Finance Assistant
Brookfields School, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 3JA12 days remaining to apply
Job start date
23 February 2026
Closing date
19 January 2026 at 9am
Date listed
5 January 2026
Job details
Job role
- Administration, HR, data and finance
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Fixed term
Full-time equivalent salary
- Grade 5 - SCP 16 - 20 - £25,989 - £27,254 FTE
Finance Assistant job summary
We are seeking an experienced Finance Assistant to join our school on a temporary basis. This role is essential in supporting the smooth running of the school’s financial administration.
Key Responsibilities:
• Processing purchase orders and supplier invoices accurately and efficiently
• Maintaining and administering the school’s cashless payment systems using Arbor
• Setting up new billable items, including school trips, snacks, and school meals
• Monitoring accounts, chasing outstanding payments, and following up unpaid balances
• Responding to finance-related queries from staff and parents
• Supporting general finance administration as required
The Ideal Candidate will have:
• Previous experience in a finance or administrative role (school or education sector experience desirable)
• Strong working knowledge of Arbor and Sage (desirable)
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail
• Confidence in handling queries and communicating clearly with a range of stakeholders
• The ability to work independently and manage routine financial processes effectively
This is a temporary maternity cover role, ideal for someone with strong school finance experience who can provide valuable support from day one.
Brookfields School provides a quality, inclusive and specialist education for pupils with severe and complex learning difficulties and autistic spectrum disorders.
We are committed to:
• An inclusive approach to teaching and learning to provide equal opportunities for all pupils
• Providing a positive, stimulating, child-centred learning environment, where everyone is valued and respected
• Promoting the personal qualities of individuals so that they achieve and contribute to their highest level
• Sustaining the highest quality teaching and learning standards
• Promoting learning as a life-long process involving a wide community of people including families
All candidates are required to provide a supporting statement on the formal application forms which states clearly your reasons for applying, skills and experience for this position.
Join Shaw Education Trust – Support, Teach, Lead… Make the Remarkable Happen.
At Shaw Education Trust, we believe every role holds the power to transform a life. Whether you're supporting behind the scenes, inspiring in the classroom, or leading with vision, you’ll be part of something extraordinary.
We are a dynamic and growing family of Primary, Secondary, and Special Schools, proudly serving communities from Birmingham to Bury. Our mission is to unlock opportunity for every young person—whatever their background, ability, or starting point.
Our people are our greatest asset, and we are deeply committed to their growth. Through high-quality training, apprenticeships, talent acceleration, and research opportunities, we empower our staff to thrive as skilled, confident professionals and we champion wellbeing, value every voice, and create a culture where you feel supported, motivated, and inspired to make a real difference.
You will join a collaborative network of schools where shared expertise and professional community fuel success. Every academy in our Trust has an equal voice, and every colleague plays a vital part in shaping tailored learning experiences that raise aspirations and build brighter futures.
At the heart of our work is a deep respect for the children and young adults we serve—our “precious cargo.” We are proud to "exactly like nothing else” and bridge the gap between education and the wider world, preparing every student for further education, employment, or training in inclusive environments where integrity, equality, and opportunity thrive.
If you have the heart, passion, and drive to help shape lives and create futures filled with promise, we would love you to join our incredible team.
Support. Teach. Lead. Belong. Thrive.
Together, let’s make the remarkable happen.
Our Special Schools are dedicated to supporting children and young people with a broad spectrum of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.
From those with profound medical conditions and life-limiting illnesses, to individuals with severe, moderate, or sensory needs, and those experiencing social, emotional, or mental health challenges, our settings are designed to provide the care, understanding, and expertise each young person needs to thrive.
Whether you're a teacher, teaching assistant, healthcare professional, or part of our facilities, administration, or operations teams, you will find a welcoming, family-like environment where every role is valued.
At the heart of each school is a shared commitment to putting children, young people, and their families first.
Each pupil receives a personalised education and learns in small groups or classes, supported by dedicated staff who tailor their approach to meet individual needs.
Working in our Special Schools is more than a job; it’s an opportunity to be part of a compassionate team that empowers children and young people to live their best life and build a bright future.
The difference you make will be life-changing, not only for them but for their families too.
Shaw Education Trust offer the following employee benefits with your Teaching or Support Staff employment:
- An excellent Local Government Pension Scheme (Support Staff) / Teachers Pension (Teaching Staff)
- Support Staff only based on working full time, all year - Generous holiday entitlement from your first day of employment (37 days holiday rising to 39 days after 5 years’ service including Bank Holidays)
- Access to Medicash Health & Wellbeing Plan: Enjoy health services designed to support your well-being.
- Free DiscountForTeachers Scheme for all staff (Support and Teaching), Exclusive discounts to save money with a wide selection of discounts and exclusive offers from hundreds of the biggest brands.
- Free Eye Tests
- Cycle to work scheme
- Access to our Institute of Education and fantastic opportunities to help you grow, contribute and flourish in your role and in the Trust.
We know our people are the key to our success and so we’re committed to ensuring the employment experience at Shaw Education Trust is a rewarding one.
Colleagues within the Trust benefit from: Access to a full range of courses both in-house and professionally accredited. These courses include a variety of the National Professional Qualifications and the Early Carer Teacher Programme delivered by Shaw Education Trust as a delivery partner for Ambition Institute.
- Experienced leadership and subject-specific support.
- Guidance from former HMIs and serving Ofsted Inspectors within the Trust.
- Access to the Trust’s Institute of Education and SCITT.
- Opportunities to work with different schools within the Trust as a Professional Advocate.
- Participating in peer reviews.
- Access to a suite of online courses.
- Placement projects within our family of schools.
Actual Salary: £17,896 - £18,767
Working hours: 30 hours per week – 9am to 3.30pm – Monday to Friday – TT only - 38 weeks per year
Contract type: Maternity Contract (offered for up to 1 year, subject to the return of the employee)
Further information about the job
Commitment to safeguarding
Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.
Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.
Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
childcare disqualification
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
medical
online and social media
prohibition from teaching
right to work
satisfactory references
suitability to work with children
You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.
Applying for the job
This school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.
CVs will not be accepted for this application.
View advert on external website (opens in new tab)About Brookfields School
- School type
- Academy, ages 2 to 11
- School size
- 131 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 2 to 11
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- Brookfields School website
Brookfields is a primary special academy situated in Widnes, Cheshire. Our school provides a quality, inclusive and specialist education for pupils with severe and complex learning difficulties and autistic spectrum disorders. The school is part of the Shaw Education Trust.
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