The first international conference for school business managers, 'Leading Schools in the 21st Century - the role of the school business manager', will take place at the National College for School Leadership's Learning and Conference Centre, Nottinghamon on Tuesday 24th April.  It will be hosted by the National College for School Leadership (NCSL) and the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA).  The conference will focus on the increasingly important role school business managers play in 21st century school leadership.

School business managers are becoming an integral part of school leadership teams, taking strategic responsibility for a wide variety of non-teaching duties such as management of finance and budgets, building and infrastructure, and human resources. The conference provides an opportunity for education professionals to share current thinking and ideas. Delegates will be joined by colleagues in South Africa, the USA and Canada via satellite link.

There will be discussions and workshops on:

• The challenges and recommendations as outlined by the recent independent review to the UK government into school leadership (by PricewaterhouseCoopers - PwC), including the extended role of the school business manager.
• How to further develop, adapt and improve NCSL's courses and qualifications for school business managers
• How good school business management helps schools achieve cultural and organisational change
• Safer recruitment training to strengthen safeguards against employing unsuitable people in schools.

Profoundly new ways of working will be explored, such as peripatetic school business managers, joint chief executive arrangements as well as critical issues such as succession planning and developing other diverse ways of working .

Delegates will also hear from keynote speakers Jo Salter, Britain's first female fighter pilot, and Lynda King-Taylor, leading cultural change expert.

NCSL Deputy Chief Executive and Strategic Director Research and Policy, and conference keynote speaker Geoff Southworth, said: "The National College is privileged to host this unique event and delighted to work with our international counterparts. The conference will be a celebration and a signal to the international community of the increasingly important role of school business managers.

"As new models of school leadership emerge, the business manager's role has massive potential for supporting and delivering excellence in schools, not just through relieving headteachers of non-teaching duties but also through helping drive fundamental improvements to school business systems."

Graham Holley, Chief Executive of the TDA added: "School business managers are helping schools run more effectively as they go through a period of change and modernisation. This conference will highlight how, along with NCSL, we are developing better training and development for business school managers to ensure they have the relevant skills to support the changing school environment."

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