School Development Plan

Transcription

1 SCHOOL FINANCIAL PROCEDURES MANUAL Chapter 12 School Development Plan September 2007

2 Chapter 12 School Development Plan Page 3 SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 3 GENERAL 3 GUIDANCE 5 WHAT IS IN A SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT PLAN? 2

3 SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT PLAN (SDP) GENERAL 1 School Development Plans are recommended by the Department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and a key part of meeting the FMSiS. GUIDANCE 2 A School Development (Improvement) Plan (SDP) sets out the priorities for the coming year in detail and further ahead in outline: it is a high-level strategic planning document covering all the school s activities over a period of three or four years. it should focus on what the school needs to do to improve academic standards and the quality of education and be based on a careful appraisal of what the School does well, how it compares with other schools and what it needs to do next. the plan should indicate how the budget and resource allocations have been arrived at to support the priorities. 3 The development and implementation of the School s Development Plan should be an integral part of the school s management and governance. 4 The SDP should cover in outline the school s educational priorities and budget plans for at least the next three years. 5 As best practice, the school should perform the following processes in formulating their plan: Involving staff and governors Challenging recurring costs Using comparative attainment data to identify priorities for improvement Monitoring and evaluating that value for money is being achieved. 6 There is no standard format for a School Development Plan. However, as best practice a School Development Plan should include: Prediction of pupil numbers Clear statement of priorities for the coming year Indication of longer term planning for three years or more Presentation to governors of rationale for budget setting based to identification of priorities and current cost A clear budget statement for the year 3

4 Large budget items (other than staffing) are broken down and justified Evidence of costed plans for staffing, asset management, redecoration and repairs and furniture replacement Action plans for each priority including resources, staff development and quantifiable success criteria Evidence of intended use of any surplus. 7 The plan should be monitored and evaluated and reported upon, for example by using performance indicators. 8 Any new initiatives should be carefully appraised in relation to all likely costs and benefits and their financial sustainability before being approved by the Governing Body. 9 The SDP should also state intended expenditure on continuing commitments, including a short commentary on any significant changes from the previous financial year. 10 A formal timetable and procedures should be drawn up for constructing the SDP and budget to ensure that the governors have time to consider all relevant factors. 11 There should be a clear, identifiable link between the school s annual budget and its development plan. 12 The Governing Body should approve the school s budget and SDP after careful consideration and before the beginning of the relevant financial year. The following are suggested questions to consider while costing the SDP: How is it decided how much to spend on each priority in the SDP? What specific costing do you currently display in your SDP? How do you display them? Are they sufficiently detailed to allow you to monitor the planned expenditure against the actual expenditure? Whose responsibility is it to monitor the spending for each priority? Are post holders clear as to what they are accountable for? 4

5 What is in a School Development Plan? It is helpful if the plan highlights the links it has with financial planning, and demonstrates how the school intends to give best value for money. The categories cover the following: Where are we now? Information in this section would include the latest examination results, pupils achievement rates, how the school compares with other schools, parents degree of satisfaction with the school, targets for improvement and a report of progress in addressing issues identified during Ofsted inspections or LA monitoring. Performance. This section would include the outcomes of any self-evaluation activity, progress with the implementation of action plans and a summary evaluation of the cost effectiveness of spending decisions made during the previous year. Process. This section would detail of the process for developing the plan, including the research undertaken and reference to local and national guidance. Mission, Aims and Priorities. This section should link the school s own mission with local and national priorities for action. Reasons for Change. This section would summarise key management decisions, the outcomes of any consultation on major spending decisions and the rationale for major changes in resource allocations What will stay the same? Guidance from some LAs suggests that 85% of each year s activity will probably be maintaining what has already been achieved. It is therefore important that the plan makes clear how improvements already achieved, can be sustained while making further changes at the same time. Future Plans. This section would include curriculum/departmental action plans for the current year with costings, a summary staffing plan with costs, a summary premises plan with costs and a summary of the financial implications of other strategic plans Finance Implications. This section would include forecasts of future pupil numbers, forecasts of resource allocations and other income, the whole school budget, the Standards Fund budget and how it will be used, a breakdown of devolved budgets, and a section on the planned use of balances or, where appropriate, plans for the reduction of any deficit Links to Other Plans The Audit Commission believes it is good practice for the school development plan to include summarized information from other, more detailed, strategic plans to show how the allocation of resources and the budget for the year supports the priorities identified in these plans. 5

6 These plans would include, for example, the: asset management plan property development plan staff development plan IT/ICT development plan Linking the School Development Plan to the Budget To ensure that the school development plan is viable and that its implementation is feasible, it should reflect the priorities and constraints of the annual budget. When drawing up the plan, it is important that: the annual budget should be seen as the financial expression of the School Development Plan timetables for the devising of the school development plan (and for other plans referred to above) are integrated the same group of staff have responsibility for devising and plan and setting the budget budget information is produced in programme format to aid analysis and review the school development plan does not become unrealistic through a disproportionate focus on the costs of initiatives in year 2 and year 3 Implementation of the school development plan should be flexible and subject to careful monitoring, the findings of which should be taken into account when drawing up the plan the next year. 6