Managing schools responsibly in a time of cuts

We are all faced with the prospect of what is euphemistically called 'tightening our belts' over the coming years. Whatever the political arguments over timing, everyone seems agreed on the need for cuts.

When faced with this, there are two common reactions. The first is for special pleading - "I understand the need for cuts but not this." The second such reaction is looking after number one; retreating into a silo, protecting your own and (sometimes) either explicitly or implicitly suggesting others are a better target. Neither attitude helps very much. These responses may be predictable but can lead to division and mistrust at the very time when staff need to pull together.

In schools, there are some signs of the the latter reaction setting in with regard to support staff. There are 200,000 more support staff in schools than there were ten years ago. We've already heard talk of 'weird and wonderful job titles' and 'what do all these people do?"

Some Heads claim not to need a bursar - 'just give me the money, I know what I'm doing.'From a Well-Being perspective, this is not a particularly helpful response as it may deflect from the emphasis in raising standards that is the hub of the Headteachers role, and present them with a whole raft of other management tasks, which may well compromise their own personal, professional effectiveness.

In the current climate, schools have a responsibility to be managed as effectively as possible. This means having systems in place to ensure that the school can continue to function even if the Head teacher is not on site. It means assessing the effectiveness of all staff and ensuring that they are the best they can be. Simplistic solutions will not work in the long run.

in particular, simply slashing the numbers of support staff will not only destabilise many schools, it may well be counter-productive in terms of the main reason for these people being employed: pupil outcomes. Earlier this year Ofsted found that "The wider schools workforce, including teaching assistants and learning mentors, is making a difference to pupils’ learning [but] these staff must be effectively deployed, well managed and properly trained."

In other words, investing effectively in your support staff will reap reward, but it requires good management, planning and implementation. It needs to be done properly through a whole-school approach, not ''I'm alright, Jack' or simply letting the Head do it all - even if the Head thinks they can!

Worklife Support works with organisations in order to develop strategies to manage change effectively. This key element of a wellbeing approach to management involves treating all staff not like sheep to be led, or as potential rivals for the sack, but as true colleagues working together toward a shared and agreed goal.

This approach does not absolve any of us from making tough decisions but we are more likely to make the right decisions if we try to work as an inclusive, effective and efficient organisation.