Doing More with Less: Strategic Leadership Under Financial Pressure

‘We can teach kids in a car park if we have to because that’s what we do!’ an inspirational voice said when delivering on the UCL IOE NPQEL this week. It roused the room but illustrated a symptom of deep causal pressures on the education system. 

The phrase “doing more with less” has become a familiar refrain in education; a mantra repeated so often it risks becoming background noise to a deficit model. But for school and trust leaders facing real-terms funding cuts, rising costs, and growing expectations, it is the reality.  

A recent publication by NASUWT questions what exactly is happening to the funding within the education system and how school leaders are spending their budgets (read their report: https://www.nasuwt.org.uk/static/3faf0a25-1c73-414d-82eb36adc30c42c4/76f555f7-6112-4460-8ef50daaa60af1db/Where-Has-All-the-Money-Gone-2025-England.pdf). What caught our attention most was that whilst it is without question that schools have insufficient funding to comfortably meet the increasing demands in all areas, the request for ‘efficiency savings’ of 5% from the current budget is deeply concerning. It reflects a disconnect between policy expectations and operational reality, risking further erosion, scaling back of and delay of essential services, staff wellbeing, and the long-term sustainability of educational provision.  

This further increased with the announcement of increased salaries for teaching staff, with the government asking organisations to find the first 1% from within their existing budgets. While recognising the importance of fair pay for educators, this expectation places additional financial pressure on schools already managing stretched resources. Leaders are faced with the challenge of balancing rising staffing costs with maintaining the quality of provision, professional development, and support services, in the most efficient way possible all without compromising outcomes for students or wellbeing for staff. 

So where does this leave trust and school leaders? We have a few suggestions to support with this... 

Leading under financial pressures demands high-quality and wise strategic leadership. But it isn’t enough to be strategic in your thinking; it calls for clarity, courage, creativity and connection, the ability to maintain educational quality while navigating complexity and constraint. 

As we enter the final half of the summer term, we outline key thoughts for school leaders to consider as they review their strategy and consider the upcoming academic year.  

1. Start with Purpose, Not Panic 

When budgets tighten, it’s tempting to go straight to spreadsheets. But the best decisions start with vision. What are you trying to protect at all costs? What defines the quality and culture of your school or trust? What are your absolute non-negotiables? 

Your financial strategy must be grounded in educational purpose. Clarity here helps filter out noise and avoid knee-jerk decisions that damage what matters most. Align your resource decisions with your values - not just your deficits. 

2. Get Forensic with the “Why” Behind the Spend 

Now is the time for forensic curiosity. Every pound spent should have a purpose you can trace directly to outcomes — for pupils, staff, or long-term sustainability. 

Ask: 

• What impact is this resource having — and how do we know? 

• Could we meet the same goal in a different way? An easier way? 

• Is this legacy provision still fit for our current context? 

• How does one area connect to another area – is there overlap or opportunities for impactful collaboration? 

• Is this a win-win decision? 

It’s not about cutting indiscriminately; it’s about reallocating and investing intelligently. 

3. Empower Distributed Decision-Making 

Strategic leaders don’t try to solve everything at the top. They build cultures where middle leaders, staff teams, and operational colleagues are part of the solution with rapid feedback loops built into the planning, build and review – this has a huge influence on overcoming resistance and creating ownership in the delivery of the task. 

Invite teams to look at what’s working, what could be streamlined, and where inefficiencies sit. This is the magic of stakeholder voice - you’ll often uncover untapped ideas and shared ownership for tough decisions. Leaders set the tone for the value of this - it requires opportunity for stakeholders to come together:  

• Staff must have protected time to do this 

• Clear agendas and questions to be answered 

• Supporting data which is easily accessible 

• Clear lines of communication and roles and responsibilities 

• There are diamonds that are undiscovered across all your stakeholders 

4. Invest in What Multiplies Value 

Even under pressure, some investment pays for itself many times over. 

Examples include: 

• High-quality professional development that reduces turnover and increases performance 

• Digital tools that improve efficiency or learning 

• Leadership coaching or supervision that sustains wellbeing and decision-making quality 

Not everything that’s affordable is worth it - and not everything valuable is unaffordable. 

5. Transparency Builds Trust 

Tough choices are easier to bear when people understand the “why.” Be honest about constraints, involve stakeholders in exploring options, and communicate decisions with empathy and clarity. 

Leaders who are transparent don’t avoid discomfort — they build trust through it. The results on the biggest aspect of your budget; your staff, is seismic and we have seen budgets transformed by reducing attrition and empowering staff to step into their personalised development. 

6. Look Beyond the School Gates 

Collaborating across a trust or local partnerships can unlock shared solutions: 

• Pooled procurement or shared services 

• Joint CPD or moderation networks 

• Shared leadership roles or succession planning 

• Potential sitting in your governing body and parent community 

The more isolated your decision-making, the more limited your options. 

7. Don’t Lose Sight of the Leader’s Role 

Financial pressure can pull leaders into operational overload - but your value lies in perspective and prioritisation. You should not be the most expensive dinner lady! 

You don’t need to have every answer or rescue team members, you will no doubt have a team of very capable, talented and skilled staff who can support you within this process. You need to hold the line on values, keep people focused on impact, and lead the organisation through uncertainty with integrity. 

Final Thoughts 

"Doing more with less" shouldn’t mean tolerating burnout, lowering aspirations, or eroding trust. It means being strategic - holding tightly to what matters, loosening your grip on what no longer serves, and leading with clarity even when the path is tough. 

In the face of financial constraint, your leadership is the most powerful asset your organisation has. 

We provide strategic coaching and consultancy to support leaders in maintaining their role and connecting them with a network of opportunities, and partners that are already providing alternative routes to financial gains. 

If you would like some dedicated strategic space to think and plan? 

If you're navigating complex decisions and could use a sounding board or an external lens and network, our Strategy Co-Lab offers a space to step out of the day-to-day and focus on solutions. 

Over three 1:1 sessions, we’ll: 

• Explore your current challenges or strategic priorities 

• Clarify strategic priorities and decision-making frameworks 

• Co-develop practical, values-aligned next steps 

This is not consultancy to you. It's strategic collaboration with you — a focused collaboration to help you move forward with clarity and confidence. 

Get in touch to book your 3-session Strategy Co-Lab or find out if it's the right fit.