School Finance Officer

Laleham Lea School

School Finance Officer

Job Description and Person Specification

Laleham Lea School is committed to creating a diverse workforce. We will consider all qualified applicants for
employment without regard to sex, race, religion, belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy,
maternity, age, disability, marriage or civil partnership.

Main purpose

The School Finance Officer is responsible for managing the strategy and operation of the financial
management of our school. Some Human Recourses responsibilities will also be involved.

They will advise on and implement the day-to-day financial issues that enable the school to operate effectively
and efficiently, and that allows other members of the leadership team to focus on teaching and learning.

This is a permanent post for either 4 or 5 days per week (a full working day is normally 8.30am-5pm; the post-
holder will also be expected to work outside these hours from time to time in connection with school
events/duties and functions). The post has Statutory Holiday entitlement.

Line Manager for School Finance Officer: Headteacher

Duties and responsibilities

Leadership and strategy

In conjunction with the Headteacher:

•  Under the direction of the Headteacher, lead on all financial matters in school, to ensure the school’s

successful financial performance and to ensure financial decisions are clearly linked to the school’s
strategic goals

•  Be responsible for managing the compliance aspects of recruitment
•

Implement school-wide changes and allocate resources in line with the school improvement plan, putting
policies and procedures in place and communicating them to staff as set out by the Governing Body.
•  Take all decisions in line with the vision and values of the school, and encourage others to do the same
•  Monitor developments in technology and consider how it can be used to enhance the school’s business

processes

•  As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, attend all leadership team meetings and report to

governors where appropriate

Financial management and fundraising

•

In partnership with the Head Teacher, manage the school’s budget and ensure it is balanced, realistic,
and represents an effective use of school funds

•  Submit the budget to the Governing Body
•  Producing management accounts monitor income and expenditure in relation to budget and presenting

regular management reports to the Head Teacher and the Governing Body

•  Keeping and maintaining the accounts of the school and preparing Statements of Financial Activity
(SOFA) and balance sheets in accordance with the charities Statement of Recommended Practice
(SORP) and end of year management accounts;

•  Monitor the budget all year round, advising the Head Teacher where revisions or changes are needed
•  Forecast future years’ budgets, based on the school’s estimated funding and trends in expenditure, to

enable the Head Teacher to make strategic, long-term decisions

•  Comply with financial reporting requirements and submit statutory returns
•  Manage the school’s payroll provision with the payroll provider
•  Oversee school bank accounts on a day-to-day basis, ensuring money is banked, invoices are paid

promptly, money owed is collected (debtors), and clear records are kept

•  Compile relevant documents for annual audits and liaise with auditors
•  Submit annual returns to The Charity Commission and Companies House
•  Preparing pupils' bills and collecting all fees and extras and management of Early Years Funding and

Bursaries

•  Payment of all salaries and wages, including PAYE, Pensions and National Insurance Contributions.

Compliance with regulations for benefits in kind.  Liaising with external parties as required;

•  Administering pension schemes for teaching and non-teaching staff and assisting the Headteacher and

Governors with pension updates

•  Develop and implement the school’s fundraising, choosing fundraising priorities in line with the school

improvement plan

•  Find and apply for grants
•  Scrutinising and passing for payment all invoices received in the school
•  Keeping analyses of costs and other statistical records
•  Lead on procurement processes, managing tenders where appropriate, conducting due diligence,

benchmarking and evaluating suppliers, negotiating deals and ensuring value for money

•  Filing quarterly VAT returns and ensuring accurate payments and complete records with HMRC. Advising
on taxation matters generally, and where appropriate, ensuring compliance with VAT regulations and gift
aid

•  Advising on the financial implications of the charitable status of the school
•  Dealing with the school's income tax and rating assessments

•  Data Controller; GDPR management and compliance across the school

•  Manage the Single Central Register, Admissions Register and all regulatory compliance under ISI

regulations

•  Monitoring expense claims
•  Control of deposits

Human Resources

•  Liaise with our external HR provider about all HR issues

•  Ensure that recruitment, appraisal, disciplinary and grievance policies, as approved by the Governing

Body, are administered in accordance with employment law with the Head Teacher

•  Advise on HR issues within school and liaise with the Head Teacher and/or external HR provider

•  Ensuring compliance with all relevant aspects of employment law including employment protection, equal
pay, minimum wage or the Equality Act 2010. To act as the Head teacher's adviser on employment
matters including disciplinary procedures.

•  Ensuring that all relevant staff have contracts of employment and keeping the school's standard contracts

up to date as new legislation takes effect;

•  Assist in creating and maintaining personnel files for new employees, ensuring security and updates

•  The employment, terms and conditions of service, supervision and welfare of all non-teaching staff;

•  Be the school’s data controller.

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The School Finance Officer will be required to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young
people, and follow school policies and the staff code of conduct.

Please note that this list of duties is illustrative of the general nature and level of responsibility of the role.

It is not a comprehensive list of all tasks that the School Finance Officer will carry out. The post holder may be
required to do other duties appropriate to the level of the role, as directed by the Head Teacher.

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Person specification

CRITERIA

QUALITIES

Qualifications
and training

•  A relevant qualification in accountancy and finance (AAT, CIMA, ACA, ACCA)(E)
•  A degree or other relevant qualification in accounting, finance or school business

management (D)

Experience

•  Experience of working in an independent/private school (D)
•  Successful experience in business management (E)
•  Successful experience in school business management (D)
•
•  Working with children or young people (D)
•  The ability to produce budgetary estimates, reports, cash flow and financial and

Involvement in school self-evaluation and improvement planning (D)

statistical summaries (E)

•  Successful experience in the use of the principles and methods of book-keeping and
accounting, their adaptation to various purposes, including producing management
accounts, the preparation of final accounts to trial balance, and the preparation of end
of year accounts ready for audit; (E)

•  A knowledge of procedures at meetings - notices, agenda, minutes, conduct of

meetings and secretarial practice; (D)

•  Some knowledge of the law and practice relating to Income Tax, PAYE, benefits in

kind and VAT; (E)
•  A knowledge of rates.

Skills And
Knowledge

•  Successful experience in financial management (E)
•  Excellent attention to detail (E)
•  Previous use of SAGE (D)
•  Ability to communicate effectively (E)
•  Ability to build effective working relationships with staff and other stakeholders (E)
•  Understanding of data protection and confidentiality (E)

Personal
qualities

•  Commitment to promoting the Catholic ethos and values of the school (E)
•  Commitment to acting with integrity, honesty, loyalty and fairness to safeguard

the assets, financial probity and reputation of the school (E)

•  Ability to work under pressure, prioritise effectively in order to meet deadlines (E)
•  Commitment to safeguarding and equality (E)
•  Deals with difficult situations effectively (E)
•  A willingness to seek advice from a wide variety of sources;
•  Be committed to uphold and promote the school’s safeguarding policy and related

legislation (E)

•  A proven ability to get things done and to meet agreed objectives; (E)
•  Diplomatic, discreet and able to maintain confidentiality; (E)
•  To be loyal and act with personal integrity; (E)
•  Flexible and highly motivated with a willingness to participate in all aspects of school

life as successful team member (E)

Obviously no one can be expected to have expertise in all of these areas, but part of the
requirement is the ability and willingness to learn and being prepared to obtain advice and
help from the appropriate person.

Notes:

This job description may be amended at any time in consultation with the post holder.

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