This guide describes how business professionals working in schools can join or create a school business professional network. Networks help professionals to connect and share information.
The school business professional networks directory includes groups that provide peer-to-peer support to help with a broad range of work-related activity, including buying for schools.
You can find potential networks by region group. Inclusion in the directory does not constitute a recommendation by the Department for Education (DfE).
All levels of staff can benefit from being part of a network. A network offers many opportunities, including:
sharing experience and best practice between members and the wider schools sector
creating an on-call community to resolve problems quickly, saving time and money
getting better value for money through buying together
sharing local benchmarking data
linking to wider local, regional and national networks
supporting innovation
being a communication channel between school business professionals, professional bodies and DfE
promoting local opportunities and providing peer support for members
Updates to this page
Published 22 February 2018 Last updated 20 December 2024 +show all updates
Updated 'Find a school business professional network'. Removed South East CFO Network. Added Dunmow and Essex School Business Professional Network, London Borough of Merton, and Southwark School Business Managers. Updated the network lead for NW24 Partnership. Added the website address of UK Schools Sustainability Network. Affinity TSA has changed its name to Inspiring Leaders - MAT Partnership.
Updated 'Find a school business professional network'. Added Surrey Schools Business Professionals Network and UK Schools Sustainability Network Operations Group. Updated network leads in Cheshire East School Business Leads, Gateway Alliance School Business Manager Network (South & Central Warwickshire), Association of Business Leaders in Education (ABLE), Enfield MAT Alliance and Somerset School Business Leaders. Added new website links for Manchester and Trafford School Business Leaders Forum, Midlands FD Forum and Unity School Business Leader Network (USBLN). Added new email addresses for network leads in Shires Education Business Association, Hereford Association of School Business Managers, Suffolk School Business Leaders Network and South Gloucestershire School Business Leaders Group (SGSBL). Removed the networks Archdiocese of Birmingham Bursar Group and West Kent Bursars Group.
Removed the 'Leicester Secondary Education Improvement Partnership Business Managers' entry from 'Find a school business professional network'.
Updated Find a school business professional network. Added new network lead for Diocese of Arundel and Brighton SBM Forum, new email address for Redbridge School Business Managers, new network lead for Gloucestershire Association of School Business Managers (GASBM). Changed network name of Bath Education Trust to Bath and Avon MAT CFO and Business Leaders Network. Two new networks added; Peterborough School Business Networking Group and Lincolnshire School Business Management Network. Three networks removed; Liverpool City Region Academies Group, Aim Alliance Schools and Harrow School Business Managers.
Updated Find a school business professional network, adding new email addresses for South Yorkshire Business Leaders Group and Leeds School Managers Forum, removing the entry for Solihull Primary and Special School Bursar Group, and changing the name of East Midlands FD Forum to Midlands FD Networking Forum.
Updated 'Find a school business professional network' to remove Bristol School Business Managers, and update the contact details for Bath Education Trust and Durham School Business Managers Group.
Updated 'Find a school business professional network' to add Hereford Association of School Business Managers, and update the contact details for West Yorkshire Academy Business Leaders.
Updated 'Find a school business professional network' to add North Warwickshire School Business Professional Network and SWIFT SBM Professional Community, and update the contact details for Cheshire Finance Network and HASBM.
Updated 'Find a school business professional network' with new contact details for Lancashire Association of School Business Managers (LASBM), West Yorkshire Academy Business Leaders, and Essex Academies School Business Managers Network. Removed Nuneaton Primary Consortium - School Business Forum. Added Gateshead School Business Managers Group.
Updated 'Find a school business professional network' with new contact details for Abingdon Partnership School Business Managers, Bath Education Trust, Middlesbrough School & Academies Business Managers Cluster Group, NYES School Business Manager Network, and West Sussex School Business Managers. Removed North Staffs School Business Leaders Association.
Updated 'Find a school business professional network' with new contact details for Bury School Business Managers Alliance, Stockport Association of School Business Managers, Worcestershire Association of School Business Management (WASBM), and North West Surrey Business Managers Network. Removed Lewisham School Business Managers.
Updated 'Find a school business professional network' with new contact details for South Yorkshire Business Leaders Group and Dudley Association of School Business Managers.
