Finance Matters

Develop the skills to effectively manage school finances. 

Finance Matters focuses on building your technical capability in specific areas of financial management to support the best educational outcomes for your students. 

Through a series of virtual workshops, you'll explore how to best manage financial obligations, make sound financial decisions and how to implement effective planning techniques to make your school more efficient.

The workshops have been designed to address the needs of specific school contexts, including primary, secondary and small schools.

Finance Matters is a workshop in the Strategic Management for School Leaders suite, which supports the Department of Education's (DE) commitment to lifting the organisational performance of schools.

Audience

Designed for Victorian government school principals, assistant principals, business managers, aspiring business managers and school finance liaison officers (SFLO).

Facilitators

Designed and delivered by the Schools Finance and Resources Branch.

Structure of program

Finance Matters comprises a series of discrete virtual workshops that unpack key areas of financial management in a school environment. 

Before attending a workshop, you may be asked to investigate or collate school data to ensure you can effectively engage in the learning content.

Budget Development

This session outlines the essentials of an effective annual budgeting process, including developing an annual cash budget cycle with consideration of anticipated revenue and expenditure, timelines, consultation, and the role of School Council.

Budget Development and Financial Reporting 

This is a full day session that combines the Budget Development and Financial Reporting modules. The session outlines the essentials of an effective annual budgeting process, including developing an annual cash budget cycle with consideration of anticipated revenue and expenditure, timelines, consultation and the role of School Council. The reporting session will provide an overview of the CASES21 key reports and the Student Resource Reporting package. Schools are encouraged to bring their own reports to gain a clearer understanding of the reporting process and identify key areas of concern. 

Financial Reporting

This session provides principals, assistant/aspiring principals, leading teachers, teachers, business managers and administrative staff with an overview of the CASES21 key reports and the Student Resource Reporting package.

SFLO Budget Masterclass

This masterclass will be made up of 4 online budget workshops, 1 session a week, spanning an 8-week period. You will learn how to complete your schools indicative cash budget in preparation for presentation to school council. This session is for new business managers and by invite only. 

SFLO DE Budget Review

This workshop provides an overview to assist schools in understanding the areas in the DE Annual Master Cash Budget Spreadsheet that may require adjusting, prior to schools finalising their Confirmed Cash Budget and presentation to school council.

SFLO DE Budget Spreadsheet

This session provides an overview of the DE Annual Master Cash Budget Spreadsheet for those that have not used the spreadsheet before or have limited experience and would like to have a clearer understanding of how to prepare and report the cash budget.

SFLO Leave Replacement

This session will discuss leave and leave replacement best practice and the processes required to record the information to make a reimbursement claim.

SFLO New Business Manager

Designed for new and aspiring business managers, this session will cover the various financial aspects of a school’s operation to improve understanding of the department’s policy, guidelines and recommended practice. During the workshop, information will be provided to participants about the many options for further training and support available through the Department to further their knowledge and skillset in this area. 

SRP and Workforce Budgeting for Schools

This session is designed to support schools with their SRP and Workforce Budgeting and related Planning throughout the year and will be run in 4 separate blocks, 1 each term. The expectation is that participants will enrol in 1 session per term.

SRP and Workforce Budgeting for Special School Settings

This session is designed to support special school settings with their SRP and Workforce Budgeting and related Planning throughout the year, being run as separate sessions with an expectation of enrolment in 1 session each term.

Taxation - GST and FBT

These sessions are designed to support schools to ensure they comply with all Commonwealth Taxation obligations. This includes mainly goods and services tax (GST) and fringe benefits tax (FBT), but also incorporates pay as you go (PAYG), fuel tax and more.

Assets in Schools

This session is designed to provide a clear understanding of the policy and guidelines around asset management in schools and how they should be recorded and reported.

Finance Chatter

Throughout 2024, the School Finance Liaison Officer team will be trialling a new professional development opportunity for principals, business managers and other school leaders to promote financial best practice in specific areas. Finance Chatter is a suite of individual financial sessions aimed at raising awareness of key policies and processes in schools. These short sessions have been designed to encourage conversations and allow participants the opportunity to ask questions and to seek clarification around these topics. 

Finance Chatter structure 

Transacting Parent Payments in CASES21 

This session will develop participants’ understanding of key information needed to transact parent payments in CASES21. 

School Council and Finance Sub Committee 

This session will develop participants’ understanding of financial documentation associated with School Council and Finance Sub Committees. 

Financial Policies 

This session will develop participants’ understanding of how to maintain compliance with Financial Polices and Parent Payment Arrangements. 

Camps and Excursion Planning and Budgeting 

This session will develop participants’ understanding of the budgeting and reconciliation process for camps and excursions. 

Fundraising and Trading Operations 

This session will develop participants’ understanding of the financial requirements associated with fundraising activities and trading operations. 

Hirers (Outsourcing Services), Insurances and Shared Arrangements 

This session will develop participants’ understanding of the financial requirements associated with Insurances, Hirers and Shared Arrangements. 

Initiatives, Equity, Targeted Initiatives, Targeted Reimbursement 

This session will develop participants’ understanding of Equity, Targeted Initiatives, Targeted Reimbursement and CASES21 Initiatives. 

CASES21 Creditor Best Practice 

This session will develop participants’ understanding of the process of maintaining creditor details in CASES21 and processing creditor payments. 

Financial Commitments/Funds held for future years 

This session will develop participants’ understanding of the management of Financially Committed Funds and Funds Held for Future Years.