Accountant

Haberdashers' Elstree Schools; Elstree; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private Pension Scheme

Free lunch and refreshments

Free onsite parking

Wellbeing initiatives

Extensive professional development

Job summary

Haberdashers' Elstree Schools seeks an Accountant to join its friendly Finance team. The role combines core accounting with supporting school fee and billing processes, working with colleagues across the schools, parents and external stakeholders to deliver accurate and accessible financial information.

You will prepare monthly management accounts, analyse performance, produce KPI dashboards and support budgeting and forecasting.

Qualifications

• Strong technical accounting skills and accurate financial reporting.
• Ability to analyse financial performance and prepare KPI dashboards.
• Experience with budgeting and financial planning processes.

Responsibilities

• Prepare monthly management accounts with variance analysis.
• Produce KPI dashboards and performance reports for senior leadership.
• Oversee transactional processes including purchase ledger and sales ledger.
• Maintain and reconcile General Ledger, Purchase Ledger, Sales Ledger and Cashbook.
• Review monthly reconciliations for accuracy and completeness.
• Prepare monthly journals, accruals and prepayments.
• Assist with fee administration and invoicing processes.
• Support with annual budgets and forecasts.

Skills

Accounting knowledge

Attention to detail

Analytical skills

Communication

Education

Accounting qualification (preferred)

Tools

Accounting software

Spreadsheets

Job description

We are looking for an Accountant to join our friendly and collaborative Finance team, working across Habs Elstree Schools. This is a varied role that combines core accounting responsibilities with supporting the smooth running of our school fee and billing processes. You will work with colleagues across the schools, as well as parents and external stakeholders, helping to ensure that our financial processes are accurate, efficient and delivered to a high standard. Importantly, we are looking for someone who is not only comfortable working with numbers, but who enjoys working with people too. You will have the opportunity to build positive relationships with colleagues and budget holders, helping to make financial information clear, accessible and useful. About the role As Accountant, you will take responsibility for a range of accounting activities, supporting the production of accurate and meaningful financial information and contributing to the effective management of the schools' finances. You will prepare monthly management accounts, analyse financial performance and produce reports and KPI dashboards for senior leaders. You will also work closely with budget holders, helping them to understand their financial position and use data to support effective decision-making. Alongside these responsibilities, you will play an important role in the administration of school fees, working with parents and colleagues to resolve queries and ensuring that fee-related processes run smoothly and efficiently. The role will suit someone who enjoys variety, takes pride in getting the detail right and is keen to make a positive contribution to a busy, supportive team., Accounts

• Prepare accurate monthly management accounts, providing clear and insightful variance analysis.
• Produce KPI dashboards and performance reports for senior leadership.
• Oversee and review transactional processes, including purchase ledger, sales ledger, expenses and payments.
• Maintain and reconcile the General Ledger, Purchase Ledger, Sales Ledger and Cashbook.
• Review and authorise monthly reconciliations, ensuring accuracy and completeness.
• Prepare and review monthly journals, accruals and prepayments.
• Maintain the Fixed Asset Register.
• Analyse and reconcile key Balance Sheet and P&L accounts.
• Support the Financial Controller with the development of annual budgets and periodic forecasts.
• Work closely with budget holders to improve financial understanding and accountability.
• Provide clear and accessible financial information to colleagues who are not finance specialists.
• Support strategic decision-making through accurate, relevant and data-driven financial insight.
• Fees and financial administration
• Assist with the preparation of accurate termly invoices and ensure these are issued in a timely manner.
• Liaise with parents and teachers to resolve invoice queries.
• Support the maintenance of the Sales Ledger for fees and the FeeMaster module.
• Assist with the school's debt control process.
• Support the Direct Debit process, including maintaining FeeMaster records and following up outstanding mandates with parents.
• Prepare and submit schedules to the school's fee payment plan provider for monthly payers.
• Administer the School Fees Refund Scheme and Private Health Insurance Scheme.
• Process ad-hoc charges on Evolve and administer Evolve Pay.
• Maintain the Girls' School hot lunches system, ensuring relevant information is accurately updated across LiveReg and FeeMaster.
• Monitor Microsoft Forms responses from new starters to ensure information is received ahead of billing.
• Administer the deposit refund process for Girls' School leavers.
• Periodically monitor ParentPay lunch balances and manage overdrawn accounts.

We are looking for someone who combines strong technical accounting skills with a collaborative and approachable style. You will be confident working with financial information and have a good eye for detail, while also being able to step back and understand what the numbers mean for the wider organisation. You will be comfortable explaining financial information to colleagues who may not have a finance background and will enjoy working collaboratively with people across the schools. You will be organised and able to manage competing priorities, with the ability to work accurately and calmly within a busy environment. You will take ownership of your work, be willing to ask questions and look for ways in which processes can be improved. Experience of working with accounting systems, spreadsheets and financial reporting will be important, alongside a sound understanding of accounting principles and practices. Experience of working within an education environment would be useful, but is not essential. Above all, we are looking for someone who will contribute positively to our Finance team: someone approachable, dependable and committed to providing a high-quality service to our schools and their communities.

Habs has been awarded Independent School of the Year 2025, with Haberdashers' Elstree Schools receiving both the award for Outstanding Educational Partnerships and the overall top accolade of Independent School of the Year 2025. This recognition reflects our long-term commitment to social impact and the deep, sustained collaborations we continue to build with our state sector partners. It is an exciting time to join our community. At Habs, our Finance team plays an important role in enabling our schools to thrive. Behind the teaching, learning and wider experiences we provide for our pupils is a dedicated team working hard to make sure our schools are financially well managed, supported and able to make informed decisions.

• A competitive salary, commensurate with the candidate's experience and the size of the School
• The opportunity to work in a vibrant, ambitious, and supportive school community alongside exceptional colleagues who are deeply committed to excellence and to one another
• Private Pension Scheme through Aegon offers four flexible options, each with generous employer contributions
• Discount on school fees for children at any of the Elstree Schools (fee remission set at time of child joining)
• Additional life assurance cover
• Access to the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), providing confidential support and advice
• Extensive professional development training opportunities
• Free lunch and refreshments
• Free onsite parking and access to travel on the schools extensive coach network
• Free access to state-of-the-art sports facilities including the gym, swimming pool, and fitness classes
• Wellbeing initiatives and programmes, such as yoga, mindfulness sessions, and health checks
• Access to an online GP service, providing quick and convenient healthcare advice
• Access to Vivup, the staff benefits platform, featuring discounts, financial advice, and wellbeing resources