ASSOCIATE NOVEMBER 2020

Vol.59 November 2020

3 From the Chair 29 Pivoting your cost base to recover from COVID
4 Optimising your back-office design 33 Rotina investigates Solomon Islands’ traditional
8 How I became a Chartered Manager
10 The importance of embracing struggle in the age of medical practices
34 Future proofing building assets part 2
lawnmower parenting 38 New disclosure requirements
14 How to bounce back from school disruptions 40 ASBA fee waivers
16 Living out a professional sporting dream, at university 41 Learn + at Chisholm
18 Nurturing students in transition from junior to secondary 43 A brave new world
20 From the CEO 45 Does your school have a strategic plan?
26 Laserfiche award

Published by the Association of School Business Administrators

ASBOAFMFEEMRBSER

ASBA
Mentoring Program YEAR 4!

The ASBA Mentoring Program covers a period of about ten months and facilitates
mentoring relationships allowing experienced ASBA members (5+years in the
industry) to share advice, knowledge and experience with Mentees, resulting in a
mutually beneficial professional development relationship.

Benefits of the ASBA Mentoring Program Benefits to the Mentee:
There are many benefits of participating in • Be matched to a professional able to
the ASBA Mentoring Program, either as a assist you to fill your knowledge gaps,
Mentor or a Mentee. seek opportunities and set goals for the
advancement of your career
Benefits to the Mentor: • Develop a trust relationship in which
• Connect with a professional whom you you can let down your guard, share
have a chance to guide and inspire your insecurities and ask the ‘stupid’
• Gain an increased sense of personal and questions we all have sometimes
professional satisfaction • Share your professional ups and downs
• Contribute to the development of the with another ASBA member who
profession respects and understands confidentiality
• Further develop your mentoring/ • Increase your networking opportunities
coaching skills. • Identify areas for your professional
growth and development.

The Program is not designed to assist Mentees with
employment opportunities; it is designed to aid the Mentee in
their professional growth and career development. In the event
a Mentee is employed at their Mentor’s organisation, the pair will
be reassigned.
To seek further information, see here:
https://asba-limited-mentoring-program-2021.aomapp.net

ASBA Association of School Business Administrators (NSW) Inc
Members Association of School Bursars and Administrators (VIC) Inc
as at Association of School Business Administrators (QLD) Inc
NOVEMBER Association of School Business Administrators (WA) Inc
2020 Association of School Business Administrators (SA&NT) Inc
Association of School Business Administrators (TAS) Inc
Association of School Business Administrators (ACT) Inc
Association of School Bursars and Administrators (NZ) Inc

Cover photograph
MLC’s Nicholas Learning Centre

CLOSING THE ‘STEM” GENDER GAP
AT TOORAK COLLEGE

ASBA Update

From Elizabeth Stannard was elected Chair of ASBA Limited
the in March 2019 and has been a Director since 2015. She
Chair is a former Deputy Chair of ASBA Limited and is also an
Executive Committee member and immediate Past President
of the Queensland Chapter. Elizabeth is the Director of
Business and Finance at Anglican Church Grammar School
in Brisbane, Queensland, a position that she has held for
the past 11 years.

As the year draws to a close I am sure that The Board had hoped to be able to As I reported earlier in the year, a number
we all look forward with optimism to 2021 progress to a more in depth planning of our chapters have also had to make
that many of the challenges of this year will workshop at its October Board the difficult decision to cancel their state
be behind us and our schools will be able meeting but was forced to defer this to our conference. It was pleasing to see with
to return to full and active operations. In first meeting of 2021, when a significant easing of restrictions in some states,
particular we know our Victorian colleagues time allocation can be made in a face to Queensland, South Australia/NT, Western
have had a very difficult year and we face environment. Nevertheless, the Board Australia and Tasmania have been able to
hope and pray that the gradual easing of has utilised online interface with Scott over proceed with their conferences either in full
restrictions continues and day to day life the last 2 meetings to progress discussion or in a shortened version during the latter
returns to something closer to normality in and framework for the Strategic Plan. part of 2020. The feedback from members
the coming weeks and months. has been overwhelming with many excited
Due to the current COVID-19 situation, at the opportunity for professional
As I reported in the last Associate, due to a number of changes have been development experience delivered face
the current travel and border restrictions, implemented to our programmes, including to face and to meet with colleagues for
the ASBA Board has been unable to meet the changed format for the roadshows the first time in many months. Given the
face to face this year. Meetings have still sponsored by our Platinum Partners situation this year, I think we appreciate
proceeded virtually on 12 June, 17 August Alliance, Camp Australia, Commonwealth even more the support we gain from our
and 23 October. One of the major activities Bank, Higgins, NGS Super and Ricoh. ASBA network.
for the Board is to begin a new strategic With the assistance of the facilitator Jacqui
planning process and in this regard, we Perkins working with our CEO Pip Thomas, The Committee for ASBA 2021 is still
have engaged Mr Scott Arbuthnot to we were able to deliver an outstanding working positively towards our next national
facilitate the consultation and planning online offering comprising 3 sessions conference in Melbourne and remain
process. Scott is a leadership consultant and concluding with a “Share and Learn” optimistic that we will be able to come
with over 25 years’ experience in leadership webinar. The feedback we received from together there in September next year.
and organisational development services. members who undertook the programme
was extremely positive. Thank you to our I would also like to take this opportunity
Scott has already hosted a series of focus Platinum Partners for their support in a to thank Mr Paul Chapman who has been
groups with a cross section of members changing environment the New Zealand chapter appointee to
across all chapters and has also engaged the Board who has completed his term in
with our Platinum Partners as part of this July this year. Paul has been a valuable
consultation phase. member of the Board but I am sure will
continue to be a strong contributor to his
ASBA Executive Chair | Elizabeth Stannard chapter. We wish Paul all the very best for
Anglican Church Grammar School the future and professionally at his school
“Churchie”, Oaklands Parade East Brisbane QLD 4169 (Kings School, Auckland).
Tel: (07) 3896 2207
As a consequence of Paul’s retirement from
Deputy Chair | Neville Atkinson the Board, we have also welcomed a new
St Paul’s College, 792 Grand Junction Road Gilles Plains SA 5086 Director Mr Nigel Wilkinson (Kristin School,
NZ) and I and the other Directors look
Treasurer | Stuart Calvert forward to working with him over coming
St Mary’s College, 164 Harrington Street Hobart Tas 7018 years.
(03) 6108 2560
In closing, I welcome communication from
ASBA Chief Executive Officer and members so please feel free to contact me
Editor of the Associate | Philippa Thomas at [email protected] with any comments
Association of School Business Administrators or feedback that you may have.
Level 10, 36 Marine Parade
Southport QLD 4215 Elizabeth Stannard | Chair
PO Box 3767 Australia Fair QLD 4215
Tel: (07) 5560 8629 Email: [email protected]

3NOVEMBER 2020

Technical Update

Optimising your It‘s a challenging environment for independent
back-office design schools in Australia. At the same time as rapidly
for financial viability upskilling to meet remote learning needs,
and better outcomes school leaders are preparing for a recession
that will likely see an increase in competition
and a decline in revenue. For many, tuition
deferrals or reductions have already hit the
bottom line and pre-COVID expectations of
enrolments are being revised considerably. The
impact of the virus on Australia may see more
parents enrol their children into government
schools in response to high tuition fees and
stagnant wage growth.

Commercial and future focused schools are undertaking broad based reviews of expenditure to identify
opportunities to reduce costs. This includes identifying opportunities for smarter purchasing, reviewing
unnecessary expenditure and consolidating purchases across campuses. They are also reviewing
the way their ‘back office’ (e.g. student administration, finance, marketing, human resources and
technology) are set up to improve education delivery and business management of school operations.

Fixed-cost bases and a commitment to Transform back-office teams into enabling teams to improve service levels and the
quality will constrain options to balance bottom-line
post-COVID budgets
For many schools, a focus on education-delivery, from ensuring they recruit the best
The challenge for schools seeking to teachers to building the best classrooms, has meant that back office teams are left to their
right-size budgets in response to potential own devices and evolve to become inefficient and ineffective. For example, a team might
revenue decline is one of value and become too small as a result of under-investment, or too large with people that don’t have
quality. Parents rightfully have the highest clear responsibilities as a result of over-investment. In either case these teams will often
expectations of value for money for their fail to meet the expectations of their key customers, whether internal (school leaders and
investment in tuition at schools. The teachers) or external (parents and the broader school community).
highest quality of learning environments
will need to be maintained within schools, Given the need to balance the post-COVID books, now is the right time for schools to
from grounds to buildings and the lessons improve the efficiency of back-office teams and to redesign them into ‘enabling teams’
taught within them. Schools risk losing that focus on the efficient delivery of quality education for students and alignment with a
students to competitors if they are seen school’s broader strategy.
to cut back on the educational experience
of students that provide a real point of Four key activities which can improve performance
difference from government schools.
Independent schools can improve value for money in back-office teams, and transform
4 ASBA ASSOCIATE them into enabling teams, by addressing on four key areas simultaneously:

1 Identify key costs resource effort that is better spent also enable leaders to navigate the
politics of change and enable them to be
Undertake a wide-ranging review to identify elsewhere. A school should create a challenged by new ideas. Without bringing
on the right support, projects which aim to
opportunities to optimise costs. Identify clear view of what processes are causing cut costs or improve efficiencies can have
the opposite impact and place an undue
where there are opportunities to consolidate, bottlenecks and poor outcomes. Start burden on staff who are working hard
to support schools navigating a period
reduce or choose a more appropriate by understanding where staff are re- of unprecedented change. Any project
which aims to improve efficiencies and
sourcing model particularly where external entering data, manually creating reports or reduce costs must consider the impact
of the change from the outset to lay the
resources are used, such as contractors and spending time on activities that systems foundation for success.
Impact
casuals. This may involve using benchmarks can do instead. Improving the efficiency of back office
teams can yield significant cost savings
as a targeting tool to prompt hard questions 4 Invest in the right systems for organisations without impacting
performance. For these efforts to be
and detailed investigation into line items After a school understands its costs, successful, however, the existing operating
of budgets for teams across the school. ideal operating models and key process model must be carefully evaluated in
Once opportunities have been identified improvement opportunities, it should the context of each school’s unique
and prioritised, individual business cases step back and identify which systems environment. Seeking short term cost
should be created to properly capture the will support achieving its strategic goals. savings without investment in processes
full costs and benefits of the change and to Digital solutions need to support new and systems can undermine performance
hold people to account for savings. Without operating models and enable teams to and cost more in the medium to long term.
accountability, benefits may not be realised respond better to their customers without
or people may be tempted to return to the attracting costs or resource effort that Kristy Fotiadis and James McCluskey are part of
way things were. undermines the value of services provided. Grant Thornton’s Management Consulting team
New technology solutions provide effective and work closely with executive teams in schools to
2 Redesign operating models align their strategy and operating model structures
to drive organisational growth and deliver change.
An operating model is how a team is reporting that support improved decision
To find out more contact them directly at
structured (people, capability and processes) making and enable staff to focus on [email protected], 03 8663 6485,
[email protected], 03 8663 6378.
to deliver on the intended customer adding value.

experience, products and services. For a The importance of an independent
school, improving teams’ operating models perspective
will enable it to use its workforce consistently

with its strategy and provide a basis for Changing the way teams work, and work
understanding the total cost of the team. An together, is a challenging task for school
effective operating model will break a team leaders to take on in addition to their day-
out of the back-office and encourage it to to-day activities, particularly in the midst of
connect with the school. a pandemic. A clear-eyed, experienced

3 Improve processes and independent perspective is critical

Cutting costs and restructuring alone will to ensuring school leaders buy-in to a
not improve performance, and can have program of work that is premised on
the opposite impact, if it isn’t supported by improving the performance of teams (as
effective process improvement activities. opposed to cutting costs). Having an
Too often, manual processes attract experienced set of hands on board will

5NOVEMBER 2020

Advertorial An Introduction to
Pete White | Director - Bus Stop Sales & Service

Q What questions are you asked most frequently by school Business Managers?

A Given the need to balance the post-COVID books, now is the right time for schools to improve the efficiency of back-office
teams and to redesign them into ‘enabling teams’ that focus on the efficient delivery of quality education for students and
alignment with a school’s broader strategy.

Q How did you end up in Bus Sales?
A I didn’t have much chance! My father is a bus builder, engineer and diesel mechanic who has been selling buses for over
40 years. My brother and I are both involved in busing and we love it.
Q
What is your experience with Chinese buses?

A There are good Chinese brands and others that have approached us to support them and we have decided not to work
with. Bus Stop currently retails three Chinese brands (amongst others) and truth be told, they are excellent value and
are well liked by the schools and operators that have purchased them. Some of our customers had purchased poorly
constructed products before meeting us and we have worked hard to change perceptions of our range which is today’s
reality. European brands are not always the answer and we can offer a range of solutions. The fact is that well-built buses
(from any country) that are fully supported end to end is a great starting point for any school.

