The ASOT tool uses readily available and easy-to-access data. On inputting this data, the tool calculates the essential diagnostic metrics that SBPs find easy to understand and use for analysing the efficiency and effectiveness of their resource use, enabling them to investigate potential areas of inefficiency and make more informed evidence-based, strategic decisions.

ASOT:

• Uses the ISBL Approach to ICFP.

• Guides you step-by-step to enter your school’s data.

• Calculates the 12 Key Metrics for you not only for the current year but the previous two years as well as the future two year forecasts, based on year-specific thresholds.

• Applies a RAG rating system to all of the metrics to indicate which areas may be of concern and require further investigation.

• Provides separate thresholds for region-specific metric comparisons (National/Fringe and Inner/Outer London).

• Assesses the potential size and financial impact in every metric area by comparison with national threshold benchmarks.

• Quantifies inefficiencies by translating the variance into the potential value of resources being inefficiently used and indicating the possible resource efficiencies to be made.

• Identifies possible reasons/causes of inefficiencies.

• Allows SLT to assess its structure’s efficiency.

• Provides a summary sheet of all of the key values.

• Is supported by accompanying documentation to help you understand the 12 Key Metrics and the calculations used.

• Guidance is provided about how to gather the data from your MIS and other sources that are needed for the data inputs into ASOT.

• You enter your school’s data into the ASOT – you can differentiate between region-specific metric comparisons (National/Fringe and Inner/Outer London).

• ASOT calculates the ICFP metrics for your school.

• The Primary or Secondary thresholds are then applied to your data, providing you with a RAG rated dashboard which:

  • Calculates year-specific thresholds for all years analysed

  • Calculates five years’ worth of key staffing and balance metrics based on year-specific thresholds

  • Assesses the potential size and financial impact in every metric area by comparison, with the green (expected) national threshold benchmarks showing typical variance to these

  • Quantifies inefficiencies by translating the variance into the potential value of resources being inefficiently used and indicating the possible resource efficiencies to be made

  • Indicates how to identify possible causes of inefficiencies, including some reasons/causes for the calculated metrics being larger or smaller than expected

  • Uses the school’s size to provide indicative effective leadership and management structures and costings for secondary and primary settings, so the SLT can assess its structure’s efficiency

• You are provided with a summary sheet of all the key values to export into your reporting mechanisms to share with your senior leadership team (SLT), governors, trustees and other external audience.

The ASOT applies either Primary or Secondary thresholds to your schools data to produce the RAG-rated dashboard. These thresholds are reviewed and updated twice a year, making our ICFP tool one of the most up-to-date available.

The thresholds used in the RAG rating are based on DfE statistical data and have been developed through our experience of applying ICFP to a wide range of schools’ data through insights from School Resource Management Advisers. The Green thresholds are, from our experience, where schools should ideally aim for with consideration to their own strategic aims and context.

ASOT should be used alongside a thorough understanding of how to use and implement ICFP in your school/trust. Context is key when interpreting ICFP metrics, and there may be good reasons why your school falls into another threshold band. You should use the information from the ASOT to further investigate and diagnose possible areas of concern before moving ahead with any recommendations.

ASOT is suitable to use with primary and secondary maintained, SAT, MATs and independent schools.  The current version of ASOT can be used to calculate the metrics for special schools; however, since the context of a special school can vary enormously, there is not a RAG rating available for this school type.

ASOT only calculates the metrics for one school, so if you want to use it in the context of multiple schools, you will need to calculate the metrics for each individual school and then self-aggregate the results.

ASOT is being offered as a non-supported tool, however:

• All metrics and thresholds are correct at the time of purchase.

• The thresholds used within ASOT are reviewed and updated twice a year. Existing customers will then be issued with an updated version of ASOT.

• ASOT will be updated and developed over time; existing customers may be offered the opportunity to upgrade their ASOT version, which may be at cost or free of charge.

• ASOT is an Excel-based ICFP tool. We recommend that you use Excel 2013+ or 365 on Windows. Some of the more advanced functionality in ASOT is currently not supported for Macs.

• Via a support webpage, you can access a user guide, video tutorials and other documentation to help support you to use the ASOT in calculating the metrics you need.