Job Introduction

Principal Finance Officer Schools

Local Government Education and Schools Finance is facing significant changes and challenges, including the Government’s national Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) transformation, changes to the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) and wider changes to formula funding / grant arrangements. The changes and challenges that schools face in managing their delegated budgets are also significant.

We require a Principal Finance Officer to work in the Council’s School Funding Team. This is a great opportunity to make a real contribution by supporting the Council and Schools to deliver change and meet these challenges. Bradford Finance has recently undergone significant investment. The Schools Funding Team is a small team that plays a crucial role in managing Schools and Education Finance for Bradford Council, in delivering statutory finance functions, as well as supporting and challenging schools in the Bradford District in their financial management. This role is an opportunity to make a real difference in our vibrant and diverse city.

The Post Holder Will

• Ensure that correct accounting procedures and policies are followed by maintained schools.
• Provide professional advice and guidance to schools in line with Council and Department for Education policies.
• Manage the Council’s statutory school finance processes, including year-end closedown and Consistent Financial Reporting (CFR), ensuring that all elements of these processes, and statutory returns, are completed according to deadlines.
• Oversee the management of local school bank accounts and Council ledger (SAP) reconciliation, including the closure of accounts for maintained schools that convert to academy status.
• Deliver designated elements of the Local Authority’s annual Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) scheme of funding for schools and early years, interpreting and modeling large volumes of complex information and consulting on funding proposals, working with stakeholder review groups.
• Present DSG formula funding, and other school finance matters, to a variety of audiences, including Bradford Schools’ Forum.
• Undertake detailed analysis of income and expenditure monitoring reports submitted by maintained schools, taking appropriate (risk-based) follow up action.
• Ensure maintained schools adhere to protocols where deficit balances and excess surplus balances are reported.
• Participate in the delivery of training to school staff (Governors, Business Managers, Headteachers).
• Build and maintain good working relationships with school finance managers e.g. through attendance at Business Manager Forum meetings.
• Manage and develop designated Senior Finance Officers in the discharge of their daily duties.
• Lead within the School Funding Team on the delivery of excellent service to customers, communicating in an informed, confident, polite, and understanding manner with all clients and customers showing professionalism and high standards of integrity.