LINWOOD SCHOOL

JOB DESCRIPTION

Post Title: School Business Manager

Reporting to:Headteacher, Governing Board

Grade: BG07 Grade 13 Points 53 - 56

Job Purpose & Objectives

The School Business Manager will lead and manage an administrative team across all sites to fulfil the duties and responsibilities as detailed below.

Theteam includes a Senior Assistant School Business Manager, an Assistant School Business Manager and 14 Administrative Staff.

  • Give strategic vision and leadership to all aspects of Budgeting, Finance, Marketing, Human Resources, Premises Management and Administration.
  • Lead, operate, maintain and develop the financial procedures and systems of the school as part of the Leadership Team andin co-operation with Governing Board, ensuring that legal and safety requirements with regard to people and property and function of the school are maintained.
  • Ensure effective management, reporting and recording of the school’s finances including financial information for decision making.
  • Manage, innovate, support and develop the office administration to ensure delivery of the school’s strategic priorities in line with the vision expressed in the SDIP.
  • Play a central role in the Senior Leadership Team through the analysis of data and information to identify options, make recommendations and deliver evidence based timely decisions.
  • Procure goods and services on a value-for-money basis to support education delivery within the context of regulatory frameworks and current legislation.
  • Develop and maintain a procurement strategy.
  • Benchmark with other establishments and report back to Governing Board having integrated the data and drawn together evidence based conclusions for decision making.
  • Champion economy, efficiency and effectiveness in all financial operations.
  • Lead the promotion of good financial management ensuing that the school is fully prepared to meet Ofsted financial criteria and Internal Audits
  • Play a lead role in the development of a marketing strategy that helps promote the school and define its brand aims and vision.
  • Liaise with relevant members of the LA/Council.
  • Be responsible for collating, supplying and authorising all staff documents, for both teaching and support staff contracts, to Personnel Department with regard to new starters/leavers/ contract changes and ensuring all DBS checks and annual agreements are up to date and recorded correctly.
  • Play a lead role in workforce planning in line with the vision expressed in the SDIP.
  • Take operational responsibility for School Premises including Health and Safety, Risk Management, Fire Safety and Premises Maintenance programmes.
  • Take a lead to ensure that the fundamental facilities and services necessary for the school to function are maintained to drive sustainability and assist in expansion and community engagement.
  • Manage all aspects of Catering in house and external for the school.
  • Be responsible for all aspects of School Business Management across all school sites.
  • Accountable to the Headteacher and Governing Board.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

