Managing a school budget during challenging times and preparing for a school audit
This course is aimed at Governors of maintained Royal Greenwich Schools to enable them to fulfil their responsibility with regard to budget setting. Governing Boards are required to ensure that the priorities identified in the school improvement plan are resourced appropriately and that good value for money is achieved.
Governing Boards are required to submit 3-year plans of which the current year must be a balanced position, with the remaining 2 years to support due diligence planning.
The course will include:
- Governing Board approved budget plans explanation
- How to approach 3 year budget plans with consideration of any savings that can be made
- Income streams including Schools Delegated Budget Share (Primary and Secondary school)
- High Needs Funding - place funding
- Early Years Funding
- National Funding Formula (updates if appropriate)
- Engagement with Royal Greenwich if the school is not able to set a balanced budget
- Monitoring budgets including funds raised in the name of the school
- Bursarial Service
- Preparation readiness for an audit
- Business continuity and risk register
Governors will:
- have the confidence to challenge the school’s financial performance
- have the confidence to use the available data to set a 3-year budget
- have the skills and knowledge to ensure that timely and prudent management action is taken to ensure that effective budget control is maintained
- ensure that the whole Governing Board has the information available to them to become an effective and strategic group which robustly holds the school to account at all levels
All Governors, but particularly those serving on the finance/resources/business committee
Date
4th February 2026 (6:00pm - 8:00pm)
Venue
Online delivery - This session will be delivered virtually via Microsoft Teams
Tutors
Members of the School Accounting Team
**Intermediate Safeguarding Level 2**
This in person classroom based training builds on Level 1:
for Level 3: Designated Safeguarding Persons.
This course covers key safeguarding risks and provides
best practice approaches to protecting children and
young people, upholding high professional standards in
providing a robust and rigorous safeguarding culture. It
includes updates on most recent legislation changes and
incorporates local safeguarding and child protection
themes from Greenwich Safeguarding Children’s
Partnership.
- Course Aims: This course equips participants with
- knowledge & skills to
- explore ways of working with complex family situations
- have increased awareness of specialist safeguarding issues such as domestic abuse and violence, FGM, substance misuse, county lines, PREVENT, abuselinked to faith & belief
- consider Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews in depth
- recognise need for professional curiosity, proactive partnership working, information sharing and ways of developing confidence in staff to be alert to the risks surrounding children
- know what makes a good quality referral toChildren’s Services Social Care
Qualified Practitioners & Playworkers
Leaders & Managers
Childminders
Lead & Deputy Designated Safeguarding Persons
Nominated Individuals
Key Members of the Governing Bodies
Leaders & Managers
Childminders
Lead & Deputy Designated Safeguarding Persons
Nominated Individuals
Key Members of the Governing Bodies
**Wraparound Provider Network**
This online forum via Zoom provides a termly opportunity for out of school providers to come together
- peer-to-peer networking & support
- receive updates from the local authority Wraparound Lead
themes - SEND Training, Out of School Alliance membership, revenue grant monitoring, & impact of EYFS safeguarding reforms
Forum Aims: This forum equips participants with knowledge & skills to
- share best practice policies & procedures
- maintain high professional standards
- keep children at the heart of practice
Target Participants:
before/after school providers (on non domestic
premises)
holiday club providers
primary schools delivering wraparound care
including breakfast clubs
youth & community clubs
before/after school providers (on non domestic
premises)
holiday club providers
primary schools delivering wraparound care
including breakfast clubs
youth & community clubs
The changing role of SEND Governance
This course will explore the specific and important role of the SEND Governor ensuring:
- The legal requirements are in place and are known and understood by all staff and adults working in your school
- That your school is ambitious for all our children with SEND and they are supported to reach their full potential
- The SEND governors have the required skills and knowledge to challenge the provision in place and the use of the notional SEND budget
There will also be an opportunity for governors to understand the process of applying for an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP) including the amount of evidence that is required and discussions with external agencies, this will also include the timing and procedure for the annual reviews.
Governors will:
- have a clear understanding of their role
- have the knowledge and expertise to hold the school to account for ensuring that the policies and processes are in place and that they are being consistently applied
- have a good understanding of what they should monitor and challenge and how that is reported back to the full Governing Board
- have the knowledge to inform their Governing Boards of how the money for SEND pupils is spent and its impact
- understand the rigour and time commitment to the EHCP application process, the implications for the staff managing this process and the need to ensure that there is enough capacity for the role.
All Governors, but especially those with SEN responsibilities
100% of attendees to have completed feedback, would recommend this course.
Date
5th February 2026 (6:00pm - 8:00pm)
Venue
Online delivery - This session will be delivered virtually via Microsoft Teams
Tutors
Members of the SEN team