklet is issued byEssex Education Services, Education Finance Support

Our services provide the most innovative and evidence-based training, support, consultancy and resources.

• Clerking Agency• Education Consultancy• Education Finance Support• Education HR• Governor Services• Professional Development• School Library Service• Target Tracker

Get in touch with usEducation Finance Support Essex Education Services 1st Floor, A Block County Hall, Market Road Chelmsford Essex, CM1 1QH

By telephone:01245 4362480845 200 8600

By fax:01245 431034

By email:[email protected]@essex.gov.uk

The information contained in this brochure can be translated, and/or made available in alternative formats, on request.

Published September 2014

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