Rejoice: NBG FMSiS R.I.P.

Cheriton Councillor and School Governor Tim Prater has welcomed an announcement by education secretary Michael Gove to scrap the complex Financial Management Standard in Schools (FMSiS) scheme.

FMSiS was introduced in the early 2000s and made compulsory in 2007 for all schools. Schools were required to meet the standard every three years by going through a burdensome self-evaluation tool. The Department will now work with interested parties, including local authorities and schools, to develop a new, simpler way of doing this. It is hoped the replacement system will be introduced next year.

Tim says:

"As a School Governor, FMSiS was a lot of work and 'box ticking' for schools, which had no impact on the quality of teaching, and very limited use in assuring school finances were secure.

"The required external assessment cost the school hundreds of pounds, which came from budgets that could otherwise be used on pupils and education. Few schools will mourn the passing of FMSiS."