Management Information Sheet

Schools Financial Standard Briefings

MI Sheet TypeAction
To Be Completed By: 16/12/2011
MI Number:222/11
Publication Date:30/09/2011 12:00:00
LA Contact:Alison Randall (01603 224273)
Audience:Headteachers/Governors/School Finance Staff/Chairs of Finance Committee

Schools Financial Standard Briefings

Schools Financial Value Standard (SFVS)

What is SFVS?
SFVS is the replacement for FMSiS. It is designed to assist schools in managing their finances and to give assurance that they have secure financial management systems in place.

Who is SFVS for?
All Local Authority (LA) maintained schools are required to meet the standard. Other schools can choose to use the standard to measure themselves against.
As governing bodies have formal responsibility for the financial management of their schools, the standard is primarily aimed at governors.

What is the role of the Local Authority (LA)?
The LA Chief Financial Officer is required to complete an annual assurance statement regarding schools' standards of financial management and the regularity and propriety of their spending. LAs will be using schools' returns to inform their programme of financial assessment and audit. They will be checking to ensure that schools' self-assessments are in line with LA judgements, and will be informing governors of any major discrepancies. LAs may apply sanctions to those schools that, in the LAs view, are not meeting the minimum standard of financial management.

What are the key dates?
  • Maintained schools which had not attained FMSiS by the end of March 2010 must complete and submit the SFVS to their LA by 31st March 2012; and conduct an annual review thereafter.

  • All other maintained schools must complete and submit the SFVS to their LA by 31st March 2013; and an annual review thereafter.


  • What support and advice is the LA offering?
    Schools that are required to complete SFVS by 31st March 2012 have been written to individually, detailing the training, support and advice available to them.

    All other schools are invited to attend SFVS Briefing Sessions. Each school has been allocated 4 places; 2 places are specifically for governors (e.g. Chair of Governors, Chair of Finance Committee etc) and 2 places for school staff (e.g. Headteacher, School Finance Officer etc.).
    Delegates from each school may choose to attend different sessions (i.e. school staff may wish to attend an after-school briefing; governors may prefer to attend an evening briefing, or vice versa).

    What are the dates/time/venues for the Briefing Sessions?


    Date


    Venue


    After School Sessions


    Evening Sessions

    Wednesday 2nd November 2011
    Lionwood Junior School
    Wolfe Road
    Norwich
    NR1 4HT

    4.00pm - 6.00pm 6.30pm - 8.30pm
    Wednesday 9th November 2011
    King Edward VII High School
    Gaywood Road
    Kings Lynn
    PE30 2QB

    4.00pm - 6.00pm 6.30pm - 8.30pm
    Thursday 17th November 2011
    Long Stratton High School
    Manor Road
    Long Stratton
    Norwich
    NR15 2XR

    4.00pm - 6.00pm 6.30pm - 8.30pm
    Thursday 24th November 2011
    Great Yarmouth High School
    Salisbury Road
    Great Yarmouth
    NR30 4LS

    4.00pm - 6.00pm 6.30pm - 8.30pm
    Tuesday 29th November 2011
    Aylsham High School
    Sir William's Lane
    Aylsham
    NR11 6AN

    4.30pm - 6.30pm 7.00pm - 9.00pm
    Thursday 8th December 2011
    Fakenham High School
    (Conference Hall in College building )
    Field Lane
    Fakenham
    NR21 9QT

    4.00pm - 6.00pm 6.30pm - 8.30pm
    Wednesday 11th January 2012
    CNS
    Eaton Road
    Norwich
    NR4 6PP

    4.30pm - 6.30pm 7.00pm - 9.00pm
    Wednesday 18th January 2012
    Swaffham Hamond's High School
    Brandon Road
    Swaffham
    PE37 7DZ

    4.00pm - 6.00pm 6.30pm - 8.30pm
    How can my school book places?
    Places should be booked on-line by clicking on the following link.

    http://www.eficts.norfolk.gov.uk/Finance/Training/booking/courses.asp?view=new#list

    The SFVS Briefing Sessions are at the top of the list of courses; please click on 'SFVS Briefing' to show list of all dates.

    Who can I speak to if I have any other queries about SFVS?
    If you have any question about the SFVS process, please contact:
    Alison Randall, School Support Manager, Schools' Finance Team
    Telephone: 01603 224273
    E-mail: alison.randall@norfolk.gov.uk
    Or
    Linda Bennett, Finance Manager, Schools' Finance Team
    Telephone: 01603 228995
    E-mail: linda.bennett@norfolk.gov.uk