Reporting to: The Headteacher
Main purpose of the job
The School Business Manager (SBM), under the direction of the Headteacher, will be responsible for managing the strategy and operation of the business functions of our school including:
1. financial management (including applying for additional funding through grants and other funding streams),
2. administration,
3. human resources,
4. facility and property management, and
5. health and safety.
They are expected to take a strategic role in the planning of improvements to the school which further improve the financial value of provision and services. They are also responsible for ensuring that all aspects of those areas managed meet the reporting requirements and standards of Ofsted, the DfE, the Local Authority and School Financial Value Standard (SFVS).
Key Responsibilities Leadership and Strategy
1. 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.
2. Attend leadership team meetings and report to governors where appropriate.
3. Implement school-wide changes and allocate resources in line with the school development plan, putting policies and procedures in place and communicating them to staff.
4. Improve and develop financial statements, forecasts and best value procedures.
5. Be responsible for line-managing office, premises and kitchen staff, including carrying out long-term resource planning and managing recruitment, appraisal and professional development.
6. Make all decisions in line with the vision and values of the school and encourage others to do the same.
7. Develop and implement a marketing plan for the school, which utilises the school website, signage, the prospectus, and communications with current and prospective parents.
8. Play an active role in promoting and improving pupil attendance, as part of the school’s attendance team.
Financial Resource Management
1. In partnership with the Headteacher and drawing upon advice from the LCC Finance Officer, prepare the school’s budget and ensure it is balanced, realistic, and represents an effective use of public funds.
2. In partnership with the Headteacher, present and submit the budget to the Governing Board.
3. Oversee school bank accounts on a day-to-day basis, ensuring money is banked, invoices are paid promptly, money owed is collected, and clear records are kept.
4. Monitor the budget all year round, advising the headteacher where revisions or changes are needed.
5. Forecast future years’ budgets, based on the school’s estimated funding and trends in expenditure, to enable the Headteacher and Governing Body to make strategic, long-term decisions.
6. Maintain a strategic financial plan which will feed into the school development plan.
7. Be accountable for ensuring the school has appropriate financial systems and that all aspects of these are managed in accordance with legal and statutory requirements.
8. Be accountable for ensuring compliance with the Schools Financial Value Standards (SFVS).
9. Provide all required financial reports and information to the Headteacher and Governors including annual budget statements, CFR Return, Financial Summary and Statement of Internal Control and SFVS audit.
10. Make appropriate use of financial management information, especially benchmarking tools, to identify areas of relative spending, assess trends and directly advise the headteacher accordingly.
11. Ensure the school’s statutory and regulatory financial compliance, including the preparation of policies, guidance and working procedures.
12. Ensure all financial returns for the DfE, LA and other central and local government agencies are submitted within statutory deadlines.
13. Ensure inventories of equipment and stock are maintained and all statutory and statistical returns are completed as appropriate.
14. Lead on procurement processes, managing tenders where appropriate, conducting due diligence, benchmarking and evaluating suppliers, negotiating deals and ensuring value for money.
15. Manage service contracts, subscriptions, licences and insurance.
16. Prepare and maintain such reports, records and accounts as are required in conjunction with the school’s computerised systems.
17. To give advice to the Headteacher and when necessary the Governors, on salary assessment, sickness, maternity and paternity procedures, redundancy, capability, disciplinary issues and any matters of dismissal.
Human Resource Management
1. Ensure that recruitment, appraisal, disciplinary and grievance policies are administered in accordance with employment law.
2. Advise on HR issues within school, liaising with the schools’ HR team, other external HR providers and other external functions as appropriate.
3. In conjunction with the Headteacher, conduct reviews of the school’s staffing structure to ensure effective deployment of staff and financial efficiency.
4. Oversee the work of agency support staff & liaise with their provider, ensuring best value and compliance with statutory and regulatory guidance and arrange for supply cover for training and other absences.
5. Be responsible for the effective operation of payroll systems and liaison with the payroll provider.
6. Manage the school’s sickness absence policies and procedures.
7. Under the direction of the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead, manage the school’s Single Central Record in accordance with statutory requirements.
8. Be responsible for the administration and completion of all paperwork and other documents relating to staff recruitment and employment.
9. Maintain and update personnel records and databases.
10. Advise and support the Headteacher on personnel issues.
11. Maintain all staff sickness records and prepare occupational health referrals.
12. To be responsible for personnel matters, ensuring required pre-employment checks are carried out for new employees, dealing with staff queries about salaries, expenses, sickness and maternity procedures etc. Monitor absence and undertake return to work interviews with all staff.
13. To maintain confidential staff records, and to ensure that staff records held in school are kept confidential.
14. To ensure all safeguarding procedures are in place and adhered to, with specific responsibility for recruitment.
15. Ensure the maintenance and submission of the workforce census.
Health & Safety
1. Act as the school’s Health and Safety Lead.
2. Ensure the health and safety policy is communicated to all staff, implemented, reviewed and assessed at regular intervals or as situations change.
3. With the Headteacher and caretaker, supervise the maintenance of the school site.
4. Manage the school’s compliance with health and safety regulations and put in place processes and procedures to ensure the safety of all in the school.
5. Organise health and safety training for staff.
6. With the Headteacher and caretaker, supervise the day to day maintenance of the school site.
7. To prepare and maintain the school’s emergency management plan (SEMP) and ensure its integration in the management procedures of the school.
8. To maintain the school asset register.
Administration Management
1. Line manage the school office function and team.
2. Oversee the office team in designing and maintaining effective paper-based and computerised administrative systems, processes and procedures.
3. Use benchmarking, data analysis, evaluating and reporting systems to maximum effect, ensuring systems are streamlined to maximise efficiency, avoid duplication and provide value for money.
4. Oversee the preparation of information for publications and returns to the DfE, LA and other stakeholders within statutory guidelines.
5. Oversee accurate and timely administration of systems including school dinner and breakfast club money, educational visits and residential visits, school milk payments and 30 hours Nursery funding.
6. Oversee the maintenance of all pupil and staff records using paper-based and computerised systems as required.
7. Keep records in accordance with the school’s record retention schedule and data protection law, ensuring information security and confidentiality at all times.
8. Take the lead role as the school’s Data Protection Officer, taking responsibility for monitoring data protection compliance and advising the school community on data protection issues - ensuring that school is wholly compliant with GDPR.
9. Line manage the school’s caretaker and cleaning team and lunchtime supervisory assistants.
Facility & Property Management
1. Through regular contact with the premises staff ensure the proper maintenance and repair of the school is carried out and progress monitored.
2. To be responsible to the Headteacher for the security, maintenance, heating, cleaning and other general site services within the premises.
3. To deal with external agencies delivering services to the school and to deal with all aspects of tendering, including Compulsory Competitive Tendering.
4. Purchase, repair and maintenance of all furniture, equipment and fittings.
5. To monitor the work of on-site contractors and arrange estimates for work.
6. Ensure the continuing availability of utilities, site services and equipment.
7. Seek professional advice on insurance, advise senior leadership on appropriate insurances for the school and implement and manage such schemes accordingly.
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 business manager will carry out.
The post-holder may be required to do other duties appropriate to the level of the role, as directed by the Headteacher.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £39,513.00-£44,711.00 per year
Benefits:
* Company car
* Company pension
* On-site parking
Schedule:
* Monday to Friday
Experience:
* Managing: 1 year (preferred)
Licence/Certification:
* Driving Licence (preferred)
Work Location: In person
Application deadline: 06/02/2025
Reference ID: NorthcoteSBM
Expected start date: 01/04/2025
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