Finance Assistant

The Sutton Academy; North Berwick; On-site; GBP 27,000 - 29,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Local Government Pension Scheme

25 days annual leave (increasing to 30

Sickness and parental leave pay

TCAT+ rewards and wellbeing platform

Employee Assistance Programme

CPD framework via Education Connect

Job summary

The Sutton Academy is seeking a Finance Assistant to join our business support team. You will manage day-to-day financial processing, including purchase orders, supplier invoices and Arbor Pay queries, and support month-end reconciliations to keep records compliant.

You will work closely with the Cluster Finance Manager and Finance Officer, ensuring accurate payments and timely reporting, while maintaining confidentiality and a professional approach.

Qualifications

• Experience with financial procedures, controls, processes and reconciliations.
• Accounts payable: supplier invoices and purchase orders.
• Experience in a busy finance office environment.
• Up-to-date ICT knowledge with Arbor, Civica Financials and MS Office.

Responsibilities

• Process supplier invoices and purchase orders in Civica Financials with budget-holder approvals.
• Reconcile monthly credit card transactions and petty cash.
• Handle Arbor Pay online payment queries.
• Assist with school bank administration and cash reconciliation.
• Produce and collate finance reports for the team and external auditors.
• Support month-end and year-end reconciliations and maintain records per policy.
• Assist staff with purchasing processes and place orders.
• Maintain confidentiality and professional conduct in all duties.

Skills

Attention to detail

Organisational skills

Numeracy

Literacy

Communication

Team player

Education

GCSE Maths C/4 or above

GCSE English C/4 or above

AAT Part-qualified (Level 2/3)

Tools

Arbor

Civica Financials

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Sutton Academy is seeking a Finance Assistant to join our business support team at the academy.

This role is for someone who can keep school finances accurate and timely, managing purchase orders, supplier invoices, card reconciliations and Arbor Pay queries while working closely with the Cluster Finance Manager and Finance Officer. You will be hands-on with day-to-day processing and month-end reconciliations, and your attention to detail will ensure payments and records are correct and compliant. The role is practical and collaborative: you will support routine processing and be a first point of contact for payment and Arbor Pay queries.

What you'll be doing

Process supplier invoices and purchase orders in Civica Financials; check entries for accuracy and secure budget-holder approvals for timely payment

Reconcile credit card transactions monthly and administer petty cash.

Handle Arbor Pay online payment queries and related tasks.

Assist with school bank administration, including regular cash reconciliation and deposits.

Produce and collate finance reports from accounting software for the finance team and external auditors.

Support month-end and year-end financial reconciliations and help maintain financial records in line with school policies.

Support staff with purchasing processes and place orders when required.

Maintain confidentiality and professional conduct in all finance duties

What we’re looking for – Essential

Experience of financial procedures, controls, processes and reconciliations

Accounts payable experience, handling supplier invoices and purchase orders.

Experience working in a busy finance office environment.

Up-to-date knowledge of ICT and financial management systems (for example Arbor, Civica Financials and Microsoft Office).

Excellent organisational skills, strong numeracy and literacy.

Ability to work accurately to strict deadlines with high attention to detail.

Effective communication skills with staff, suppliers and external organisations.

A strong team player who supports colleagues when required.

AAT part-qualified (Level 2/3 or equivalent).

GCSE Grade C/4 or above in Mathematics and English (or equivalent).

Commitment to personal development.

• Experience of working within a school or academy environment is preferred but not essential.

What we offer

• Permanent, full-year role: 37 hours per week, Monday to Friday.
• Clear salary range: Band E: NJC scp 07 (£27,274) to NJC 11 (£29,070).
• Eligible for membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Occupational sickness and parental leave pay schemes.
• A minimum of 25 days annual leave (increasing to 30 days after 5 years eservice), in additional to bank holidays.
• Access to TCAT+ our Reward, Recognition and Wellbeing platform, including access to retailer discounts and benefits, discounted healthcare cash plan, cycle to work scheme and online resources to support physical, emotional, professional, financial and social wellbeing.
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme.
• Access to a comprehensive CPD framework though ‘Education Connect’, our professional development arm, and online resources from the ‘National College’.

This post is subject to satisfactory Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced Disclosure Certificate. The Sutton Academy is committed to equal opportunities. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people; we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people; we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. In line with Keeping Children Safe in Education, The Sutton Academy will undertake general online searches for all shortlisted candidates, this may include social media and video platforms. Online searches will only examine data that is publicly available, and the aim is to identify any incidents or issues. Any areas of concern will be discussed during the interview process