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National College for School Leadership

The Certificate of School Business Management

Introduction

At the NAHT Conference in June 2001 the then Secretary of State pledged to develop the professional skills of 1000 bursars by 2006.

A key part of the rationale for training and recruiting more bursars is to leverage more productivity from existing resources, enabling qualified teachers to concentrate on their core activities.

The National College for School Leadership (NCSL) was set up to provide a single national focus for school leadership development, research and innovation.

The Certificate of School Business Management is an entry level training programme aimed at those who have worked in administrative roles as well as recently appointed school business managers. It is also aimed at new entrants to the education profession and those who aspire to join it. A Diploma is currently under development, based on the success of the Certificate.

The Solution

The Certificate is a blended solution employing a range of learning techniques and media. To develop content that learners can truly engage with, NCSL contracted KnowledgePool to work in close collaboration with the subject experts at the International Institute for Education Leadership from the University of Lincoln, and a number of experienced bursars.

The course includes formal and traditional face-to-face events with ongoing quality tutorial support integrated with leading-edge use of online course materials. The various elements of the programme include:

• Three residential courses of two days each, plus one residential assessment centre day
• Around 10 hours of e-Learning/on-line material including online exercises, simulations and tasks
• An online community
• A personal tutor provides ongoing support, discusses progress, oversees and supports the production of the candidate's learning journal, case study and individual development plan
• Reading and private study
• Work-based tasks, which give evidence for the case study and journal
• Production of assessable outcomes, including data gathering designed to further case studies and journals (interviews, observations, questionnaires, etc.)
• A face-to-face element delivered through regional centres

In addition to the custom e-Learning, the programme provides generic courses produces by KnowledgePool in basic IT skills covering Microsoft Word, Excel and Access enabling candidates to select from a library of key skills to match their individual needs.

The Evaluation

The two pilot programmes of the Certificate are now complete. Below are the findings of Manchester University's independent evaluation of the effectiveness and impact of the training:

Feedback on the Blend

• The programme allowed crucially important opportunities for comparing practices, sharing ideas and for general networking in both face to face and online learning.
• Online and questionnaire data shows that the vast majority of participants engaged actively with both online and face-to-face learning opportunities. Participants valued the variety of modes of learning and the flexibility and fit with different learning styles that this affords. Below is a summary of the feedback for each mode of learning:

Mode of Learning	% participants rating mode as 'very useful' or 'useful' in terms of learning
Online discussion in tutor group	74%
Online discussion on main notice board	95%
Face to face interaction with tutor group	98%
Face to face, one-to-one interaction with tutor	81%
Whole cohort meetings	88%
Paper-based materials	93%
Interactive materials on LMS	91%

• Both participants and staff view the programme very positively. By the fifth month of the programme, 93% of participants stated that it had met their needs and expectations 'very well' or 'well.' Many remarked that they have been 'inspired' by the programme and would recommend it to others.

Testimonial

"KnowledgePool have demonstrated their considerable skills flexibility and learning experience in helping the college deliver the CSBM. They have taken the knowledge, skills and understanding contained in our workbooks, turning this into exciting interactive e-learning. Bursars play an increasingly critical role as resource managers for schools and colleges. The e-learning modules on this course offer a flexible alternative to candidates undertaking the programme, allowing them more freedom to structure their own learning in their preferred style and thus making a valuable contribution to their ongoing professional development." Trevor Summerson, Bursar Development Programme Manager at NCSL