Finance & Office Manager at Norwood Primary School

Finance and Office Manager

Salary: Grade 8

Hours per week: 36.25 – term time plus teacher training days, plus 4 extra days worked in the holidays. (199 days worked per year in total)

Contract type: Permanent

Reporting to: Headteacher

Closing date for applications: Midday - Wednesday 1^st July 2026

Interviews to be held: Monday 6^th July 2026

Start date: 1^st September 2026

About the Role

Our school is a small and friendly school that is located to the north of the city of Peterborough.  The school was built in 1975 and has excellent facilities, both indoors and out.  We have one class per year group from Reception (4 and 5 year old's) through to Year 6 (10 and 11 year old's).

Our children are provided with a high standard of teaching and learning, up-to-date high-quality resources and a wealth of rich and varied educational opportunities and experiences.

Through developing children's confidence, self-belief and their academic knowledge, we endeavour to equip all pupils with the skills for a happy, successful and fulfilling life.

At Norwood Primary School, we value all individuals in our community and have a commitment to ensuring good quality provision and outcomes for all. Through our creative curriculum and the enthusiasm of adults, we instill a curiosity for and love of learning. Key skills are systematically taught and recognised as the building blocks of lifelong learning.

This is a pivotal role within the school. Working closely with the Headteacher and Governors, you will lead on all aspects of finance, operations and administration services, ensuring that the school runs efficiently, remains financially sustainable, and continues to provide the very best for our pupils.

This is an exciting opportunity for a skilled professional to play a key role in shaping the long-term sustainability and strategic direction of the school.

We are looking for someone who combines strategic thinking with strong operational delivery — someone who can see the bigger picture while also ensuring that the day-to-day systems and processes run smoothly.

About You

The successful candidate will:

• Be calm, organised and solution-focused, even under pressure
• Have strong financial acumen and the ability to think strategically
• Be an excellent communicator, able to work with staff, governors, parents and external partners
• Lead and motivate support staff, building an effective and collaborative team
• Have a strong understanding of compliance, safeguarding and confidentiality
• Be proactive in identifying efficiencies, improvements and income generation opportunities
• Take pride in delivering high-quality systems and processes
• Be personable, approachable and able to contribute positively to our team culture. 

• Be a professional who can bring ideas, challenge constructively and help shape effective systems for the future.

Experience of working in a school setting is desirable, but strong transferable business, finance or operational leadership experience will also be considered.

Key Responsibilities

Finance & Business Management

• Lead the school’s financial planning, budgeting and monitoring processes
• Provide clear, accurate and timely financial reports to the Headteacher and Governing Body
• Ensure robust financial controls, compliance and audit readiness at all times
• Oversee day-to-day financial operations, including invoicing, income and expenditure
• Lead on procurement, tendering and contract management to ensure value for money
• Develop and implement strategies for income generation, including lettings and external funding opportunities
• Complete statutory financial returns and ensure compliance with all financial regulations
• Support and advise the Headteacher and Governors on strategic and operational matters

Human Resources

• Oversee all HR processes including recruitment, induction, absence management
• Liaise with external HR and payroll provider
• Ensure all safer recruitment and safeguarding procedures are rigorously followed, including the maintenance of the Single Central Record

Compliance & Governance

• Ensure the school meets all statutory and regulatory requirements
• Support the work of the Governing Body, including attending and contributing to meetings

Administration & Operations

• Ensure the smooth and efficient running of the school office and administrative systems
• Oversee the use and development of the school’s MIS and data systems
• Lead on whole-school systems and processes to improve efficiency and effectiveness
• Support statutory returns, including the workforce census

What We Offer

• A welcoming, inclusive and values-driven school community
• A supportive and experienced leadership team
• The chance to play a key role in shaping the future of the school
• We are committed to supporting ongoing professional development, including leadership and specific training

·         Inspiring, enthusiastic and engaged pupils

·        A talented, committed and friendly team who are passionate about working and learning with children

·         A culture which encourages and supports relevant high quality continuous professional development and provides opportunities to ensure you continue to grow as a primary practitioner

·         A well-resourced school that is set in extensive well-maintained grounds

·         Partnerships with local schools to enhance and develop further the learning opportunities for all children within the locality

·         A fully confidential Health Assured Employee Assistance Program, providing 24/7 support for personal or professional issues including free legal advice, medical information, counselling and a raft of online self-help tools

Safeguarding

Norwood Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All staff are expected to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and all relevant pre-employment checks in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.

Visits to the School

Visits are warmly welcomed and encouraged. Please contact the school office to arrange a visit.

Notes to Applicants

For this post a school’s application form is required to be submitted via MyNewTerm. Applications will only be accepted from applicants completing the application form in full. We do not accept CVs in support of an application.

Interviews will be offered to those applicants who best demonstrate:

●       How skills, abilities and experience match the person specification, taking into consideration the job description;

●       Evidence of your commitment to the needs of the role in the school.

 If possible, we encourage you to visit the school in advance of applying.

The selection process may include a formal interview, leadership scenario activities, data or finance tasks, and opportunities to meet staff and pupils. Please visit our school website or contact the school for more information.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders act 1974 and as such all applicants who are appointed to this post will be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure before the appointment is confirmed. This check will include details of cautions, reprimands or warnings, as well as convictions and non-conviction information. Once appointed, the successful applicant may also be required to apply for an Enhanced Disclosure at intervals during their employment whilst in this post.

Thank you for your interest in this post.