School Finance Officer (Maternity Cover)

Location:
Salary:
Responsible to:
Hours:

Start date:

Colfe’s School, London, SE12 8AW
£38,416 full time
Assistant Bursar
9am-5pm Monday to Friday, plus 5.6 weeks holiday (incl. Bank holidays).
Flexible working arrangements will be considered.
Mid November (subject to completion of safer recruitment checks)

About the role
The successful candidate will provide support to the Fees Billing Manager and is an important member of a friendly and stable
finance team for this popular South East London independent school.

Colfe’s School
Colfe’s  is  one  of  London’s  oldest  schools.  It  takes  its  name  from  Reverend  Abraham  Colfe,  Vicar  of  Lewisham,  who  re-
founded the school in 1652. In his will, he entrusted the care of the School to the Leathersellers’ Livery Company, which
governs the school to this day. A former grammar school, Colfe’s is a fully co-educational day school with over 1300 pupils
in all from ages 3 to 18. Colfe’s is welcoming environment with a deep feeling of community pride among its students, parents,
staff and alumni. Academic standards are high: students perform well with many going on to top universities. Excellent pastoral
care gives pupils the tools they need to learn and to live, supporting them at school and preparing them for life beyond.

Colfe’s is more inclusive than many independent schools, more than 10% of pupils in a typical Sixth Form year group come
from socially disadvantaged backgrounds and the School is committed to widening access still further.

The Bursary team
The role is part of the bursary team, being the finance function of the school. It comprises 6 staff responsible for all finance
processes, including fees billing, accounts payable and financial statutory and management reporting.

Role Responsibilities
Assisting the Fees Billing Manager in all aspects of fees billing, including but not limited to;

Fees Billing:
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Preparation of termly invoices for academic fees and extras such as lunches and wrap-around care, adhering to strict
deadlines;
Preparation of Interim bills at least once a term (for extras such as late school and trips);
To be a point of contact with parents for all fee queries and related matters;

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•  Assisting with deposit refunds;
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•  Working  with  the  Headmaster,  Bursar  and  members  of  the  Senior  Management  Team  (SMT)  in  agreeing  and

Preparing quotations and administering receipt of Fees in Advance Payments;

administering scholarships and bursaries and keeping accurate records;
Ensuring that fee remission is accurately assigned to bills;

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•  Assisting the Fees Billing Manager with the assessment of bursary applications;
•  Working with the Admissions Department to maintain an accurate pupil roll;
•  Updating the local authority in a timely fashion on the destination of leavers and Children Absent from Education;
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Liaison with the Admissions team, Database Manager and Office teams on the process to create new pupil records in
SIMS (the school’s pupil database).
Reconciliation of bills to ensure their completeness and accuracy.

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Other:
•  Assisting with the processing of purchase orders and payment of invoices;
•  Updating the local authority in a timely fashion on the destination of leavers;
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•  Administration of payments for pupils entitled to free school meals in the holiday periods.
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Providing support to the wider bursary team as and when required.

Keeping accurate records of pupils opting for lunches, and updating the catering team of lunch numbers every half term;
Ensuring the Admissions Register (pupil database) is maintained in compliance with ISI regulatory standards.

Person specification – skills and personal attributes

The ability to work discretely and maintain the confidentiality of matters relating to fee remission awarded.

An ability to work independently whilst appreciating the company of a small team.
Interpersonal skills:
Ability to build rapport and communicate persuasively with people of different backgrounds.

Attention to detail and accuracy are paramount.
Persistence in managing and following through on multiple tasks.

•  Organisation
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•  Capable of prioritising work and meeting exacting deadlines.
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•  Discretion
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•  Communication
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•  Competence in standard office software (Word, Outlook and Excel) essential
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•  Creativity
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Excellent communication skills both oral and written.  A warm and engaging telephone manner.
IT and role competencies:

Previous experience working with School database software (SIMS) is desirable but not essential.
Experience of Finance systems and processes advantageous and the ability to learn new systems essential.

The ability to adapt to new situations and address problems from new perspectives.
Engagement
An understanding of and belief in the aims and ethos of independent education in general and Colfe’s School in particular.

Benefits
•  Membership of contributory defined contribution pension scheme.
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•  Complimentary membership of Colfe’s Leisure Services: gym and swimming pool.

School lunches provided.

Application procedure
The recruitment process will require all applicants to complete an application form, accompanied by a letter of application,
current CV and details of two referees, who will be contacted prior to interview, in  accordance with the School’s  Safer
Recruitment procedures.

The  applications  should  be  submitted  by  email  to  recruitment@colfes.com.  The  deadline  for  applications  is
22nd October 2025. Colfe’s reserves the right to appoint to this post before the closing date.

Colfe’s School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All applicants must be
willing  to  undergo  child  protection  screening,  including  checks  with  past  employers  and  the  Disclosure  &
Barring Service.