Another day, another health check. As the anonymous auditor behind Cole School Experts’ Health Checks, I spend my time wandering through software systems, asking questions and reviewing documentation. And let me tell you, dear reader: what I’ve seen could fill a yearbook.
Look. Schools are full of good people doing their absolute best in an environment that never stops changing. Systems evolve, staff come and go, and new requirements seem to appear overnight. It’s no wonder the cracks start to form. And those little gaps can quietly grow into something bigger if left unchecked.
So, in the spirit of shared learning (plus a little therapy), here are a few confessions from the financial frontlines.
Confession #1: The password notebook
Yes. It’s real.
A spiral-bound book labelled PASSWORDS, sitting atop a bookshelf in a school finance office. Inside: logins for everything. From student databases to the school’s online banking.
Yikes! When I asked how security was managed, the response came with a good-natured laugh, ‘Oh, don’t worry. We lock the office at night!’
It’s a perfect example of people finding practical solutions in the moment. But as technology and threats evolve, those quick fixes don’t always keep pace.
Lesson learned: Security is all about support. The right systems and training can help protect everyone’s hard work without adding more to their plate.
Confession #2: The source-of-truth spreadsheet
Every school has one. It’s a magical Excel file that (quote) ‘handles everything’. Payroll, fee tracking, tuckshop accounts… there’s even one that tracks staff leave.
The problem? Those spreadsheets often don’t line up with what’s in the payroll software. And when the one person who built it goes on holiday (and trust me, they deserve that time off!), the whole system grinds to a halt.
Lesson learned: Healthy systems are shared systems. When processes live in one person’s head (or one spreadsheet), they can’t evolve with the school. Building shared understanding helps everyone take a breather with confidence.
Confession #3: The forgotten reconciliation
One expense account, left untouched for eighteen months. Twenty-seven thousand dollars ‘missing’ from the school’s bottom line. It wasn’t stolen. And it wasn’t really missing. It was simply invisible.
Lesson learned: What you can’t see can still affect you. Regular reconciliations keep small discrepancies from becoming big headaches down the track.
Confession #4: The policy time capsule
When asked for their risk management policy, I quickly received a PDF… last updated in 2014. The logo was dated. The Principal listed had retired before TikTok existed. And the policies still mention burning files to discs for record-keeping.
It’s easy to see how it happens. Policies are written in consultation, with buckets of care. But the daily whirlwind of running a school means they’re rarely revisited until an audit looms.
Lesson learned: Policies only protect when they reflect the present. Keeping them fresh ensures they remain living documents, not time capsules.
Confession #5: The go-to guru
Every school has a secret admin superhero. They’re the staff member who knows every shortcut, every workaround, every hidden button. They save the day again and again.
But, eventually, that person leaves or retires. Decades of wisdom disappears overnight.
Lesson learned: Heroes are wonderful… but shared knowledge is even better. Health checks help ‘spread the love’, turning individual brilliance into team-wide confidence.
The real secret
If a few of these stories sound familiar, take heart. None of them are about blame. Every example began with someone doing their best with what they had. And that’s something to be proud of.
The truth is, health checks aren’t about catching anyone out. They’re about shining a light on what’s working well, and finding out where a little extra support could make life easier. Everyone benefits when systems run smoothly, from the staff who can breathe easier, to the parents who trust more, to the students who thrive when the whole school hums.
That’s why, despite the occasional spreadsheet empire or dusty policy folder, I love this work. Every health check is a chance to celebrate good people doing good things… and help them keep at it.
How’s your school health?
Strong systems don’t appear overnight. They grow from good people who care about doing them right. A Cole School Experts health check helps you build on that care, giving your school the clarity and confidence to keep improving together. Ready to find out more?
