Excel Masterclass 

Excel is a powerful tool for school finance and administration, yet many staff only use the basics in day-to-day tasks. The Excel Masterclass has been designed to help participants explore the advanced features of Excel, making their work faster, more accurate, and more professional.

Advanced Excel skills allow finance and admin staff to manage complex datasets, automate repetitive tasks, and produce professional reports with ease. This course is particularly valuable for staff responsible for budgeting, scheduling, invoicing, or resource management, enabling them to work smarter, reduce errors, and make informed decisions based on accurate data.
 

This course consists of four one-hour sessions. Each session includes a video presentation, downloadable notes, and a short assignment to ensure understanding and practical application. Upon completion of the sessions and assignments, delegates receive a Certificate in Advanced Excel.
 

Session 1 – Lettings Management Spreadsheet
Delegates will create a comprehensive lettings management spreadsheet, learning table formatting, freezing panes, date formatting, data validation, formulae and functions (including IF), filters, and sorting.
This session helps participants organise and manage complex lists of data efficiently.
 

Session 2 – Invoice Template and Database
This session focuses on creating an invoice template and managing a database, including conditional formatting, macros, buttons, customising toolbars, printing selections and page fitting, protection, and text orientation.
Participants gain the skills to create automated, professional templates and databases that save time and reduce errors.
 

Session 3 – Resources and Scheduling
Delegates will learn how to set up a scheduling system for facilities and resources, locate free slots, and produce and print summary reports. Topics include indents, borders, more conditional formatting, absolute and relative references, AND/OR functions, Gantt charts, comments, and arranging views including synchronous scrolling.
This session equips staff to plan and coordinate resources effectively, producing clear, actionable schedules.
 

Session 4 – Budgeting, What-Ifs, and Projections
This session covers scenario planning and projections, including BODMAS, Scenario Manager, Scenario Summaries, pivot tables, Goal Seek, Solver, data tables, and printing options like print areas and titles.
Participants learn how to create predictive models, perform advanced calculations, and evaluate different financial or operational scenarios, making Excel a strategic tool for planning.
 

Outcomes - By the end of the Excel Masterclass, delegates will have mastered advanced Excel functions and techniques relevant to school finance and administration. They will be able to manage complex data, automate repetitive tasks, and produce professional reports, increasing productivity and supporting strategic decision-making. Each session’s completion earns a certificate, providing formal recognition of achievement in advanced Excel skills.