Education Finance Officer

5 Star Recruitment; Romford; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

5 Star Recruitment is seeking an experienced SEN Finance Officer to manage overall financial resources for SEND, including transport budgets and recoupment. The role involves data reporting for statutory returns, liaising with schools and parents on free school meals, and ensuring timely budget allocations.

The post emphasizes strong numeracy, data handling, and collaboration with LA maintained schools and academies.

Qualifications

• Must have a high level of numeracy and the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Ability to deal professionally with internal clients, schools and academies.
• Proven ability to work effectively within a team and prioritise workload to meet deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Input data accurately into the team and produce reports.
• Conduct data maintenance and analysis using spreadsheets.
• Determine high needs budget allocations using EHCP data and adjust as pupils move.
• Lead responsibility for SEND Recoupment between LAs for Looked After Children and for schools purchasing the service.
• Meet with Headteachers and SENCOs; provide training on budget allocation.
• Verify and process contingency claims; monitor budgets and forecasts; respond to queries.

Skills

Numeracy

Data analysis

Communication skills

Teamwork

Prioritisation

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Fusion

Word

Outlook

Job description

Management of overall financial resources and procedures for SEND ensuring Implementation of the new Schools Funding Arrangements 2013, including responsibility for SEN transport finance and post 16 transport finance.

Co-ordination and production of data information for statutory returns to the DfE, Freedom of Information requests etc. using Synergy, Liquid Logic, excel spreadsheets and any other SEN sources of information.

Administer the process for determining eligibility for free school meals, including liaising with schools and parents.

Job Context:

• 1. Responsible to the Principal Education Finance Officer
• 2. Responsibility for SEN delegation, recoupment, contingency claims, income and expenditure, i-procurement, including transport budget and managing external contracts.
• 3. Responsibility for the free school meals eligibility process and the free school meals eligibility traded service

4. The post holder may occasionally be required to work outside 'normal' office hours / as required by their line manager up to 36 hours per week.

Experience

The post holder is required to have a high level of numeracy and the ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing. They will also need to have the ability to deal professionally with internal clients, schools and academies and have a commitment toproviding a quality service.

The postholder must also be able to work effectively within a team.

Prioritising own workload to meet conflicting deadlines while ensuring that critical fixed deadlines take absolute priority.

A broad understanding of the different accounting principles and processes that relate to LA maintained schools, academies and free schools and of local authority accounting standards.

Experience of working in a financial environment and of having used computerised financial systems e.g. Fusion would be an advantage.

Advanced skills in Microsoft Excel, including the development and use of macros, are essential together with a very good knowledge of Microsoft Word and Outlook.

Key Result Area (SEN)

To be able to input data accurately into the team produce reports. To undertake data maintenance and analysis using spreadsheets

Determine the high needs budget allocation for schools, academies and early years providers using Education Health Care Plan data. Revise these allocations throughout the years as EHCPs are awarded and when pupils move school.

Lead responsibility for SEND Recoupment between LA's for Looked After Children (LAC) and for schools that have bought into the service.

Meet with individual Headteachers and SENCOs.

Training to all early years and school SENCOs on budget allocation

In conjunction with the Team Manager, responsibility for verifying and processing contingency claims

Budget monitoring

Expected End Result

Accurate forecasting to prepare for changes in need and provide cost effective provision to meet needs

Schools, academies and high needs settings are provided with accurate and timely allocations and details of how these sums have been calculated.

Accurate forecast of funding. All income received and invoices paid on time to reduce penalty payments

Answer any queries in person to ensure Headteachers understand their allocation of budget for meeting the needs of pupils with SEN

Once a year, meet with new SENCOs to explain allocation of funds and answer questions about their expenditure to met the needs of pupils with SEN