  1. Senior Leadership Team
  • Assume the responsibilities associated with being a member of the Senior Leadership Team.
  • Meet with the Headteacher to discuss and monitor key aspects of the whole school Strategic Plan, to establish and implement the School Development and Improvement Plan, to improve school policies and to give advice to ensure that all decisions made make the best possible use of financial resources available for the future development of the school.
  • Take an active role in the deliberations of all key policy making groups, including Governor’s Committees and meeting of senior school leaders with the key responsibility for ensuring the school services are effective, efficient and in line with probity and governance requirements.
  • Meet SLT regularly across all school sites to monitor the effectiveness of how resources are managed to deliver good results in learning and high levels of achievement for the school.
  • Meet regularly with Assistant Head (Linwood Teaching School Alliance Lead) to assist and support the Teaching School Alliance and develop a marketing strategy that helps promote the school and define its broad aims and vision.
  • Meet regularly with SLT (Staffing Managers) to assist with the recruitment, professional development, appraisal, training and all HR related matters for all staff.
  • Evaluate past patterns of services and consider trends and developments likely to affect future school service demand and share with SLT for decision making.
  • Establish a business and financial planning process to deliver the school’s strategic objectives, including a financial strategy regarding sustainable finances, a robust annual budget process that ensures financial balance and a monitoring process that enables this to be delivered. Ensure that these are subject to regular review to confirm the continuing relevance of assumptions used.
  1. Finance – Budgeting
  • Work with the Headteacher, Governing Board and Senior Leadership Team to ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, ethical and social requirements.
  • Plan, lead and implement organisational change regarding financial matters.
  • Build capacity for organisational change in relation to financial compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
  • Build, develop and lead a team to ensure good financial delivery through the delegating of tasks and the prioritisation of tasks and job requirements effectively.
  • Work with the Headteacher, Governing Board and Senior Leadership Team in key aspects of Strategic planning, through the provision of informed advice and assistance with the oversight of the financial dimension of all whole school developments.
  • Advise the Headteacher and Governing Board on financial policy, to plan and prepare the school 3 year budget plan (long term financial strategy) for approval by the Headteacher and Governing Board, ensuring that it links to the School Development and Improvement Plan.
  • Control, manage and monitor the whole school budget across all sites ( in excess of £7 million)
  • Provide guidance to Governing Board to enable them to be compliant with legal, regulatory, ethical and social requirements associated with financial services.
  • Identify typical risks relating to financial dealings and apply proportionate containment measures for those encountered within the school’s financial operations.
  • Ensure that budget calculations are robust and reserves adequate.
  • Ensure that opportunities and risks are fully considered and decisions are aligned with the overall financial strategy when shared with the Headteacher and Governing Board.
  • Develop an on-going awareness of current and emerging trends and developments in education policy, nationally and locally and identify potentially financial pressures and modifications that may need to be put in place.
  • Consider all financial implications of workforce planning and prepare alternative financial scenarios to support decision making.
  • Undertake effective procurement processes to ensure value for money.
  • Help and advise the budget holders with all financial concerns regarding their role.
  • In-depth knowledge of Government Guidance including Pupil Premium, 16-19 Bursary Funding, PE/Sports Grants, USM and FSM Funding, LAC and SEN Funding, Safeguarding Legislation and Ofsted and Audit regulations
  1. Finance – Benchmarking
  • Benchmark information against that of comparable schools and academies with a view to maximising efficiencies.
  • Use financial management information, especially benchmarking tools, to identify areas of relative spend, assess trends and directly advise Senior Managers and Governing Board accordingly.
  • Complete the annual Consistent Financial Reporting Return for the DfE.
  1. Finance – Accounting.
  • Be responsible for the school accounting function, ensuring its efficient operation according to agreed procedures by conducting annual and monthly reviews.
  • Monitor and review all accounting procedures and resolve any problems
  • Authorise with the Headteacher the ordering, processing, and payment for all goods and services provided to the school within the budget and financial limitations.
  • Monitor and ensure correct coding of invoices, orders and expenses.
  • Monitor the operation of all bank accounts and petty cash ensuring a full reconciliation is undertaken at least once a month.
  • Authorised signatory on official school account.
  • Maintain an assets register/inventory across all campuses.
  • Authorise school invoices and collection of fees and other dues.
  • Preparation and submission of summary accounts and monthly VAT returns.
  • Ensure and review internal control of all financial matters and preparation of audit material.
  • Ensure familiarity with Audit regulations and present financial records for audit on request.
  • Ensure an effective internal audit function is resourced and maintained and supports the successful outcome of an external audit.
  • Prepare the final accounts of the School’s Charitable Trust Accounts for the Governing Board and liaise with independent auditors.
  • Authorised signatory on unofficial school account (Charitable Trust Trustee)
  • Ensure maximum income generation across all campuses within the ethos of the school.
  • Review and implement approved insurances and handle all claims that arise relating to damage to premises, pupil school trips, public/staff/pupil claims to personal property, public liability and employee negligence.
  • Administer staff absence claims with insurers and follow up claims and outstanding payments as well as negotiation on an annual basis for best value pricing and contracts.
  • Process lettings income and ensure payments are received on a timely basis.
  • Oversee the calculation and invoicing for all participating Local Authorities for SEN Top Up payments for all pupils depending on their locators, ensuring that all pupil records and lists are up to date.
  • Oversee and monitor the raising of invoices for all Linwood School services, including Teaching School and Extended School Services.
  • Ensure that the school meets Ofsted financial criteria, completing and updating Schools Financial Value Standards on an annual basis and submitting to LA ensuring effective financial management.
  • Attend Full Governing Board meetings, Finance and Asset Management committee meetings and Charitable Trust committee meetings and provide information as and when required.
  • Prepare all financial returns for the DfE, Local Authority and other government agencies within statutory deadlines.
  1. School Catering

Line manage, monitor and review the school catering facilities across all campuses.

In liaison with the Catering Manager:

