ABSTRACT
Traditionally, heads have directly controlled only a tiny proportion of the financial resources of their schools. In some Local Education Authorities (LEAs) this has already changed. In all others it is about to change for heads with more than 200 pupils on roll. Financial Delegation, Local Management of Schools (LMS) or, as it is more widely known, Local Financial Management (LFM) gives heads direct control of a far higher proportion of the school’s total costs. Typically, a capitation scheme gives the head control of less than 4 per cent of the school’s costs, while LFM gives control of nearer 90 per cent of the school budget to the head and Governors.