Q What support can you provide Business Managers?

A We are always happy to provide advice and offer solutions to assist a school to gather as much knowledge as they can in
relation to buses. This is the case even if there is no commercial outcome for us in the short term.

Q Do you offer Electric Buses?
A Yes - we have worked with a number of bus operators on e-bus solutions. Having said that, we don’t believe electric buses

are school ready as yet and the initial cost without any government subsidies makes them unviable for the school market.

Q Do you sell across Australia?
A Our head office is located in Rocklea (QLD) and is Australia’s largest bus sales and service facility. At over 39,000 sqm

in size, we like to keep an extensive range of New and Used stock at all times. We also have an office in Melbourne plus
sales agents in all states and territories.

Q How many years do you believe a bus will last?

A There are many variables to answer what seems like a simple question! We generally find that schools are replacing their
bus fleets every 5-7 years. For this reason, we structure our finance solutions along this timeframe, however, there is no
reason that a new bus could not deliver up to 15 years of service.

Q Do you offer Leasing, Rentals and Finance?

A Yes of course! We can provide both on and off-balance sheet options and have significant experience in tailoring a finance
solution that meets the needs of the education sector. We can also offer long term rental through our ‘EduLease’ solution
which is a new and innovative product that is an ideal entry to the market for schools wanting an easy and turnkey bus
solution.

Q Do you have references available to Business Managers?

A Most definitely! After over 40 years in the bus sales business, we have an extensive list of education customers and bus
operators that are always available to discuss the support available.

Q What advice would you give a Business Manager interested in purchasing or renewing new buses for this fleet?

A Talk to us! We are here to help with the simplest initial questions right through to complex fleet solutions.

6 ASBA ASSOCIATE

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sasalelse@[email protected]• •bubsusstostpospaslaesle.cso.cmom.a.uau

Our Members How I became a
Chartered Manager

On 11 May 2020 I was thrilled to be awarded the internationally recognised designation of Chartered Manager – CMgr, and
appointment as a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Managers and Leaders.

The Chartered Manager designation based on recognition of prior learning. In I commenced the assessment process in
is quite a new recognition pathway for addition to facilitating this accelerated September 2019 and had completed the
experienced managers and leaders and pathway for ASBA members, the requirements by April 2020.
is, in fact, being touted as the highest arrangement is offered at a discounted
status that you can achieve as a leader. price of $590. ASBA will also rebate an My case study focused on a project
The globally recognised designation is additional $150 once members achieve to restructure and expand the human
offered here in Australia and New Zealand the qualification, a total saving of $345, resources and industrial relations area
by the Institute of Managers and Leaders including a waived IML joining fee of $90. of our school, which I headed up during
(IML) through a strategic partnership with 2017-18. In all honesty the process
the UK’s Chartered Management Institute The recognition of prior learning route was more challenging than I had initially
(CMI), who first launched this prestigious through ASBA required me to submit expected, but that is a good thing in
designation back in 2005. a comprehensive (around 7,000 word) terms of maintaining the very high
assessment outlining a contemporary case standards that the designation aspires
Meanwhile, ASBA has allied with IML study that highlighted my leadership skills. to. Achieving Chartered Manager status
to offer their members a shortened The submission was structured to explore is more than just filling out a document of
assessment process for the Chartered how I manage change and lead others, the proof. The process required considerable
Manager qualification which is primarily outcomes that I achieve, and reflections introspective reflection on who I am as a
on my own learnings. I was also required leader in my school, not just what I do but
to demonstrate how I stay current in my also why I do, and particularly, what I learn
knowledge and outline my professional from each experience. The process really
development plan for the next 12 months. helped me to reflect on the vast range of
skills that I use in my role on a daily basis,
An assessor from IML was assigned to often without consciously recognising it.
me and, as well as assessing my written
application, I spent around 90 minutes in So why did I invest my time in this
discussion with him digging deeper into process and what do I think it has to
various aspects of my submission. Once offer ASBA members? In my nearly 20
my assessor had determined that I had years of experience in school business
met the required standard, my submission management I have been thrilled to see
and the assessment report were us emerge as a professional vocation in
forwarded to CMI in the UK where they our own right. We have big roles and big
were assessed against their professional responsibilities resourcing the awesome
ethics and the CMI Code of Conduct and school communities that are entrusted to
Practice. us and we deserve public recognition for
our expertise. The Chartered Manager
designation provides ASBA members with
the opportunity for global “gold standard”
recognition as managers and leaders. I
unreservedly commend this designation to
members and I would like to thank ASBA
for providing me with this opportunity to
take my skills to the next level.

Shaun Sargent | The Friends’ School, Tasmania

8 ASBA ASSOCIATE

Become a Chartered Manager for only $440 ~ Saving $345

iML’s Chartered Manager (CMgr) is the
internationally-recognised professional
designation accrediting management and
leadership excellence.

ASBA has allied with iML to offer our members Go to the iML Chartered Manager web page for more
a shortened assessment process (based on information on the program and how you can
recognised prior learning) to become a Chartered
Manager, for the discounted price of $590 apply to be assessed.
(discounted by 15%). ASBA will offer an additional
$150 rebate upon receipt of the CMgr qualfication https://managersandleaders.com.au/services/chartered-manager/
by members, thus enabling members to become
a Chartered Manager for $440, a saving of $345 To apply for your
(including the waived joining fee of $90.) $150 rebate from ASBA upon
becoming a Chartered Manager,

go to the ASBA website at
https://asba.asnau/#courses

Technical Update

The importance of embracing
struggle in the age of

lawnmower parenting

Last year, dozens of wealthy families were accused of participating in a
bribery scheme that influenced their childrens’ university admissions.
Operation Varsity Blues, as it came to be known, now boasts the scalps
of business figures, sports people and Hollywood actors. It is alleged
the conspiracy began around 2011. The central conspirator has admitted
that upwards of 750 college students were awarded places at prestigious
universities as a result.

10 ASBA ASSOCIATE

Among the higher-profile cases was “Lawnmower are much subtler acts with comparable
actress Felicity Huffman of Desperate consequences on our offspring. An
Housewives fame, who was sentenced parenting refers example comes to mind of parents
to 14 days in prison, 250 hours of phoning teachers to insist their children are
community service and a fine of $30,000 to the act of placed in the same class as their closest
(USD). A natural impulse many of us may friends, rather than being confronted with
have is to celebrate and even contribute proactively the unimaginable horror of meeting new
to the public condemnation of these people.
“elite” or “overprivileged” families, but smoothing out the
this phenomenon is indicative of a much Avoiding discomfort in the real
deeper issue at play in broader society. It path ahead for world
might just pay for us to engage in some
compassionate self-reflection prior to one’s children” While Gen Z continue transitioning from
casting too many stones. school-age to university-age and into the
team and I couldn’t help but identify a workforce, we are seeing some parents
I find it interesting that this conspiracy common theme. We were continually told adopt creative ways of maintaining their
began in 2011. It happens to be the that the biggest difference between the lawnmower parenting strategy. University
year the first of Generation Z turned 16, parents of today and those of the past is professors and military bootcamp
an age when the focus is very much on the extraordinary lengths they’ll go to in instructors are reporting the emergence
university and future careers. Although order to stop their children from feeling and increased prevalence of parental
the emergence of a new generation is any sort of discomfort. intervention. Concerned parents have gone
often accompanied by a litany of criticism as far as calling professors to follow up on
and nostalgia for the good ol’ days, there Protecting our kids from their child’s progress, dispute a grade, or
are attributes of this unique generation discomfort even threaten legal action if their child’s
that cannot go unnoticed. preferred tutorial slot wasn’t available. The
In truth, we can’t wholly place blame at challenge with lawnmower parenting is
The internet generation the feet of any generational cohort. The that it can’t be maintained forever. At some
Psychologist Jean Twenge offers an fragile nature with which we regard our point in a person’s development, they
alternative name for Gen Z – those born children has progressed in stages over transform from being their parent’s problem
between 1996 and 2015 who should not decades. Children of the 1970s and to larger society’s problem. We know that
to be mistaken with their millennial elders 80s may fondly reminisce on the tough life is full of obstacles, challenges and
(born between 1980 and 1995). iGen, love meted out to them in various forms. difficulties. Without strategies, problem-
an abbreviation of internet generation, They were then followed by the stack solving skills and resilience to cope with
is a nod to their status as the first to hat generation; whose parents grew failure, how can we expect them to recover
grow up with internet readily available increasingly concerned with their physical from setbacks? The answer is that we
on devices that fit in their pockets. On- safety. Then came helicopter parenting, can’t. So, if the next generation is entirely
demand access to the internet came with which you’ve undoubtedly heard of. They unaware of the existence of daily struggles,
many benefits, such as tech-savviness, upgraded excessive concern for physical they’re being set up to fail from the outset.
communication with distant relatives safety by adding excessive concern for
and access to the world’s trove of emotional safety. The next phenomenon, Exposing Gen Z to struggle is by no means
information. The side effects, however, an educator recently told me, is the a straightforward process. Nobody wants
have been messy to say the least. lawnmower parent. to be today’s equivalent of the parents
Social comparison and harassment who forced their kids to smoke a pack of
are rampant on social media, and their Lawnmower parenting refers to the act of cigarettes in one sitting to teach a lesson.
career aspirations are in need of constant proactively smoothing out the path ahead We also don’t want to be the only parent
review due to the disruption caused by for one’s children. This process involves who snatches their 12th place ribbon,
artificial intelligence. Throw in economic removing any obstacles, challenges tossing it in the garbage instead of putting
uncertainty, stagnant wages, climate and difficulties faced. This might sound it on the fridge door. That’s the very
change and soaring house prices; familiar. Concern that her daughter’s distinction I believe we need to draw: the
and it’s no surprise this generation is low maths scores would jeopardise her opposite of lawnmower parenting doesn’t
constantly at risk of crippling anxiety. ability to later pursue an acting career was have to involve traumatic or sorrowful
Felicity Huffman’s stated reasoning for struggle. Surely there’s a healthy, growth-
The thing is, Gen Z might’ve evolved into engaging in the Operation Varsity Blues facilitating middle ground, right?
their new world a lot more effectively if scandal. Her daughter was reportedly
it wasn’t for the intervention of us – their unaware of this scheme, but her college
well-meaning, helicopter parenting, Gen offer was nevertheless rescinded.
X parents. After interviewing a number of Although the criminal case of Huffman
teachers and principals, my research and co leans toward the extreme, there

NOVEMBER 2020 11

Technical Update

The importance of embracing struggle in the age of

lawnmower parenting (continued)

Growth-centric struggle Here are some strategies that we can use to strengthen our
relationship with growth-centric struggle in ourselves and
Growth-centric struggle is the our young progenies.
discomfort that comes in the face
of challenge and is the theme of my 1 Don’t rescue
recent book, Strive. It is something Accept the fact that it is natural for us to want to take the discomfort away. However, stop
that you could choose to avoid. It is giving into the temptation to rescue people from struggle. When we do this, we are robbing
also something you could choose them of the opportunity to be courageous and evolve. If your child isn’t doing well in
to shield your children from, but if school, bribing their examiners is not the solution. Obviously if the situation is damaging or
you face up to that struggle, the dangerous, you intervene. It simply comes down to a matter of moderation.
experience of overcoming it will lead
to significant personal growth. The 2 Support them
ten years of research we conducted Help them have a more functional relationship with struggle by identifying their emotion
to inform this book actually showed and validating it. If they are being left out by a group of friends ask them how they feel and
that the presence of struggle is validate it. ‘When my friends excluded me I used to feel so sad and isolated, it that how you
critical for improved self-esteem and feel? It is really normal to feel that way,’ or ‘when you are trying something new it is normal
wellbeing. In a world where more and to feel confused and frustrated.’ Never judge them. Don’t say ‘Don’t let it bother you, just
more people perceive growth-centric play with another group of friends,’ or ‘oh it’s not that hard, you just have to try harder, stop
struggle as a violation of their rights mucking around, change your attitude.’

(such as unflattering feedback from 3 Show them how they are evolving and getting better
a boss, bad school grades or Focus on the virtues of their struggle; such as the character traits they are exhibiting (such as
even being encouraged to bravery, compassion, vulnerability, persistence, etc.), the growth they’ve achieved so far, or
lead a healthy lifestyle), you highlighting previous situations where they overcame similar challenges and didn’t give up.
can’t help but also to
see it as a competitive

advantage.

4 Go big picture

Lastly, remember to connect the struggle with their purpose. This could be a goal they want
to achieve (getting selected for a sporting team), a level of mastery they want to obtain
(learning another language) or some sort of contribution to others (raising money for the
RSPCA, sticking up for a kid at school who is being picked on).
As a parent myself, I understand the difficulty in letting your child sit with struggle, but our
job is to help them evolve, grow and become a functioning member of society. We stop that
from happening every time we rescue them from struggle.

