THE HIGH SCHOL The Balcarras Trust

Chief Financial Officer

INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS

The Balcarras Trust East End Road, , GL53 8QF The Balcarras Trust tel: 01242 515881 email: [email protected] website: balcarras.gloucs.sch.uk

LETTER FROM THE CEO

May 27th 2021

Dear Colleague,

Chief Financial Officer A letter to potential applicants from the Chief Executive, Dominic Burke

The Balcarras Trust came into existence on December 1st 2020. The Trust currently has two schools: Balcarras and The High School Leckhampton but we are likely to extend the Trust to other schools in the years ahead.

We are seeking to appoint a Chief Financial Officer who will provide high quality leadership of the Trust’s business and finance operations. This will involve line managing and developing the Trust’s finance department and working closely with me to develop our financial strategy so that it works in synergy with the Trust’s broader educational goals.

This is an exciting time to join us. We are busy developing a brand new 11 to 16 school in Cheltenham; we have just been named as the Teaching School Hub for Cheltenham, Stroud and the Cotswolds; our Maths Hub, GLOW is held in high esteem nationally and we continue to enjoy very close relationships with a host of local schools. Added to this, Balcarras was recently named as The Sunday Times Southwest State School of the Decade and we continue to enjoy World Class School Status. The role of CFO will evolve and grow with the Trust as it seeks to expand its reach even further in the years ahead.

We believe in excellence and our mission is to create schools which are rated amongst the very best in the country. It has always been the case that careful financial management is critical but it has become even more crucial recently, as a self supporting school system has emerged. At Balcarras, we have always been at the forefront of educational developments and we are keen to shape our own destiny as the landscape becomes more and more dominated by Multi Academy Trusts.

We are looking for a colleague who is eager to play a key strategic role in driving our Trust forward as it grows and develops over next five years. The Trustees have put together a pack of information you will find below. If there is any more information that you need then please do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to receiving your application.

Good luck.

Yours sincerely,

CEO The Balcarras Trust

PAGE 2 THE BALCARRAS TRUST AND ITS MISSION The Balcarras Trust came into existence on December 1st 2020. We are a Multi Academy Trust based in . Prior to this the company (Balcarras School) was a Single Academy Trust. The Mission Statement of The Balcarras Trust: The Balcarras Trust is committed to delivering outstanding inclusive, comprehensive education in each of its schools. Every child within the Trust will be expected, encouraged and supported to reach their full potential and, when they leave school, to be fully equipped to go on to be successful in the next phase of their lives. The Trust will establish and maintain high standards of teaching, pastoral care and behaviour in its schools. No child will be “left behind.” There will be excellent opportunities for extra-curricular activities. Each member of staff in the Trust’s schools will be an excellent role model and will play their part in ensuring that each school in the Trust will have its own special ethos. Students will feel proud of their school. The Trustees will, at all times, uphold the highest standards of financial propriety and make efficient and appropriate use of the public money made available to them. Underpinning all the activities in the Trust is the belief that, however strong the performance of the Trust’s schools may be, there is always room for improvement. Everyone associated with the Trust; the trustees, governors, school leaders, staff and pupils, will share this aspiration. The Balcarras Trust is committed to its role as a ‘system leader’ in the wider educational environment. The Trust oversees the GLOW Maths Hub and the Balcarras Teaching School Partnership, both of which are leading providers of Continuing Professional Development for educators.

BALCARRAS CHARLTON KINGS

THE HIGH SCHOOL LECKHAMPTON

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THE WORK OF THE TRUST Financial Scale of the Trust

Next year the Trust’s income is £10 million. We have managed our finances carefully and we currently hold a reserve of £920,000. The Trust’s finance team is based at Balcarras and comprises 4 colleagues who cover all areas of financial management for example payroll, purchasing, invoicing etc. We anticipate that the team will need to grow and develop alongside the Trust over the coming years.

