Job Title: Academy Finance Assistant
Actual Annual Salary: £20,552 - £22,156 (Based on hours and working weeks.)
Full Time Equivalent Salary: £28,859 - £31,111 (CLF Grade C). Based on 37 hours per week, all year round.
Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract
Contract Length: Fixed until 31 August 2027
Hours: Part Time, 30 hours per week, Monday to Friday, Term Time Only Plus INSETS Plus 5 additional days.
Provisional Start Date: September 2026 (Subject to completion of pre-employment checks)
Additional Information: This is a 30-hour per week role, typically worked Monday to Friday, 9:00am – 3:00pm. However, we offer flexibility and are open to condensing the hours over four days, provided the successful candidate can fulfil 0.8 FTE (30 hours per week).
Make a difference behind the scenes in education
We have an exciting opportunity to join our Central Finance Team as an Academy Finance Assistant, supporting the financial operations that help our academies thrive. Based at John Cabot Academy, you’ll play a vital role in ensuring accurate, compliant, and efficient financial processes across the trust.
This is a fantastic opportunity for a highly organised and detail-focused individual who enjoys working collaboratively and wants to contribute to an organisation that makes a real impact on young people’s lives.
About the role
Reporting to the Finance Manager, you will support the day-to-day delivery of finance operations, ensuring all transactions and processes are completed accurately and in line with CLF policies and guidelines.
You’ll work closely with colleagues across academies and central teams, acting as a key point of contact for finance queries and helping maintain the smooth running of essential financial systems and processes. The role will also include supporting the timetabling and administration of peripatetic (peri) music lessons, alongside wider administrative duties, with a willingness to train as a First Aider considered desirable.
Key responsibilities include:
- Processing financial transactions such as invoices, purchase orders, payments, and reconciliations
- Maintaining accurate financial records and supporting month-end processes
- Supporting systems such as ParentPay and student-related financial processes
- Supporting the timetabling and administration of peripatetic music lessons
- Supporting budget holders and promoting value for money
- Building strong working relationships with staff, suppliers, and the wider CLF network
- Responding to finance queries professionally and efficiently
- Supporting wider administrative and reporting processes
About you
You will be a motivated and organised individual with a strong eye for detail and a proactive approach to your work.
You will have:
- GCSE (or equivalent) in Maths and English (grade C/4 or above)
- Experience in an administrative role, ideally with exposure to finance-related tasks such as invoice processing, reconciliations, or data entry
- Excellent accuracy and attention to detail, with strong organisational skills
- Confidence using IT systems, including Microsoft Office and finance software
- The ability to manage and prioritise a varied workload to meet deadlines
- Strong communication skills and the ability to build effective working relationships
- A professional and discreet approach, with a strong understanding of confidentiality
You will also be:
- Willing to undertake First Aid training and support the academy where required
- Committed to continuous improvement and learning
- Interested in working within an education-based environment and supporting the success of our academies
Applicants are advised to refer to the full requirements of the role in the attached job description and person specification, prior to submitting an application.
About John Cabot Academy:
John Cabot Academy is an 11-16 academy in South Gloucestershire, close to the border of Bristol. We share our site and staffing with the CLF Post-16 provision, forming an 11-18 academy, which has earned a strong reputation both locally and regionally.
We want our students to thrive academically; flourish and grow as young people. When they leave us they will have a strong sense of self, their place in the world and the agency to fulfil their potential. To fulfill this ambition, our staff are inspired by learning and create a school where students are engaged, challenged and inspired.
We have a supportive and compassionate culture in which the whole person is nurtured and the voice of students is valued. We celebrate the diversity of the members our community by enabling them to learn from each other, by encouraging them to respect each other’s differences, and by providing opportunities to contribute to academy life and the wider community.
Why work at CLF?
We are a diverse and inclusive community of 36 academies across five cluster regions in the South West that is committed to excellence and making a positive impact. Our people bring unique perspectives, but we’re all driven by a shared moral purpose and a passion for making a positive impact, whether in a teaching, leadership or support role. We’re proud to foster a culture where everyone can thrive, feel valued, and make a meaningful difference to the lives of others.
We are an equal opportunity employer and proud to serve a diverse student population and our communities. We strongly believe that representation matters. Over 59% of the students who attend John Cabot Academy are from global majority groups, so we particularly encourage applicants from those groups in order to represent the students we serve, as well as wider underrepresented groups including gender, transgender, age disability, sexual orientation or religion.
We aim to remove any barriers to employment, ensuring everyone can compete on equal terms. Job share, part-time and flexible working opportunities will be considered.
What we can offer you:
- Access to a generous pension through the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
- Generous annual leave.
- A comprehensive induction and ongoing commitment to wellbeing and career progression, through a range of training, apprenticeships and in-role/wider-trust development opportunities.
- Well-being support through an Employee Assistance Programme.
- Health benefits, including wellness sessions, gym discounts, and flu jabs.
- A range of generous family leave options, including above industry average occupational maternity pay.
- Additional benefits like cycle to work scheme, on-site parking plus many more!
Recruitment timeline:
- Closing Date: 19 May 2026 @11.59pm
- Shortlisting: 20 May 2026
- Interviews: 03 June 2026
As part of our commitment to Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), we do not accept CVs, a full education and employment history must be provided through our application form.
Please note we are not able to offer visa sponsorship for this role.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, should we receive a high level of interest in the role. Therefore, candidates are advised to apply at their earliest convenience to avoid missing out.
As a Disability Confident Committed Employer, we are dedicated to equity and inclusion and commit to interviewing applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria. We aim to provide an inclusive and accessible recruitment process, and support employees throughout their employment. If you have a disability, are neurodivergent, or require any adjustments to support you through the application or interview process please let us know how we can assist.