Dr Adam Fraser | www.dradamfraser.com

12 ASBA ASSOCIATE

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that are highly ranked for ESG factors, we
offer our Socially Responsible Diversified Find out more about Fund sustainability at
investment option. ngssuper.com.au/sustainability.

NOVEMBER 2020 13

Being prepared for disruptions allows The Challenges of a critical Staff wellbeing pulse checks have been
schools to build confidence, capability, incident introduced, covering four areas; wellbeing,
and capacity. It allows them to keep staff feelings for safety while on school ground,
and students safe, protect property and This pandemic has shown that the human the assessment of communication
continue operating, even under the most to human experience is vital. Barker and clarification, and whether they are
challenging circumstances. As difficult as identified that the online experience was adequately supported.
this year’s critical incident has been, Barker largely a success but did not support the
College has shown this is possible. social experiences many craved. The Critical Incident
Response Team
In a succession of experiences and The staff appeared to be impacted the
lessons identified, the College shares the worst. Juggling curriculum delivery, It has been clear during our time at the
measures they have implemented, what personal responsibilities and managing College that the experienced team has
has worked well with their responses, and a critical incident strategy took its toll. A and continues to work exceptionally
some of the challenges they faced in both review of mental health has become an well together. Whilst this experience is
planning and response. More detail can be almost daily ritual for the critical incident clear, there remains a heavy reliance on
found in this detailed video interview. response team. individual competency - identifying the
need to identify the backup team members
Preparing processes, building Businesses must continue to run and and provide training where appropriate.
resilience, and responding meet their organisational responsibilities
effectively no matter the crisis. But this pressure Barker College’s team implemented
increased anxiety, health and financial initiatives early on. These included
The three key elements of an incident concerns for staff and parents
management program are having 1. Establishing the Critical
documented processes, building resilience Dealing with those challenges Incident Response Team
through training and exercising, and being membership early in the incident,
ready to respond. The Barker College Critical Incident with consistency on this team
Response team increased awareness of throughout the incident.
The College’s response to the events mental health issues and backed this up
of COVID-19 was managed through a with more effort in supporting staff with 2. Strong leadership was
lens of prioritising the safety of students, excellent communication. established, allowing clear
staff, and community. This minimised the direction and expectations to be
impact to staff’s psychological capacity Health checks have become second set.
and maximised learning opportunities for nature at the school. These checks appear
students. Like many schools, they changed to be almost part of the culture, and as 3. Decisions were documented
around the curriculum, tweaked with the Matt Macoustra put it, “it’s also been a allowing visibility and discussion
year’s schedule to maximise opportunities, really lovely way of connecting with the over previous decisions made.
decreased face-to-face learning, and students and the staff as they’ve come in
increased online engagements. everyday to say good morning”. 4. Each team member maintained
their own personal resilience,
bringing confidence and energy
to the team.

14 ASBA ASSOCIATE

Our Schools

A case study with
NSW Barker College

“Whilst there are elements of business-as-usual in how we are managing the current
situation, the current health crisis is not business-as-usual. We have been focusing on
how to turn these events into an occasion to thrive, not survive”.

Phillip Heath, Head of Barker College.

Alongside this mature and confident Maintaining a school during a In summary
team sat an equally established Critical critical incident
Incident Management Guide. Despite We have compiled fifteen standout tips and
this plan, the team has been open and Where the risk of managing the incident advice you can use in your own resilience
forgiving that COVID-19 has brought with it and continuing operations as a school journey.
unique hurdles that require this plan to be became complex, Barker College
dynamic. reimagined the term dates, allowed 1 Capture and action learnings.
flexibility in staff working from home, and
Updates, testing, student Boarder pushed for normality. 2 Balance the need and purpose.
management processes, staff and parent
communications, recovery of school When integrating the critical incident 3 Look over the horizon to the impacts
operations, and priorities for recovery of management process with business likely to be faced.
critical functions all needed re-evaluating continuity proved challenging, the school
because of the pandemic. established new normal processes that 4 Ensure the right people are on the
remained in line with overall school critical incident management team.
Managing communications and strategy.
stakeholders 5 Maintain a sense of calm and continue
Information management processes communications.
Predictably, Barker faced some challenges allowed the right information to be
with communications during the incident, shared, assessed and provided space for 6 Be visible – be seen to be
but they have provided regular and informed decisions. implementing the actions.
consistent updates both internally and
externally. To manage the increased The team recognised the difficulties in 7 Keep a record of decisions made.
distractions and challenges around
communication, Barker approached scheduling training and timetabling of 8 Bring skills into the team from diverse
clear narratives via a variety of useful backgrounds.
mediums that were reviewed staff as well as
frequently, including emails, text, 9 Customise the emergency response,
social media, face to face, push bringing an critical incident management and
alerts, virtual and podcasts. business continuity plans.
To ensure everyone was heard and understanding of risk
understood, the College established 10 Establish an effective communications
a COVID committee, allowing the into the business-as- network.
College to establish the
recommended plan and make usual format. 11 Establish information management
decisions while still working within protocols.
governance guidelines. www.bouncereadiness.com.au
1300 650 954 12 Ensure your program covers the whole
Cheryl Hambly | of school, including extracurricular,
Director, Bounce Readiness outdoor programs, boarding etc.

13 Conduct training.

14 Conduct exercising and testing.

15 Establish an annual program, and
schedule training a year ahead.


NOVEMBER 2020 15

Living out a Our Schools

professional Partnering with English Premier League
club Tottenham Hotspur, the University of
Wollongong offers the UOW Tottenham

sporting dream, Hotspur Global Football Program to keen
football players who wish to improve their
playing performance and conditioning,

at university while studying for a university degree
on UOW’s Wollongong Campus. With
guidance from the UEFA-qualified

coaches, as well as the UOW Program

Manager, students spend up to 20 hours

per week completing on-field training,

After a month in Spain at Levante UD Football Club, Knox Grammar School strength & conditioning sessions, tactical
graduate Andrew Delgado knew he wanted to take his football skills analysis, injury prevention and recovery

sessions, as well as building resilience,
confidence and leadership skills through a
to the next level. Starting his university career with the University of

assador Adam Gilchrist launching the UOW Crusaders Global Rugby Program earliWollongong and joining the UOW Tottenham Hotspur Global Football

Rueben Thorne, Grant Keenan and Maree Bowden.Program has allowed him to follow his passion for football, without range of activities.
postponing his education. The Program Manager works with each

student to make sure that training activities

are scheduled around both their study and

club football commitments. Andrew says,

“Both the coaches and the staff are really

supportive of our studies and understand

when we need to take time off to do

assignments or study for exams, so that

makes things much easier to manage.”

Andrew lives with three other players in
the Program on campus at Kooloobong
Village, where they share a four-bedroom
apartment. The players are able to walk
to training, gym and recovery sessions
at the UOW Active High Performance
Training Zone and Olympic pool within a
few minutes. “It’s great to live on campus,
everything is really convenient”, Andrew
says. “The hardest part of the program is
the early starts but luckily they are only a
short walk away.” Five days a week players
train with the Tottenham Hotspur coaches
on the UOW ovals, then, following a break
where they can study or attend class, they
undertake a strength and conditioning
session, or a recovery session, with a
dedicated Strength & Conditioning coach.
The strength of the program is in the
marriage between quality coaching and
university study, Matheus Scapin one of
the coaches on the program explains. “The
Tottenham Hotspur coaching philosophy

nternational Academy Manager Grant Keenan workinghaws aithohlistlicofoccuaslonrmuagximbisyingpevlearyyers dur
participant’s potential not just as a player
but as a confident individual. We focus on
the whole person, not just the footballer,
and that’s why it’s so important our players
continue their education.”

mmar School alumnus

Andrew Delgado working with Tottenham The University of Wollongong is expanding their global sports programs
Hotspur coach Matheus Scapin during next year, launching a Global Rugby Program. Partnering with arguably
elgado working with Totteonnha-mfiHeoltsdputr rcoaacinh Minagth.eus Scapin during on-field training. the best rugby team in history, the Crusaders, the Global Rugby
Program offers elite rugby training to students studying a course at
the University. Like Tottenham Hotspur, the partnership with Crusaders
was carefully chosen. “Teaming up with the Crusaders means we can
offer students access to a truly world-class coaching system, and to
coaches who know what it takes to succeed in professional rugby. Our
students will be able to fully develop their rugby skills and talents at
the same time as they are earning a qualification at a university with a
five-star global rating,” Professor Alex Frino, Deputy Vice-Chancellor
(International) at UOW, says. The UOW Crusaders Global Rugby
Program was launched in February this year and will officially kick off at
the start of 2021.

The University of Wollongong is ranked in the Top 1% of universities
worldwide and is rated in the Top 200 universities in the world by global
employers (QS World Rankings 2020).

UOW Ambassador Adam Gilchrist launching the For more information on both sports programs,
UOW Crusaders Global Rugby Program earlier visit uow.edu.au/global-sports
this year along with Crusaders’ Rueben
Thorne, Grant Keenan and Maree Bowden.

UOW Ambassador Adam Gilchrist launching the UOW Crusaders Global Rugby Program earlier this year along with
Crusaders’ Rueben Thorne, Grant Keenan and Maree Bowden.

Futurity has supported the education journeys of families for
over 45 years.

We are an independent and mutually structured financial
institution and Australia’s leading issuer of tax‑effective,
life‑event Education Bonds.

Our dedicated range of investment and loan products help
families plan and pay for education expenses. We offer:

Crusaders International Academy Manager Grant Keenan working with local rugby playeErsdduuricnag tthieolnaunLcoh waeneksi:n Tailored to make the payment of
February.

school fees more manageable and take the pressure

off the family budget. These products allow you to offer

payment flexibility to families, without increasing your own

administrative burden.

Education Savings and Investments: A range of
Education Bonds designed to help parents’ tax‑effectively
save and invest to accumulate education funding, ensuring
they are able to meet expenses when they arise.

NOVEMBER 2020 17

Nurturing students in
transition from junior to

secondary school at

MLC’s
Nicholas
Learning

Centre

Our Schools

The transition from junior school to secondary is a formative experience in any young person’s life. The single largest shift in
their education to date. How then, should buildings nurture students through this transition? How can they support them to
build connected communities in which students feel they belong, all the while, providing best practice learning spaces that
develop skills for the 21st century and are adaptable & flexible enough to support innovation?

18 ASBA ASSOCIATE

For Mcildowie Partners Architects, these This collaboration ultimately led to a Oversized glass sliding doors and
questions formed the basis of MLC’s research partnership with the University of operable walls, enable team teaching or
Nicholas Learning Centre, the first Melbourne’s Learning Applied Research interdisciplinary/project based learning to
project to emerge from the 2015 College Network (LEaRN), a world class research occur side by side with more formal guided
Masterplan - a vision for the 10-year initiative that explores the relationships learning. This also ensures that each home
development of the Kew campus of
Methodist Ladies’ College, in Melbourne’s between space and learning. This group maintains ownership of its individual
inner east.
partnership recognises that teacher space which was deemed fundamental to
Situated between MLC’s traditional primary
and secondary schools, the new building experience would be the key to the improving wellbeing outcomes.
brings together previously separated Years
7 & 8 to create a school within a school, successful design of learning spaces within The soft transition between the learning
alongside the new landscape heart of the the Nicholas Learning Centre.
campus, the Principal’s Terrace. spaces and shared breakouts encourages

