Devonshire Park Primary School
Designation of Post	School Business Manager
Job Purpose The School Business Manager is responsible for the Financial Resource Management / Administration Management / Management Information and ICT / Human Resource Management / Facility & Property Management / Health & Safety Management of the school. The School Business Manager is the school’s leading support staff professional and works as part of the Senior Leadership Team to assist the Headteacher in his duty to ensure that the school meets its educational aims. The School Business Manager is responsible for providing professional leadership and management of the school support staff in partnership with teaching staff, to enhance their effectiveness in order to achieve improved standards of learning and achievement in the school. The School Business Manager promotes the highest standards of business ethos within the administrative function of the school and strategically ensures the most effective use of resources in support of the school’s learning objectives. Summary of Main Duties Financial Resource Management To work with the finance support team to ensure DfE financial reporting requirements are met by the required deadlines. To manage the maintenance of accounting records, ensuring the appropriate financial controls and financial policies and procedures are being followed. Evaluate information and consult with the Headteacher and Governors to prepare a realistic and balanced budget for school activity. Submit the proposed budget to the Headteacher and Governors for approval. Use the agreed budget to actively monitor and control performance to achieve value for money. Identify and inform the Headteacher and Governors of the causes of significant variance and take prompt corrective action. Propose revisions to the budget if necessary, in response to significant or unforeseen developments. Provide ongoing budgetary information to relevant people. Advise the Headteacher and Governors if fraudulent activities are suspected or uncovered. Maintain a strategic financial plan that will indicate the trends and requirements of the school development plan and will forecast future budgets. Identify additional finance available to fund the school’s proposed activities. Seek and make use of specialist financial expertise, including the LA Bursar. Maximise income through lettings and other activities. Present timely and fully costed proposals or bids that enable value for money decisions to be made. Put formal finance agreements in place with suitable providers for agreed amounts, at agreed times and appropriate agreed costs and repayment schedules. Monitor the effectiveness and implementation of agreements. Develop work specifications and manage service contracts. To keep the school inventory / Asset Register up-to-date. Leadership & Strategy Contribute to the development of the school’s values and vision and communicate these clearly and enthusiastically to all staff and other stakeholders. Ensure that all staff are briefed on allocated work, showing how it fits within the school’s vision and objectives. Motivate, encourage and empower teams and individuals to work innovatively and creatively to achieve objectives. Encourage staff to take the lead and take decisions when they have the knowledge and expertise to enable them to do so. Monitor the progress and quality of work teams and individuals for whom the post holder has specific responsibility and provide prompt and constructive feedback. Provide support to staff during times of setback and change. Responsible for the content and submission of relevant information to the Senior Leadership Team and Governing Body and attend meetings, as required. In the absence of the Headteacher, take delegated responsibility for financial decisions. Plan and manage change in accordance with the School Strategic Improvement Plan. Safeguard the assets and reputation of the school and ensure confidentiality regarding school issues. Assist with the development of policies and procedures relating to child protection, health and safety, security, confidentiality and data protection. Responsible for devising effective marketing and promotion strategies for the school, including organisation of events and open days. Administration Management Manage the whole school administrative function and lead all support staff. Define responsibilities, information and support for staff and other stakeholders. Establish and use effective methods to review and improve administrative systems. Use data analysis, evaluation and reporting systems ensuring systems they are streamlined to maximise efficiency and avoid duplication. Benchmark systems and information to assess trends and make appropriate recommendations. Prepare information for publications and returns for the DfE, LA and other agencies and stakeholders within statutory guidelines. Management Information Systems & ICT Consult with relevant people and consider approaches for existing use and future plans to introduce new technology or improve existing technology for different purposes. Communicate the strategy and relevant policies, including Data Protection for use of technology across the school. Ensure resources, support and training are provided to enable work colleagues to make the best use of available ICT including teaching, learning and assessment systems. Ensure contingency plans are in place in the case technology failure. Human Resource Management To ensure that all staff are paid on the correct scale and spine point in consultation with the Headteacher and Governors and to provide appropriate information on pay to staff, the Governing Body and the LA. To consult with HR in the provision of information and advice on conditions of service for all categories of staff employed at the school. Ensure that all recruitment, appraisal, staff development, grievance, disciplinary and redundancy policies and procedures comply with legal and regulatory requirements. Manage recruitment, performance management, appraisal and development for all support staff and be able to provide relevant training to improve performance, knowledge and skills Ensure people have a clear understanding of the policies and procedures and the importance of putting them into practice. Seek and make use of specialist expertise in relation to HR issues. Identify the types of skills, knowledge, understanding and experience required to undertake existing and future planned activities. Facility & Property Management Ensure a safe environment for the stakeholders of the school to provide a secure environment in which due learning processes can be provided. Ensure the safe maintenance and security operation of all school premises. Manage the maintenance of the school site including the purchase and repair of all furniture and fittings. Ensure the continuing availability of utilities, site services and equipment. Follow sound practices in estate management and grounds maintenance. Ensure ancillary services e.g. catering, cleaning, etc., are monitored and managed effectively. Monitor, assess and review contractual obligations for outsourced school services. Ensure the supervision of relevant planning and construction processes undertaken are in line with contractual obligations. Ensure contractors follow instructions and requests. Monitor quality of work by contractors. Manage the letting of school premises to external organisations, for the development of the extended services and local community requirements. Seek professional advice on insurance and advise the SLT on appropriate insurances for the school and implement and manage such schemes accordingly. Other Tasks which may be required Act as the school’s Health and Safety Co-ordinator and Fire Officer. Plan, instigate and maintain records of fire practices and alarm tests. Ensure the school’s written Health & Safety Policy is clearly communicated and available to all people. Ensure the Health & Safety policy is implemented at all times, put into practice and is subject to review and assessment at regular intervals or as situations change. Enable regular consultation with people on Health & Safety issues. Ensure systems are in place to enable the identification of hazards and risk assessments. Ensure systems are in place for effective monitoring, measuring and reporting of Health & Safety issues to the Senior Leadership Team, Governors and where appropriate the Health& Safety Executive. Ensure the maximum level of security is maintained at all times. General Ensuring that the agreed school safeguarding procedures are followed with regard to the safety of the people on site and the security of the building. To maintain full awareness of new systems etc., by attending relevant training and courses. To carry out such other duties, commensurate with the grading of the post, as may be required by the Headteacher. Responsible along with all members of the school staff for the safeguarding and welfare of all pupils. Note This job description will be reviewed regularly and may be subject to amendment or modification at any time after consultation with the post holder. It is not a definitive statement of procedures and tasks, but sets out the main expectations of the service in relation to the post holder’s responsibilities and duties. Elements of this job description and changes to it may be amended in light of organisational and service requirements.
Signed: (SBM) Date Signed: (Headteacher) Date