Programme to provide free resource management advice to schools extended to August 2024.

Baroness Berridge encourages anyone who has yet to work with a School Resource Management Adviser (SRMA) to come forward to take advantage of this free expert support.

We are continuing to provide independent School Resource Management Advisers (SRMAs) to work with trusts and local authorities free of charge over the next three years after the continued success of the programme since the 2017/18 pilot.

We have contracted, following a fair and open procurement competition, the Institute of School Business Leadership and North Yorkshire County Council, who will recruit and manage a cohort of at least 200 accredited SRMAs until August 2024. We have also contracted Education Performance Improvement Ltd to provide a continued accreditation process for new SRMAs.

Since the 2017/18 academic year, SRMAs have worked with over 1,000 settings to provide expert support to help them make best use of their available resources to provide the best possible education for their pupils. Any savings are kept by schools to reinvest into priority areas.

Baroness Berridge, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the School System, said:

I am delighted to announce that we will continue to provide access to SRMAs free of charge to schools for the next three years.

It is clear from the feedback we have received from schools and trusts to date that SRMAs have become system leaders and vital partners, in the same way as National Leaders of Education and National Leaders of Governance. I encourage anyone who has yet to work with a SRMA to come forward to take advantage of this free expert support.

John Edwards, interim ESFA Chief Executive, said:

Over the last four years SRMAs have carried out invaluable work to help schools and trusts make even better spending decisions for the benefit of their pupils.

SRMAs have provided expert challenge and support to those in a range of financial positions. Our decision to fund this programme for a further three years underlines our commitment to partnership working with the whole sector to help them make the very best use of their resources.

ESFA will be publishing further information about the impact of the programme since the pilot in due course.If you are interested in working with a SRMA, please contact ESFA.

You can read more about information, tools, training and guidance schools and academy trusts with financial planning and resource management.

Published 8 September 2021