RECENTLY in your “Shopping List” (Friday magazine, February 4) the headteacher of Millfields community school in Hackney suggested that if she had David Blunkett’s budget she would want a bursar in every primary school and would set up specific qualifications for bursars.
The rapidly growing National Bursars Association, together with the University of Lincoln, already has in place a National Registration Scheme. Under it, bursars in post are given a formal qualification through the university. Just as importantly, the National Bursars Association is working towards setting up withseveral providers just the sort of job-specific training that bursars and senior support staff need and are demanding.
The association seeks in return the support of all headteachers for a well-trained bursar to be employed in every school, on whom reliance can be placed for business administration matters, thus indeed allowing headteachers to concentrate on school effectiveness.
Full details of the association can be obtained from PO Box 12, Chard, Somerset, TA20 3YX.
Peter Rickard
National Bursars Association Limited
Eleighwater
Chard, Somerset