JOB DESCRIPTION

SCHOOL BUSINESS MANAGER

Job Title:School Business Manager

Working hours:37 per week / 42 weeks of the year (term time plus Development Days and 3 additional weeks).

Responsible to:Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher

Responsible for:Premises staff, Finance and Admin staff

OVERALL RESPONSIBILITY

To have responsibility for the organisation and smooth running of the school. The School Business Manager is responsible for all operational services within the school.

  • The School Business Manager is responsible for the Financial Resource Management, Administration Management, ICT, Human Resource Management, Facility and Property Management and Health and Safety Management of the Academy. The School Business Manager role is to support the principle financial officer for the Academy.
  • To facilitate the effective operation of the school.
  • To strategically advise the school leadership team on all aspects of Management in relation to non-teaching administration.
  • To be part of the strategic decision making team within the Academy.
  • To manage the data and administration systems in school ensuring compliance with statutory regulations and deadlines.
  • To manage the financial, premises, and administrative functions in the school.
  • To assist in the management of all financial resources of the school and to be a high level administrative resource, advising on personnel and procurement, coordinating and monitoring all contracts.
  • To ensure that the admin support staff and premises staff are deployed in an effective way in order to provide an efficient administrative service to the Leadership Team, teaching staff and Governing Body. To develop administrative procedures for the school and to be responsible for maintaining and operating agreed procedures in order to ensure that all legal requirements are met.
  • To assist with income generation, seek funding opportunities and preparing bids as necessary.
  • To ensure a high standard of confidentiality and integrity in all school matters.
  • To support the Governing Body in fulfilling it’s duties as required.
  • To act as Company Secretary including filing of statutory documents with Companies House including Companies House Annual Return and record of appointment and resignation of Governors.
  • To oversee and monitor the effectiveness of all service contracts.
  • Support the Governors with the election, appointment and induction of new Governors and researching information as requested.

Outline of Main Duties

Data and management systems

  1. To oversee the development of all administrative management systems in the school.
  2. To ensure data systems in relation to pupil and staff data are used efficiently and that statutory returns are completed on time.
  3. To support and train other staff in data management and administrative systems.

Finance and Procurement

  1. To have oversight in conjunction with the Headteacher, over all matters relating to the administration of school finances, including bank accounts, in accordance with the Academies Financial Handbook. Provision of management information to Governors and the Leadership team.
  2. To prepare reports for Governors Finance and Premises Committee meetings in liaison with the Headteacher and Chair of Committee.
  3. To atttend appropriate Governors meetings to answer questions relating to Finance or Premises issues.
  4. Keeping all school accounts and preparing income and expenditure reports in accordance with DfE regulations; preparation of accounts for submission to EFA as necessary.
  5. Manage procurement, undertake best value review including an annual review of all service contracts with various providers.
  6. To undertake responsibility for and use of the school’s IT finance systems to keep rigorous financial records.
  7. With the Headteacher undertake an annual budget planning exercise for the dissemination of the schools’ budget allocations, in line with the school strategic plan, for the approval of the governors. To take an overview of the school budgets and advise the Leadership Team of any potential deficit or other finance related issues, their implications and make recommendations on possible solutions. To produce budget monitoring and other financial reports for the governors.
  8. To be responsible for the monitoring of financial activities of the schools and to report on a regular basis, as required by EFA. To administer EFA returns, ensuring deadline for returns met.
  9. Maintenance and oversight of bank accounts, VAT accounting and payment, cash handling, public and private funds. To administer VAT returns on a monthly basis.
  10. To ensure that SIMS FMS (Finance Management System) is kept updated with all expenditure in particular payroll expenditure.
  11. To liaise with the school accountants and auditors to ensure preparation of end of year accounts ready for external audit and presentation to governors.
  12. To update all finance related policies as required.
  13. Monitoring payments of salaries by the schools’ payroll agency ensuring that returns are completed to deadline eg pension, taxation, NI etc
  14. Oversight of ordering, processing and payment of all invoices and statements of account for all goods and services provided to the school or by the school.
  15. Ensuring maintenance of the inventory of assets and compliance with procedures for the disposal of redundant equipment/assets.
  16. Analysis of costs and other statistical information and supervising the computerised financial system.
  17. Being conversant with general principles of taxation, as applicable to Academies..
  18. Oversee income receivable procedures within the schools (and in particular catering operations) using ParentPay (or similar)
  19. Responsibility for seeking professional advice on insurance for the whole school. Implementing the approved insurance, and handling any claims/queries that arise.
  20. Jointly with colleagues and outside agencies, provide the administration support to prepare bids and secure funding e.g. EFA Condition Improvement Fund.
  21. To have overall responsibility for the arrangements for school facilities, including catering, transport, booking facilities for out of school activities.

