School Business Manager

Warrington Borough Council; England; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A local authority educational body seeks a School Business Manager for Fox Wood School, responsible for strategic and operational management across multiple sites. The role includes finance management, human resources oversight, and ensuring health and safety compliance. Applicants should have strong leadership experience in educational settings. The contract is full-time and permanent, starting as soon as possible, with an attractive salary based on grade 9 and additional honorarium for new college establishment.

Qualifications

• Experience in strategic leadership roles within an educational setting.
• Knowledge of financial management and procurement procedures.
• Strong understanding of human resources and compliance with employment legislation.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the strategic and operational business functions of the school.
• Act as a strategic partner to the Headteacher and Governors.
• Ensure effective budgeting and financial planning.

Skills

Finance Management

Human Resources

Strategic Operations

Health & Safety

Administration

Job description

School Business Manager - Fox Wood School

The role

LOCATION: Fox Wood School, Holes Lane, Woolston, Warrington, WA1 4LS. From Autumn 2026 onwards, the role will be mainly based at our new College but will require travelling to and from three sites – our main school (as listed above), our College on Peace Drive (WA5 1HQ), and our Early Years Satellite site at Sandy Lane (WA2 9HY).

REPORTS TO: Headteacher and Governors.

CONTRACT: Full-Time, Permanent (Term Time Only + 10 days may be considered; please state your preference in your application). START DATE: As soon as possible.

About the School

Fox Wood is a special school and college for pupils aged 4–19 with a wide range of complex needs, including Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD), Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD). Across our three sites, we aim to provide the best possible holistic education, total communication support, and meaningful learning opportunities in an engaging, safe, and caring environment.

This is a pivotal leadership role within our school and college, forming a key part of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT). The School Business Manager (SBM) will lead and manage the strategic and operational business functions of the school across all three sites. This includes responsibility for:

• Finance
• Human Resources
• Premises and Facilities
• Health & Safety
• Administration and ICT Systems
• Strategic Operations and Compliance

The post holder will play a central role in supporting the development of our new College provision, including staffing structures, systems, and operational processes. The role will require the ability to travel between sites.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Act as a strategic partner to the Headteacher, Governors and SLT, contributing to whole school development, improvement planning, and business continuity.
• Financial Management: Lead budget planning, monitoring, forecasting, procurement, and value for money initiatives in line with LA and DfE requirements.
• Human Resources: Oversee recruitment, onboarding, performance management, wellbeing, and compliance with employment legislation and safeguarding protocols.
• Premises & Facilities: Manage the maintenance, security, and development of all three sites, including capital projects and accessibility improvements.
• Health & Safety: Act as the school’s Health & Safety Officer, ensuring robust policies, risk assessments, statutory training, and emergency planning.
• Administration & ICT: Line manage administrative teams and oversee MIS, GDPR compliance, data protection, and digital transformation planning.

Recruitment and Compliance

Warrington Borough Council and Fox Wood School are committed to safeguarding; an Enhanced DBS clearance is required for this post.

Key dates

Closing date: Monday 2nd February 2026 at 9am.
Shortlisting date: Monday 2nd February 2026.
Interview date: Thursday 12th February 2026.

SALARY: Grade 9 (plus a 12 month honourarium to support the establishment of our new College provision – to be negotiated).

2 February 2026

Job documents

Location

Holes Lane, Woolston, Warrington, WA1 4LS