Finance Officer

Do you have experience within Finance management in either a professional or school capacity? Our thriving academy is looking to appoint a dedicated and resourceful individual as Finance Officer to oversee financial duties across Harris Academy Chobham .

About Us

Chobham Academy is always on the lookout for inspirational and influential staff. Most of all, we are on the lookout for potential colleagues who like our students and want to help them succeed. In order to help our staff have the best possible experience and achieve a proper work- life balance, we have put into place a range of measures to benefit both our teaching and students services colleagues.

These include:

• An extra week of holiday for all Chobham staff. This takes the form of a two-week half term in October. We work fewer days than most other schools.
• Outstanding professional development both at Chobham and through the wider Harris Federation
• Excellent promotion opportunities
• A constant dialogue about workload and how to manage it most effectively. We have regular workload audits, and frequent campaigns to tackle unnecessary work and identify quick wins
• Rapid and effective support with any student behavioural issues arising
• A high-quality staff induction programme
• Marking protocols devised by departments themselves
• Manageable and flexible lesson planning expectations
• Clear communications and manageable deadlines. We only ask staff to do what is necessary and avoid complication and confusion. Chobham is an exceptionally well-run school
• Learning walks rather than formal lesson observations. These are not graded
• Nursery on site
• Flexible and part time working encouraged whenever possible
• Additional time for leadership responsibilities
• Focus on effective outcomes rather than time spent
• High levels of administrative support for all teachers
• Ongoing celebration of staff excellence
• Generous Harris rewards and benefits package, including an extra £2000 annually for all teachers working in our Academy.

We place high emphasis on staff wellbeing at Chobham. This helps colleagues to be happier and more effective in their work. Staff are regularly consulted about their wellbeing and the outcomes of these consultations have a direct and rapid impact upon the Academy's approach to supporting staff wellbeing.

We understand that while it is incredibly rewarding, teaching is also a physically and emotionally wearing job. We want Chobham teachers to be as fit and fresh as possible and to know that the school as a community really cares about how they are. We have tried to put these principles into practice with a number of initiatives which we think give Chobham teachers one of the best wellbeing packages to be found anywhere. These include:

• A meeting free week every half term
• An extra week of holiday with a two-week half term in the Autumn
• A late start or early finish for every teacher on one day each week
• A staff mindfulness programme led by trained colleagues and supported by a free mindfulness app
• Subsidised gym membership
• Staff fitness and exercise classes
• Guest speakers on wellbeing
• Regular special events such as comedy nights
• Staff discounts at shops and restaurants in the local area
• Access to the Harris Federation's staff counselling service

Our staff are regularly consulted on the wellbeing services the school provides and we always try to respond to staff suggestions. In this way, staff feel empowered and get more of the services they really want. We are very proud of our wellbeing programme at Chobham and hope you will agree that it shows our commitment to making the school an exemplary working environment.

Main Areas of Responsibility

Your responsibilities will include

• Creating purchase orders
• Obtaining authorisation for, coding and posting purchase invoices
• Checking of all deliveries to the Academy, liaising with site staff as to distribution of order
• Raising cheques / BACS for purchase invoices
• Making payments
• Journal entries on accounting system
• Cash / bank reconciliation and reports
• Collecting money from students for educational visits
• Reconciling the petty cash on a monthly basis
• Reconciliation of academy credit card
• Liaison with cost centre budget holders
• Maintenance of Fixed Asset Register
• Academy banking
• Assisting Finance Business Partner in monthly balance sheet reconciliations
• Dealing with incoming and outgoing finance post
• To administer finances in relation to peripatetic music tuition, music subsidies and Food Technology consumable costs
• Raising sales invoices for lettings
• Banking of cash and cheques
• Supporting the Academy in finding ways to raise capital funding
• Creating a business plan for lettings and liaising with the Executive Principal to action
• Supporting any Academy training events that may raise capital
• Giving financial support for any capital spend projects
• Finding ways in which the Academy can get better value for money, through better procurement or other innovative ideas
• Working with Federation Business Partner and Principal in agreeing priorities for expenditure and monitoring the effectiveness of spending and usage of resources to ensure value for money

Qualifications & Experience

The successful candidate will have:

• Qualifications to A level or equivalent
• Knowledge of school finance systems
• Knowledge of a variety of financial recording systems
• Knowledge of the budget setting process
• Understanding of the role and function of external audit
• At least three years' experience working in a finance department
• Experience of working within financial controls
• Experience of assisting with budget setting and budget management

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share in this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed for all applicants. Before applying, please review our Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders.

Equal Opportunities

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

As a provider of employment and education, we value the diversity of our staff and students, and all our staff are equally valued and respected. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff.