School budgets can feel so out of your hands — formulas, pay rises, energy costs… all set elsewhere.
And when we talk about budgets, we usually dive straight into codes and spreadsheets.
But your biggest financial lever isn’t in there at all.
It’s your people.
You know that.
But there’s nuance that can cost you a lot.
The best heads I work with look past the spreadsheet.
They keep focusing on four human numbers that tell them whether their school is getting real value from their biggest spend — payroll.
Here’s the simplest way to see how well your payroll is really working:
1️⃣ How many people are in your team?
Everyone on the payroll — teachers, TAs, admin, site, support.
2️⃣ How many are Superstars?
Brilliant at their job and a great cultural fit. They lift others.
3️⃣ How many of the team have Some Issues?
Something’s not quite right — performance, behaviour, attitude or fit.
4️⃣ How many are Solidly Good?
(The remainder.) Dependable, doing a good job, broadly aligned with your culture.
Do a quick tally with your SLT. Turn it into rough percentages.
Those four numbers tell you more about your finances than any spreadsheet:
- Superstars and Solidly Good staff stretch your budget further — they give more value than they cost.
- “Some Issues” quietly drain time, energy and money — you’re paying full price without full value.
I go through this in a short video here.
No team is perfect. The aim isn’t guilt — it’s clarity.
So here’s a reflection for this week:
👉 What’s one small step that could move just one person from “Some Issues” into “Solidly Good”?
That’s a culture win and a budget win.
Next week, I’ll show you how your Superstar number alone can be worth an extra £200k per £1m of payroll.
Warmly,
Sonia 💚