Diary of a Trust Estate Manager: A Day in the Life (Monday)

Dear Diary...

6:30 AM – Early Optimism

Alarm went off right on schedule at 6:30. Managed to brew a decent coffee and got the laptop fired up. Only eight unread emails waiting—felt like winning the Monday morning lottery! Got through some routine queries about maintenance schedules and approvals without any dramas. Feeling optimistic that today might be a good one.

8:00 AM – Records Roulette

Emma, Maple Primary's Site Manager, brightened my morning with a quick call—water-testing records all neatly filed and compliant. Such a relief! But my happiness was short-lived. Emma emailed shortly after in a bit of a panic because the asbestos report had disappeared. Suggested calmly that she should double-check the usual filing spots. Fingers crossed it turns up soon!

9:00 AM – Capital Project Chaos Begins

Phone rings—our capital projects consultant calls to report a potential issue at Oak High School. Builders have discovered some unexpected old wiring behind the wall that's halfway down already, creating a risk of delays. Promised to follow up promptly—hoping this doesn’t become a bigger headache.

9:45 AM – The Quick Door Check That Wasn't

Had a brief call scheduled with Raj, Willow Academy’s Site Manager, about a small fire door issue—but things quickly spiralled. Suddenly I found myself virtually touring broken locks and jammed windows. Raj sounded frustrated but soldiered on. Assistant Site Manager Andy jokingly suggested running his own locksmith training course—I politely declined, though it was tempting. On the plus side, Raj did mention two doors were repaired ahead of schedule.

11:00 AM – Managing Ambitions and Budgets

Had constructive calls with two headteachers today. Birch Primary wants to knock down an internal wall to create a larger activity area, while Pine Grove Academy has big plans for a new outdoor learning space. Both projects genuinely make sense, and I can't blame them for pushing hard—it's their job to enhance their schools. But my spreadsheets are telling a harsh story: there's virtually no budget left. I'll suggest they each gather three quotes, but balancing everyone's needs is becoming increasingly tricky. Definitely need to discuss this soon with the CFO.

11:30 AM – Contractor Success (Virtual Edition)

Hannah from Oak High School sent a fantastic update. The contractors arrived on time and had everything they needed thanks to clearly labelled documents on Microsoft SharePoint. We had a brief video call to confirm everything, and it felt great to praise Hannah and her team for their organisation. Even joked about adding a "Contractor Success Day" to our Trust calendar. Definitely a refreshing change.

12:30 PM – Capital Project Call, Round Two

Second call from our consultant—good news, the wiring situation at Oak High isn’t as severe as initially feared. Phew! 

12:45 PM – A Rare Uninterrupted Lunch

Incredibly, I managed to have lunch today, and without a single interruption—an absolute miracle! Enjoyed my sandwich in the garden as the sun was out, and in total peace, a genuine luxury. Considering everything, this Monday morning hasn't gone too badly.

2:15 PM – Spoke Too Soon

Maybe I celebrated too early. Just as I started feeling productive again, Cedar School’s Business Manager called, worried about paperwork. Dived back into Microsoft SharePoint and had to whip out my imaginary deciphering tools to make sense of their cryptic file naming. Muttered under my breath about the desperate need for better naming conventions—I'll definitely be raising that again in the next meeting.

3:00 PM – Capital Projects: Third Time Lucky?

Received a call from a different consultant visiting Birch Primary—finally, some genuinely positive news. Roof quotes for Cedar School came in lower than expected, freeing up a bit of budget room.

4:00 PM – Asset Management Mystery

Emma from Maple Primary emailed triumphantly: the missing asbestos report was bizarrely discovered in the "appliance testing" folder. Mystery solved, thank goodness!

5:30 PM – Spreadsheet Struggles (Part One)

Back to the enormous spreadsheet that's the bane of my existence. Spent ages chasing incomplete details across different schools. Frustrating doesn't even begin to cover it. Every entry seems to have its own complicated backstory. Briefly entertained the idea of writing a memoir titled "Spreadsheets and Other Horror Stories." Thankfully, got some prompt and accurate updates from a couple of schools—making this chore a bit less painful.

Interrupted as the kids arrived home—time for bath, dinner, and family shenanigans.

7:00 PM – Spreadsheet Struggles (Part Two)

Kids settled, and back to spreadsheets again. The joy never ends. Making slow progress and seriously considering we need some software to manage all this more efficiently.

9:30 PM – Final Reflection

Finally catching up on the last few emails. Absolutely shattered but somehow satisfied with today. Chaotic as ever, but still got plenty done. Can't help thinking that simply surviving a Monday deserves a bravery award. Finally get to sit down for some downtime... looking forward to watching last week's 'The Apprentice' with the wife—ten minutes in, I'm asleep.

Please Note: All characters and events in this diary are fictional (though suspiciously realistic). If you've been affected by reading this diary, or suffer from cryptic spreadsheets, endless budgets, or surprise capital project discoveries, you’re not alone. Support is available—call our support hotline 03331 123 133 and ask for Richard. Stay strong, estate managers!

Statlog - The complete solution for premises management, trusted by educational leaders