UPTON HOUSE SCHOOL LIMITED

JOB DESCRIPTION – Finance Manager

Upton House is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, along
with their protection and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The school is a member
of ISBA (The Independent School’s Bursars Association) and IAPS (Independent Association of Prep Schools).

TITLE

Finance Manager

RELATIONSHIPS

Accountable daily to the Head for the day-to-day running of the administration of the school in all its
aspects.

Accountable  as  required  to  the  Council  of  Management  for  the  financial  affairs  and  the  business
management of the school and related policy advice.

a)

b)

c)

d)

Work in partnership with and oversee the work of the Assistant Financial Managers

Work as a key member of the office team, keeping the Headmistress regularly (weekly meetings)
updated on budgets and all financial matters.

Work alongside, as a team, the HR and Compliance Officer, Assistant Finance Managers, Office
Manager and Site Manager.

Attend all Council of Management Finance meetings plus the Development Meeting once each
year and the Bursary meeting once each year, preparing all finance papers needed for each of
these meetings.

The Role of the Finance Manager

1.  The Finance Manager is responsible to the Headmistress for the overall financial management
of the School and liaises closely with the Headmistress and with the Council of Management
and contributes to the School’s strategic planning.

2.  The Governing Body, known as the Council of Management, holds three Board meetings and
three Finance and General Purposes Committee meetings each year. The Finance Manager is
required to attend all such meeting and present on financial matters. In addition, the Finance
Manager attends the Bursary and the Development Committees, both meeting annually, and
any other Council meetings as required by the Headmistress or the Chair of Council.

Main Duties

Professional and Financial Duties

3.  Advising on the financial policy required to achieve the educational objectives of the School.

4.

In consultation with and on agreement from the Headmistress, allocating and accounting for the
financial and material resources of the School in accordance with the policies of the Council.

5.  Working alongside the School’s HR and Compliance Officer, ensuring that the Council members
are aware of, and that the School complies with, all relevant legislation, statements of best
financial practice and other advice emanating from the Government, compliance inspections
and responsible bodies, including the Charities Commission.

6.  Keeping 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).

7.  Responsibility for financial risk management throughout the School, including organising the
assessment of the risk and the development and execution of appropriate control strategies,
taking professional advice when required.

8.  The Finance Manager shall be responsible for:

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Advising on general financial policy
Preparing annual estimates of income and expenditure and cashflow forecasts for
current and future years
Reporting actual against budget on a termly basis
Preparing annual budgets for departments within the School
Filing annual accounts with Companies House
Filing annual returns with the Charity Commission
Completing censuses as required e.g. for the Department of Education and the
Independent Schools Council
Monitoring income and expenditure in relation to budget and presenting regular
management reports on them to the Headmistress and Council of Management
Advising on investments
Ensuring that the pupil’s bills are prepared, and all fees and other dues are collected
Compliance with regulations for benefits in kind
Ensuring payments of all salaries and wages; including PAYE, Superannuation and
National Insurance Contributions via payroll provider
Scrutinising and passing for payment all invoices and statements of account
Keeping analysis of costs and other statistical records
Preparing long-term assessments of future financial performance of the School
Preparing financial appraisals of particular projects
Preparing and submitting quarterly VAT returns to HMRC
Advising on taxation matters generally, including Gift Aid, Income Tax, Development
Land Tax, Capital Gains Tax, Capital Transfer Tax, Value Added Tax and any other
relevant tax
Advising on financial implications of the Charitable Status of the School
Dealing with the School’s income tax and rating assessments
Ensuring that the pensions schemes for teaching and non-teaching staff are
administered
Managing and advising on Bursary and Scholarship Funds, undertaking assessments of
parents’ income and assets prior to making awards

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Managing the School’s banking and financial arrangements
Providing advice and information to help the Headmistress and Council of Management
in deciding school fee changes
Providing pupil capacity information to support the Headmistress and Registrar in
allocating prospective parents to open pupil positions

General Management and Administration

9.

In consultation with the Head and working with the HR and Compliance Officer, being
responsible for formulating, implementing and complying with and ensuring the compliance of
all members of staff with the rules of the School and current legislation in respect of
employment protection, discipline, data protection, equal opportunities, minimum wage,
Working Time Directive and discrimination on the grounds of sex, race or disability.

10.  Ensuring that all staff have contracts of employment and keeping the school’s standard

contracts up to date as new legislations takes effect.

11.  Ensuring the School always has adequate insurance cover to include employer’s liability,

buildings and equipment cover, personal accident, travel insurance and all other relevant cover.
Professional advice should invariably be sought.

12.  Maintaining contact with the Statutory Authorities and with other organisations.

13.  Arranging and managing the letting of the school premises to outside organisations during the

school holidays.

Management of staff

Appraisal, training and development of staff

14.  Participating in arrangements made by the Council members and the Head for the appraisal of

the performance of the Assistant Finance Managers, participating in the identification of areas in
which the Assistant Finance Managers would benefit from further training and undergoing such
training.

Management information

15.  Providing information about the work and performance of the non-teaching staff employed at

the School where this is relevant to their future employment.

