Chris Bramall didn't set out to win an award. He set out to fix a school's finances, save money for pupils, and do his job well. Here's what winning taught him about the quiet, invisible work of school business leaders …
Diva Nair, Associate Director of Finance at Northern Education Trust, shares how a simple change to the trust's banking arrangements transformed their annual interest income from tens of thousands to more than a million pounds and explains how other schools …
Shaukat Islam, CEO and Executive Headteacher, Inspire Education Community Trust, Birmingham, shares how a DfE-approved savings platform transformed how the trust maximises returns on its reserves. Like most school leaders, I'm cautious with public money. When I first heard about …
Over 1,000 schools have already signed up to the Department for Education (DfE) Energy for Schools Service. If your energy contract is up for renewal, joining is simple. Our DfE Energy Team are here to help. Here's what you need …
Chris McGunnigle, DfE Banking Team Lead, returns with an update to his November 2025 blog. New tools are live, real results are coming in, and the question every school should be asking their bank has never been more important. Please …
For All Saints’ Trust, a multi-academy trust with seven schools across London, it meant new computers for one of their schools when Windows 11 arrived. Without switching to DfE Energy for Schools, they simply couldn't have afforded them. Your trust …
Cressex Community School in High Wycombe has significant experience in hiring out its facilities, something it has been doing for more than 13 years, and it has gone from strength to strength. The school brings in around £110,000 each year …
The government has published its Education Estates Strategy - a 10-year plan which aims to renew, modernise and future‑proof schools and colleges across England. Backed by £38 billion in education capital investment between 2025-26 and 2029-30, the strategy sets out …
Anthony Degnan, Finance Manager at Ad Astra Academy Trust, tells us what he has gained professionally after undertaking a DfE-supported Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) Procurement Fundamentals course. Ad Astra Academy Trust is a multi-academy trust in the North East of England, with ten primary schools spread across Hartlepool, Stockton-on-Tees, Middlesbrough, …
David Leane, Chief Financial Officer, shares how Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust has benefited from reviewing their banking arrangements. When I joined Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust twelve years ago as a small trust of just four schools, managing our …