Currently there are two schools in the Trust:

Balcarras: an 11-18 coeducational academy with 1402 pupils on roll. Consistently rated outstanding by Ofsted, the school secures superb outcomes at both GCSE and A –4evel. Recently the school was awarded The Sunday Times Southwest State School of the Decade Award. The school is led by Dominic Burke (Headteacher) who combines this role with CEO of the Trust. Balcarras is the lead school in the GLOW Maths Hub and the Balcarras Teaching School Hub. The Trust owns Balcarras’ land which comprises 19.5 acres and buildings of some 10,250 square metres. The High School Leckhampton: a brand new 11-16 coeducational comprehensive academy with an eventual capacity of 900. The school will open in September 2021 with an intake of 120 pupils initially operating on the Balcarras site before moving to its purpose built site at Farm Lane in Leckhampton. The Headteacher, Helen Wood, took up post in January 2021 and is currently overseeing all of the pre-opening arrangements. The Trust has signed a 125 year lease on the High School Leckhampton’s site and will take up the leasehold in September 2022. The site comprises 13 acres and buildings of some 7,000 square metres. In addition the Trust has a wider role as a system leader: Outreach work: The Balcarras Trust is a leading provider of professional development for educators. The Trust runs the GLOW Maths Hub which is responsible for leading maths education in this region. GLOW has an annual turnover of close to £1 million. The Trust has just won the contract to run the Teaching School Hub for Cheltenham, Stroud and The Cotswolds. Across three years this will involve a turnover of over £500,000. The Trust runs its own School Direct teacher training programme working alongside the Gloucestershire Initial Teacher Education Programme (GITEP) which is run by the Gloucestershire Association of Secondary Headteachers Limited (GASH).

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT The Balcarras Trust is open to the possibility of growth although we don’t seek growth for its own sake. Balcarras School has a strong reputation locally and nationally and we have a number of very close relationships with other schools that may well develop further in the future. We have, for some time, considered the possibility of setting up a trading subsidiary company. With the addition of income from lettings at The High School Leckhampton, the Trust may decide to cross that threshold in 2022-23. We would expect the CFO to lead on this development.

PAGE 4 MAIN DETAILS

POST TITLE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER SALARY £58,135-£67,364 p.a. PURPOSE The CFO will provide strategic management and leadership of the financial, business and key operations of the Trust. They will undertake the role of CFO as outlined in the Academies Financial Handbook and other relevant documents from the DfE/ ESFA. RESPONSIBLE TO The CEO RESPONSIBLE FOR The Trust’s Finance and HR Department POSITION Full Time

JOB DESCRIPTION FINANCIAL

Act as the leader for all finance related work; this includes leading staff within the Trust employed with a finance function. Undertake the role of Chief Finance Officer as outlined in the Academies Financial Handbook and any other relevant documents from the DfE/ESFA ensuring that the Trust is compliant with all statutory and legal requirements. Act as the leading point of reference for financial and commercial issues.

Provide strategic management and leadership of the financial and commercial operations and performance of the Trust. Act as the point of reference for all academies within the Trust to establish the annual budgets for each academy, oversee the monitoring of expenditure and annual balancing of end of year accounts. Provide visible leadership on all financial issues.

Represent the Trust at external meetings and events.

Ensure that monthly management accounts and other ad hoc reports as required are prepared on a timely basis along with appropriate management commentary; comparing performance against budget and analysing variances. Work with the CEO and leadership team of the Trust to develop and deliver the 3-year financial plan taking into account DfE guidelines/funding and identifying additional sources of external revenue and funding. Prepare the annual budget in accordance with the requirements of the Trust and DfE.

Implement and operate rigorous and robust audits and controls.

Make appropriate arrangements for the external audit of accounts and liaison with auditors during their audit work. Provide sound financial advice to the Trustees, Directors and Senior Management colleagues.

Ensure the appropriateness of the key assumptions included in the corporate plan, medium and long term financial plan and annual budget proposals.

PAGE 5 JOB DESCRIPTION CONTINUED FINANCIAL CONTINUED

Establish and maintain the academies financial and accounting systems and ensure the provision of financial information to the Academy management, local board and external bodies as required. Establish and maintain a risk register for the Trust to record risks and opportunities as they arise.

Prepare financial appraisals for new projects. This will include appraising the finances of any school which the Trust is considering admitting. The CFO will lead the process of ‘due diligence’ alongside the CEO. Report on a timely basis to the DfE and other relevant bodies in line with their specific requirements.

