London Borough of Havering

Job Profile

Job Title:Office Manager

Grade:APTC SO1

Hours:52 WPY, 36 HPW

Reports to:Business and School Improvement Leader

Staff Managed:Administrative and Finance Staff

Health & Safety Officer

Site Staff

Human Resources Officer

Reception Staff

IT Support Staff

Systems Support Staff

Job purpose and content

The Office Manager supports the Business and School Improvement Leader in the management, supervision and effective and efficient provision of the school support services. The office manager will be responsible for the performance management of delegated staff and the management, supervision and delivery of:

  • Information and information systems
  • Accounting and financial systems
  • Administrative systems, procedures and services
  • Personnel and payroll administration
  • Premises and facilities management
  • Curriculum, administrative and financial IT systems
  • Health and safety and site security
  • Cleaning, catering and grounds maintenance
  • Providing direct support to the staff of the school, parents and carers, the public, the local education authority, the DfES and other agencies
  • Providing information and reporting to the Business and School Improvement Leader to support the headteacher and the governing body

A Office Manager role is to make sure that effective and efficient administration and site management supports the overall aims and day-to-day operation of the school.

The Office Manager is responsible for the management, supervision and provision of the day-to-day finance, personnel and payroll services and school administration, which includes the school office and the interface with school stakeholders and the public. These services include services that are delivered directly by staff working at the school and services that are supplied by the local education authority and commercial providers under contract or service level agreements.

Note: the Office Manager will not manage or supervise Teaching Assistants.

Roles and Responsibilities

  1. To monitorand to have responsibility for efficient and effective management, development and maintenance of the school’s administrative infrastructure, systems, procedures and policies, which includes management of:
  • People
  • Information
  • Infrastructure
  1. Evaluating and analysing implications of policy and regulatory change (within the remit of the post holder), which may have an impact on the school
  1. Quality assuring adherence to policies and procedures and compliance to statutory requirements
  1. Collate information and create reports to keep Governors informed on the school’s compliance
  1. Find, locate, select, analyse and prepare information to support school accountability and decision making
  1. Provide administrative support to the headteacher in compiling and presenting data and creating, organising and preparing paperwork for governing body meetings including committee meetings.
  1. Management of all school policies, ensuring that they are regularly updated and presented to governors for review
  1. Management and supervision of the school administration function including:
  • The school office and all aspects of the interface with pupils, staff, parents and the public
  • Receipt of goods and services, mail, and the supervision of contractors, consultants and others providing services to the school
  • Health, safety and security of the school
  • Equipment and infrastructure that supports school administration
  • Administrative information and data and the provision of information and returns required by a variety of agencies
  1. Managing and overseeing school finance staff including:
  • Incoming payments and grant claims
  • The collection of debts and payments
  • Ordering, processing and payment of goods and services received
  • Operation of the computerised finance information system
  • Accounting, including bank arrangements, cash flow management and the closure of accounts
  1. Day-to-day monitoring, support and help to devolved cost code and budget managers, which will include management information, budget planning and account closing
  2. School payroll administration, monthly payroll analysis and the interface with the school payroll provider(s)
  1. Draft preparation of the annual school budget and regular monthly monitoring in consultation with, and reporting to, the Business and School Improvement Leader
  1. Supervising and managing the administration of accounting, book keeping and the school’s financial resources to best practice standards and in accordance with the financial regulations of the school (which the postholder will be responsible for developing and maintaining)
  1. Providing efficient operational support to the Business and School Improvement Leader and Headteacher.
  1. Working with the Business and School Improvement Leader to ensure best value for money in the services and products required by the school
  2. Monitoring contracts for services provided to the school and for school contracts and tendering processes
  1. Coordinating the day-to-day provision of internal and external IT support services to ensure that service is effective at all times.
  1. Creating IT solutions to develop and improve processes and procedures in the school and advise and support other staff in using these systems;
  1. Acting as Primary Contact and managing and coordinating IT services such as LGFL staff email and other core IT and curriculum support systems, maintaining the content of administrative database systems and supporting and training staff in the use of these services
  1. Managing the school website and its content, ensuring that this complies with statutory publishing regulations and promotes the school in the most positive ways
  1. Overseeing and monitoring the quality of service of the personnel services provider(s) internally and externally and supervising and monitoring processes employed to work with providers to resolve problems, queries and complaints
  2. Overseeing and monitoring the quality of the payroll services provider(s) internally and externally and supervising and monitoring processes employed to work with providers to resolve problems, queries and complaints
  1. The day-to-day supervision and support of the premises management/schoolkeeping staff and school cleaning and grounds maintenance staff.
  2. Being responsible fordeveloping the school buildings/premises/site development plan and for the supervision of site staff in implementing the projects within the plan. Providing management of site development projects and monitoring site security and safety
  1. Managing premises related activities and issues, In the absence of the Site Manager and other site staff
  2. Monitoring the administration of lettings and community use of the site, facilities or premises for a full service extended school and ensuring that risks are minimised
  3. Monitoring health, safety and security including:
  • Supervising health and safety inspections/support visits
  • Monitoring the administration of school risk assessments and supporting others to carry out risk assessment
  • Monitoring progress of staff acting on recommendations of Health and Safety Action Plans
  • Responsibility for the establishment and implementation of disaster recovery policy and planning
  • Responsibility for the establishment and implementation for critical incident policy and planning
  1. Assuming the role of data protection officer, being responsible for data and information and ensuring the timely completion of information returns required of the school
  1. Overseeing and coordinating the roles and responsibilities of other school staff in the administration and organising of events – which may include (but not exclusively) non curriculum training courses, meetings of the governors, school assemblies, festivals and concerts – including the arrangement of venues, the organisation and provision of resources, arranging attendance.
  1. Monitoring that the school maintains and develops accurate and up-to-date databases and information systems to retrieve, enter, extract and output relevant information.
  1. Designing, creating, producing and printing out presentations, newsletters and so forth for the use of the school, using a computer and supporting and supervising other staff in producing these materials

