School Business Manager

Report to:                     Headteacher
Responsible for:        3 members of the office team
                                     Site Supervisor
                                     IT technician
Salary Scale:                PO3
Purpose
Be a member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT); contributing to whole school strategic planning, policy and decision making. 

Lead and manage all business and administration functions allowing for the development of the highest possible standards of teaching and learning throughout the school. 

To be responsible for financial management, administration management, ICT, human resources, estates management, health and safety and risk management, including the strategic planning for these disciplines. 

To promote the highest standards of business ethos within the administrative function of the school and ensuring that the school makes the best use of resources available to support the school’s key objectives. 

Uphold and promote the values and vision of the school.

To present at appropriate governors’ committees and/or full governor meetings 

Main duties and responsibilities:
Knowledge and Understanding 
Demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of primary education and some knowledge of priorities in schools. 

An understanding of the responsibilities of senior leaders and teaching staff in schools. 
Skills in managing the school MIS system and other data systems e.g. Excel, RM SIMs
Excellent oral and written communication skills. 
Excellent organisational skills. 
Ability to deal with a range of complex and contentious matters requiring a consistently high degree of support, persuasion and advocacy and an awareness of the school’s major policy objectives. 
Ability to undertake work of a complex nature which requires detailed knowledge and skills in a diverse range of specialist disciplines; people management including forward planning to meet service delivery needs, budget management, property management and project management. 

Finance and Procurement 
•    Advise the Headteacher on all financial matters and report on the financial feasibility of particular projects, including responsibility for the preparation of appropriate budget plans to support the School Development Plan and the development of strategies to address changes in funding. 
•    Prepare regular expenditure and income accounts for presentation to the Headteacher and Governing Body, budget monitors and forecasts for Governors and management accounts for budget holders. 
•    Attend finance meetings as required, preparing reports on all financial matters for the Headteacher and Governors, including making recommendations relating to budgetary control and the implementation of any improvements. 
•    Prepare quarterly returns for the local authority. Be responsible for financial year end procedures and the budget setting
•    Contribute to the measurement, analysis and review of school performance including benchmarking information against other similar schools. 
•    Oversee both wraparound care teams and their functions
•    Ensure all wraparound debt is chased and monitored

Human Resources
•    Be responsible for general personnel matters in consultation with the Headteacher, personnel provider and local authority e.g. dealing with staff queries about salaries, expenses, sickness and maternity procedures, etc.
•    Ensure that use is made of specialist expertise in relation to personnel issues and that all personnel- related policies and procedures comply with statutory and regulatory requirements.
•    Manage and monitor payments of salaries by the school’s payroll provider, check payroll reports, ensure all pay costs are appropriate and budget areas are correctly charged.
•    Maintain staff records, ensuring that documentation and data are kept confidential.
•    Monitor staff absence and ensure accurate records are kept and the management information system is updated.
•    To be responsible, with the Headteacher, for carrying out recruitment procedures in line with statutory requirements for safer recruitment as outlined in “Keeping Children Safe in Education” (2025)
•    To be responsible for maintaining and reporting on the school’s Single Central Record for the school, ensuring that all personnel undergo appropriate checks at the appropriate time and that this is entered onto the record (ref KCSIE).
•    Oversee for the completion of the annual workforce census
•    Line-manage administrative staff; providing leadership and guidance; including responsibility for their recruitment, performance management and professional development.
•    Oversee the midday team
•    Oversee the both wraparound care teams and their functions

Administration Management
•    Be responsible for developing administrative procedures for the school and maintaining and operating agreed procedures in order to ensure that all statutory requirements are met.  Including new GDPR.
•    Plan, lead and implement change across own areas of responsibility. Evaluate change.
•    Manage the administrative function for the school.
•    Manage front-line enquires from staff, parents, pupils and visitors ensuring; an appropriate response; that messages are passed on in a timely manner and that events are entered into the school diary.
•    Provide for the preparation and production of all school records and publications.
•    Be responsible for the systems and general management of the school’s administrative and financial computer network, the implementation of appropriate management information systems, and act as Systems Manager.
•    Act as correspondent for the DfE and Local Authority - be responsible for the records and returns required
•    Be responsible for the management of pupil records both paper and electronic, ensuring the confidentiality of information and requirements outlined in KCSIE are met.
•    Manage pupil assessment data to enable tracking of pupil attainment and progress.

Facilities and Premises Budget Management
•    Hold joint responsibility for the budget management of the premises to ensure that buildings, grounds and facilities are developed and maintained to the highest standard in order to provide an outstanding learning and working environment for pupils and staff, and a first-class resource for the community. 
•    Support the Governing Body and Headteacher in drawing up strategic plans for the development of the site and premises and make recommendations regarding works to be carried out.
•    Develop premises budgets, manage and monitor expenditure against them to support the School Development Plan.
•    Prepare schedules for maintenance and repair programmes in conjunction with the Site Supervisor and ensure their effective implementation.
•    Negotiate, manage and monitor service level agreements, contracts, tenders and agreements for the provision of support services, e.g. building works, cleaning, pest and waste disposal.  To include managing the school meals contract and being point of contact for the Head of Kitchen.
•    Together with the Headteacher and the Leadership Team have responsibility for the safety and security of the site and all who use it including investigating breaches.
•    Ensure that the school has an up-to-date asset register and arrange regular stock checks.
•    Ensure the Health and Safety Policy is implemented at all times and is subject to review and risk assessment at regular intervals or as situations change.
•    Ensure accurate records of damage, loss or vandalism are maintained and prepare appropriate insurance claims.

ICT Management
Administration Systems
•    Ensure data systems in relation to pupil data are used efficiently and that statutory returns are completed on time. 
•    Manage the school’s Administration network identify enhancements required. 
•    Implement all upgrades to the Administration network and ensure backup for data. 
•    Ensure that all administrative staff are adequately trained in the financial and administrative ICT software. 
•    Keep abreast of Data Protection legislation and develop policy and procedures to ensure the school operates within new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).
•    Manage the data and administration systems in schools ensuring compliance with statutory regulations and deadlines. 
•    Be the Designated Data Protection Liaison.

Curriculum
•    Lead the school’s ICT strategy considering approaches for existing use and future plans to enable the schools strategy for using technology to align with the overall vision and plans for the school.
•    Develop ICT budgets, manage and monitor expenditure against them to support the School Development Plan.
•    Consult with relevant people and other parties to introduce new technology or improve existing technology for different purposes.
•    Ensure contingency plans are in place in case of technology failure. 

Other Responsibilities:
•    Ensure all duties and responsibilities are discharged in accordance with the school’s health and safety at work policy.
•    Participate in the school’s performance management scheme, ensuring that performance standards and targets are set and met within the agreed time scale.
•    Assist the school by promoting and maintaining good relationship with pupils, staff, governors, parents, and external agencies in order to promote the objectives of the school. 
•    Ensure positive experience of the school by visitors by managing hospitality arrangements. 
•    Develop, project manage, monitor and evaluate ad hoc school projects and undertake other reasonable duties commensurate with the grade of the post.