Peter Beaven's tale leads us through the pitfalls and triumphs of a career in choir directing and church music, orchestral conducting, and professional singing in choirs and stage works. His teaching experiences are just as hair-raising as his performing life. Being there at the inception of the GCSE music exam, as a teacher, he felt it wasn't an improvement on the previous exam and became disenchanted with education, in general, and music education in particular. The author maintains that he failed every exam he ever sat, adding much weight to his argument, but also admits to a modicum of success along the way. Despite earlier difficulties with a genetic neuropathy, he conquered the disabilities to regain an organ technique at the age of fifteen, which has served him well for over fifty years. His adventures with the military have been a twenty-year expedition through extraordinary happenings, personalities, and experiences. All worthwhile but in marked contrast to many other facets of his career.

The demands on school business managers, and those who manage the finances on behalf of the school, have increased immeasurably in recent years due to the demand for greater and more transparent accountability. Best practice now involves joined-up leadership, with Headteachers, business managers and governors aware of their responsibilities for financial probity and diligence in their management of public money. This well-grounded and practical guide provides the reader with a flavour of the outstanding work carried out by school business management professionals across the country. Case studies lead readers to understand how people at the frontline have responded to the demands made upon them by government, by Ofsted and by the Education Funding Agency.