Will your application for budget be approved? 5 key questions to ask to ensure your budget request gets over the line.

As Term 3 unfolds, many school leaders across Australia are already thinking about 2026. Principals are deep in the budget cycle - juggling priorities, mapping future needs, and advocating for the right tools to support their school’s future goals. 

Budget submissions are often scrutinised closely, requiring leaders to demonstrate both strategic alignment, tangible value and most importantly educational impact. 

To support schools in making confident decisions across every focus area on every budget line - we’ve created this guide based on a decade of conversations with school leaders, sector insights, and our own experience supporting thousands of schools through this process.

In our experience, these are the five most critical questions every school leader - whether you’re a Head of Teaching and Learning, a Deputy Principal of Wellbeing, KLA or Department Leader, Year Level Coordinator, or Sports Administrator - should address when putting forward a budget proposal. 

1. Does this solution align with our school’s strategic goals?

It seems like this should be the obvious choice, but we’ve often seen leaders drift far from the core vision of the school strategy and focusing on the fringe goals.

Before committing to any new tool or service, ask: 

👉 How does this support our school’s vision for student achievement, staff development, or community connection? Whether your priorities are wellbeing, instructional leadership, or student agency, it’s important to show how the investment contributes to broader outcomes - not just isolated improvements.

Tip: In your funding proposal or budget request, explicitly link the objective or key outcome of the program/platform to your Annual School Improvement Plan.

2. How will this funding request improve student outcomes?

At the end of the day, student impact is the north star.

👉 Can you demonstrate how the proposed program or edtech platform will support better teaching, deeper learning, or enhanced wellbeing? The strongest budget proposals show not only how a program or new technology works - but how it helps teachers teach better and students thrive.

3. What are the data privacy and security implications?

With increasing scrutiny around data protection, schools must ensure any technology provider meets rigorous safety standards.

👉 Does the solution comply with national privacy guidelines and cyber safety requirements?

For example, tools certified under the Safer Technologies for Schools (ST4S) framework offer an added layer of assurance for school communities and leadership teams. Here at Pivot, we’re deeply committed to ensuring that we meet the highest security standards to support our school and system partners. 

4. Can we demonstrate clear educational value and a return on investment (ROI)?

Whether you’re pitching to a leadership team or a school board, you’ll need to show:

👉 What are we getting in return?

👉 How will we know if it works?

Practical things to include:

• Evidence from pilot programs, research projects or other school and system experiences

• Measurable impact (e.g. changes in student engagement, improved learning progress, or student perceptions of connectedness)

• Cost breakdowns vs. expected benefits

  
  

5. Will this investment support our school improvement journey?

Investments that accelerate your school improvement roadmap - especially in areas like curriculum delivery, teacher feedback, or student wellbeing - tend to gain traction more quickly.

👉 Is this a “nice-to-have” or a “need-to-have” in our journey towards excellence? The more clearly you can link the investment to your improvement agenda, the stronger your budget case will be.

Final Thoughts: Pitch with Purpose

Navigating the school budgeting process isn’t just about spreadsheets and approval workflows. It’s about confidently pitching for the tools that will shape your school’s next chapter. This year, we’re seeing more leaders take a proactive, strategic approach and pitching their proposals for funding early - ensuring they’re not just purchasing technology, but advocating for programs and platforms that genuinely ‘move the needle’ for our schools in learning and wellbeing.

At Pivot, we’re committed to helping schools tell that story.

🔗 Want support in building your school’s budget case for Pivot?

Download our Project Funding Proposal Template or speak to a team member about aligning your goals to our offerings.