The Schools Financial Survey has been operating for over twenty five years, using consistent definitions based on Government annual Financial Questionnaires, Staff census and audited accounts. This helps assure data accuracy and validity and therefore consistent comparisons with others in your benchmarking samples.
For participant security, all information is kept confidential to Somerset Education and report formats do not allow others to specifically identify your school.
With about 700 schools in the survey, you should find similar benchmarking partners. Participation starts from as little as $792 including GST or $396 including GST for schools of less than 200 students.
Through your individual somerset portal you have access to a suite of self-service tools
- Enter data into the current year’s survey which is available from April each year.
- Select samples of similar schools based on geographic, funding level, enrolments, religious/pedagogical affiliation, single sex/co-educational, primary, secondary, P-12, IB, Multi Campus. Or gather a group of similar schools and start a private benchmarking group.
- Generate Reports to analyse and quantify your performance with benchmarking partners in over 50 ratios to identify strengths and areas for improvement. Reports are available from August each year and include numbers, graphs and written interpretations.
- IT Benchmarking report compares key IT staffing, recurrent and capital expenditure with similar schools.
- Staff Estimator uses sample averages to indicate staff numbers for your school based on enrolments entered.
- Historical report in 50 ratios for your school for up to six years from past surveys.
- SKI Report which analyses a selection of key indicators for your school from the previous two years and up to five future years. On one page, this simple report compares your performance with similar schools as well past and future trends. An excellent strategic planning tool.
- GEO Mapping provides access to web based potential enrolment demographic mapping tools. See instructions and video
- PeopleBench provides a unique Culture Tracker™ tool to assist in capturing data to assist you with the decision making processes for your school. See instructions and video
Results of satisfaction survey conducted April 2023
10 out of 10 recommend FSS participation to others.
What schools say about the Financial Survey for Schools
“John, I have always admired, in particular, your great gift of communicating financial information to Business managers and to lay people on boards! That’s a truly God- given ability/gift you have! So you have a “very well done” from me for all your life’s work and endeavours to date! Your professional and helpful service to the non- government schools’ sector goes far beyond the fees you charge and should be appreciated by all those you serve through your work!”
“The Somerset Reports are a vital part of understanding our school’s sustainability and operations.”
2023, Peter Wattera, Business Manager, Shire Christian School
“It’s a must have for any Business Manager or Bursar who wants to keep pace, if not ahead, of the industry and market.”
2023, Richard Luxford, Business Manager, Brigidine College
“The Somerset Education tool is most beneficial to Newman College’s Executive and Council. The comparative benchmarking against peer schools provides key information that assists our strategic decisions.”
2023, Steve Halley-Wright, Director Finance and Administration, Newman College
“The information in the report is very specific for the school, but also setting up our place within the broader community. This enabled the Board to think more laterally with confidence about exactly where the school stands now and could be in the future.”
2023, Barry Scolnik, Business Manager, Elonera Montessori School
“The Board love the report. They can see the ticks and question marks and we provide a reason for the question marks or what we need to watch so therefore what we need to do. It makes it easy for non-financially literate people to understand in a nutshell how we are going. …”
2023, Elizabeth Harris, Finance Manager, Macarthur Anglican School
“Somerset is invaluable financial data for governance purposes. It highlights areas of potential concern and gives rise to confidence to reinvest. John and the team are a great asset to the independent school sector. Thank you.”
2023, Andrew Lowry, Business Manager, Covenant Christian School