SENIOR FINANCE ASSISTANT
Full time, permanent, required as soon as possible
THE SCHOOL
Founded during the fourteenth century, Ipswich School is one of the foremost independent schools in East Anglia. It circa 1,000 pupils aged between 3 months and 19 and is co-educational throughout. The most recent Inspection of the Senior School rated it as Excellent in all categories, a judgement of which we are very proud. The School operates a 5-day week, with representative sports played during the week and on Saturdays.
Find out more about us by visiting our website: .
THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT
The Director of Finance and Operations and her teams are responsible for the non-academic operation of the School. The Finance department is a very busy department in the School and we operate throughout the year.
THE ROLE
In this permanent, full time role, the Senior Finance Assistant will support the Finance Manager in the effective and efficient operation of the School's finance functions. Leading a small team of Finance Assistants, the postholder will take responsibility for day-to-day transactional processes, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and excellent service.
This includes handling the full cycle of purchase and sales ledgers, managing all aspects of fee billing, and performing meticulous bank reconciliations. You will also be a key contributor to the month-end close process, assisting with the preparation of accruals, prepayments, and other essential journal entries.
Candidates should be AAT qualified (or have equivalent financial experience) and have proven experience in handling a high volume of financial transactions and reconciliations. The role offers a balance of hands-on responsibilities and supervisory duties, with opportunities to develop and support your team while ensuring the smooth and accurate operation of the department's core functions.
HOURS OF WORK, SALARY AND BENEFITS
* This is a permanent post (subject to satisfactory completion of a probationary period lasting 6 months).
* You will work throughout the year on Mondays – Fridays for a minimum of 37.5 hours per week. Please note the normal core working hours in the Finance team are Mondays – Fridays between 8.00 am – 5.00 pm.
* The salary will be £30,000 per annum.
* You will be entitled to 25 working days' paid holiday per year, plus public holidays. On completion of 5 years' continuous service with the School, your entitlement will increase to 30 days per year plus public holidays.
* After 3 months' service and/or in line with workplace pension legislation, you will be entitled to join a defined contribution pension scheme, with 10% employer contributions, and you will receive 3x death in service life cover.
* If there are pupil vacancies and you have a child or children who are eligible to attend the School who have satisfied the entry criteria as set out in the School's Admissions Policy, and have been awarded a place, you could be entitled to generous fee remission.
* Salaries are paid monthly in arrears by BACS on the last working day of each month throughout the year.
* Free lunch is provided in the School Dining Hall during term time when the kitchen is in operation.
* Staff are able to use the School's swimming pool and fitness gym (in compliance with appropriate rules and regulations).
* You will have access to Smarthealth, the School's wellbeing app for staff which offers 24/7 GP access and mental health support. We also offer a Cycle to Work Scheme.
CLOSING DATE AND INTERVIEW ARRANGEMENTS
We would encourage you to download an application form and a full job description for this role from our website: or contact the HR team on or .
Completed application forms should be returned by noon on Monday 6 October 2025. Please mark the envelope Private and Confidential and send to: The Director of HR, Ipswich School, 25 Henley Road, Ipswich, IP1 3SG or email:
Candidates may be contacted or invited to interview prior to the closing date, and we may close this vacancy early if suitable candidates apply. Therefore, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.
Interviews are expected to be held on Friday 10 October 2025. Please advise us of any special requirements you may have if you are called for interview. If your special requirements mean that you need to submit this application in a different format, please contact us
PLEASE NOTE
Ipswich School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Job Types: Permanent, Full-time
Pay: £30,000.00 per year
Benefits:
* Canteen
* Company events
* Company pension
* Cycle to work scheme
* Discounted or free food
* Free flu jabs
* Free parking
* Gym membership
* Life insurance
* On-site parking
* Sick pay
Work Location: In person