Notes:

  1. The authority expects its employees to work flexibly within the framework of the duties and responsibilities specified above. This means that the postholder may be expected to carry out work that it not specified in the job profile but which is within the remit of the duties and responsibilities.
  2. Staff in schools work subject to statute and many policies and procedures. The postholder will be expected to become familiar with these and work in accordance with them.
  3. This is a new job profile for a new post. It will be subject to review with the postholder after one year and may then be reviewed from time to time

London Borough of Havering

Office Manager Specification

Skills and abilities

/ Essential / Desirable / Assessed by
Ability to organise one’s own work, to prioritise tasks and keep to deadlines /  / Application & interview
Ability to manage the work and outcomes of other people /  / Application & interview
Ability to manage the financial resources of the school to best practice standards /  / Application & interview
Ability to communicate and interact effectively with adults, children and young people /  / Application & interview
Ability to manage the information and data requirements of the school and a variety of outside agencies /  / Application & interview
Ability to manage ICT systems /  / Interview
Ability to use IT programs to design, create and develop IT systems to solve administrative problems /  / Application & interview
Ability to write effectively for a variety of different audiences /  / Application & interview
Displays commitment to the protection and safeguarding of children and young people /  / Application & interview
Knowledge
A thorough understanding of health, safety and security issues in schools /  / Application and interview
Expert knowledge in at least two of the non finance functional areas covered by this post /  / Application and interview
A thorough understanding of and personal commitment to equality of opportunity /  / Application and interview
A proficiency in using computer systems and IT applications /  / Application and interview
Through understanding and knowledge of financial and accounting procedures /  / Application and interview
Has up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation and guidance in relation to working with, and the protection of, children and young people /  / Application and interview
Qualifications and experience
ICT certification to support word processing skills, database and spreadsheet skills /  / Application & interview
GCSE at level A – C in English and mathematics (or equivalent) /  / Application
NVQ Level 4 or equivalent professional qualification (CIMA, CIPD) /  /

Application

Relevant experience in finance, personnel or administrative management /  / Application & interview
Previous experience in computerised finance, pay, personnel and administrative systems /  /

Application

Experience in the SIMS computerised packages commonly used in schools /  /

Application

Willingness and motivation to develop own skills and proficiency and complete the CSBM /  / Application & interview

1

This school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Everybody who works for the school is expected to share and promote this commitment and to have, or acquire, the relevant abilities, skills and knowledge to carry it out.