  • Ensure food and kitchen meets all appropriate food hygiene and nutritional standards.
  • Ensure that appropriate food hygiene training is undertaken.
  • Ensure catering provision (in house) provides best quality food and best value service to the pupils and the school.
  • Ensure catering provision (bought-in) provides best quality food and best value service to the pupils and the school in liaison with external suppliers.
  1. Personnel / HR
  • Produce and submit all staff contract documents, for both Teaching and Support staff contracts.
  • Assist in personnel matters relating to all staff.
  • Give advice to Governing Board,Headteacherand SLT on assessment of salaries, contracts, expenses, sickness and maternity matters.
  • Assist all staff with contract and payroll queries and liaise with Local Authority as required.
  • Direct Line Manager for site/premises, catering, office and finance support staff.
  • Oversee the safer recruitment procedures for the school across all campuses including the Single Central Register, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, documentation and procedures, ensuring all DBS checks are up to date for all staff including volunteers and annual agreements are updated and recorded.
  • Assist and monitor the recruitment, professional development, appraisal and training of Office, Finance, Catering and Premises Staff across all school sites.
  • Motivate and facilitate teamwork and good practice in order to achieve excellent standards of service delivery.
  • Assist in the advertising, recruitment and induction of all staff across all campuses.
  • Maintain up to date contracts and personal details of all staff (approximately 250 staff & 320 individual contracts)
  • Ensure the accuracy and prompt return of annual staff returns.
  • Embed financial competencies in person specifications and appraisals as appropriate to job roles.
  • Authorisation of staff overtime and supply claim forms for all staff across all campuses.
  • Assist other support staff with personnel matters including grading profile reviews, recording of annual holiday entitlements, timesheets and working hours for those on 52 week contracts.
  • Seek and make use of specialist expertise in relation to HR issues.
  1. Office Management.
  • Assess and monitor the effectiveness of the Administration team across all school sites to ensure the highest possible standards of work are achieved.
  • Manage, review and advise on the operation of existing administrative and financial systems and the introduction of new systems to meet the needs of the School.
  • Provide support and training to develop the workforce and improve efficiency and delivery.
  • Responsible for obtaining the necessary licences and permissions.
  • Deal with members of the public, representatives of companies, professionals from a range of organisations and supply agencies.
  • Advise parents and pupils on school policies and procedures.
  • Ensure that the school is correctly registered for Data Protection and annual fee paid.
  • Ensure all requirements under the school remodelling process are adhered to with regard to office duties.
  • Have a working knowledge of the school telecommunication system and to report any faults or alterations as required.
  • Ensure all regulations are complied with regarding Minibus operation including Insurances, Servicing, MOT, Tax, Breakdown cover, Petrol Account cards and annual returns to Local Authority.
  • Liaise with local authority/council officers.
  • Responsible for initiating emergency procedures within the office environment.
  • Consult with Senior Leadership Team regarding new, enhanced and obsolete technologies to ensure that the offices, telephone and communication aids are efficient and fit for purpose.
  1. Premises/Health & Safety/ Site Management
  • Monitor and assess all matters relating to the Security, Premises management and maintenance, Health and Safety, Risk Management, Fire Safety, Asbestos Safety and caretaking of the building and grounds, across all school sites, maintaining a safe, secure and clean environment for the pupils, staff and visitors to the school sites.
  • Define, develop and identify with the Asset Management and Finance Committee and Site Managers minor/major building works, maintaining an on-going annual works schedule for each site.
  • Receive, monitor, log and prioritise daily premises work requests ensuring requests are actioned in a timely manner.
  • Obtain external funding for required projects, submission of bids from Government or Local Authority.
  • Liaise with relevant contractors, suppliers and Local Authority departments with regards to planning, building, premises and site management and all related matters.
  • Effectively monitor and analyse energy consumption, keeping an up to date record of Annual Utility Consumption and advising LA as appropriate.
  • Manage building and maintenance projects and maintain accurate information to assist effective monitoring to achieve the successful completion of the projects within budget.
  • Ensure the continuing availability of utilities, site services and equipment.
  • Review the School Health and Safety Policy in conjunction with the H&S Leaders and ensure Health and Safety legislation, regulation and codes of practice are complied with on behalf of the Headteacher.
  • Along with the Headteacher and H&S Leaders undertakes regular consultation with colleagues and stakeholders regarding health and safety issues.
  • Along with the Headteacher and H&S Leaders conduct health and safety risk assessments of the workplace.
  • Along with the Headteacher and H&S Leaders identify, assess and control health and safety risks.
  • Create and maintain policy documents i.e. Health & Safety, Risk Management, Emergency Planning, Procurement, Premises, Asset Management.
  • Develop and maintain a working relationship with Premises, H&S and Fire Safety council officers as required.
  • Liaise with the Caretaking Team across all sites on all premises matters.
  • Develop and review the School’s Business Continuity Plan for all school sites in conjunction with SLT.
  1. Security
  • School key holder with responsibility to respond to police/fire/alarm calls out when

required.

  • Ensure the school safe is locked when not in use and that the contents fall within the school insurance limits.
  • Liaise with relevant LA and Insurance providers with regards to relevant insurance

cover and complete and update safe survey as and when required with regards to any changes.

  • Ensure the transportation of cash falls within the agreed procedures.
  • Liaise with Police and enforcement agencies where necessary.

10. Marketing and Liaison

  • Network with other School Business Managers and Bursars to gain and share best practice and to be the single point of contact for the school on such matters.
  • Maintain an extensive contractor file to promote quality of service, value for money and quality assurance.
  • Ensure effective school marketing literature is produced in line with the requirements of legislation, regulation and codes of practice.
  • Ensure that sufficient resources are allocated across the school to manage effective marketing of services.
  • Actively work with Local Authority agencies and officers to place the school at the forefront of their thinking and position us as a forward thinking, strategic and co-operative organisation willing to participate in initiatives.
  • Meet with external consultants in order to plan for visioning and for the future direction of school.
  • Continue to extend the positive profile of the school in our community.
  • Liaise with mainstream schools and network partners.
Additional Information

The School