Part of our Breakfast Seminar Series | Presented by John Somerset FCA, Director, Somerset Education
An online training session for school governors, principals, business managers, and finance committee members—but all welcome.No accounting background required
Although I have spent 40 years as a Chartered Accountant—and 30 of those working exclusively with non-government schools—in that time, I have developed the ability to explain financial statements in plain language. No jargon, no assumptions, no glazed eyes.The session begins with the fundamentals—a clear, accessible grounding in how accounting works and what your financial statements are actually made of. From there, John will show you how to move beyond the numbers and leverage your 2025 audited accounts to generate genuine insight: benchmarking your results against 500+ schools, spotting trends over time, and turning data into decisions that protect your school’s future.
An online training session for school governors, principals, business managers, and finance committee members—but all welcome.No accounting background required
Although I have spent 40 years as a Chartered Accountant—and 30 of those working exclusively with non-government schools—in that time, I have developed the ability to explain financial statements in plain language. No jargon, no assumptions, no glazed eyes.The session begins with the fundamentals—a clear, accessible grounding in how accounting works and what your financial statements are actually made of. From there, John will show you how to move beyond the numbers and leverage your 2025 audited accounts to generate genuine insight: benchmarking your results against 500+ schools, spotting trends over time, and turning data into decisions that protect your school’s future.
You don’t need to be a numbers person to attend. You just need to want to understand.
📚 By the end of my session, you will be able to:
- Identify what the key figures in your financial statements mean
- Understand the fundamentals of accounting—clearly explained, no prior knowledge needed
- Utilise benchmarking tools to see how your school compares to peers
- Apply that insight to board conversations—confidently, in plain language
- Evaluate your school’s financial health and spot early warning signs.
🏆 What you’ll receive:
- Presentation slides that tell the story—graphs, trend data, and plain-language descriptions you can take back to your board
- A quick-reference guide to the key financial and staffing metrics covered
- A live demonstration of the Financial Survey for Schools portal
- Access details to continue exploring after the session.
🚀 Webinar details:
Date: Tuesday 21 July 2026
Time: 7:00am to 8:00am (AEST) via Zoom👉🏻 Register here:
Registration fee: A$99 (inc GST) per Registrant*
Register here: Zoom
*Note: Please register even if you’re unable to attend the ‘live’ webinar as the recording is available to all Registrants up to thirty days after the webinar.
Date: Tuesday 21 July 2026
Time: 7:00am to 8:00am (AEST) via Zoom👉🏻 Register here:
Registration fee: A$99 (inc GST) per Registrant*
Register here: Zoom
*Note: Please register even if you’re unable to attend the ‘live’ webinar as the recording is available to all Registrants up to thirty days after the webinar.
Q | Any questions?
For FSS, budgeting, reporting tools, or financial governance training contact us via email survey@somerseteducation.net; or telephone 1300 781 968 (International +61 7 3263 5300).