Arising from the demolition of two cramped In collaboration with the Middle School staff students to access multiple areas within
wings of the previous Nicholas building, the
new Centre provides four levels of learning and the school management, the brief was the learning space, empowering students
spaces, a level each for Years 7 and 8, both
with 10 learning spaces or home rooms. to: to choose how and where they learn,
A shared innovative learning zone at the
top of the building flows into the popular • Define Years 7 & 8 as a precinct emphasising the school’s student-centred
roof-garden for outdoor learning and at the
building’s base, a formal administrative • Provide learning spaces for 500 students pedagogy.
floor welcomes parent and visitors. Student agency is further enhanced by
with each year level co-located on a
The western edge of the new building— the variety of agile furniture throughout the
once ‘Grove Avenue’ a remnant of the single floor
evolution of the campus from a suburban learning spaces. This enables students
street—is softened and opened to provide • Provide home rooms to nurture students to shift seamlessly between independent
a gracious welcome to a natural flow of through the transition from junior to
students and visitors into the new heart of and collaborative group work, and from
the campus, the Principal’s Terrace. This secondary school
has become a natural gathering place, reflective to more directed learning. As such,
overlooked by the Centre’s verandahs, • To develop learning spaces that:
providing shade, and an invitation to the learning spaces are designed to be
outdoor learning.
Support a student-centered pedagogy constantly in flux, changing throughout the
“The diversion of Grove Avenue into the
heart of the campus, not only becomes the Increase student agency in learning day to meet the changing needs of staff and
formational gesture of the building but the students.
key to unlocking the new landscaped heart Promote 21st century skills such as
as a destination on campus,” says John collaboration and teamwork, “There is no one single state of the building,
Mcildowie. underpinned by individual creativity it’s always in flux. It’s designed to give
maximum flexibility across its lifespan so it
Following the masterplan, Mcildowie
Partners engaged in a period of intense Provide opportunities for outdoor can be reconfigured to adapt to changes in
consultation including workshops with
stakeholders and research into best learning pedagogy & wellbeing, as well as changes
practice for middle years learning, including
benchmarking tours of similar facilities and Improve wellbeing practices in the use of the building,” John Mcildowie
the prototyping of two separate trail spaces explains.
to test, gain insights and receive feedback With these objectives in mind, Mcildowie
from staff and students. Partners design concept focused on the In contrast to the Year 7 & 8 learning spaces
development of a learning community. A across levels 2 and 3, the innovative zone
“It wasn’t only about engaging directly with collection of spaces that would balance on level four is aimed at encouraging groups
and responding to MLC’s needs, it was access into the heart of the campus with to learn in an increasingly less structured
about empowering the staff to understand best practice learning and wellbeing to interdisciplinary format. Purposeful learning
and leverage the potential of the spaces nurture students in the transition from junior settings such as presentation booths with
in their teaching practices,” says John to senior school. video conferencing, a green screen filming
McIldowie. studio, maker spaces and a seminar room
The building is broken down into a series of are provided in a more open manner. A roof
learning communities, clusters of 5 learning terrace, for outdoor learning, flows seamless
spaces or home rooms around a shared from this collection of spaces to form a
breakout space. hub for project based collaborative work

Working closely with the teaching staff, in the building and provides a platform for

and guided by research, Mcildowie innovative teaching and learning practices

Partners designed a variety of flexible and as distinct from the flexible spaces provided

reconfigurable learning settings within each below.

community so that students are placed at Ultimately, it is the collection of these
the centre of the learning environment. ambitious, student centered learning

spaces that matter. Determined to improve

“There is no one single student learning outcomes and teacher
state of the building, practices, the building sits at the heart
of a growing field, delivering innovative

it’s always in flux” architecture through the lens of innovative
learning.

NOVEMBER 2020 19

ASBA Matters You will have heard from the ASBA Limited
Board Chair, Elizabeth Stannard that a new
‘Branch’ has been added to ASBA. This is a
really exciting occurrence for ASBA as Facilities
Managers are, of course, a key member of most
ASBA member’s teams and some members are
also the Facilities Manager themselves in the
smaller schools.

News from Facilities Managers that approached ASBA were
looking for their own group to do networking, hold some small events, the opportunity to
gather a national group together and to learn some governance processes, and knew that we
had the back-office structures to assist them. The ASBA Limited Constitution allows us to
have ‘Branches’ attached under the ASBA Limited structure which are quite separate to our
Member Chapters and this allows us to operate the Branch without affecting our current
Chapter setup financially or otherwise.

the CEO The ASBA (FM) Branch will operate with a small national Executive which will include me and

a small number of Facilities Manager representatives from across Australia. This group will:
r‘HRleeeosgsldiislooi4nensnesvwceelinlelatabsnreednasmeecthdaunyhpeaaagdvreein–pbgeeenacedchnheanvtnateglromeun’anabunlmde dbinueprtseliorcafmtmesdeomifnbpeeaartcsiheinnRceeeag,ciohnarea



 A small Committee will be formed in each Region

 Have its own Bulletin Board and page on the ASBA Website

Membership

 The members must be nominated by an

ASBA Business Manager member

 There may be a special membership for

Welcome to some Business Managers in small schools
our November 2020 edition, who do both the Business Manager role
and the Facilities Manager role

celebrating a year of challenge,  Membership will be for a calendar year and
fees will be $150 inc. GST in 2021
rapid adjustments, sacrifices and

learning, both in our work and in You will have heard from the ASBA Limited Board Chair, Elizabeth Stannard that a new
our personal lives. The lessons ‘Branch’ has been added to ASBA. This is a really exciting occurrence for ASBA as
Facilities Managers are, of course, a key member of most ASBA member’s teams and

learned have been valuable in some members are also the Facilities Manager themselves in the smaller schools.
terms of patience, resilience and
Facilities Managers that approached ASBA were looking for their own group to do
networking, hold some small events, the opportunity to gather a national group together

managing change and that can and to learn some governance processes, and knew that we had the back-office

only be a good thing, particularly structures to assist them. The ASBA Limited Constitution allows us to have ‘Branches’
for teaching staff and probably for attached under the ASBA Limited structure which are quite separate to our Member
Chapters and this allows us to operate the Branch without affecting our current Chapter

students. setup financially or otherwise.

I hope you have all grown through The ASBA (FM) Branch will operate with a small national Executive which will include
this difficult year, and that your me and a small number of Facilities Manager representatives from across Australia.
families, friends and school This group will:
colleagues have supported you in • Hold 4 events each year – each term and duplicated in each Region
your COVID-19 struggles. Let’s • Regions will be set up dependent on numbers of members in each area
cross our fingers for a brighter • A small Committee will be formed in each Region
and more positive 2021 when if • Have its own Bulletin Board and page on the ASBA Website
nothing else, we will know how to
cope with a pandemic if we need to Membership
confront it again! • The members must be nominated by an ASBA Business Manager member
• There may be a special membership for some Business Managers in small
schools who do both the Business Manager role and the Facilities Manager role
• Membership will be for a calendar year and fees will be $150 inc. GST in 2021

Pip Thomas |Chief Executive Officer

20 ASBA ASSOCIATE

Special Note: ASBA Roadshows 2021
‘Courageous
Members will NOT have access to any Conversations’
data, pages or the Bulletin Board on the
ASBA website, nor attend any ASBA All things being equal, we will be running our 2021 Roadshow across Australia
events, unless specifically discussed and New Zealand as we had intended to do in 2020! We have chosen our
and requested. [e.g. a Chapter Field day] topic based on the feedback from the nearly 400 of you who completed the
Emotional Intelligence Workshops with Jacqui Perkins. The most commonly
ASBA Members will NOT have access requested topic was regarding performance management and other difficult
to resources, pages or the Bulletin conversations and so in 2021 we will talk about Courageous Conversations.
Board created for the ASBA (FM) group. I am really pleased to report that I have been able to lock in the wonderful
Jacqui Perkins, from Institute of Manager and Leaders again, who received
ASBA and its Chapters, as you know, excellent feedback for her work with you this year on our EI workshops.
have always and will continue to provide At this stage, our dates are still in draft, but I will send them out to you in
facilities and property-related professional the new year. Should things go awry and we find that there are States that
development, and this will not change with the we are unable to hold the events in, then we will convert the workshops
creation of this Branch. The Branch PD will be to a virtual format as we have done this year and run them virtually where
created specifically for Facilities Managers as required.
directed by the Branch Executive. Where a
PD event is created for the Branch that would NOVEMBER 2020 21
also appeal to ASBA members generally, it
will be made available at Chapter or National
level.

If you would like your Facilities Manager
to join the national ASBA (FM) group –
please direct them to the Expression of
Interest Form available on the website at
https://asba.asn.au/#expressionsofinterest-
facilitiesmanagers. The Committee will be
considering these expressions of interest
from now and beginning operation on
1 February 2021.

Sub heading

E d u c a t i o n 3 6 0Heading level 1THE FUTURE OF RUNNING YOUR SCHOOL IS HERE

Intro goes here

Text goes here

22 ASBA ASSOCIATE Education360.com.au

Education360

Modern tools for modern leaders

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more. With all of these responsibilities, it is critical to your role and ultimately the success of
the school to operate as a modern corporate identity.
All over the world, organisations invest millions of dollars each year in best practice data
management methodologies, analysis, insights and data warehousing software to protect their
data and empower their staff to make real time data driven decisions. Isn't it time your school
was empowered and equipped with the same level of insight and capability that leading
organisations around the globe have come to know and depend on?
Executives and leaders from Banking & Finance, Healthcare, Higher Education,
Telecommunications and more, rely on the power, scalability and security of modern analytics
tools to help drive continued improvements in their most critical and complex operations.
Your school's leaders can no longer act solely on their knowledge, experience
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Evolution = Your Data + Education360

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making more efficiently and effectively.

JUNE 2015 23

Eight PAStuabglahnecaeding illar Program

HeadingAcquire360 level 1

Student360

Ops360

Your very own COO providing you the
inInstirgohgtsoreesquhierered to drive your operations
more effectively. Track and monitor your
facilities, risk & compliance, contract &
vendor negotiations and more. These
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procedures.

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Finance360

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Know where your school stands at a state
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the ability to adapt, implement and measure
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the opportunity to set achievable, realistic
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class performance.

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Minimise the manual effort of your monthly
reports and bring your Board reporting to
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24 ASBA ASSOCIATE

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Scan the code or contact us directly to Scan here to learn how
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education360.com.au/lighthouse

JUNE 2015 25

Partnering for
digital transformation excellence

St Paul’s College The award honoured the Catholic R-12 College in north-eastern Adelaide for
wins Laserfiche industry-leading digital initiatives. Working with Ricoh, the distributor of
Run Smarter® Laserfiche in Australia, they have transformed outcomes for their business,
Regional Choice school community, staff and students.
Award.
The Regional Choice award is awarded to an organisation from each region
whose story is judged to be the strongest example of innovation, creativity
and inspiration, using Laserfiche® to transform the organization and drive
change. The six regions include: North America, Latin America, Middle East, Asia
Pacific and Australia/New Zealand.

Partnering with providers that The Ricoh and College partnership “Before working with Ricoh, parents would
reward excellence
that started it all send in a paper payment form. They didn’t
Laserfiche is a leading provider of
intelligent content management and Around six years ago, the College realised receive a confirmation as the school simply
process automation solutions. The Run they needed help to capture, store and didn’t have the resources. We’ve been able
Smarter® Awards, launched in 2005,
recognise businesses demonstrating retrieve records. Ricoh won through in a to significantly improve the parent experience
innovation, creativity and inspiration in
using Laserfiche® to drive digital change. competitive process to digitise a range — reducing processing time, boosting

Laserfiche CEO, Chris Wacker, says they’re of school administrative processes using consistency, and taking time-consuming
constantly inspired by customers.
Laserfiche solutions. Ricoh experts joined data entry out of the equation.”
“Our users are visualising their data to
look beyond today’s challenges towards a team of College staff to evaluate all Other paper-based administration
tomorrow’s opportunities,” said Chris. processes, select equipment and plan an transformed by digital processes at the
achievable deployment schedule. College include:
“St Paul’s College demonstrates vision
and leadership through its digital Ricoh provided the College with a tool a handling staff leave and professional
transformation, and is reimagining kit capable of digitising a broad range of development forms
how technology can transform lives. business processes and student files. As part a supplier invoicing
Congratulations!” of the rollout, staff were empowered to build a staff onboarding
their own digital processes to suit their needs. a general school communications.
Showcasing solutions at
Laserfiche Empower Business Manager, Neville Atkinson said with How St Paul’s College uses
Ricoh’s support, student and staff information digital processes
To receive their award Business Manager has become much easier to file, search,
Neville Atkinson & Assistant Business retrieve and backup. Records Management
Manager Anne Haywood, travelled to
Long Beach California in February 2020 “Since starting the project with Ricoh, • Meeting minutes • Financial records
to accept their award at the Laserfiche we’ve implemented 24 new digital business • Compliance records
Empower Conference.
processes. We’ve also digitised all student Paper Digitisation
Laserfiche Empower is the premier
event for professionals driving digital and staff files (1240); electronic files mean no • Student and staff files
transformation journeys — attended
by over 4,000 delegates from 1,000 need for hard copies.” • Payroll report, journals and payment
organisations in 36 countries.
Seamless school administration authorisation and filing
Neville and Anne presented on their
winning solutions, and their transformation With the new digital infrastructure in place, eForms
journey supported by Ricoh. the school’s staff, students and parents were • Leave forms
quickly enjoying some significant benefits. • Professional Development forms

Parents can now access and complete online • Payment options forms
• Laptop purchase forms
forms anywhere, anytime, on any device.