Human Resources

  1. Take advice on behalf of the Headteacher on personnel issues.
  2. Ensure staff records, including personnel records are up to date and secure, including all sickness and other absences, identify sickness management issues and raise with the Headteacher.
  3. Ensure that all recruitment, appraisal, staff development, grievance, disciplinary and redundancy policies and procedures comply with legal and regulatory
  4. As delegated, manage recruitment for all staff.
  5. To provide advice regarding recruitment processes (including Safer Recruitment).
  6. Ensure people have a clear understanding of the Academy policies and procedures and the importance of putting them into practice.
  7. Act as liaison for both Teachers Pensions and Kent LGPS.
  8. Deal with staff queries on contracts and salary.
  9. Act jointly as CPD Administrator for Kent CPD Online.
  10. Maintain the staff database on SIMS as the primary payroll source, ensuring a high level of accuracy of contractual and salary information for upload to the payroll provider

Health and Safety

  1. Act as the Academies’ Health & Safety Co-ordinator and Fire Officer
  2. With the Premises Manager plan, instigate and maintain records of fire practises and alarm tests.
  3. Ensure the Academies’ written health and safety policy statement is clearly communicated and available to all people.
  4. Ensure systems are in place to enable the identification of hazards and risk assessments.
  5. Ensure systems are in place for effective monitoring, measuring and reporting of health and safety issues to the Senior Team, Governors and where appropriate the Health & Safety Executive. To work in liaison with the Academies Health & Safety Governor.
  6. Ensure the maximum level of security consistent with the ethos of the Academies
  7. Commit to and promote the protection and safeguarding of children.

Facility and Property Management

  1. Ensure ancillary services eg catering, cleaning etc are monitored and managed effectively
  2. Ensure the supervision of relevant planning and construction processes is undertaken in line with contractual obligations in conjuction with relevant outside agencies.
  3. With the Premises Manager ensure the safe maintenance and security operation of the Academy premises.

The duties above are neither exclusive nor exhaustive and the postholder may be required by the Headteacher to carry out appropriate duties within the context of the job, skills and grade.

Continuing Professional Development – Personal

1.Undertake any necessary professional development as identified in the School

Improvement Plan taking full advantage of any relevant training and development

available.

2.Maintain a professional portfolio of evidence to support the Appraisal process – evaluating and improving own practice.

WIDER PROFESSIONAL EFFECTIVENESS

  • To contribute to the wider professional effectiveness of the school e.g. supporting PTA

events, school clubs etc…

This job description will be reviewed annually and may be subject to amendment or modification at any time after consultation with the post holder. It is not a comprehensive statement of procedures and tasks, but sets out the main expectations of the School in relation to the post holder’s professional responsibilities and duties.

Elements of this job description and changes to it may be negotiated at the request of either the Headteacher or the incumbent of the post.

Signature of Post holder: / Date: / / /
Signature of Headteacher: / Date: / / /

Wentworth Drive, Dartford, Kent DA1 3NG Tel: 01322 225694/220451 Fax 01322 291562

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