Here’s something I see in outstanding schools almost everywhere I go:

They look like they have money. But they don’t.
They have more Superstars on their payroll.

What do I mean by superstars? 

People who are brilliant at their job and great cultural fit for your school. 

Put simply, you’d clone them if you could!

And that alone gives them the equivalent of £200k extra for every £1m of payroll.

Here’s why:

If the average salary across roles is around £25k, a true Superstar typically gives about 25% more value than they cost — roughly £6,250.

Outstanding schools often have 70%+ Superstars.
And that uplift adds up fast.

So here’s a reflection for the week:

👉 What’s your Superstar percentage right now?
(I covered this in last week’s email — you can read it on the blog here: The four numbers that make your school budget go further – Heads Up 

👉 And what would nudge it up even a little?

Because culture and capability — not the funding formula — are the budget levers you actually control.
And they’re the ones that give you the biggest return.

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Here’s to more superstars!
Sonia 💛