What is a school bursar
A bursar is the senior non-teaching officer who owns finance, HR, estates, ICT, change, administration and health and safety in a UK school. The role reports to the headteacher in an independent school and to the trust board through the CEO in an academy. The seven national standards for school business professionals define what the post is expected to cover.
Definition for 2025/26
The Department for Education uses the umbrella term "School Business Professional" for the role that the independent sector has historically called Bursar and that the state sector calls School Business Manager or, at MAT level, Chief Operating Officer or Director of Finance. The DfE national standards document covers the same seven competency areas across all three titles, so the differences are mostly cultural and reflect the size of the school and its governance structure.[1]
Reporting line
In an independent school the bursar reports directly to the headteacher and sits on the senior leadership team alongside the deputy heads. The bursar normally attends the full governors' meeting and is the lead officer for the Finance and General Purposes committee. In an academy trust the equivalent post reports to the CEO, with a functional line to the trust board through the audit and risk committee.[2]
What sits inside the remit
The seven competency areas (finance, HR, estates and facilities, health and safety, ICT and management information, procurement and administration, and leadership and strategy) define the formal remit. In practice most bursars also own the school's safeguarding administration, the single central record, GDPR compliance, the school's relationships with the LA or ESFA, insurance, and the procurement of every external contract above a de-minimis threshold.[3]
Read next
What a school bursar does
Long-form day-in-the-life across a typical week, term and academic year.
SpokeSeven national-standard competencies
The DfE-defined competency framework that underwrites every SBM job description.
SpokeBursar vs SBM vs COO vs Director of Finance
When each title is appropriate, and how the pay band moves with the title.
SpokeSalary desk
ISBA, ONS and ISC Census bands by school type, region and pupil count.