Job Description

Financial Controller
Full Time
Permanent
Queen’s Gate School, London (Junior and Senior Schools)
Bursary
Dependent on experience
30 days plus bank holidays
Bursar

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Job Summary

The Financial Controller is a senior support staff role reporting to the Bursar, with responsibility for
management of the day to day financial operations of the School, including billings, accounts
payable, budgeting and management reporting. Working with the Bursar and Admissions team, the
Financial Controller also administrates the School’s bursary programme.

The postholder is responsible for transactional accuracy and maintenance of a robust control
environment, ensuring the integrity of all internal control processes, and timely reconciliation and
reporting.

The Financial Controller joins the School at an exciting time, as we seek to build on our management
reporting, analysis and strategic planning, making greater use of systems and software to automate
and streamline processes. The postholder will be instrumental in supporting the Bursar to deliver
these changes.

Main Responsibilities

The list below provides an outline of the main areas of responsibility.

Relationships and Staffing

•  Manage the junior members of the Finance team, providing support to enable them to carry

out their duties effectively and deliver the desired strategic change projects.

•  Ensure all finance staff are fully trained in the use of accounting and related software.
•  Build  and  maintain  open,  supportive  relationships  with  colleagues  across  the  School,  to

ensure a high quality and responsive service.

•  Provide cover for Finance colleagues during leave or other periods of absence, as required.

Strategic Financial Management & Development

•  Support the Bursar in the development of the financial strategy for the School, building and
maintaining  effective  long-term  financial  models  through  detailed  scenario  planning  and
analysis.

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•  Contribute to the assessment and implementation of new systems and processes to increase
the accessibility and accuracy of financial data, and to improve efficiency. These will include
areas such as asset management, budgeting and payment systems

•  Continually evaluate the performance of the accounting software to ensure it is the best fit for

the School.

•  Work with the Bursar to establish a profitable lettings operation.

Operational Financial Management

•  Contribute to the development of School Financial policies and procedures, ensuring        these

are implemented.

•  Produce monthly nominal ledger reconciliations, journals and balance sheet reconciliations

with supporting documentation.

•  Produce  the  first  draft  of  monthly  management  accounts  and  management  information,
including profit and loss, balance sheet and cash flow forecast and analysis of variations to
budget.

•  Support budget holders with information to enable them to manage and monitor their budgets
in accordance with policies and procedures, ensuring budgets are loaded annually onto the
accounting system

•  Manage  the  operation  and  reconciliation  of  the  School’s  bank  accounts  and  payment

processes.

•  Maintain a compliant fixed asset register using a suitable software solution where appropriate
(e.g. Parago, School Asset Manager, InVentry), and work with the Premises and IT Managers to
ensure an annual audit of all assets.

•  Working with the Bursar and other members of the Finance team, prepare the School accounts

for audit

•  Manage Gift Aid claims as required
•  Process claims under the School’s insurance.

Fee billing, Fee Remission and Credit Control

•  Manage the processes and systems for all billing,  ensuring that all invoicing is accurate and

reflects correct fee level and remission as appropriate

•  Ensure all additional charges (e.g. music, exam, trips) are correctly applied and reflect the cost

of services provided

•  Ensure accurate records of all discounts are maintained and processed accurately to parent

accounts

•  Administer the SFRS and student medical cover schemes
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Investigate and assist in the resolution of invoice queries
•  Manage  the  fee  collections  and  produce  a  weekly  aged  debtor  report  for  the  Bursar  with

detailed records of actions taken and proposed for recovery.

•  Undertake regular (at least termly reconciliations) of fee income against pupil registers.
•  Ensure the School’s debt management processes are followed and where appropriate, in the
case  of  non-payment  of  fees,  the  monitoring  of  repayment  plans  and  escalating  as
appropriate.

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Accounts Payable & Suppliers

•  Manage the Finance Officer (Purchase Ledger), overseeing purchasing processes and ensuring
appropriate vetting of suppliers and maintenance of a preferred supplier list.  Work with the
Bursar to streamline and automate processes where possible.

•  Ensure timely approval and payment of invoices and assist in resolving invoice and payment

queries

•  Ensure effective scrutiny of payments by direct debit
•  Monitor the use of School credit and other payment cards, and expenses reimbursement
•  Oversee the financial management of School trips, working in conjunction with trip leaders
•  Ensure  the  application  of best  value  principles  and the  identification  of  cost savings  where

possible.

Staffing and Payroll

•  Support  the  Bursar  with  the  administration  of  the  monthly  payroll  process,  currently
outsourced  to  a  payroll  bureau,  posting  all  payroll  journals  and  ensuring  the  correct
accounting for salary sacrifice and other HMRC arrangements (e.g. childcare vouchers, cycle to
work schemes).

•  Ensure all submissions to HMRC and pension providers are correctly completed.
•  Assist  the  Bursar  with  the  production  of  monthly  headcount  and  comprehensive  staffing

budget management reports.

Continuing Professional Development

•  The  postholder  will  take  responsibility  for  ensuring  they  keep  up  to  date  with  changes  in
legislation and practice, and engage with personal professional development as agreed with
the Bursar.

Other Duties

Other tasks and responsibilities may be allocated as necessary and reasonable.

This job description will be reviewed annually and may be subject to amendment or modification at
any time after consultation with the postholder, to reflect the changing needs of the School.

Key Relationships

Internal:
Bursar, Finance team, Maintenance Manager, IT Network Manager, Principal & Senior Management
Team, colleagues.

External:
Contractors, suppliers, external professional consultants and advisors, parents.

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Person Specification
Education / Qualifications / Training

•  Qualified Accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA)

Experience

•  Experience of strategic financial planning
•  Experience of budget preparation and management
•  Experience of systems implementation and/or improvement

processes

•  Experience working in a Finance office
•  Team leadership experience
•  Experience of working in a school/education or not-for-profit

setting.

Skills / Characteristics

•  Excellent understanding of accounting and related software

systems

•  Strong analytical skills
•  Excellent Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel
•  An enquiring mind - able to apply innovative and practical

solutions to problems

•  Able to prioritise effectively and work under pressure as needed

to meet deadlines

•  Excellent verbal and written communication skills
•  Able to motivate others
•  Discretion and sensitivity, particularly in relation to professional

confidentiality

•  Supportive approach to interactions with all stakeholders.

Essential  Desirable

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Safeguarding
To promote and safeguard the welfare of children and young persons with whom he/she comes into
contact, and to adhere to and ensure compliance with Queen’s Gate School’s Safeguarding Policy at
all times.

If, in the course of carrying out the duties of the post, the postholder becomes aware of any actual or
potential risks to the safety or welfare of children in the School, any concerns must be reported to the
school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) in accordance with Tormead’s policies and procedures.

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