Devolved school management

Devolved School Management (DSM) schemes set out local authorities’ financial processes for funding their schools, how they delegate some financial decisions to their schools, and the accountability and responsibility for financial decisions. 

Devolved school management guidelines have been co-produced with local government.

These guidelines build and improve on the Devolved School Management Guidelines of 2012 and reflect and integrate with the Education Reform Programme and priorities emerging from the Scottish Government and COSLA Education Reform Joint Agreement of June 2018.  

Full implementation of these guidelines is expected by April 2021.  Local authorities will be expected to update the individual scheme for their authority to take into account the new guidelines. 

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