Updated August 2025

JOB DESCRIPTION – SITE ASSISTANT (Afternoon)

Upton  House  is  committed  to  safeguarding  and  promoting  the  welfare  of  children  and  young  people,  along
with their protection and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

TITLE

Site Assistant - Afternoon

PURPOSE OF JOB

a)

b)

c)

To ensure school buildings and grounds are maintained to a good standard and are clean and secure.

To liaise with the onsite contracted cleaning staff.

To be responsible for routine checks to the school minibus and for driving pupils, as required.

RELATIONSHIPS

Accountable to the Site Manager and the Head. Key liaison with contract cleaning staff.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND KEY TASKS

Daily:-

a)

d)

e)

f)

g)

h)

i)

Carry school provided mobile phone at all times when on site to ensure contact can be made

Review Site Management Requests on shared area and agree task assignment with Site Manager.
Schedule work, liaising with requesting staff if necessary. Move requests in progress and completed
into appropriate folders.

Perform a daily walk of School site removing any litter, sweeping hard areas and generally keeping
site tidy. Perform visual inspection of emergency lighting and escape routes.

Attend immediately to any maintenance matters causing Health & Safety concerns.

Liaise with the Morning Site Assistant daily in one hour overlap to ensure that all ongoing and planned
tasks for the day are handed over.

Man the gate from 3.15pm – 3.40pm, 3.55pm – 4.10pm and 5pm – 5.20pm, and at other times on
request, to allow parents access to collect children

Monitor diary for vehicle and room bookings and evening/weekend events held on school premises
and refer to it daily to ensure all requests are satisfied.

j)

k)

Set out rooms for school, after school, and weekend events as per Site Management Requests.

Monitor  the  cleaning  of  the  School  and  bring  to  the  attention  of  the  on-site  Supervisor  and  the  Site
Manager any concerns or deficiencies via the cleaning checklists.

r)

Ad hoc cleaning as required throughout the day.

Weekly:-

Perform routine oil, water and tyre pressure check on minibuses and wash if required. Ensure first aid
kit and fire extinguisher are intact. Keep written records of checks. These checks also to be performed
on any day the minibuses are to be used and written records kept.

Occasional minibus driving to events and matches.

Routine maintenance of flower-beds and paths, including pruning, planting, weeding and sweeping.

Place orders for cleaning and maintenance products as required, liaising with Site Manager.

Check emergency lighting and file and retain check sheet records.

Visit local suppliers to purchase maintenance supplies.

Hold weekly liaison meeting with on-site cleaning supervisor.

a)

b)

c)

d)

e)

f)

g)

Other:-

a)

Undertake maintenance of the school including, but not limited to:

•  Small carpentry jobs
•  Painting and decorating
•  Basic plumbing
•
•  Maintenance of locks
•  Maintenance of the heating systems

Limited electrical (plugs, fuses, light bulbs etc)

b)

c)

d)

e)

Supervise third party contractors during the school holidays or term time. Provide access to buildings as
required.

Liaise with Site Manager on building work and, in particular, ensure school security and the safety of
staff, pupils and visitors is not compromised.

Contribute to risk assessments of site related areas and activities.

Ensure cover to support or lock up after evening or weekend school events or to provide access and
monitoring for third party lets or contractors. The Site Assistant should expect to attend a minimum of
eight evenings a year and three Saturdays to assist with Parent Teacher Association and other school
events. There may be other occasions on which out of hours attendance is required. Time off in lieu or
overtime payment will be given for some, but not all, of these events.

m)

Assist the Deputy Head in termly fire drills.

n)

o)

Act as secondary key holder for emergency alarm call outs from police or guarding company.

To undertake any other duties consistent with the nature and responsibility of the role which the Head
or Deputy may, from time to time, determine.

Revised October 2025

JOB DESCRIPTION – LEARNING SUPPORT ASSISTANT

Upton  House  is committed  to  safeguarding  and  promoting  the  welfare  of  children  and  young  people,
along with their protection and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

TITLE

Learning Support Assistant

PURPOSE OF JOB

To support children across the school with social and emotional needs and/or special educational needs
in the classroom, in small groups and on-to-one. To work closely with the Learning Support Team and
other teaching staff to ensure that every child feels confident and successful. To contribute to an ethos
of inclusivity, where all children feel valued and supported.

RELATIONSHIPS

Line managed by the school’s SENDCo

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•  Daily  communication  with SENDCo  and  teaching  staff around  targets  and  expectations  for  the

lessons or children assigned

•  Work within the Learning Support Department

RESPONSIBILITIES AND KEY TASKS

a)  Under the direction of the SENDCo, support and teach children with special educational needs

using multi-sensory strategies and the resources recommended, including assistive technology.

b)  Under the direction of the SENDCo and Head of Maths/ English, work with small groups to

provide additional reinforcement activities to consolidate class topics and fill gaps in knowledge
and learning, as advised, through regular formal and informal meetings.

c)  Liaise with Learning Support teachers in the department to share information and resources to

support individual and small group teaching.

d)  To assist with the hearing of reading of pupils requiring additional support, keeping all records

updated and regularly liaising with class teachers and the Head of Learning Support.

e)  Where leading an intervention, maintain good records of individual sessions and pupils’

progress to discuss with the SENDCo to help share information and facilitate future planning as
required.

f)  Create a welcoming and stimulating environment conducive to learning.

g)  Attend training and additional school occasions, where deemed reasonably necessary by the

Headteacher.

Reviewed Oct 2025