Our customers tell us their top worries are:

• Missing contract notice periods that fall in the holidays
• Missing scheduled compliance or H&S checks that fall in the holidays
• Feeling able to ‘switch off’…having the peace of mind that comes from knowing nothing’s been forgotten
• Accessing emails and data when on holiday
• Ensuring the head, governors and others have access to key information in the absence of the SBM
• Ensuring the site team have a clear programme of work and all the info they need, including supplier info, detailed job descriptions and access to guidance
• Ensuring any outstanding premises issues are resolved before the SBM leaves

And all of this in the ‘wind-down’ atmosphere that accompanies end of term plays, sports days and awards Every is designed to support SBMs and our customers report that these worries are largely a thing of the past. I’ll give you more detail on how we help manage the end of term madness in a few moments, but first some general tips from our experts on preparing for some time off.

• Use time management tools to prioritise what MUST be done before you leave (compliance, legal) what CAN be delegated (don’t forget upwards delegation!), what can be negotiated, and what MAY be postponed.
• Invest a couple of hours in logging everything on a ‘to do list’. Even if it’s a scrap of paper. This will help clear your mind and give you a focus. It’s also motivating to tick things off!
• Differentiate between the important and the urgent. Don’t let your priorities be hijacked by someone else’s idea of what must be done.
• Likewise, don’t let someone else’s desire to clear THEIR inbox before the holidays become YOUR problem.
• A year-round management style that encourages your team to skill-up, take responsibility for work being done and for logging it, will pay dividends when you’re not around.
• July is not the time to do it, but a clear business continuity plan can give you the peace of mind of knowing that if the unexpected happens while you’re away (break-ins, fires, etc), the team will know what needs to be done.
• Remind yourself of all you’ve achieved in the last year…you deserve a break
• Communicate your unavailability clearly to all stakeholders a week in advance…and give a deadline for any requests for new work.

As I said, our software is designed to take the stress and hassle out of juggling the many competing demands of the typical school business manager role. End of term stress and holiday anxiety can be significantly reduced when you have our:

• Automatic reminders to key people of key activities both before and during holidays
• A countdown calendar that gives a horizon of upcoming activities as the end of term approaches, all linked to an online guidance library so you know what needs doing when
• Access to supplier info, job descriptions and our huge online guidance library for site teams. No more excuses!
• Access to certificates, reports and key data for heads and governors.
• A system that lets you log-in from anywhere in the world to see the current state of your facilities, contracts and equipment…or opt for alerts to your smartphone.

To see our system in action, click the button below to book a demo with a member of our team.