About the role
Senior Finance Assistant – 30 hours per week – Term time, 39 weeks plus 2 additional weeks – Permanent.
Grade and Salary
Grade E, Scale Point 9 – £19,803 annual salary, pay award pending.
Key Purpose
Support the Finance Manager (FM) and School Business Manager (SBM) by facilitating all aspects of the purchase and sales ledgers, petty cash and bank accounts, ensuring deadlines are met and Academy financial procedures are adhered to in line with the regulations set by the ESFA.
Reporting to
Finance Manager.
Key Responsibilities
General:
* Maintain financial and other systems to ensure the quality and accuracy of financial information.
* Have a thorough working knowledge of the school’s financial system, covering absent colleagues when appropriate.
* Ensure compliance with the Academy Financial Procedures and ESFA Academies Financial Handbook, advising the FM/SBM of any concerns.
* Oversee the Finance Office and ensure preparation for month end are met on a monthly basis.
* Maintain Fixed Asset register.
* Prepare VAT claim on a monthly basis.
* Provide cover for FM for monthly management accounts and cash flow.
* Check the EHCP payment schedule from LAs and liaise with SEN Manager of any changes.
Purchase ledger – oversee and provide cover for:
* Place purchase orders, assisting budget holders to obtain best value for money. Ensure that orders are appropriately authorised and coded.
* Coordinate multi‑department purchasing when appropriate, to obtain maximum discounts in line with best practice.
* Liaise with suppliers, existing and new, to ensure best value options and quotations are shared with budget holders.
* Place orders with suppliers, facilitate returns and chase outstanding deliveries.
* Code purchase invoices onto Academy’s financial system.
* Process all invoices within the time parameters set, ensuring they are fully authorised and prepared for payment by cheque, BACs or Online Payment.
* Carry out regular payment runs, obtain cheque signatures or online authorisation in line with the bank mandate and Academy Financial Procedures. Post cheques.
* Reconcile supplier statements to the purchase ledger and investigate and obtain explanation for any discrepancies.
* Reconcile the credit card statement monthly, referring discrepancies in a timely manner.
* Provide training to other finance staff.
Sales ledger
* Produce sales ledger invoices and process payments received.
* Ensure lettings invoices and refunds are processed as appropriate in line with the Academy policy.
* Manage debtors and credit control.
Cash and bank
* Ensure the regular recording and banking of receipts received, both cash and cheques, and lodging them with the bank in a safe and secure manner.
* Oversee control and petty cash reconciliation.
* Monitor the bank statement at least weekly via the Lloyds online systems, advising of any suspicious transactions to the FM/SBM immediately.
* Reconcile all bank accounts.
* Obtain foreign currency as appropriate for any school trips abroad.
* Manage charitable initiatives.
Other
* Assist audit with queries.
* Responsible for Pupil Premium monthly budget reporting, including monthly PP recharge journal. Liaise with budget holders both Primary and Secondary.
* Responsible for monthly DFC and Bursary budget reporting, liaising with budget holders.
* Assist with annual Bursary applications providing information to 6th form.
* Cover for Parent Pay set up and reporting.
* Assist with month‑end procedures.
* Book courses for staff.
* Assist with implementation of new financial and budget systems.
Support for the School
* Be aware of and comply with policies and procedures relating to child protection, health and safety, security and confidentiality, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person.
* Contribute to the overall ethos, work and mission statement of the school.
* Undertake broadly similar duties commensurate with the level of the post as required by the Head teacher.
Legal and Safeguarding Information
St Peter’s is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check. This role is UK based and your Right to Work will need to be established as part of the appointment process. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility at St Peter’s School regardless of role or position.
This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. The amendments to the ROA 1974 (Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020) provide that when applying for certain jobs and activities, certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’, so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. The MOJ’s guidance on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975 provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications and related exceptions and further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide.
An online check will be conducted for candidates shortlisted to check their suitability to work with children (KCSIE 2025).
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