ISBL Symposium
SRMA Insights
26 March 2025
Broadway House Conference Centre, London
Date: 26th March 2025
Time: 09:00 – 17:00
Join us at the upcoming Specialist Symposium in March to delve into six years of invaluable experience from leading School Resource Management Advisers (SRMAs).
Meet our Speakers
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With over 22 years as a SBL and CFOO, I'm passionate about empowering others to achieve excellence. As a strong advocate for the vital role of SBLs, I am focused on writing, supporting and delivering training to help others in the profession thrive. In August 2024, I founded 1st Pillar Limited to share my knowledge and mentor school leaders, guiding them through ICFP, budgeting and operational challenges. For me, mentoring is a two-way street - I gain as much from these professional partnerships as I give, all while playing a part in shaping the next generation of leaders in our field.
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With considerable experience in financial management, statutory reporting, and strategic leadership within multi-academy trusts, Paul has played a pivotal role in developing and ensuring financial compliance and driving operational efficiency.
He excels in financial analysis, new-school integration, and leading successful audits, contributing to the long-term sustainability of the Trust. Paul has successfully achieved the CIPFA Level 7 Diploma in School Financial and Operational Leadership, and is committed to continuous growth and delivering positive outcomes for schools and their communities.
Paul is also an experienced Governor and has served as a Chair and Vice-Chair of Governors for a local primary school.
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Rebecca is a resource and business management consultant at RBMA. An accredited SRMA since 2019, Rebecca is a member of the SRMA accreditation panel. Her recent work includes contributing to the ISBL operational excellence report and framework. Rebecca supports the education sector independently and through her work as an associate consultant and fellow of ISBL. A proud recipient of the ISBL CEO award for exceptional contribution to school business leadership in 2023 and governor of an 'outstanding in all areas' primary school, Rebecca is passionate about making a positive difference to those who are disadvantaged. She supports the delivery of the DSBM as an associate assessor for Best Practice Network and has written the DfE-funded strategic planning and operational leadership local support offer training, which she delivers on behalf of ISBL. Rebecca uses her extensive experience to support LAs, schools, academies, SATs, and MATs in managing resources to achieve positive educational outcomes. She has reviewed budgets of £70m+ for trusts, led change for effective and efficient business operations, produced and delivered successful business plans, and project managed extended nursery provision in the primary sector and extended sixth-form provision in the secondary sector.
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Nigel is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and has a degree in Industrial Economics from Nottingham and a MBA from Manchester Business School. After a disparate early career, Nigel became an accountant 35 years ago, working in practice and ended up heading one of KPMG London’s Transaction Services Groups. He then went on to a number of CFO roles in the private sector and was the COO of a global business listed on the London Stock Exchange.
In 2015 he turned away from the dark side, joining the public sector becoming Chief Operating Officer of South East Essex Academy Trust (SEEAT) when the secondary that his daughter was about to join put out a financial distress call. In 2021 the trust took on 3 schools from Challenger MAT when it was being dissolved having racked up £2.2m in deficit debt with the ESFA. All of the 3 schools soon became financially stable after joining SEEAT. The trust does not shy away from taking on difficult schools, having taken 2 schools from Inadequate to Good and 2 from RI to Good. It is also supporting another Special Measures secondary under the largest Emergency School Improvement Fund project in the country.
Nigel is a fellow and trustee of the ISBL and was a SRMA for 4 years. He is currently a CFO mentor. In 2024 he published his research into effective treasury management for MATs which highlighted how the sector could improve its performance by learning from the best performing trusts. The research is here . Nigel currently sits on the DfE Schools Banking and Finance External Working Group. He is currently updating and expanding his research for the 2024 year end and this is likely to show that the sector missed out on up to £100million if optimal performance was replicated across the sector.
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Mark has 20 years of teaching experience in the UK and UAE, with 10 years of this at a senior level. Areas of specialism are sixth form, data, curriculum, finance and timetabling. He played a pivotal role in starting a new school in Kent where he went on to be vice chair of governor's, has supported sixth form leadership across a London borough, and spoken about the use of data at national conferences. Since 201, Mark has worked as a consultant, joining the River Learning Trust in 2021.
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With over 16 years of experience in school business leadership, Alastair is an expert in organisational change, strategic financial planning, and school growth. As an accredited SRMA, former School Business Manager, and Director of Finance & Operations, he has led major transformations, including SAT to MAT conversions, multi-school integrations, and central team development.
ISBL Symposium Events - expanding and growing to better support our members
Tickets are available for purchase through our website. Members can buy tickets for £200 plus VAT, while non-members can purchase them for £240 plus VAT.
Your ticket includes access to workshops led by practitioners and specialists, networking opportunities with colleagues and our event sponsor, refreshment breaks, and a three-course lunch.
