There are more than 1300
independent schools within the Independent Schools Council (ISC)
offering senior level support management roles. The most
senior of these is the bursar or school business
director/manager.
Many of these positions can be viewed on our job vacancies page and others will
be advertised in the national press and online recruitment
websites. Schools often seek to replace bursars at the
beginning or at the end of the academic year so it is worth
looking out for advertisements in the autumn and spring terms.
So you want to be a bursar?
If you are considering a new career as a bursar or currently
working in as a member of the support staff in schools and looking
to progress your career within the independent school sector,
why not come along to our popular 'So you want to be a bursar?'
course which offers an insight into this stimulating and
challenging career. The course features a half-day
briefing and is available to non-members.
New in post as a bursar?
Those new bursars already in post but who would like to develop
their knowledge to take their career further can attend ISBA's 'New
bursars' course'. This course runs annually in early
November and covers the key issues bursars come across in their
day-to-day work from inspection regulations to employment law,
health and safety, safeguarding duties and much more.
Although the National College for Teaching and Leadership has
withdrawn from offering courses in school business management,
content from their former programmes is available under open
government licence. Courses leading to Level 4, 5 and 6
Diplomas and beyond in school business management are available
through the SBM Partnership made up of the National Association of
School Business Management, Serco and Adecto.
Advice on course suitability
ISBA is able to offer advice on the suitability of the different
courses available. Email us or phone us
on 01256 330369.
ISBA is not involved in the direct appointment of bursars as
this is the responsibility of a school's board of governors,
however, we can provide schools with guidance on the subject
including a useful ISBA document entitled 'Recruiting a
Bursar'.
Please note that membership of ISBA is vested in the school and
not the bursar and, while schools generally nominate the bursar as
their ISBA representative, there is no scope for individuals to
join the association.