For a long time now, recruiters in the education sector have seen the value of placing candidates from outside the teaching profession to run the business element of a school in order for headteachers and the rest of the teaching staff to concentrate on the academic side. The notion of school federations is not a new one either, but schools secretary Ed Balls’ recent suggestion that schools should merge to make financial savings has brought this issue back into focus. For this idea to become a reality, however, considerable thought needs to be given to the staffing issues such a move would create.

The business of education is changing
School federations, where schools in an area remain in separate locations but share a leadership and administration team, by their very nature are far larger than schools as we know them today. Not only does this mean they need to operate more like a business, but the recruitment in this sector has become increasingly diverse, with the addition of non-teaching roles such as IT specialists and financial experts.

In addition to this, federations are looking for leaders or ‘executive heads’ with acute business acumen to support tender processes, bids and large budgets among other business duties - all key skills that successful business people already possess. Each individual school in the federation will need a ‘head of school’ to lead the day-to-day activities -; much like heads of departments in business.

The teachers we work with have echoed what has been noted in the media that they want to concentrate on what they joined the profession to do - teach. By separating the business role and teaching element of a school, the teaching staff can concentrate on the academic provision the school offers its pupils, without having to worry about issues relating to finance, member of staff within the federation can focus on their area of expertise - be that teaching or business.

Federations are also turning to recruitment professionals to guide and mentor the successful candidates into the position and to be on hand to advise on any issues

As with any other business, there is a call for federations to become as efficient as possible and by appointing a leader with business skills, this is more likely to occur. Through using a candidate who can streamline procedures and processes, resources can be redirected towards improving the level of education within the federation as a whole and release funds to invest in the pupils’ future.

Matching the educational culture
All the evidence, and our experience, certainly points to the fact that leadership and business skills are generic and transferable. The only area of difference for an executive head is the particular educational context - but this should not be overlooked. The culture present in an educational setting is vastly different from that in a business environment and if a recruiter places a candidate to the role of executive head who is purely focused on business issues, they are likely to fail. Where a company director is focused on getting a return for the shareholders, an executive head always needs to pay attention to how they can use their skills to benefit the child in the classroom.

When looking to appoint a non-teaching member of staff, federations and other educational institutions usually require candidates who not only have the appropriate business skills for the position, but who also have experience working in an educational setting. This type of candidate, however, seems to be a rare breed. As a result, recruitment professionals are increasingly being called on to develop an accurate profile of the role and seek these people out.

Not only this, but federations are also turning to recruitment professionals to guide and mentor the successful candidates into the position and to be on hand to discuss and advise on any issues that arise. To this end, it is important for the recruiter to have the expertise and experience to thoroughly understand the specific culture of an educational establishment.

Providing a perfect balance
Federations clearly have the advantages of scale and the potential to save a significant amount of money in the education sector. The staffing requirements of these federations, however, do need to be addressed seriously by all concerned. From a recruitment point of view, federations cannot be approached in the same way as an organisation in the commercial world, or indeed a school. A balance of the two is essential to find the right candidates for the federation to be a success.

Education recruitment will inevitably continue to diversify, with schools and federations increasingly needing specialists in a host of areas - be they permanent or temporary, academic or business staff. Those responsible for recruitment in this area need to be on-hand to advise on an appropriate mix to ensure schools obtain the right balance of teaching and non-teaching roles. This is both a challenge and an opportunity that recruiters have to be ready to embrace.

power points

• For school federations to become a reality, considerable thought needs to be given to the staffing issues such a move would create
• Due to the scale and increased business activities of school federations, such as supporting tender processes and managing large budgets, they will need a leader or executive head with acute business acumen, with ‘heads of schools’ in place to focus on the educational provision without worrying about issued relating to finance, HR or IT
• Professional recruitment consultants have to be conscious of the specific culture of an educational establishment and guide candidates from outside the teaching profession accordingly