Leap 4.5 targets 4.5bn of cumulative savings by the end of the decade.

The cumulative savings, three years into the programme, stand at 256 million.

Head teachers will be expected to make cumulative savings of 1 billion a year on items such as utility bills, equipment orders and other administrative costs.

The cumulative savings equal more than 100 average-megawatts, enough to serve about 75,000 homes.

He claimed to reduce management layers, cut overhead costs by more than 30%, and achieved cumulative savings and efficiency improvements of $1.8 billion.