School Business Managers Conference

The annual School Business Manager Conference is aimed at staff in business manager roles at all levels, and will be an excellent opportunity to network with peers across the borough. The agenda provides a mix of personal development and topical discussions, including:

Session 1: Influencing without authority

School business managers often hold the clearest understanding of a school's operational and financial reality, while many key decisions sit elsewhere. This interactive session focuses on influencing decisions well, communicating difficult truths clearly and building strong alignment with headteachers and leadership teams. Through practical frameworks, peer discussion and real-life rehearsal, participants will explore how to strengthen relationships, develop shared language and navigate challenging conversations with confidence. Grounded in the realities of school leadership, you will leave with practical tools and a concrete plan for one live issue you are currently managing.
Facilitator: Yalinie Vigneswaran is a former school leader and Executive Director with fourteen years in education. She has led large-scale work in teacher development, initial teacher training and school improvement. She now supports education organisations and their leaders on strategy, leadership and delivery through Compass & Craft (compassandcraft.co.uk).

Session 2: Cyber security

A practical session looking at:

• the DfE’s Cyber Security Standards, including what is provided for schools by Camden and what actions you need to take now
• real cyber issues faced by schools, how they responded and lessons learned

Facilitators: Stella Stevens, Information Security Manager and Halit Yusuf, Cyber Security Support Analyst, Camden Council

Workshop sessions:

A selection of workshops covering the following topics:

• Automating processes and workflows with Arbor
• Cost saving case studies: sharing real life examples of cost savings in light of falling rolls and rising cost of SEND provision
• How do the principles set out in the recent schools’ white paper impact school budget projections - discussion

You will be asked to select your preferred topics at registration.