School Business Manager

Stretford Grammar School, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M32 8JB

11 days remaining to apply

Start date details
by 20th May 2025 or sooner
Closing date
24 March 2025 at 12pm (midday)
Date listed
12 March 2025

Job details

Job role: Other leadership roles
Administration, HR, data and finance
Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern: Full time: Full Time
Contract type: Permanent
Pay scale: SM4CC

What skills and experience we're looking for

Stretford Grammar School is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, transgender status, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.

Job Purpose

This role is key to helping all students maximise their potential, in line with our values, ethos and expectations

To support the Headteacher in dealing with complex leadership, financial, management and organisational challenges, to help the school and its governing body achieve their goals and aspirations for staff and pupils and the wider community

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team the post holder will be responsible for the strategic direction and leadership of the school support service, including all aspects of budgeting, financial management and performance management, estate management, administration, catering and technical support, ensuring that all legal and governance requirements are satisfied

To lead the school’s premises strategy to ensure the best possible environment for teaching, learning and education

Strategic Leadership

Develop and lead a highly motivated team of support staff to support the vision for the school and deliver effective support services across the school

Plan and manage staffing and organisational change in accordance with the school development/strategic plans

Negotiate and influence strategic decision making within the Senior Management Team

Lead on the strategic development of business continuity plans

Attend Full Governing Body Meetings, appropriate Governors Committee Meetings and Senior Leadership Team Meetings

Finance and Resource Management

Advise the Headteacher/Senior Leadership Team and Governing Body on investment and financial policy, preparing appraisals/scoping project/preparing bids for specific projects and for the development of a business plan for the future development of the school

Maximise income generation e.g. external grants, business, sponsorship, funding within the strategic objectives/ethos of the school, and act as point of contact for grant applications, gifts and other donations

Maintain a strategic financial plan that will indicate the trends and requirements of the school development plan and will forecast future year budgets

Use financial management information, especially benchmarking, to identify areas of relative spend, assess trends and directly advise SLT and Governing Body

Be responsible for the preparation of the annual budget and delivery of short, medium- and long-term financial plans for the school

Be responsible for the compliance with all financial procedures in the school, including internal and external audit requirements

Oversee the effective management of expenditure within agreed budgets and take a lead role in the strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation of cash flow and budgets

Negotiate, manage and monitor contracts, tenders and agreements for the provision of support services

Prepare all financial returns for the DfE, LA and other central and local government agencies within statutory deadlines

Implement the approved insurances and handle any claims that arise

Take a lead role in establishing effective links with local businesses and within the community

Administration and Management

Lead on the effective planning, development, design, organisation, implementation and monitoring of support systems/procedures/policies

Establish and use effective methods to review and improve administrative systems

Use data analysis, evaluation and reporting systems to maximum effect by ensuring systems are streamlined to maximise efficiency and avoid duplication

Prepare information for publications and returns for the DFE, LA and other agencies and stakeholders within statutory guidelines

Ensure there is an effective clerking service in place for the governance of the school

What the school offers its staff

‘Stretford Grammar School is an inspirational place to learn. Pupils flourish in this warm and welcoming environment (Ofsted 2024).’

Governors of this warm, welcoming and inclusive school wish to appoint a suitably qualified candidate to join the Senior Leadership Team as School Business Manager. The successful applicant will have substantial and relevant financial experience in an educational, public sector or business setting and will be an excellent administrator with outstanding leadership qualities and personal skills.

They will be expected to develop the business, finance and resource management services of the school to ensure high quality outcomes for students, staff and the wider community, as well as contribute to the next exciting phase of the school’s development with the planned new build. In doing so, the Business Manager will make a major contribution to school improvement and the school’s legacy for future generations.

The successful candidate will be subject to a full enhanced DBS check.

Further details and an application form are available from the school website

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.