We provide high quality, professional advice, guidance and support to nursery head teachers and governors on a wide range of issues. These include the strategic and operational implications for individual nursery schools of government and council policies and practices.
This service level agreement (SLA) is only available to schools who also opt for the financial advice and information SLA.
What we offer
In agreement with the head teacher, the nursery schools’ bursar will carry out functions including:
- minute-taking at meetings with head teachers
- emergency telephone advice to head teacher/school clerks
- chasing up income due to schools from the local authority
- provide advice to nursery head teachers and governors to assist in implementing local authority plans and policies for school improvement
- provide advice to nursery head teachers and governors on the preparation, setting and planning of the school budget including:
- reviewing and estimating costs of staffing structures and identification of alternative options or staffing models
- conditions of service relating to salaries of teaching and support staff
- budget forecasting and planning
- new and existing funding arrangements
- provide advice on the purchasing of supplies and the letting of contracts including:
- County Council’s financial regulations and standing orders
- procurement and tendering arrangements
- placing orders and reconciliation of orders using computerised management information systems
- advise on and implement any agreed procedures for monitoring contracts and service level agreements to ensure best value principles are adhered to and good value for money achieved. This may involve:
- obtaining a breakdown of charges
- matching performance against contract and taking appropriate action, advising the school on how to proceed
- produce monitoring reports as requested by each governing body to enable it to fulfil its monitoring and other roles
- budget monitoring, including staffing, water, energy, supplies and services and other costs; analysis of under/over spends; advice on actioning virements; giving advice on and actioning reconciliations
- maintenance of the petty cash account
- provide advice in accordance with guidance produced by Ofsted and the Audit Commission
- assist in the recruitment of staff to each nursery school including the preparation of adverts
- undertake research on behalf of the nursery head teacher and the governing body
- liaise with the clerk to the governing body as and when required
- checking on capital expenditure possibilities and arranging feasibility studies
- emergency cover for placing orders and paying invoices etc.
- investigate sources of further funding, please be aware we do not prepare bids