Job Introduction
School Business Manager
Position: Business and Administration Manager
Salary: Grade F, depending on grade and experience
Contract Type: Full-time 37 hours, Term-time +1 week, Permanent
Start Date: Monday 25th May 2026
Closing Date: 30th April at 12pm 2026.
Interview Date: Week commencing 4th May 2026
Job details/Person Summary
We are looking for an enthusiastic and highly motivated experienced School Business Manager to develop, direct and co-ordinate the full range of school financial and administrative services.
We are looking for someone who:
- Stays calm under pressure
- Is organised and efficient
- Can communicate effectively with all stakeholders
- Motivates not only themselves but those around them
- Takes pride in being part of a successful administrative team
- Is IT literate, particularly with Hampshire’s financial tools
- Has a good understanding of confidentiality and safeguarding procedures
- Is keen to source new revenue streams for the school to benefit all our children
- Has a capacity for implementing clear systems and processes with sensitivity and rigour
Main responsibilities include:
Leadership and strategy
- Be responsible for line-managing office support staff, including carrying out long-term resource planning, and managing recruitment, appraisal and professional development
- Under the direction of the headteacher, lead on all financial matters in school, to ensure the school’s successful financial performance and to ensure financial decisions are clearly linked to the school’s strategic goals
- Implement school-wide changes and allocate resources in line with the school improvement plan, putting policies and procedures in place and communicating them to staff
- Take all decisions in line with the vision and values of the school, and encourage others to do the same
- As a member of the senior leadership team (SLT), attend SLT meetings and report to governors where appropriate
- Financial management and fundraising
- In partnership with the headteacher, manage the school’s budget and ensure it is in line with forecasts, realistic, and represents an effective use of public funds
- Submit the budget to the governing board
- Monitor the budget all year round, advising the headteacher where revisions or changes are needed
- Forecast future years’ budgets, based on the school’s estimated funding and trends in expenditure, to enable the headteacher to make strategic, long-term decisions
- Comply with financial reporting requirements and submit statutory returns
- Oversee school bank accounts on a day-to-day basis, ensuring money is banked, invoices are paid promptly, money owed is collected, and clear records are kept
- Support the school’s fundraising and income generation strategy, choosing fundraising priorities in line with the school improvement plan
- Find and apply for grants
- Lead on procurement processes, managing tenders where appropriate, conducting due diligence, benchmarking and evaluating suppliers, negotiating deals and ensuring value for money
- Manage the school’s lettings offer
- Ensure the effective and efficient operation of the admin team, delegating tasks to office staff where appropriate
- Human resources
- Oversea the school’s payroll provision with the payroll provider
- Ensure that recruitment, appraisal, disciplinary and grievance policies are administered in accordance with employment law
- Advise on HR issues within school and liaise with the external HR provider
- Conduct reviews of the school’s staffing structure to ensure effective deployment of staff and financial efficiency
- Health and safety
- With the headteacher and premises team, supervise the maintenance of the school site
- Manage the school’s compliance with health and safety regulations, and put in place processes and procedures to ensure the safety of all in the school
- Oversee health and safety training for staff
- Compliance
- Manage the school’s compliance with statutory obligations, and advise others on the relevant legal, regulatory and ethical requirements
- Track all school policies and ensure they are updated in accordance with the policy review schedule
- Monitor and update the risk register
- Administration
- Keep records in accordance with the school’s record retention schedule and UK data protection law, always ensuring information security and confidentiality
- Provide administrative support for the headteacher and governing body
- Support or be the school’s data protection officer depending on experience, taking responsibility for monitoring data protection compliance and advising the school community on data protection issues
- The school business manager will be required to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people and follow school policies and the staff code of conduct.
Please note that this list of duties is illustrative of the general nature and level of responsibility of the role. It is not a comprehensive list of all tasks that the school business manager will carry out. The postholder may be required to do other duties appropriate to the level of the role, as directed by the headteacher.
What We Offer:
- A welcoming and inclusive school environment that values innovation and continuous improvement.
- Opportunities for professional development and a dedicated system for training and mentoring.
- A supportive and collaborative staff community, with a friendly office team.
Visits to the school are warmly welcomed and encouraged.
Please contact Rachelle Tomkins, Headteacher, to arrange a visit or collect application pack: admin.office@denmead-jun.hants.sch.uk or contact the school office on 02392252735
Safer Recruitment
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. All successful candidates will be subject to Disclosure and Barring Service checks along with other relevant employment checks.
Safer Recruitment
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. All successful candidates will be subject to Disclosure and Barring Service checks along with other relevant employment checks.
