Head of Finance

Radnor House Prep School

Radnor House Prep School is an independent co-educational day school, which opened in September 2023. The school educates and inspires children from ages 2-11. The school is currently based in spacious modern premises in Richmond and in the future will occupy a stunning location on the banks of the River Thames in Twickenham, which is currently home to Radnor House Twickenham senior school.

The Role

The Head of Finance plays a critical role in ensuring the school’s financial stability and success. They are responsible for the day-to-day operation of the financial systems within the school. They will work closely with the Head and Group Finance Director to develop and manage the school’s budget, oversee all financial operations, including accounting, payroll, and financial reporting.

The role involves strategic planning, forecasting, and analysis to support the school’s long-term goals and aims of the school improvement plan. The Finance Officer will ensure compliance with relevant financial policies and will contribute where relevant to the school development plan and decision making process.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• Be responsible for the school’s finance function, management and year end reporting, and control effectively both accounts receivable and accounts payable
• Design and implement effective finance policies and procedures to help drive the development of finance
• Produce monthly management accounts and reports for the Head, including the consolidated profit and loss account and the balance sheet, providing a detailed analytical commentary
• Produce timely statutory and internal financial reports, together with the co-ordination of audit schedules and liaison with auditors as required
• Prepare and present the finance schedules and forecasts required for the monthly review and quarterly governance meetings with Dukes.
• Maintain the financial ledgers and accounting processes and ensure that appropriate financial controls are adhered to, with reference to the Dukes’ Finance Manuals
• Manage all aspects of the accounts receivable process, including the raising of billing, managing direct debits and school fee plans, and liaising with parents directly on outstanding debts due in accordance with credit control policy
• Manage all aspects of the accounts payable process, including ensuring the authorisation of invoices prior to payment, the management of payment cycles and control of monthly payment runs
• Review the month-end general ledger reconciliation
• Control the school’s cash effectively through working capital management and accurate, timely forecasting
• Control budgets, with production of periodic reports to budget holders during the financial year
• Collate pupil and staff statistical data for monthly reporting to Dukes
• Oversee the monthly payroll adjustments, the submission and processing of the monthly payroll, and liaise with the payroll agency
• Administer the group pension scheme, including reporting to the pension regulator
• Undertake ad hoc projects as and when directed by the Head and/ or Finance Director

Person Specification

The ideal candidate will have:

• exposure to preparing monthly management accounts
• evidence of effective project management
• experience of managing outsourced services
• outstanding IT skills
• excellent written and verbal communication skills

Experience of the following would be preferable but are not essential:

• (have or be working towards), a recognised Accounting Qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIIMA) and/or relevant financial management experience, ideally in the education sector
• experience of iSAMS, or another comparable MIS (Management Information System)
• an ability to make crucial decisions, sometimes in fast time, and will be comfortable moving between high-level strategy and day-to-day operational delivery