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
Published 22 February 2018 Last updated 9 March 2023 +show all updates
Updated 'Find a school business professional network' to include The Trust Network (all regions) and Walsall School Business Leaders (West Midlands).
Updated the 'Find a school business professional network' attachment. Removed the Leicestershire School Business Professionals Network and the Peterborough and Rutland School Business Managers Group. Added the Cambridgeshire School Business Networking Group and the Wiltshire area MAT CFO network. Updated the email address for the Bath Education Trust and moved the Essex Academies School Business Managers Network to the East of England section.
The names and contact details of the Durham School Business Managers Group and Lancashire Association of School Business Managers (LASBM) chairs have been updated in Find a school business professional network.
Added 5 new networks to the directory, in the North East, London, the South West and the 'All regions: network' section. Amended 4 networks, in Yorkshire and the Humber, West Midlands and the East of England. Removed a network in the South West.
The reference to 'RSC regions' has been changed to 'Regions groups'. The network directory in the 'Find a school business professional network' guidance has been updated to reflect the new regional split.
In the attachment Find a school business professional network, updated contact details for NYES School Business Manager Network, West Yorkshire Academy Business Leaders and Lancashire Association of School Business Managers.
Removed all details for South Leeds Bursar Network. Updated the contact details for Leicester City Primary Business Managers Group, Hillingdon Association of School Business Managers, West Sussex School Business Managers, and Fareham & Gosport School Business Manager & Admin Network. Corrected the spelling of the name 'Graeme Lloyd' in the contact details for Swale & Canterbury Finance Forum.
In Find a school business professional network, South West RSC: network lead for SBM (Somerset, Devon and Dorset) changed.
North RSC region: Team leader for NYES School Business Manager Network changed. East Midlands and the Humber RSC: Network leader for Leicester City Primary Business Managers Group changed. South West RSC: School Business Network (Dorset and Hampshire) removed and network leader for Bath Education Trust changed.
