Back-to-School Checklist for School Business Managers

Why is a back-to-school checklist important for School Business Managers?

The first few weeks of the academic year can be particularly demanding for School Business Managers (SBMs). New pupils and staff are settling in, classrooms need resources, routines are being established and unexpected requests can quickly compete with planned work.

Once the immediate back-to-school rush begins to settle, it is a useful time to review what still needs attention and organise priorities for the weeks and months ahead.

The Department for Education recognises the importance of workload and wellbeing across school teams and provides guidance designed to help schools identify unnecessary workload and focus staff time on activities that have the greatest impact.

A practical checklist can help SBMs turn a long list of responsibilities into manageable actions. It should cover school operations, resources and procedures, but also leave space for personal wellbeing and a realistic work-life balance.

What should an SBM include in a back-to-school checklist?

Every school will have different priorities, but a useful SBM checklist can be divided into three areas:

• Personal wellbeing and workload
• School organisation and operational tasks
• Smaller jobs that are easy to overlook

Rather than trying to complete everything immediately, identify what is urgent, what can be delegated and what can be scheduled for later in the term.

How can SBMs look after their wellbeing during a busy school term?

School Business Managers often spend much of their working day solving problems for other people. That can make it easy to put personal wellbeing at the bottom of the list.

Wellbeing does not need to mean adding another complicated task to your schedule. Small, realistic routines can help create clearer boundaries between work and personal time.

The NHS Every Mind Matters service recommends practical approaches to supporting mental health and wellbeing, including managing stress, improving sleep and finding strategies that help you feel more in control.

Make time for thought and reflection

Set aside a few minutes to think about what has happened during the day. What went well? What created unnecessary pressure? Is there something that could be delegated, simplified or approached differently next time?

Keeping a notebook nearby can make it easier to record new ideas and actions without trying to keep everything in your head.

Listen to music or a podcast

If listening to music or a podcast helps you switch off from work, build a little time for it into your routine. This could be during your journey home, during a lunch break or while completing a task that does not require your full concentration.

The aim is simply to create a moment when your attention is not entirely focused on the next school task.

Build a regular sleep routine

Busy periods at school can make it difficult to switch off at the end of the day.

The NHS advises that most healthy adults need around seven to nine hours of sleep each night, although individual needs vary. Maintaining regular sleeping and waking times and creating a wind-down routine may help when work is making it difficult to settle.

Try to avoid making checking emails or finishing school tasks the final thing you do before bed.

Make space for mindfulness

Mindfulness, breathing exercises or simply a few quiet minutes can provide an opportunity to stop and reset during a demanding day.

You do not need to schedule a lengthy session. A short break between meetings, before opening your inbox or after dealing with a difficult situation can create a useful pause before moving on to the next task.

NHS Every Mind Matters provides practical mental wellbeing tools that can be explored if you would like additional support.

Get away from your desk

School offices can become very busy environments, particularly during the start of term.

Where possible, use part of your lunch break to step away from your desk. A short walk around the school grounds or a few minutes outside can give you a genuine break from emails, spreadsheets and screens.

Create some screen-free time

Technology is essential to modern school administration, but that can mean spending most of the working day moving between emails, systems and spreadsheets.

Try creating a clear point in the evening when work notifications stop.

You might also choose a period of screen-free time to read, exercise, cook, spend time with family or simply relax without another notification demanding your attention.

Make time for something you enjoy

A busy term can quickly become dominated by work.

Protect some time during the week for something unrelated to school, whether that is seeing friends, reading a book, exercising, cooking or spending time with family.

A realistic work-life balance is easier to maintain when personal time is treated as part of your routine rather than something that only happens when everything else is finished.

Stay hydrated during the school day

Keeping a water bottle on your desk is a simple reminder to drink regularly during a busy day.

As a general guide, the NHS says most people should aim for around six to eight cups or glasses of fluid a day, although individual requirements vary.

What school tasks should SBMs review after the first few weeks?

Once pupils and staff have settled into the new term, take another look at the practical arrangements around the school. Some issues only become obvious once classrooms are being used every day.

Review what worked during the first weeks

Speak to teachers, office staff and other colleagues about the start of term. Were there repeated requests for particular resources? Were there areas where processes were unclear? Did new pupils or staff need additional support?

Record anything that could make next September easier.

Welcome and check in with new staff

Introducing yourself at the beginning of term is useful, but following up once new colleagues have settled in can be even more valuable.

Check that they know who to contact for practical questions, purchasing requests and school procedures.