The system supported by Ricoh generates Automation

reminders to push action items through the • Lodgement and filing of employment

process, and has had a direct impact on applications

manual tasks. • Staff onboarding and offboarding

“Our annual administration packs used to take • Student commencement and leaving

a staff member about three days to compile. • Purchase Order authorisation and

Sending them electronically has saved about reminders

20 days of staff time,” says Neville. • Budget submissions

26 ASBA ASSOCIATE

Our Schools About Ricoh and Laserfiche
Ricoh Australia is empowering digital
What’s next at St Paul’s College workplaces using innovative technologies
• Personalised, digital Student Education Plans and services enabling individuals to work
• Subject change requests smarter. For more than 80 years, Ricoh has
• Tracking outstanding leave forms been driving innovation and is a leading
How St Paul’s College benefits provider of document management solutions,
from digitisation IT services, communications services,
+ Find information instantly commercial and industrial printing, digital
+ Improved efficiency and accuracy of data cameras, and business process automation.
through smarter digital workflows Headquartered in Sydney, Ricoh has more
+ Compliance with regulatory requirements for than 740 employees and is the distributor of
document storage Laserfiche in Australia. Laserfiche is a leading
+ Less time on administration is more time provider of enterprise content management
spent on innovation and strategic priorities software empowering organisations to
+ Consistent onboarding and offboarding take control of information and business
processes processes. Laserfiche improves productivity,
+ Reduced flow of paper for an improved efficiency and strategic decision-making
parent experience for organisations looking to transform into
+ Streamlined budget data management a digital workplace. This partnership brings
together expert capability with industry
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NOVEMBER 2020 27

PRINCIPAL SPONSOR

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Pivoting your cost base to
recover from COAVdvIDertorial

Opportunities to reduce indirect

costs to ensure that schools

survive the economic crisis caused

by COVID

Many schools have faced dramatic changes to their
economic models as a result of the COVID-19
pandemic.

Pivoting your cost base toOnline learning, parents struggling to pay school fees and secondary income streams such as swim

Pivoting your cost baseschools and gymnastics clubs being cut-off. Schools have been faced with a barrage of abrupt
changes and there may still be more economic impacts to come. But schools have responded well

to rerceocvoevr efrrofmroCmOVCIODVIDandarenowstartingtoputplansinplaceforthefuture.
The next question is how to achieve cost reductions to align with the new normal and the

economic recovery ahead. Reviewing indirect spend via external suppliers presents a number of
Opportunities to reduce indirectOpportunities to reduce ind reocpptocrtounsittiess ttoodireecntlsy ruedruecetyhouar tcosstcbhasoe aonldsimprove the financial position of your school.
costs to ensure that schoolssurvive the economic crisis caused by COVIDUnlike sales initiatives where $1 of additional sales income may result in 5 to 10 cents of extra profit,
savings from supplier purchasing goes directly to the bottom line. $1 saved results in $1 of extra
profit.

survive the economic crisis causedMany schools have faced dramatic changes
to their economic models as a result of the
FFiivveettaargregteedtoepdpoorptupnoitrietsutno irteideuscetoyoruer dinudicreectycooustrbiansde:irect cost base:

by COVIDCOVID-19 pandemic.
Online learning, parents struggling to pay

Manysssucchchohoaolsfoeselwssimahnsadcvsheoecoolfsnaadcnaedrydginydcmornmaasemtisctasretcailmucbsschanges to their
econobmeinigc cmut-oofdf.eSclshoaosls aharveebseuelntfaocfedthweithCOVID-19
pandeambaircra.ge of abrupt changes and there may

still be more economic impacts to come. But

1.sOcnhloinoeTsslstchalheeraotnianoneglrsxdntthoqiagunpvyeuegsmtr,tpeioslpnanpnaaoissrnsihdentoeinpwcdltastwscoeceaslllfcutoahrrnbiuetdhsvgeaebrgfceuloetniusniortnewg.gtcoupA1Gt.L-aqojuoyUiufcnkfrsnd.wcaeSalhUryfscoottnrhaoo2noda0dls1oseyf9eoelrsbssusyeryhstosiunauapadrpnviinlnrieeedddrcirtabeynsscepdteoeseacpunnneodarnlynpdfsirapidonnrcgfoaidelfoerilnideyraiseiwPtnaocricaetosthsosembpsasaeessbipsnesa(ntdthrdrerbepa8ya0rge/mx2oet0efsrroinulalfseelu)as.ucbphprluiearpss.tRsuwnniinmg a

changreedsuactniodnsttohaelirgen wmithathyesnteiwllnboremaml aondre economiAcqiumickpwaacyttso atsosecsos myouer.inBdiuretctsscphenodoplrsofihleaisvtoearsesesspsospnedndebdy ewxteerlnlal
in oannthde taoritpnhedeoirnneeecocostwnwsophmesincitcdharvrereicatpoiernvexegtsreeyrtnaoathl8espa0ud%up.ptRoliefepvtrslhieaewnsinpsgeinnd.place for tbshuaepsipsfli(uethrtse.uR8r0ue/n2.n0inruglea).GL journal for 2019 by supplier and analysing on a Pareto

fstoielrintmiteTeiiasnhcl,gosemaanafrnetionstetdpy,htmirexrOeesentseSifcaiecrnHtqvnlayCitcruncsr,eeeceoa,discatc,sunhloaitcupnepievmorsoituseybganiorteerlaiuornwynrinoescofraoeoraohf,khslpysmtoepoe,bxawuocaaprlrrsetkedsueaetncn.notashiitienRoninesdaoggse,l,,ci.emtvcohtapiceit.reeowrvvieneing,cgmoiansitndterirneeadrneccupterRce,sastcpneaioknpeitnintn8ag0sldt%whtoevooriskfaustahp, eelcpillxsgeiepatnrenesninwrbdgny.,iTsactphahleetsenntrduaihnspagesn,pidgITnlnf,ioieentecgrwlucsstooin,pnspgproriieennrntsoemdenrscant,ahbtlteeusgatsooenaprsid,eonssneuteschsumucwerhitbhyai,cesfhirruetoialitnfieds,

ncneeebssrymsaosU,sraacecpnyhavopotlbieifonoetkreleegrmns$posUrttssa1fuoapnus,lerrfelrsfacienfexkosra.httelvvoricdeFaiantei.soisdmscifdapTirefenolihrercidegomseensusxfsgbiselattuiiute,noytmo.mlsipteitsesaiapsaahxpdviylttnotdieinvleiiuri,$irvregereeli1esnsdsnecruaowc-tfbsllhrlftyotphesoeiwlmetnuuoxuyarpt5essrhstraphesrut$ceoeeelpp1mihser1pbrdsooraa0eleosifufieitds,ncattr.$coseitdanoemned1snmtgistwlaiyiooennegonefcmla.oleu,alaerydsehWtpcdesoeodahisurtmifeislsoeirnetsoremtm,ionbacciaplnlaatenseglayaslryanafeoseteriftttoarsytosanh,l,sseneOcetsrsarSdhuevtHneiiecsinrCbeeme,rsycbrvso,ospio,ictnchemerthsetsoctuor.oeraogvaTrlemneehsmncetoeaestfrfal,tehafei.mnylnseFeaheopxrrofrpkr.euoieeenl$vsxtdniianuad1sbmgeenle,sdtspsc,aalbiueesiny,bavtsciseenel.5csx-pdrhstiepetoordotrunisoesaanei1lsstssm0iu,wuotpaelrctaniplnlsv,eltieaeeonillnr,tnsfhats,onpsys$ucooooge1rmthusafe,onsreohmdfusoxagtecrdtyatrhxotrbedaotoererrmnopieanidn-rl,.gofit,
profit.
changes may be more difficult.

Five targeted opportunities to reduce your indirect cost base:
chool
Assess avoidable costs
2.rricular
m cost The immediate period when some parts of school campuses are
e closed to students or extra-curricular activities are cancelled, presents

a short-term cost saving opportunity to identify costs which are

ce avoidable.
For example, reducing energy usage to reduce power bills by consolidating classrooms
offices
and offices to save on air conditioning and lighting, and focusing on heavy uses of energy
focusing
such as pools, assembly halls and gyms. Assessing which areas of the school could
mbly
school could be reduced to a hibernation mode, and be reduced to a hibernation mode, and working with suppliers such as cleaners, bus
services and catering to curtail services where no longerservices and catering to curtail services where no longer needed.

app1ro.achUtonsduepprlsietras ins doftyenoiumrpoirntadnit.rWechtilesspomeend profile NOVEMBER 2020 29

ctional, others involve longer term relationships.

Advertorial

Pivoting your cost base
to recover from COVID (continued)

Taking a partnership 3. Consider immediate cost saving opportunities
approach to There are several areas where immediate cost savings can be achieved
suppliers is often

important. for the medium to longer term. In terms of electricity, prices have dropped

While some purchases are transactional, significantly over the past year and the outlook for 2021 is even better.

others involve longer term relationships. Government incentives for energy efficiency programs such as LED lighting are

In many cases it is in the school’s best csouorrnenbRctelryoedvodreafretmyonaaptttiticraSaalocslltly.iavFrereidnswuyaitcshnetcaedim.2n-g4s yaelasor poafyfbearcka,nhoowpepvoerrtthuensitcyopfeorofctohsetsesainvcienngtivsews whiillle achieving
interest to ensure that suppliers survive the options are available which avoid the need for upfront inv
crisis and are there to support the school RsuosotfatoinspacbShioloitloayrlcsrweysdhteeilnmetisaalasc.lhsFoiienovaffinencrginaginmoompptpieoondrtsiuaantriteeyacfovorasicltaobrsletesdwauvhciinctghiosanwvsoh.iidletahcehnieeveidngfor upfront
when needed. In some cases, it may be
important to ensure that certain individuals investmSiegnnt ibfyictahne tscshaovoinl wghsilienaochthieevirngcaimtemgeodriaietescaorset roefdtuecntioancsh. ieved through a competitive
are retained by the supplier through the Significbaennt cshavminagsrkininogtheexr icsattienggorsieuspaprleieorftse.nWachhiilesvtecdothsrtoiusgah kaecyomopuettcitoivme teenidnetrhe current eco
closure period. enpthcereooecpdneorsosrbcmascorynieiocbtdsdriucscsbel.saieemvTtllneheaptcciltsohroetiom,ocpeianctainnnuircsskgrbruicienteerargmirteaiitcaecehta,xhhnioalisetanttrovidnotpeegdusrrnueogssbnuruchynvperiedniupscegltnseihvedaeawrlslteero.iosrvptWebsheinruthvlgaspsiilctsnraaeptedntcrl-hoeioqdnovcsugerutqolrasiuoesulgmaifaafhniltekeidhuntedynteqypdusiossreauuocrlnitscphtcyteopoaosintmslosidesnlew’ianrosiiscngtthn.rstoiehapffceeirtcerhdcie-feiquscdruseracaeidnnhlnifiodtniteohdsl’eselpercoticoenssc.rTith
Having an open discussion with suppliers
about their particular situation and suppliers.
commercial model can often uncover an
outcome better suited to both parties. This 4.4. TTaakkee aaddvvaanntatgaegoefobfabrgaarignsarinessurlteinsguflrtoinmgCfOrVoImD-C19OVID-19
may involve a review of their unavoidable Many bMusainneysbseussainreesseseeisngartheeisresealiensgdtrhopeiorffsaalcelisff dasrothpe oecffonaocmliyffisapsutthinetoelocockndoomwyn.is put into
costs, impacts of government funding, plans The clocslourseuorfeooffifcoesf,fifcaectso,rifeasc, tcolurbiessa,ncdlurebsstaaurnadntsre, rsetdauucrtiaonntins,toruerdisumctainodnciannctoelulartiiosnm and canc
to support their workforce, and productivity of evenatrsearceacuasuinsigngwwiiddespprreeaaddimimpapcat.cCto. rCporrapteosrarteefsocaurseefdoocnusaevdinognevsearyvipnegnneyvaenrdy penny a
efficiencies which could help both parties.
In many cases the suppliers may still delayinegxpcaepnitdailteuxrpeesndtiotureensstoureenstuhreeythseuyrsvuirvveiveththeessttoorrmm. .
benefit from government COVID-19 funding
packages such as JobKeeper, boosting
cashflows, state government funding, rent
relief or bank loan repayment deferrals.

30 ASBA ASSOCIATE As a resAusltaorefssutlet oefpsltyeefpalyllifanlglindgedmemaanndd, mmaannyysuspuppliperlsiearrse oafrfeeriongffmeraijnorg major price r
particulaprrilcyenreodtuiccetioanbsl.eTihnesbeuasrienpeasrstiecsulawrliythnohtiicgehabfliexeindbcuosisntess,shesigwhithinhvigehntories and e
sectors wfixhederceosctslo, shuigrheisnvaernetowrieisdaensdpreexpaods.uSreuptopclliieenrst saercetokrsewehnefreorclnoseuwresbusiness and
defend tahreewirideexsipstreinadg.cSounpptrliaecrstsa.re keen for new business and to defend their

existing contracts.

