I attended the School Business Manager conference this week and it was a really energising day. The morning sessions covered emerging issues in schools and how it affects the role of the School Business Manager (SBM), as well as a session on how to lead yourself and others with energy. It was clear from the participation and engagement of the audience that both sessions were invaluable. It was an opportunity for people to take time out to think, plan, reflect on their practice and consider how they get the most from themselves and their teams.
One anecdote that caught my attention was the story of a leader from industry who set out to split their time doing three things – run their organisation, improve their organisation, or future proof their organisation. Inevitably they found themselves spending 90% of their time running the organisation. This was something that resonated with everyone in the room, and I am sure is true of most people, particularly since March 2020!
The speaker gave some great tips on how to make sure you create the environment to improve this mix. I hope the reality of getting back into school doesn’t derail these strategies too much!
This week we have also seen the KS1 and KS2 results. I wanted to say a big thank you to Kellyanne (who I am sure you all know) for getting these out to schools so quickly. The Camden position looks very positive relative to the national results. In each measure (where we have national results) our performance was stronger than national. It is testament to the hard work and skill of Camden Heads and teachers who have delivered such positive results in such challenging times. Thank you all for the hard work and effort that has made this a reality.
Over the last week we have also been in conversation with schools about next year’s hubs and school initiatives to support the implementation of the education strategy. Christine has outlined these in this Bulletin. We will let you know the details about the content and how you can sign up to Hubs as soon as possible.
Tracey Caldwell
Interim Managing Director, Camden Learning
