Finance Manager

Cheney School is a popular, high-performing school located in the heart of Oxford serving a diverse community of students who are eager to learn and to be challenged. You can read the outcome of our most recent Ofsted inspection here: Ofsted Report and a welcome message from our Headteacher here: Head's Welcome.

We are looking for a dynamic new Finance Manager to join our team. The successful post holder will provide high level financial leadership and professional financial management and will deliver comprehensive financial planning for the school. They will be responsible for implementing robust financial systems and controls to ensure financial efficiency and value for money.

The post comes with excellent opportunities to engage in continuous professional development and we offer wide-ranging training and development opportunities. This post is for a 4 day per week role, however there is potential to increase to full time through work at other schools within the River Learning Trust. Applications for reduced hours will be considered from experienced applicants.

The role will involve:

• Providing financial leadership and professional financial management for the school;
• Assisting the governors, headteacher and senior leadership team (SLT) in formulating aims and objectives of the school and in establishing the policies, systems and procedures through which they shall be achieved, including development of resource plans as required;
• Management of the payroll process;
• Advising on compliance with legislation and guidance, for example, charity legislations, HMRC, Department for Education;
• The line management of the finance team;
• Supporting and encouraging the school’s ethos and its objectives, policies and procedures;
• Ensuring the impact of financial strategy and management directly impacts on educational outcomes for students.

Visits to the school prior to the interview are warmly welcomed. To arrange a visit or if you would like more information about the role, please contact Jodie McMinn, School Business Manager, on: jmcminn@cheneyschool.org

The salary is based on a grade 12 (£41,496 FTE), working 30 hours per week on a 52-week basis. We are willing to consider flexible working applications for experienced candidates. 

If you have any questions about the application form or the recruitment process do not hesitate to contact us at: vacancies@cheneyschool.org.

Please note: to ensure we conduct a fair shortlisting process we are no longer providing any personal information, including the names and gender of applicants, to short-listing panels.

The River Learning Trust and Cheney school are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and preventing extremism. All staff must ensure that the highest priority is given to following the guidance and regulations to safeguard children and young people. The successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check. Employment will also be conditional on the receipt of at least two acceptable references (one from current/latest employer) and evidence of the formal qualifications required for the role. The River Learning Trust is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from a range of backgrounds to represent diversity in line with our schools’ community. It is an offence to apply for certain roles within schools if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children. You should contact the school if you are unsure if this role includes regulated activity relevant to children.

For all RLT Safer Recruitment Documentation candidates should click on the following link RLT Safer Recruitment Documents for Candidates. 

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020. Which means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’, so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. For further guidance for applicants click on the this link: List of offences that are not filtered.

Our staff are expected to maintain high standards of ethics and behaviour, within and outside school, by not undermining fundamental British values including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect, and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

What benefits does the Trust offer to its employees?

• Annual pay increase for support staff (in line with grade boundaries) and for Teachers (subject to government framework and successful performance review);
• A Defined Benefit Pension Scheme with favourable terms for all employees (Teachers Pension for Teachers; LGPS for Support Staff);
• Moving from the public sector? Those without a break in service can be reassured that RLT will recognise their continuous service;
• Employee centred and family friendly policies and practises that support you in and beyond your workplace;
• Offering flexible working wherever we can, in order to support the work life balance of our employees;
• Enhanced sick pay, maternity leave, paternity leave and parental leave;
• Competitive holiday entitlement for support staff (minimum 24 days rising to 32 day plus bank holidays per annum - dependent on grade of role and length of service);
• Cycle to work scheme;
• Funded eye tests and glasses for DSE users (subject to T/Cs).