One exOanmepleexaaremthpeleprainrteertchoempprainnietes rwchoomarepaseneieinsgwa hdroamaraeticsreeediuncgtioandinracomrpaotriactereduction in
sales. cSoor, proicreasteofsfeareledst.oSsoc,hoporliscearseoefvfeenremdorteoatstcrahcotivoelsthaarneinerveecnenmt tiomreesawthterraective than in
reductrioencseonftotviemr 3e0s%wwheererecormedmuocnt.iCoantesroinfgosverevric3e0p%rovwideerrseacroe malsmo ohena.vCilyaitmepriancgtesdervice
and sopmroe vairdeeorpsenartoeiannlsoovahtieveavneilwy aimppproaacctheedsatonsdersvoicmineg calrieentos,pseunchtoasinlenveorvaagtinivge new appro
spare ckilticehnetnsc, aspuacchityaosnleovneersaitgeitnogsesrpvaicreeskmitacllehrecnliecnatspaatcoitthyeor sniteosn.e site to service smaller cl

There are a range of other industries impacted which may open up cost effective opportunities

for schTohoelsr.eFoarreexaamrpalne,gteheojfoionethryecroinntrdauctsotrrsiewshoimnopalocntgeedr hwavheicohrdmersaytoobpueildneuxhpibcitoiosnt effective
standsscfohromoaljso.r Fexohribeitxsahmavpelem,atshseivejosipnaererycacpoanctitrya. Cctoourlds twhahtobenuoselodntogebruihldajvoieneoryrders to build
for youfronremxt abujoildrinegxhreifbuirtbsishhamveentmfitaousst?ivSehseplvainrge, lcoacpkearcsi,tbye.nCcoheusld, wtohrakstpbaeceus,seoudtdtooobr uild joine
furnitubreu, eiltdci.ng refurbishment fitout? Shelving, lockers, benches, workspaces, outdoor

5. Benchmarking to keep suppliers honest

suit the needs of the school, or changing the management structure or personal on-site. A printer
service can be enhanced by introducing software for follow-me printing, or restructuring the
manpower and process flow in print rooms.

Conclusion

While the COVID-19 crisis has challenged the operating model of schools, there are significant
opportunities to work with the supplier base to position schools to survive the crisis and the
resulting economic fallout. Pivot is a new buzz word. By being agile, schools will be able to pivot their
cost base and improve the wellbeing of their operating model.

how to achieve cost Author: Alister Danks Services (GodetPhtSee)rrmsuinpeplhieorws. Then working with the supplier to prio
best to ensure a successful implement
reducPtriincoipnals, Global Procurement

to align with thmCeleaannnaigenegm,wCeanttne. rGionPgS,rhBauSGsmsuesPestrSayvtsapi,icsiiPlnecaraasiblnsflapoyitlieicnbtuncygeisa,evdolEniiasnntaaeotbcrcpolgeohtnyimtsmMouebilaasitniincnneahaggtigeictgoevhrmneeoooeusbannfpavtvlf,iaoaonSnlcguomcuseleasieienrb,ndeeGcgtxossmFiwrncuenooeeerariurtsteevnhnsenrietpedcihoxnoecsapfecgowamr2csnaon0aotenpced,%nrudlseveMarebadce,rnceoaesmvardimioonececrpsetnfpnaesrehttyitnomchteanaaicetrnpenteaiievercncssoegedecgshvo,hsdtefsreFooliembeoineofrrydsweesvla,ecnsiiancrhuoitnned,tocrdrhropccoi.Eslharasdksis.nansuaentcbnngirdentioingaeoglnsmtohhsfat.enwmcaeradenmafogirde-mf
5.
Safety Services, Swimming services and Waste Management. Conclusion

Benchmarking ttOoauilrokareepdpertopoaycsohuuirspsincphdoelopileeenrndvseinroht,ntomranennsetpstaorteennts,uorbejethctaitveyoaundget While the COVID-19 crisis has challenged the operatin
opportunities to work with the supplier base to positio
Benchmarking assesstmheenbtessitsvaanluoethferormeffyeocutirvseuwppalyietroreexlatrtaiocnt sahdipdsit.ional
value from existing suppliers while avoiding the disruption or risks which resulting economic fallout. Pivot is a new buzz word. B
csauupspeliderbs,ybauct hwAaslacliwissnhttwgoee.oerrg@lclsooagfabnlsoraueblbppeaurplnocploccireunoerrt.craetuOacmritfeneteemdnanetso.tncnhttooe.0mcrw4oe.0hmai1esu.ta9lhou8ey8rat9lht9ye1aponrrdicitnrugsitswith cost base and improve the wellbeing of their operatin
may be
existing

competitive, or the processes represent best practice. In some cases, suppliers become AAuuththoor:r: Alister Danks

complacent after years of service and may not be delivering the expectations at the start of APlrisintecripDaaln, kGslobal Procurement Serv

the contract. GPSGrelPionrSbvciiaicspleaaPsls,rfopocecuucirsaeolmisnteocnpottnismuilstiinngg

How can you ensure that you get the A team working for your school? group foc
Benchmarking can address the balance between service and costs. Understanding how the balanc
services can be improved to address previous issues and better suit the needs of the school Ssuersvtaicineasb(iGlitPySv)ia a combination of valu

and considering where processes could be re-engineered to improve overall efficiencies. management. GPS has typically been able to achieve saving
This can involve conducting feedback surveys with staff and students, visiting other schools GClPeSanisinag,sCpaetecriainligs,t Bcuosnessu,lPtinrigntginrog,uEpnfeorcguysMedanagement, So
and assessing best practices from other suppliers. Then working with the supplier to oSnaftehtey Sperorvciuceresm, Sewnitmnmeeindgssoefrvsicchesooanlsd. Waste Managemen

prioritise opportunities for improvement and to determine how best to ensure a successful SOeurrvaicpepsrofoacuhsisoindoeppteimndiseinngt, tthreanbsaplaarnecnet, objective and

implementation. btaeitlworeeedntocoysotu, rsescrhviocoel iemnpvirroovnemmeenntt,toriseknsure that you get
For example, a catering service can be enhanced mid-contract by re-tuning the service athnedbseussttavainluaebiflirtoymviayoaucr osumpbpilnieartiroenlaotifonships.

offering to suit the needs of the school, or changing the management structure or personal vAalilsuteerecnagninbeeecrionngtaacntdedcoomn 0p4e0ti1tiv9e8t8e9n9d1eror
on-site. A printer service can be enhanced by introducing software for follow-me printing, or [email protected] etynpt.iccoamlly.abueen able

restructuring the manpower and process flow in print rooms. twowawch.gielovbeaslparvoincgusreimn enxct.ecsosmo.af u20% across

categories such as Cleaning, Catering,

Buses, Printing, Energy Management,

Conclusion Solar, Grounds and Maintenance, Fire
and Essential Safety Services, Swimming

While the COVID-19 crisis has challenged services and Waste Management.

the operating model of schools, there Our approach is independent, transparent,

are significant opportunities to work objective and tailored to your school

with the supplier base to position environment to ensure that you get the best

schools to survive the crisis and value from your supplier relationships.

the resulting economic fallout. Alister can be contacted on 0401 988 991 or
Pivot is a new buzz word. By [email protected]
being agile, schools will be able
to pivot their cost base and www.globalprocurement.com.au

improve the wellbeing of their

operating model.

NOVEMBER 2020 31

Get the best from
your OSHC provider

We know that school leaders want the best for their school community,
however not all OSHC providers deliver the same service and returns to the
schools they serve. Now is the perfect time to review your provider.
At Camp Australia everything we do is focused on children’s growth in our
care and we ensure the OSHC service we provide is yours – tailored to your
community’s needs.

We put families first with a fair and reasonable fee structure

Your OSHC is a dedicated approach to providing a service
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We guide children’s growth with enriching experiences that
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When you partner with us, we become an extension of your
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Our Educators engage with children and their experience
is supported by a national corporate team to provide ongoing
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We can conduct a free health check of your OSHC service. It
doesn’t cost anything to meet with us to discuss Your OSHC,
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Contact us

[email protected] | 1300 792 668

Our Students

Rotina
investigates
the Solomon
Islands’
traditional
medical
practices

Rotina Kapini of William Clarke College “This practice is, however, contradicted “Other scientific research has shown
may be nearing the end of her Year 12 by other cultures such as those in India the hibiscus rosa-sinensis to possess
studies but she is certainly making waves and Tahiti. Hence, my project focused on numerous medicinal qualities”, later stating
in the world of STEM. This gifted student investigating the plant’s potential toxicity, to that this “research supports the view that
was inspired by her home country of the overall determine whether it is safe to use hibiscus could replace the intravenous use
Solomon Islands when it came to selecting during childbirth.” of injections to induce labour.” Although
a topic for her final scientific research Rotina’s results were not conclusive, there
project. Driven by her desire to assist her local was enough of an effect to warrant a future
community in the Solomon Islands, this study into the toxicity of the plant.
As part of her Year 12 Science Extension budding scientist conducted experiments
course, Rotina explored the world of and tested the effects of this traditional Rotina has aspirations that her valuable
traditional medical practices in the Solomon approach to medicine. These experiments research will not only help improve the
Islands, specifically investigating women’s involved extracting pure chemicals from the healthcare of women in the Solomon
claims of using the leaves of a hibiscus hibiscus leaves into a liquid solution. She also Islands community but also raise
species called hibiscus rosa-sinensis during conducted processes to make the traditional awareness of the benefits and potential
child delivery. Rotina set about applying her tonic. These two liquid solutions were diluted risks of these traditional practices. She
scientific skills and methodologies in order in different concentrations and then tested on hopes that these outcomes lead to
to test the hypothesis that this conventional water invertebrates called daphnia. The heart accessible and financially viable solutions
remedy, used traditionally as a tonic during rates of the daphnia were measured to see for all. Rotina has a bright future ahead of
labour to accelerate contractions, held the potential toxic effects between the leaf her and we look forward to following her
positive medicinal purposes. Additionally, extract and the traditional tonic. endeavours in the medical scientific world.
she tested the counter claim of toxicity of
these same extracts. “Overall, I saw this investigation as an
opportunity to explore the plant’s potential to
“The leaves are made into a liquid tonic and be used in the medical world, not just as a
drunk by the pregnant woman once she is in traditional medical practice,” Rotina said.
labour, and this acts as a catalyst to quicken
contractions,” Rotina explained.

NOVEMBER 2020 33

Technical Update Future
Proofing
Building Assets
Part 2

“What items should be considered in the planning and design stages
of building projects to maximise future flexibility?”

In July 2020, the Australian Institute Pedagogy
of Architects reported that 80% of its
members had experienced a decline in The establishment of a shared vision between key stakeholders is an important
turnover due to projects being put on factor in the creation of flexible learning spaces.
hold or cancelled. Many of these projects
were in the Education sector, with private • A shared dialogue between architects and educators should be created around the
education institutions reducing their concept of ‘flexibility’
spending on capital works projects due to
financial uncertainty. Flexibility is a term that can mean different things to different audiences. According to
Educational Space Planning consultants, New Learning Environments’, ‘flexibility’ for a
While construction activity in the Education learning community can be achieved in 5 key ways:
sector has since resumed, the requirement
for school buildings to be both resilient 1. Spatial diversity - 4. Technology -
and flexible is even more important in the
‘Covid-normal’ environment, with building is there the capacity for students and/or Does it allow for different modes of
owners needing to make sure that their
building assets ‘last the distance’. educators to select from a range of space interaction (e.g. single screen, dual screen,

In part one of this two-part series, we ASBA Mentoringtypes depending on the desired learning
explored a range of initiatives that can be
implemented to ensure resilience of our preferences/outcomes?
building assets and school campuses individual group screens, central control
through designing for climate adaptation. vs distributed control etc) Can it be fitted

This article is part two of the series and will 2. Connectivity - out for immersive learning? Can it be
continue the theme of achieving building
resilience through flexibility. is there the capacity to link spaces to reconfigured for AR and VR experiences?
accommodate larger groups or increased
The following ideas provide proactive collaborative activity? Can spaces connect 5. Long-term
steps to consider in education projects, to
make sure that buildings ‘last the distance’ adaptability -
through adopting a flexible approach in
the key areas of pedagogy, technology, to support specific learning processes such is there the capacity to link spaces
buildability, and consultation. as seamless movement and lines of sight to accommodate larger groups or
between practical and theory spaces? increased collaborative activity? Can
spaces connect to support specific
3. Multi-modality - learning processes such as seamless
movement and lines of sight between
can a single space accommodate different practical and theory spaces?
delivery modes? Can it accommodate
learning activity in groups of different sizes?

Are blended learning approaches supported

to ensure equitable experiences for both

situated and online learners?

• Encourage teacher site visits to similar facilities

By providing teachers with the opportunity to observe both practice and learning space design in other contemporary spaces, they can
bring their observations about ‘best practice’ back to the current building project which helps to shape an educational vision/ project brief.
Ideally the site visits would occur during the master planning phase so that the teachers’ observations can be incorporated into a design
brief for the ensuing building projects.

• Establish prototype learning spaces

Prototyping is recommended early in the Masterplan or design and planning phases of a building project, so that a feedback loop can be
established regarding how the learning settings can best support teaching practice.

