School Business Manager
St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Kettering, Northamptonshire, NN16 0JH21 days remaining to apply
Job start date
5 May 2026
Closing date
18 March 2026 at 11:59pm
Date listed
25 February 2026
Job details
Job role
- Administration, HR, data and finance
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Part time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- £32,844.00 - £36,334.00 Annually (Actual) 37 hours a week, term time + training days + 5 weeks (negotiable)
School Business Manager job summary
We are looking for a proactive, skilled and people‑focused School Business Lead to provide strategic leadership across our business and administrative functions. Working closely with the Headteacher and Governing Body, you will be responsible for the effective management of the school’s finances, premises, administration, HR processes and support services. This is a senior support role requiring strong leadership, financial acumen and the ability to balance strategic oversight with hands‑on operational delivery in a busy school environment.
This is an exciting opportunity for someone who thrives in a fast‑paced environment, enjoys improving systems, and is passionate about ensuring that every aspect of school support contributes to excellent outcomes for children.
About Us:
St Mary’s CE VA Primary Academy is a nurturing, child‑centred school where the ethos “Do everything in love” shapes everyday practice. The school provides a warm, welcoming environment supported by highly motivated staff who create awe‑inspiring learning spaces and deliver a broad, rich curriculum designed to inspire, challenge, and celebrate every child’s individuality.
Pupils benefit from a caring culture where wellbeing, kindness, and respect are central. Enquiry‑led learning helps children recognise the value of their voice, develop leadership skills, and build positive mental health, contributing to a safe, inclusive community where pupils thrive personally and academically.
About the Role
As our School Business Lead, you will take responsibility for the effective and efficient running of the school office and business functions. You’ll work closely with the Headteacher and SLT to drive high‑quality administration, financial planning, personnel processes, and operational support across the school.
You’ll lead an enthusiastic administrative team, ensuring our office delivers a welcoming, professional and highly organised service for staff, pupils, parents, governors and external partners.
Key Responsibilities
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Management
- Lead and manage the school’s administrative and premises teams, ensuring high standards of performance, motivation and professional development.
- Review, develop and implement efficient systems and procedures to support the smooth day‑to‑day running of the school.
- Contribute to whole‑school priorities and the School Improvement Plan, promoting the school’s values and ethos at all times.
Finance & Resources
- Compile the annual school budget on behalf of the Headteacher and monitor expenditure against agreed plans.
- Maintain accurate financial records, process orders and invoices, and ensure compliance with all financial regulations and audit requirements.
- Identify budget variances and provide clear financial reports to the Headteacher and Governing Body, including attendance at governing body meetings.
- Secure best value for money through effective procurement and contract management.
Human Resources & Compliance
- Manage recruitment processes for administrative and premises staff, including safer recruitment and pre‑employment checks.
- Maintain accurate personnel records, including payroll notifications, sickness absence, training and staff variations.
- Ensure the Single Central Record is accurate and fully compliant.
Premises, Health & Safety
- Oversee the maintenance, security and cleaning of the school site, liaising with contractors and site staff as required.
- Manage statutory compliance including legionella, asbestos and health & safety requirements.
- Ensure timely completion of returns and documentation required by the local authority, DfE and external agencies.
Systems, Policies & Data
- Lead on the management of the school’s Management Information System (SIMS) and associated administrative and financial IT systems.
- Update and review policies and risk assessments within the remit of the role.
- Ensure the security and integrity of school data and equipment.
About You
You will be an experienced manager with strong organisational, financial and people‑management skills, ideally gained within an education or similarly complex public‑sector environment.
Essential:
- Proven experience managing staff and overseeing finance, administration and/or premises functions.
- Strong financial and analytical skills, with experience of budgeting and financial monitoring.
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively with pupils, parents, staff, governors and external partners.
- Ability to manage competing priorities, meet deadlines and work flexibly.
- Commitment to safeguarding, equality and continuous professional development.
- Working towards or have administrative, financial or accounting qualifications equivalent to national qualifications level 6, or Advanced Diploma of School Business Management
- Management experience involving varied activities across a range of functions including administration, finance and HR
Desirable:
- Experience working in a school or education setting.
- Knowledge of Arbor and/or other education‑based systems.
- Responsibility for generating income, including grant applications and facilities management
- Develop, implement and monitor school policies and procedures
- Analytical, judgemental and creative skills required to interpret varied and complex information
What we are looking for:
- Has a calm approach
- Maintains confidentiality
- Has a good sense of humour
- Has an empathetic nature
- Is enthusiastic
- Has the ability to adapt to a variety of situations
- Demonstrates initiative
- Works well as part of a team
Application Details
Visits to the school are warmly welcomed. To arrange a visit or find out more, please contact the school office or Sarah Hewitt at business.manager@stmarysprimarykettering.co.uk
Early application is advised, as we may interview and appoint before the closing date.
St Mary’s CE VA Primary Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Any successful candidates will be subject to Disclosure and Barring Service checks along with other relevant employment checks to ensure their suitability for safeguarding children. Shortlisted candidates will have online searches carried out prior to interview.
Appointments are excluded from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Applications must declare any convictions which for other purposes are “Spent” and in the event of employment, failure to disclose such convictions could result in dismissal or disciplinary action by the school. Applicants must provide the information requested on a questionnaire sent at the time of short-listing and understand that the provisionally selected candidate for such posts will be required to apply for a Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure at the appropriate level. Any information will be treated confidentially.
Further information about the job
Commitment to safeguarding
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and we expect all staff to share this commitment. Successful candidates will be subject to DBS checks along with other relevant employment checks to ensure their suitability for safeguarding children.
Appointments are excluded from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Applications must declare any convictions which for other purposes are “Spent” and in the event of employment, failure to disclose such convictions could result in dismissal or disciplinary action by the school. Any information will be treated confidentially.
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 St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
- School type
- Academy, Church of England, ages 4 to 11
- Education phase
- Primary school
- School size
- 262 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 4 to 11
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
Would you like to work in a kind, caring and loving Church School Family? We have an opportunity for an enthusiastic, vibrant and dynamic teacher to join our passionate and supportive team in September.
We are looking for an engaging, fabulous teacher who wants to create an imaginative, structured and successful learning environment to ensure high quality outcomes for all our children. We have strong values throughout the school and have excellent pastoral care for all our children and staff. Experienced teachers will drive a subject area to ensure that the whole curriculum is valued and fully embedded. ECTs will benefit from a committed program of support from the school.
We are an Ofsted ‘Good’ school – September 2019, and a SIAMS "Outstanding" school - July 2016. "The school lives and breathes their values in everything they do". Our philosophy is child centred and we seek to enrich their lives through every activity and learning opportunity that they are given.
School location
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