Are you an experienced school or public‑sector finance professional who enjoys running a well‑organised finance function, keeping systems accurate, compliant and efficient — without the pressure of being the strategic lead?
Following a long‑serving colleague’s retirement, we are seeking a skilled and dependable Finance Manager to join our established finance team and play a central role in the day‑to‑day financial operations of the school.
Working under the direction of the Vice Principal: Finance and Business (VPFB), responsible for a Finance Assistant you will take responsibility for operational finance delivery, ensuring that processes run smoothly, deadlines are met, and high standards of accuracy, compliance and probity are maintained at all times.
This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys hands‑on finance management, problem‑solving, and supporting colleagues — without the expectation of leading on financial strategy, presenting to trustees, or carrying overall accountability.
About the Role
Required to:
- Manage the day‑to‑day running of the finance office, ensuring robust financial controls
- Support budget monitoring and provide clear financial information to the VPFB and budget holders
- Oversee core finance functions including:
- Payroll processing (EduPay)
- VAT, and HMRC returns
- Payments, income, reconciliations and journals
- Bursary and grant administration
- Ensure compliance with financial policies, audit requirements and the Academy Trust Handbook
- Line‑manage and support the Finance Assistant
- Maintain accurate asset registers, records and systems
Strategic financial planning, reporting to trustees, and final financial accountability remain with the VPFB, allowing this role to focus on strong operational delivery.
About You
You will be:
- An experienced finance professional with a solid practical understanding of accounting processes
- Confident working in a structured, regulated environment
- Highly organised, accurate and discreet, with excellent attention to detail
- Comfortable supporting non‑finance colleagues and explaining processes clearly
- Ideally experienced in a school, academy or public‑sector setting (though this is not essential)
This role would suit:
- A Senior Finance Officer ready for a broader operational role
- A Finance Manager who prefers delivery over strategy
- Someone seeking stability, clarity of responsibility, and a supportive leadership structure
Benefits:
Wyedean recognises that our employees are our most important asset, and we are aware that the quality and commitment of our employees is critical to our success. We offer our employees the following staff benefits:
- Excellent CPD opportunities and career progression
- Employer contributions to Local Government or Teachers Pension Scheme
- Flexible working
- Funded counselling services
- Free eye tests (subject to requirements of contract)
- Winter Flu jabs
- Long Service awards
- EV charging stations on site
Short listing: Friday 22nd May
Interviews to take place Tuesday 2nd June time to be confirmed
Wyedean School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will have to meet the person specification and is required to apply for an enhanced DBS disclosure. We particularly welcome applicants from under- represented groups including ethnicity, gender, transgender, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion.
Online searches on shortlisted candidates
The school is committed to ensuring that safeguarding is a top priority; therefore, in line with KCSIE, the school will consider carrying out online searches on shortlisted candidates as part of their due diligence. Online searches solely aim to help identify any incidents or issues that have happened, and are publicly available online, which the school may want to explore with the applicant at interview.
Online searches will be conducted on shortlisted candidates only, and only where the school considers this appropriate. The school will consider any potential risks of online searches, e.g. unlawful discrimination or invasion of privacy, and will be clear on the reasons that online searches are being conducted. Online searches will only examine data that is publicly available.
Online searches will be carried out by an individual who is independent of the recruitment process to minimise the risk of bias or discrimination and to ensure that only relevant information is considered. The person responsible for carrying out online searches will have due regard to Part three of KCSIE.
The online search process may include searching for the candidate by name via search engines and social media, such as:
When carrying out searches of shortlisted candidates’ online presence, the school will look out for indicators of concern, such as:
- Inappropriate behaviour, jokes or language.
- Discriminatory comments.
- Inappropriate images.
- Drug or alcohol misuse.
- Anything that suggests the candidate may not be suitable to work with children.
Any concerns will be addressed during the interview process. The school will ensure that candidates are given an opportunity to discuss any concerns raised by the online search.