Prototype learning settings also allow teachers to adapt their practice before they start to teach in a new purpose-built facility, enhancing
their ‘spatial literacy’ and the pedagogies that support optimal use of the spaces.

34 ASBA ASSOCIATE

Technology

Buildings should be designed to accommodate future
changes in technology.
CIO of the Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong Alan
Ibbett recommends building a “….a solid, modular, backbone of
infrastructure that you can add to, take away from and change to do
things that you currently think impossible or will never be needed
because next year they will be possible and indeed essential.”

• ICT services must be designed to adapt to the requirements of users, rather than users being forced to
adapt to the constraints of technology.
School services should be able to be accessed when they are needed and from where they are needed, whether this is at home, on the
road, at school or in the office.

• Provide converged technology
There is no longer a need for separate ICT infrastructure for different types of services. The school’s networks and associated Technology
infrastructure should be designed to have voice, data and video on the one telecommunications network.

• ICT services should be designed to be scalable
ICT services are in a growth phase. The design of ICT services must be able to scale up to the anticipated need (and beyond) to facilitate
new technologies, approaches and ideas. ICT infrastructure should be designed with a timeframe of five years in mind.

• Prepare an ICT brief that helps designers understand technology needs of the school.
Like with pedagogy, a common language should be established between designers and the school’s IT team to confirm what technology
needs to be able to do, both within the school and remotely.
A robust IT brief should be formulated by the school that is given to building designers. Some examples of words that can be used to
explain IT requirements are accessible, available, scalable, reliable, converged etc

NOVEMBER 2020 35

Future Buildability
Proofing
Building School buildings and campuses should be designed for ‘long life loose fit’.
Assets • Consider a ‘Masterplan approach’ to services throughout the campus
Part 2 Establish key service routes through a school that have capacity for future services with spare
conduits. Plan beyond the current project.
36 ASBA ASSOCIATE
• Futureproof the capacity of campus services
Wherever possible, ‘oversize’ services infrastructure to prevent multiple connections /
upgrades being required in future projects e.g. when sizing substation capacity – plan for the
next 20 years, not just the current project.
• Building staging
Consider future staging of building projects and avoid blocking access to future building
locations to the rear of a school. Difficult building sites with limited site access can add
significant additional cost and time to a building project

• Design with ‘super-flexibility’ and adaptability in mind.
Buildings should be designed to have ‘good bones’. Wherever possible, building structure and
service cores should be located on the outside of the building to maximise the flexibility of the
floor plate.
• Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA)
This approach has recently been adopted by SINSW as part of their commitment to innovation
and sustainability.
DFMA relies on some or all of the building components being fabricated off site, with the
main benefit to schools being time savings along with minimal on-site disruption during
construction. A modular design approach eg. permanent modular buildings can enable future
flexibility, as the building can easily be designed to be added on to in the future.
Further information on DFMA can be found here:
https://www.schoolinfrastructure.nsw.gov.au/programs/dfma.html

• Progressively collate quality ‘as-built’ information
Ensure that accurate and high quality as-built information is provided, in particular for services.
Surveys of final locations and connection points are key and will assist in the construction of
future projects as well as helping to progressively built up a database of information in relation
to campus assets.

Consultation

Consultation with key stakeholders is essential in the early stages of a building
project to formulate a robust, future focused design brief.
• Consult with the school community about their needs and aspirations
The higher the degree of consultation, the more the school community will engage with, take
ownership of and have pride in the outcome of the project. This leads to the creation of a
robust project brief and project outcomes that meet both the current and future needs of the
building users.

Most of the suggestions above will not have a large cost impact on projects, however they do
require a proactive and strategic approach to building and campus design and planning.

AdoptingAa fborowaurdt-tthhinkeingSacphprooaoclh’sto the design process will lead to better performing
Communitybuildings that are not only fit for their current purpose but are better value for money in the long

term because they are designed to ‘last the distance’

Article by Jo Simmons, Director at GW. Article contributors include Education Space Planning
Consultants New Learning Environments; Alan Ibbett (CIO of the Catholic Education Diocese of
Wollongong) and Stephen Edwards Constructions.

PAINTING SOLUTIONS FOR

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higginMsAY.c20o20m3.a7u

Technical Update

New disclosure requirements
for Independent Schools preparing
Special Purpose Financial Statements

For financial years ending on or after 30 June 2020 (i.e. 31 December 2020 School year-ends), Independent Schools preparing
special purpose financial statements (SPFS) will need to include new disclosures in their financial statements.
As long as the Independent School, or associated entity, is a medium or large charity (i.e. with annual revenue of $250,000
or more) and registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC), they will need to state their
compliance with the recognition and measurement (R&M) requirements of Australian Accounting Standards (AAS).

What are the disclosure requirements? b) disclose whether or not the (a) whether these entities have been

The changes, contained in AASB 2019-4, financial statements overall comply consolidated or equity accounted in
with all the R&M requirements in AAS accordance with AASB 10 or AASB
require disclosure of: 128. If the School does not, the
or that such an assessment has not School shall disclose that fact, and the
1 The basis on which the been made. reasons why; or
decision to prepare SPFS was
(b) that the School has not determined
made. For example, if there are no users If there is one instance of a material whether it controls or significantly
influences other entities. This option
of the financial statements who are not accounting policy applied by a is only available where the School is
not required by legislation to make
in a position to require the preparation of School which does not comply with such an assessment for the purpose
of determining its financial reporting
reports tailored to their information needs. the applicable R&M requirements requirements (e.g. to determine
whether it is a small, medium or
2 Compliance with the R&M in AAS or compliance has not been large entity under the Corporations
requirements in AAS (other assessed, the School cannot claim Act or ACNC Act). Most Schools
that its financial statements overall and school-related entities that are
than in relation to consolidation and equity comply with all the R&M requirements Charities would be required to make
in AAS. However, non-compliance with this assessment.
accounting):
Please note that the determination
a) for each material accounting policy the R&M requirements of AAS for an of control or significant influence in
the not-for-profit sector can be very
applied and disclosed in the financial accounting policy that is not material complex. We recommend discussing
this with your auditors if it has not
statements that does not comply with to the School could still claim that its been previously formally assessed.

the R&M requirements in AAS, financial statements overall complied

disclose an indication of how it with the R&M requirements in AAS.

does not comply; or if such an For the purpose of these disclosures, R&M

assessment has not been made, requirements exclude consolidation and

disclose that fact; and the equity method of accounting as the

application of AASB 10 and AASB 128

are the subject of the following separate

disclosure.

3 The application of the Schools do not have to provide
quantitative information or reconciliations
consolidation and equity where their accounting policies do not
accounting requirements. In addition to comply with all the R&M requirements in
the above, where the School controls or AAS. More information and illustrative
significantly influences other entities it is examples are included in AASB 2019-4.
required to disclose either:

38 ASBA ASSOCIATE

The impact on Independent Schools Next Steps

There are number of areas that may impact The new disclosures are required for
Independent Schools and their associated annual reporting periods ending on or
entities preparing SPFS. Some of these after 30 June 2020.
areas include the following:
If you are affected, you should familiarise
Revenue - the treatment of enrolment yourself with the new requirements so you
deposits. can consider how to make the disclosures
in light of your current accounting policies
Income – the treatment of grants, and treatment of interests in other
donations and bequests. entities. You should also discuss the new
disclosures with your auditors in advance
Income/Expense – the treatment of fair of year-end to understand what analysis
value gains and losses. and supporting documentation they may
need.
Interest expense – the treatment of
borrowing costs.

Property, Plant and Equipment –
the treatment of land at buildings at fair
value and depreciating buildings.

Financial assets – the treatment of
investments at fair value.

Leases – the treatment of right-of-use Andrew Hoffmann| Partner, Nexia Sydney
assets and lease liabilities.

Employee entitlements – the
treatment of on-costs and the present
value of liabilities greater than 12 months.

Equity – the treatment of non-arm’s
length financial liabilities.

Consolidating or equity accounting
School-related entities.

This is not an exhaustive list and other
areas will depend on an entity’s individual
circumstances.

NOVEMBER 2020 39

ASBA Matters

Joining Fee Waivers
ASBA members joining the Australian Institute
of Company Directors can do so with a discount
of $220 (inc. GST) – a waiver of the joining fee.
This a great discount and also means that your
fees for the Company Directors Course ™, the
Foundations of Directorship ™ Course and any
other courses or events you wish to attend will
be reduced to a member-only fee - a significant
saving. Membership with the AICD will help you to understand your duties and
responsibilities as a Company Secretary and to stay current with access to their up-to-
date governance resources to assist your Board. Please support this great initiative by
signing up as an AICD Member.
To access the joining fee waiver: email [email protected] or
phone Susan Hambleton on (03) 9245 420.

ASBA’s alliance with Institute of
Managers and Leaders includes the
waiver of the joining fee for all ASBA
members. The fee of $90 will be waived
upon application by all ASBA members.
To receive the discount, please email:

Chartered.manager@
managersandleaders.com.au and quote

reference ‘ASBA’.

If you have any problems with claiming
the discount you may contact 1300 661 061.

40 ASBA ASSOCIATE

Our Schools

Learning partnership In this unique learning environment, Zoom
a real plus for meetings with trainers, practical skill-
Chisholm’s diploma based assessments and partnerships
students with industry mentors such as Nikki, are
common features of their day, ensuring
Engaging students in authentic work However, for three students at Caroline they are well-placed for the exciting careers
placement opportunities has never Chisholm College in Sydney’s western that await them.
been so challenging or complicated, suburbs, this scenario has produced
especially in the midst of the evolving an incredibly valuable chance to do Caroline Chisholm College is the only
COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, never has it been both, thanks to a generous and creative school in Australia offering Learn+ as
more important for young adults in partnership with Nikki Heald, Managing a distinctive and personalised learning
school to be equipped with 21st century Director of Corptraining. experience.
skills that are so critical to thrive in
the modern workforce. Jaeann, Lara and Tahlia are currently in “We understand that the traditional HSC
Year 11. They arrive each morning at this pathway doesn’t suit every young person
innovative all-girls’ high school, ready for and that universities and businesses
blended learning onsite and online, in are looking for graduates who are
parallel with a VET Diploma qualification accomplished, confident and appropriately
in Business Administration, through credentialed. Leaving school with a job-
Australian Careers Business College ready diploma gives these students an
(ACBC). This blend of traditional HSC enormous advantage”, says Dr Greg Elliott,
learning with a diploma is called Learn+. Caroline Chisholm College’s Principal.

NOVEMBER 2020 41

Learning partnership a real plus for Chisholm’s diploma students

“A further advantage is that a number needed to talk with different people that and Learn+ Diploma Coach, Adam
of partner universities have guaranteed you don’t know behind the scenes, which MacNamara, was at first daunting, but this
admission to their undergraduate courses was eye opening”, says Jaeann. professional trio shone when given the
and will provide course credit to the opportunity.
Learn+ graduates”. According to Lara, “understanding who
works in the different roles at our school “When the young ladies delivered their final
As a professional speaker and trainer, was insightful and we used teamwork presentation, I was thoroughly impressed
Nikki’s experience gained working to organise interviews with staff and our with the quality of their findings. They did
within corporate, hospitality and a wide team’s responsibilities, when presenting an amazing job with both their research
variety of other sectors, has provided the findings to Nikki.” and delivery, going well beyond the original
her opportunities over many years, to project scope and I look forward to further
visit schools and talk about employer Their skills in communication, working with them”, says Nikki.
expectations, interview preparation, how to collaboration, time management and
gain employment and design a stand-out negotiation were evident throughout the This collaborative and symbiotic
resume. In conjunction with her team at project. relationship has been beneficial for Nikki
Corptraining, Nikki also facilitates student too, as she embarks on furthering her
mock interviews. The students have also learned about engagement with schools, delivering a
other important concepts such as Life Skills Equip Program aimed to better
Unable to attend traditional work corporate culture and the important social educate students on both employability and
placement due to COVID restrictions, an responsibility that schools meet in the essential, practical ‘life’ skills. Some of the
initial project with Nikki required Jaeann, community. Establishing internal networks topics include building resilience, working
Lara and Tahlia to research, reflect on and developing professional connections collaboratively with others and effective
and present their own school in a different was another insight gained. problem solving.
light to that which they are most familiar:
as a business. Organising interviews Tahlia says, “I found it interesting how the So impressed was Nikki with the recent
with key staff in operations, marketing, separate roles in a school are connected presentation at Caroline Chisholm, that
human resources and finance was a and that the school needs each person she has engaged the three students as
new experience but one which gave the working together to function well. Problem consultants for a new project, to provide
students important insights into how their solving different issues that came up has recommendations to her about her
College operates. also shown me that it’s important to be business, in a post-COVID world.
organised and agile in business.”
“Communicating with staff and organising With an eye to their future, this is a
the meetings and interviews gave me a Presenting findings to their mentor, Nikki, challenge that Jaeann, Lara and Tahlia have
better understanding of the confidence alongside College Principal, Greg Elliott, accepted with great enthusiasm and drive.
Partnerships Manager, Nicky Alsemgeest

