Apply to become an SRMA

SRMAs must work with one of the two providers the DfE has selected as SRMA supplier organisations. Once you are registered with North Yorkshire, we will work with the accreditation provider,  Education Performance Improvement Limited (EPI) to support you through the accreditaion process.

Once you are accredited, the role of the an SRMA is to offer bespoke support to academy trusts and local authority maintained schools.

ESFA receive a wide range of requests for support.

A standard deployment will take a holistic view of the school’s/trust’s financial situation, including consideration of the following issues:

• Human resources: Effective curriculum delivery, workforce planning and wider use of staff and leadership time through the use of Integrated Curriculum and Financial Planning (ICFP).
• School management and governance: financial management and challenge across the senior leadership team and board of governors.
• Resources: Procurement (including, for example, consideration of National Deals, schools’ buying strategies etc.), value for money, capital finance and estate management.
• Asset Management: Good Estates Management and strategic vision for the schools’ assets.

SRMAs support effective resource management by providing independent and impartial advice to schools and trusts on how to maximise resources in order to maintain and improve educational outcomes for all pupils, including those with SEND.  SRMAs should take into account the nature and context of the school, i.e. whether it is academy or maintained, MAT or SAT, mainstream, special or Alternative Provision, primary or secondary, and whether it is a faith school.

SRMAs can offer support in a number of ways and are deployed in differing capacities depending upon the individual needs of the school/trust. These include:

• Where the school or trust is in good financial health, the SRMA shall be required to make recommendations on how the school or trust can further improve its approach to financial management to ensure every possible resource is being directed to the areas that have greatest impact on educational outcomes; part of this will be determined by the school or trust’s approach to ICFP.
• Where a school is experiencing difficulties the SRMA can support a school or trust to develop a viable budget plan by examining its financial planning and proposed spending plans. As part of this, the SRMA will be expected to consider whether the trust or school uses an ICFP approach and, if so, how this is carried out.  This includes identifying whether it uses ICFP diagnostic tools and models and how.
• Where the trust or school does take an ICFP approach, the SRMA shall work through the key metrics to identify options that could potentially deliver improvements in the way staff are deployed.
• Where the trust or school does not use ICFP, the SRMA shall help it introduce ICFP into its planning processes as well as suggesting other options for improvements.
• Where a school or trust has a new CFO the SRMA can be deployed as a mentor to support the growth and development of the new CFO.
• In most instances, SRMAs will be expected to carry out a ‘follow-up’ deployment to the same setting at least six months after report submission. The purpose of this deployment will be to check on progress against the recommendations.

All SRMAs must carry out a minimum of two deployments per year (from the date of their accreditation) to maintain their accredited status. Full details are available on our website www.northyorks.gov.uk

North Yorkshire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and we expect all SRMA’s to share this commitment.  This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974; safer recruitment checks will be carried out, including relevant checks with statutory bodies.

 The accreditation process is managed by a company called Education Policy Institute (EPI) and involves the following:

• Attendance at an online induction event (approx. 1.5hrs).
• A one to one call with an experienced SRMA.
• Completion of a case study. Candidates will have a 24-hour period in which to complete and return this.
• Attendance at an assessment panel where the candidate will be interviewed, and will present their case study.

As a supplier organisation, North Yorkshire will support you through this process and will hold supplementary training sessions, provide you with tools, mock case studies and run through the panel process with you so that you are as prepared as possible.

A payment of £400 is available for attendance at the accreditation, upon successful completion.