Where the power lies

Tim Edge examines the most powerful elements determining the management and governance of a school and where development fits in

In any school community the three most powerful elements are invariably the head, the bursar and the governing body.

The head
The head may modestly give the impression that his or her only interest is the efficient stewardship of the school and the pupils for whom it cares. Most Heads however have a wider ambition, to leave a better school to their successor than the one they inherited from their predecessor. Putting it starkly, they want to put their stamp on the history of the school, a legacy that will be viewed favourably by future generations.

The bursar
The bursar is (or should be) obsessive about the performance of the school as a business. He or she uses the P word, “profitability”, more than any other. Control of costs is crucial to his/her business philosophy.

The governing body
Governors are critical friends. Some are more critical than friendly but the majority are enthusiastic, positive and passionate about the school and its future success. Occasionally the boundary line between governance and operations is crossed, but, with good chairmanship, damage is rarely lasting. Many governors are impatient for success. They invariably measure the output of a development office solely in terms of the amount of money raised and the speed it takes to raise it.

The implications for development
It is important that development directors possess business acumen. This allows bursars and development directors to speak the same language. Development directors should also seek to demonstrate optimum results with lean resources. They should be resourceful in utilising volunteers to support their activities and adept at obtaining sponsorship for events to ease pressure on the development budget. Requests for additional development resources should only be made when reinforcing success, not failure.

Managing expectations is crucial. The best ally of the development director in this respect is always the head who has the greatest currency with the governing body. At least one or two governors should also be adherents of the long-haul philosophy. Development directors, like football managers, unless exhibiting obvious and consistent signs of incompetence, need to be allowed time for their labours to bear fruit. Educate governors that success is multi-dimensional and can be measured in a number of (non-financial) ways.

Heads are often judged on the legacy they leave but, paradoxically, few have time to think beyond the demands and pressures of day to day activity. Harold Macmillan, when asked to comment on the greatest challenge to a statesman, he remarked: “Events, my dear boy, events.” For “statesman” substitute “head”. One of the key roles of the development director is therefore to create opportunities for the head, governors and senior managers to think creatively about the future of the school. One of the best ways of achieving this is to recruit a development board. Meeting termly, the development board has two important roles; to source and solicit significant inward investment and to scan over the horizon to identify and plan for the needs of the school in five to ten years time. To risk another often used quotation, “fail to plan, plan to fail”.

Tim Edge is development director at King’s College School, Wimbledon.

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