CIPS Award for School Business Professionals

Overview

The CIPS Award is a procurement and supply learning programme based on CIPS Global Standard and adapted for the education sector. It has been designed to incorporate terminology, practices and unique challenges specific to school business professionals.

The successful completion of the programme results in Diploma membership of CIPS. This programme is underpinned by the ISBL Professional Standards and is recognised by the Department for Education.

Learning Outcomes

The Award is made up 5 modules:

  • Driving Value through procurement and supply

  • Managing Expenditures with Suppliers

  • Developing Contracts in procurement and supply

  • Sourcing Essentials in procurement and supply

  • Effective Negotiation

About the qualification

  • The benefits to schools and trusts include:

    • Value: This practical, applied learning approach delivers proven return on investment.

    • Business improvement and savings: Work-based assignments drive improvements directly back into your workplace.

    • Talent: Investing in the development of staff unlocks potential and boosts expertise leading to improved productivity and efficiency.

    • Professionalism: Helps bring about positive changes in performance and behaviour that benefit your school or trust.


    The benefits to schools business professionals include:

    • Be the best you can be: Supports you to demonstrate your value to your school by helping you realise efficiencies and savings through high-quality procurement.

    • Opportunities: Successful completion of the programme can help unlock career advancement and specialist opportunities.

    • Accreditation: The programme provides a route to CIPS Diploma professional membership status and is a step towards MCIPS status.

    • Network: Participation provides knowledge sharing and networking across the education sector.

  • It is delivered online, using interactive webinars and learning sessions, practical assessed assignments and remote tutor support.

    The programme starts with an introductory webinar and each module starts with a day of online sessions.

  • 12 months, with an average of 100 hours of self-study required.

  • There are no entry requirements as such, although procurement should be part of your responsibilities. The programme is aimed at giving you the specialist procurement knowledge and skills to use during your role.

    The completion of any procurement activities at your school/trust will help you to prepare for completing the programme and gaining accreditation. These activities will provide you with real life case studies whilst also demonstrating how high quality procurement can drive improvements and efficiencies back into your school.

  • Each module is assessed through completing written assignments.

  • There is an ISBL member rate and a non-member rate for all our training programmes. All rates quoted below are inclusive of VAT and per person:

    ISBL member rate: £3,559

    Non-member rate: £4,248



    One of the benefits of being an ISBL member is being able to access the member rates for training and conferences. If you are not a member, you can find out more about joining ISBL by clicking here.

    To be able to access the ISBL member rate, your membership needs to be active before you book your place on the programme.

    The full cost must be paid in full before you start the programme. Our Terms & Conditions can be found here.

Testimonials

  • “With ever increasing pressure on schools to ‘do more for less’, it is essential SBPs develop their skills to undertake procurement as effectively as possible to offer their organisation best value. Best value is not just about money. Procurement is a complex process which must consider the cost of the product/service to the end of its life in relation to regulatory frameworks and international law. To be able to develop my skills and knowledge online to fully understand the procurement regulations without travelling is too good an opportunity to miss ”

    Linda Lucas

Upcoming cohorts and bookings

In order to book on to the course you need to email: training@isbl.org.uk to confirm your interest. Contextualised cohorts only run where there is sufficient demand, therefore if we are not able to book you onto a contextualised cohort, we will put you in touch with CIPS to see if you can book onto an open cohort.

For any enquiries, please contact: training@isbl.org.uk