Assisting with
Operations
Assisting with
Operations
Here is a summary of how LDBS supports schools in operations.
Additional services are also provided through our partner Grow Education Partners. There is more information below about our services, or view or download the brochure.
“Operational support happens behind the scenes. It isn’t glamorous but it is important.”
Finance
“These are challenging times for schools. Lots of schools are finding it difficult to achieve a balanced budget. Strong financial management benefits pupils.”
LDBS is beginning to develop financial support services for schools, in response to current needs. We may be able to support you by:
Keeping you up to date with financial updates at School Business Manager conferences
Supporting school leaders with budget planning through link adviser visits
Providing bespoke financial consultancy through Grow Education Partners upon request
Buildings & Property
LDBS can support you with land and property issues by:
Liaising with Local Authorities over statutory title transfers and land transfers
Providing building works insurance
Acting as the Responsible Body for VA Church schools
Providing project management support for building and maintenance projects
Running a Building Maintenance Scheme
Researching title deeds and property ownership
Keeping you up to date with property and buildings updates at School Business Manager conferences
We work across London to maximise school buildings and the real estate portfolio to meet the needs of LDBS and Church schools. As we plan for the next generation we are developing strategy and applying for grant funds to support schools to achieve Net Zero Carbon.
LDBS holds an insurance policy to cover building works at individual schools up to £250,000 per school and with an overall limit of £5million in any one year. The Building Maintenance Scheme is a fund into which VA school Governing Bodies pay their 10% contribution for building projects. The scheme operates as a collective self-insurance scheme under which the burden of management, administration and financing of all repair, maintenance and minor improvements is removed from individual schools. Schools pay annually, based on pupil numbers in the January census.
In 2022-23 LDBS oversaw 150 school building and maintenance projects with a total value of circa £9million, ranging from small projects of less than £10,000 to a SALIX-funded decarbonisation project with a value of £1.54million.
“Most of our school buildings were here long before we were. Our job is to make sure they are still great places for the next generation to learn, and for the generation after that.”
Counting your Carbon
Schools are in a unique position to both meaningfully impact the amount of carbon they produce and act as a catalyst for future change, inspiring young people to develop sustainable behaviours and green skills. Producing a climate action plan allows schools to act efficiently and strategically to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, and to develop structures which include and engage the entire school community.
As well as producing a climate action plan, schools are also required by the DfE to nominate a sustainability lead by 2025. A sustainability lead is a person, or team of people, responsible for sustainability and climate action within a school, and are able to hold senior leadership to account. Clear sustainability leadership is important for the success of the implementation of a climate action plan, both in terms of creating a holistic culture of sustainability in a school, and through the greater influence it gives sustainability within a school. Many schools will already have made significant progress in this already, and it is a vital step in planning for effective change.
Engaging young people in sustainability and conservation is an important aspect of helping them to view creation and the natural world as a gift from God, to be cherished and safeguarded for future generations. The Archbishop of Canterbury’s 2021 joint statement with Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew explained clearly that “the concept of stewardship – of individual and collective responsibility for our God-given endowment – presents a vital starting-point for social, economic and environmental sustainability”. Christian organisations including A Rocha UK (A Rocha UK – Caring for creation) work to help protect and restore nature on land occupied by schools.
The Church of England has produced resources to assist schools to reduce their carbon footprint, and transition to a more sustainable school culture. This includes guidance on producing a climate action plan, a zero carbon execution plan, and a self-audit template. For schools that include historic buildings, Historic England has also produced a guide to adapting historic buildings for better carbon and energy efficiency.
Data protection
Our data protection team supports over 200 schools and trusts across London to meet their statutory duties. The service is provided through our sister company Grow Education Partners and it helps schools to meet their statutory duties by providing data protection and privacy guidance advice and training.
“The data protection service offered best value and instilled confidence that they would provide sound, practical advice.”