Review classroom organisation

Teaching teams will usually manage their own classroom layouts, seating plans and classroom displays, but SBMs can support them by checking that practical resource requirements have been identified.

This could include additional storage boxes, labels, display materials or classroom equipment.

Check classroom stock

The first weeks of term provide a useful picture of how quickly everyday school essentials are being used. Review stock levels for items such as:

• Pens
• Pencils
• Exercise books
• Whiteboard pens
• Glue sticks
• Paper
• Notebooks
• Folders
• Filing supplies
• Labels

Identifying heavily used resources now can make procurement planning easier later in the year and reduce the risk of urgent orders.

Organise your workspace

A tidy desk will not solve a busy workload, but knowing where important paperwork and resources are can make everyday administration easier.

Use desk organisers, folders and clearly labelled filing systems so frequently used documents are easy to access. The same principle can be applied to shared cupboards and office storage.

Review hygiene supplies

Check that handwashing supplies and other frequently used hygiene products are stocked in the areas where they are needed.

Rather than waiting until something runs out, decide who is responsible for checking key supplies and how frequently stock levels should be reviewed.

Check current school procedures

The start of the academic year is a sensible time to make sure policies, processes and operational information are up to date.

Check whether there have been changes to school procedures and make sure relevant staff know what those changes mean for their role.

Avoid relying on staff simply remembering updates from an earlier meeting. Keep important information somewhere colleagues can access when they need it.

Review curriculum-related resource requirements

SBMs do not need to plan the curriculum, but curriculum changes can have implications for purchasing and resource allocation.

Speak to subject leaders and teaching teams about upcoming topics, activities or projects that may require additional resources.

Planning these requirements early can support more organised purchasing rather than last-minute requests.

Which smaller back-to-school tasks are easy to forget?

Not every useful action belongs on a formal school improvement plan. Some smaller organisational habits can make the year easier to manage.

Outline your goals for the year

Choose a small number of priorities you would like to improve. These could relate to procurement, stock management, digital processes, supplier management, workload or communication.

Make them realistic enough that you can review progress throughout the year.

Organise your filing system

A new academic year is a good opportunity to review both physical and digital filing. Archive information you no longer need immediately, check folder structures and make sure important documents can be found easily by the people who need them.

Plan how you will protect your work-life balance

Think ahead about where your boundaries will sit. For example, decide when you normally want to finish work, whether you will check emails during evenings and which tasks genuinely need to be completed immediately.

The DfE's workload and wellbeing guidance encourages schools to consider how staff time is used and whether working practices are creating avoidable workload.

Prepare simple lunches

Busy days can make lunch an afterthought. Keeping a few quick lunch ideas ready can make it easier to take an actual break rather than spending lunchtime at your desk.

Create a routine for recurring tasks

Look at the jobs you repeat weekly, monthly or termly and put them into your calendar.

Regular stock checks, budget reviews, supplier tasks, reporting deadlines and meetings become much easier to manage when they are planned rather than remembered at the last minute.

Keep somewhere for new ideas

Not every improvement needs to be acted on immediately. Keep a notebook or digital document for new ideas and strategies. You can return to them when you have more time rather than allowing every new thought to become another urgent task.

Protect your lunch break where possible

Keep a book, headphones or something else you enjoy nearby. Even if you cannot take a full uninterrupted break every day, stepping away from work for part of your lunch period can help create some separation in a busy day.

What common back-to-school planning mistakes should SBMs avoid?

One of the biggest mistakes is trying to complete every task at once. Prioritise what genuinely affects the safe and effective running of the school first, then schedule lower-priority tasks across the term.

Other common pitfalls include:

• Keeping every task in your head instead of using a clear system
• Taking responsibility for work that could reasonably be delegated
• Waiting until supplies run out before checking stock
• Focusing on school organisation while ignoring your own workload
• Failing to communicate changes to procedures clearly
• Treating every request as equally urgent
• Creating wellbeing goals that are too complicated to maintain

A checklist should reduce pressure, not become another source of it.

How can GLS support schools throughout the academic year?

At GLS, we work with schools every day and understand that the role of a School Business Manager goes far beyond simply purchasing supplies.

From school essentials and classroom resources to everyday procurement planning, the aim is to help schools stay organised and make practical decisions that support teaching, staff and pupils.

The best systems are usually the ones that make everyday school life simpler. Review what your school needs, plan ahead where possible and build routines that reduce unnecessary last-minute pressure.