“We understand that the traditional HSC
pathway doesn’t suit every young person”

42 ASBA ASSOCIATE

Advertorial

A brave new world

By Julienne Price, Head of Schools and Not-for-
Profit Sector Banking, Commonwealth Bank

As I write this Technology rules the day As a result, it
article, it is difficult has become
to comprehend Despite physical distancing constraints still increasingly
that it was just over in place across many parts of Australia, important to
12 months ago that there has been a new level of community find ways of
the ASBA National connectedness taking place as we unite streamlining
Conference was against a common and unseen enemy, activities to
taking place in Covid-19. We have also seen an up-take achieve greater
Hobart, Tasmania. in technology that rips up the universally efficiencies and
It was a great event agreed five stages of technology adoption. cost savings.
and a wonderful opportunity to catch-up Forget the Early Adopters, Early Majority,
with so many familiar faces and to meet Late Majority and the Laggards, we have all This year has also brought a sudden
some new ones. been catapulted to the Innovator stage! decrease in peoples’ willingness to use
cash due to health and hygiene concerns,
2020 has been a year like no other – in Technology has been a lifeline for many and a corresponding increase in online
fact the past 12 months have been a people and for so many sectors of the purchasing as well as tap and go spending.
rather bumpy ride. Regional and rural economy. Even for the more technology For schools, payment solutions such as
Australia faced the impact of the ongoing challenged amongst us, we have become Qkr!® by MasterCard ® have come into
drought, which was quickly followed by rather adept with platforms such as Zoom, their own when it comes to eliminating cash
the devastating bushfires. Then Covid-19 Skype and Team Chats, as we discover a from the school system, while giving an
suddenly arrived on the global stage, new level of convenience that technology overall efficiency boost to processes and
causing havoc across Australia and around has brought to our everyday lives. procedures.
the world.
While the financial impact of Covid-19 has The Qkr! digital wallet supports parent
I have previously spoken about how the been devastating, schools in particular initiated payments including lunches,
great Aussie spirit of helping each other have faced a range of unique issues and uniforms, levies, events and fundraising
during times of need would help get us financial pressures. Parents and guardians and provides convenience for parents,
through the months ahead, and how our struggling to pay school fees, the need to guardians and carers. It has helped reduce
jobs would be changed forever when these rapidly upgrade and expand technology the opportunity for fraud and petty theft,
challenging times were finally over. And that and IT systems, through to expensive while delivering schools with significant
is certainly proving to be the case – though deep cleans whenever a Covid-19 case is administrative cost savings. Anecdotally,
I don’t think anyone could quite have identified within the school environment, schools using Qkr! have reported an
predicted that the challenging times would have all taken their financial toll. immediate impact with some seeing a
have settled in for such an extended visit! 65% uptake by parents as well as organic
increases in expenditure for items such as
Economic updates and forecasts are now lunch orders.
at the top of almost everyone’s reading
lists, as people look to gain insights and Along with Qkr!, which is available
clarity on how best to prepare their school, exclusively through CommBank, and our
business or community group for the road partnerships with FACTS and TASS, we are
that lies ahead. looking forward to helping schools deliver
even greater efficiencies and cost savings
across the administrative spectrum.

NOVEMBER 2020 43

Advertorial

A brave new world

(continued)

Support and resources
As we begin the countdown to the Festive Season, CommBank will be releasing a
new program of webinars through ASBA to help support you and your wider school
community. Topics we will be covering include economic updates, mental wellbeing
and resilience, managing your money, keeping safe online, as well as a deep dive into
how to transform face-to-face events into successful virtual experiences.
An update on the tools and resources available to you and to your wider school
community is shown below, including the recently released Next Chapter for people
who may be experiencing financial and or domestic abuse – an issue that is
unfortunately on the rise in Australia. Next Chapter consists of a range of elements
including a Financial Resource Hub (delivered by Good Shepherd) which is available
to individuals irrespective of who they bank with.
• Next Chapter: https://www.commbank.com.au/support/next-chapter.html
• Coranavirus updates and support packages:
https://www.commbank.com.au/latest/coronavirus.html
• Financial hardship support:
https://www.commbank.com.au/support/financial-difficulty.html
• Damn Good Advice on Cyber Safety and Fraud Prevention and Damn Good Advice
for School Councils:
https://www.commbank.com.au/business/industries/not-for-profit.html
• Signals – our free quarterly newsletter to keep you up-to-date on what is taking place
in the cyber world:
https://www.commbank.com.au/business/support/security/signals.html.

To find out more please contact your Relationship Executive, or to discuss how
CommBank can partner with your school you can contact me on 0427 506 363 or visit
www.commbank.com.au

44 ASBA ASSOCIATE

Technical Update

es your school have a Strategic Plan?
planDSntionregastfoeyrgotiuhcerPfsluacthnuo?reol(ahftaevreCOaVID-19).

… planning for the future (after COVID-19).

Strategic decisions for the future
(post COVID-19)
Schools make very large investments and
need to understand the cost benefits. The
types of long term questions that need
addressing include issues surrounding
survival with the COVID-19 issues,
possible school mergers, considerations
around potential second campuses, the
demographics for new school openings and
expansions and other many reasons.
Whilst most of Australia seems reasonably
free of COVID-19 at present (August 2020),
there are long term effects both at a state
level (tourism and immigration), and long
term effects on the national economy that
will affect all areas across Australia. At a
local level you only have to think of the
numbers of international students this
year to feel one effect this has had on our
schools.
The initial issues following COVID-19 may
be around marketing for future enrolments,
student retention and ensuring the funnel
remains as full as possible.
These decisions are critical to the long term
direction of a school, and should NOT be
made on feelings and innuendos, when
demographic analysis can answer all these
types of questions based on the facts and
data.

(continued page 41)

NOVEMBER 2020 45

Does your school have a

Strategic Plan?From Bursars
to Business Managers

Today’s issues

2020 has been a very disruptive year for the world! Schools are no exception
to this and as education is one of the main pillars for our future, it follows
that everyone has wanted to keep it moving forwards. Our Prime Minister
stated back in March 2020 that as a country, we did not want to lose a year of
children’s education.
This article is about what will we see in the future, and what should we be
thinking about now to make sure we are part of it.

Post COVID-19 and the economy What should schools leaders be What internal areas should be
MiaddldertoesnsCinogllethgees, eIrieslsauneds?– established 1696
There have been many futurologists writing thinking about?

about how post COVID-19 Australia will look How schools have been affected financially Most schools have roles responsible
over the COVID-19 period, we will not knowPeftoerrgaBinuincgkinnegwhsatumdeinststahnedMfilliangnaging Director o
and my summary is:

• We will have become far better at for some time to come. Obviously schools cotnhseuelntraonlmceyntinfundneeml. Wohgertaheprhthicast ,titmle apping and a
using computers for many different
things including contacting people ASBA Mentoringfinedeletpheenydaernetpsrcohvoidoilnsgwgilol hoadveedbueceantiotrny,inagndboAitshdDmliraiesrcsgitooenr soa,rAnMddavnasanmgceearmlole,fnaMt,naErdknerhotilanmgve,entsa,ll the GIS too
(Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype etc).
to keep their revenues up where possible, (CeBrutsiifnieesds DMeavenloapgmeemnteonr Rt eCgoisntrsaur, ltthaent) and a Fel
• We will be far better at making our
purchases online and then we will and will have to make many hardship Cornespuoltnasinbitlisty(fFoIrMneCw)s.tPudeetnetracqaunisbitioencontact by e

decisions. callileesdpaorntly0o3r w9h8o3lly0w0it0h7in7th. ese portfolios.

have much less need of retail The long term question will be how will this I believe the plan of attack should be

space (shopping centres and be affecting future enrolments, and do we addressed within five simple questions:

shopping strips). still have a strong forward list over the next 11. Where do our current students come

• Many people will have become use few years? First concerns will be looking at from?
2021’s new enrolments and how many are
to working from home, so I expect still active, and leading on to future years. 2. Where are our future enrolments going
many people to want to stay that way, to be coming from?

or work from home certain days of Most of the older traditional schools 33. What areas show student growth around
the week. This should create an over- have spent the last few years as one our school (trade area)?
supply of office space and therefore Enrolment Director said – “managing
force rentals down in this market. disappointments” with upset prospective 44. Which of these areas have suitable
parents unable to enroll their children, so Socio Economics to allow the parents to
• The overall economy will be somewhat maybe that number will just be as high and afford to send their children to our
poorer, especially as governments therefore no problem. school, and have similar religious
worldwide will have run up trillions of beliefs?
dollars in debt. Australia expects Other schools will go from a full list of
to have around $300 billion of additional enrolments to having gaps, and be staring 55. What are the feeder schools we rely
spending to address, and this could down the barrel at reduced years, especially on, and will we secure a good number
lead to higher taxes and inflation. in the higher intake years like Y7. of students from these schools?

Some schools in new growth areas, lower If your staff cannot confidently advise you
on these issues, I would be asking why?
economic areas or simply not with the

history and reputation of other schools,

should be concerned as to what will be the What can we do to answer these

economics and the financial outlook if the questions?

school population were to drop. Most schools have roles responsible I will

answer these in the order I asked them:

46 ASBA ASSOCIATE

Technical Update

The long term question will be how will this be
affecting future enrolments, and do we still have
a strong forward list over the next few years?

Midleton College, Ireland – established 1696 and still going strong.

1. Do some mapping to show where your Action Conclusion

6 and still sgtuodienngtssctormoenfgro.m. This can be done in a Schools normally prepare a Strategic Plan
and the old (and still very practical) thinking Base your future decisions
slow manner using the likes of Google Maps,

of SpectruormquAicnklay lbyysaism, aappMineglcboonusurlntaencbyafirsmed has been a SWOT analysis – Strengths, on facts and data –
analys2is.. SSpamecetarsu1m. works with many schools Weakness, Opportunities & Threats.
ols to3u.ndIneOrtcatokbeert2h0i1s9w, thoerAkB. SPe(AtuesrtraisliabnoBtuhreaauCMSCtrengths – reputation, facilities, recent
not your wet finger

ellow of thogefroSIwtnathstistftoiitcruesc)tareesltoesaffsroMemdat2hn0ea1ir7gn(eeawmftepreotnpheutla2t0io1n6 results and many other areas you will know. in the air.

Weaknesses – lack of some of the above
email at pCeetnesursb)@to s2p03e2c.tTrhuismalalonwas lyyosuisto.clooomk a.at u orand possible issues that are exposed by the
any area, and see what is the forecast number media and have a very detrimental effect on
of people in the following age groups: 0 – 4, 5 the school for some years to come.
– 9, 10 – 14, 15 – 19 etc by years. We use the
data of 5 – 19 as typical of the student age Opportunities – this is where you need to
group, and we can see how this is forecast to act. Understand what is happening over
grow (or contract) over the period. the next 10 – 15 years as far as population
is concerned and where future students
If you are aligned with Somerset Education, will be coming from. Use this information in
you can subscribe to this mapping
your long term planning both for physical
(GeoMapping Plus) for anywhere in Australia, facilities – what will our student numbers
and look at your area and the surrounding
look like and what does our school need
areas.
to handle that number of students, and the
4. The Socio Economics of an area (or the SES soft side – staffing and administration.
Peter Buckingham is the Managing Director
score if you wish), are derived by the ABS to Threats – what is coming at you that will
of Spectrum Analysis, a Melbourne based
show areas of Advantage and Dis-Advantage. affect the long term survival of your school? consultancy in demographics, mapping
The main product they produce is called
Is a new school planned, is your reputation and analysis. Spectrum works with many
SEIFA https://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/
suffering? Is your main enrollment’s area schools both large and small, and have all
censushome.nsf/home/seifa . This is used by dropping in school age children?
Government in many areas, and is the best the GIS tools to undertake this work. Peter
way to understand your area. Again SEIFA
mapping is available in the mapping from Many of the investment decisions you wish is both a CMC (Certified Management
Somerset Education. Mapping of the religious to do are long term, including long lead Consultant) and a Fellow of the Institute of
beliefs of each area are also available in these times if there is building and construction Management Consultants (FIMC).
tools. involved. A Strategic or Master Plan is
required by most school boards, especially Peter can be contact by email at
5. Your Admissions staff should have records of if considering any acquisitions of a new [email protected] or
campus or additional land, or major building called on

what schools pupils came from, and should projects. These decisions need planning, 03 98300077.
be able to give you a table showing how this and to be backed up by demographics and
has changed over time (last 5 or 10 years).
analysis.

IMAGE: NOVEMBER 2020 47
NSW RFS fighting fire - Sam Mooy | Getty