2009 International Conference

Achieving World Class Schools:
In Search of Excellence — Exploring the Impact of the School Business ManagerJune 22-23, 2009
Manchester United Football Club, Manchester (UK

The National College for School Leadership is collaborating with the Training and Development Agency for Schools to deliver an annual international conference that brings together school leaders to consider the development and impact of school business managers globally.

The conference, which is now in its third year, focuses on demonstrating the impact of school business managers operating at different competency levels and across various settings, and showcases how the profession contributes to achieving the best schools in the world. In conjunction with keynote speeches, workshops and panels, there will be an open forum for sharing best practice and developing networking opportunities.

Scroll down for information on past conferences.

2008 Conference

Achieving World Class Schools: The Importance of School Business Managers

9 May, 2008
Novotel London West
Hammersmith, London

The National College for School Leadership (NCSL) worked in collaboration with the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) to deliver this one-day international conference following the success of last year's conference.

Achieving the best school systems in the world was an inspiring and thought-provoking day, providing opportunities to network across a wide spectrum of people. About 500 delegates attended, consisting of school leaders, school business managers, school administrators, local authority representatives, governors, training providers, and government organizations.

The aims of the 2008 conference were to:

  • Explore international practice to see how school business managers can help to achieve the best schools in the world
  • Identify the benefits of school business management within the changing face of school leadership
  • Consider the implications of the enhanced roles of advanced school business manager and school business directors
  • Discover how school business managers are helping schools deliver major educational reforms through developing the whole school workforce

Key partners:

Association of School Business Officials International (USA)

National College for School Leadership (UK)

Training and Development Agency for Schools (UK)

Western Cape Education Department (South Africa)

Institute of Administrative Management (UK)

Manchester Metropolitan University (UK)

Anglia Ruskin University (UK)

Serco

The University of Manchester (UK) 

2007 Conference Summary

On April 24, 2007, more than 500 school business managers and educators in the United Kingdom, the United States, and South Africa gathered together in cyberspace for the first-ever virtual conference, Leading Schools in the 21st Century: The Role of the School Business Manager.

As school business managers shared their experiences via transcontinental video links, the conference proved that on a global scale, those in the profession share more common concerns than differences as they advocate for quality education for students.