Ensure that financial management within the Trust complies with the requirements of the Academies Financial Handbook and Academies Accounts Direction issued annually by the DfE which sets out the requirements for the preparation and audit of the annual reports and financial statements of the Trust. Produce monthly and annual accounts in accordance with the Companies Act 2006, UK accounting standards and DfE requirements, together with a detailed commentary on the result and on all significant variances from budget. Manage tax and VAT liabilities.

Ensure that appropriate internal control processes are in place, in accordance with DfE Funding Agreement to eliminate the risk of financial losses and to maximise economy and efficiency in the use of resources and enable accountability at appropriate levels. Ensure the integrity of accounting for payroll transactions and that payroll reconciliations are properly executed. Liaise with appropriate bodies in such areas as: legal, regulatory, approvals and accreditations.

Manage the Trust financial position at a strategic and operational level with the framework of financial control including: Manage cash balances and cash flow maintaining appropriate banking arrangements.

Manage an ethical purchasing system to ensure value for money is obtained and to make best use of resources. Keep abreast of financial developments across academies, including direction from the DfE and charity sector.

Understand the principles and practice of risk management.

LEADING SUPPORT SERVICES INCLUDING HR

Contribute to the ethos, development and success of the Trust.

Manage resources to ensure the best outcomes.

Actively support the work and ethos of the Trust. Manage and develop team members.

Identify opportunities to improve value for money. Comply with and support all policies and procedures related to equal opportunities, safeguarding children and Health and Safety. Participate in arrangements for appraisal and in the identification of areas in which s/he would benefit from training and undergo such training. Proactively keep abreast of developments in relation to the post, and whenever possible and appropriate, attend professional development opportunities. Show fidelity to the commitment and ethos of the Trust and to the implementation of agreed policies and procedures.

PAGE 6 JOB DESCRIPTION CONTINUED LEADING SUPPORT SERVICES INCLUDING HR CONTINUED

Ensure the support staff structures, systems and processes are appropriate to ensure long and short term plans will be achieved. Implement best practice in recruiting, developing, managing and supervising staff.

Enact a strong commitment to personal development for all staff including themselves.

Ensure that that Trust resources are managed efficiently, ethically, professionally, with integrity and conforming to all internal and external regulatory requirements and in a sustainably sound manner. Undertake such additional duties as may reasonably be requested by the CEO or their representative.

PROCUREMENT, INFRASTRUCTURE AND BIDS

Be a catalyst for driving efficiencies across the Trust. Liaise and negotiate with third parties over the maintenance and development of service level agreements and contracts for the delivery of some aspects of advice and support to the organisation and reporting these to the Executive Director/CEO and governors accordingly. Maintain an accurate and up to date register of all service level agreements and contracts Ensure the Trust makes effective use of technical innovation in achieving its strategic and operational plans.

Manage and co-ordinate the delivery of new projects to deadline and budget. Manage and oversee the Trust assets ensuring that the full inventory of assets are recorded in an asset register and that accounting for fixed assets is in accordance with Companies Act and appropriate accounting standards. Prepare bids and generate new income streams and grant funding, which are supportive of the Trust’s commitments.

PAGE 7 PERSON SPECIFICATION

ESSENTIAL/ EVIDENCED BY DESIRABLE

Qualified to Degree Level D Application and Qualification check

Relevant Professional Qualification E Application and Qualification check

KOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE, SKILLS AND PERSONAL QUALITIES

Significant experience of leading a financial E Application and Interview operation Experience managing significant financial resources E Application and Interview with good knowledge of regulatory framework

Knowledge of financial processes and procedures E Application and Interview

Experience of managing a team E Application and Interview

In depth knowledge of the education sector D Application and Interview

Knowledge of different financial packages and tools E Application and Interview and evidence of supporting others to use them effectively Excellent skills in strategic planning and E Application and Interview management

Strong analytical skills with the ability to evaluate E Application and Interview complex information

High level ICT skills E Application and Interview

Strong commercial awareness E Application and Interview

An understanding of the principles and practice of E Application and Interview

Able to identify with and actively promote the goals E Application and Interview and commitment of the Trust

Calm under pressure and able to reconcile E Application and Interview conflicting priorities, has energy and is resilient Demonstrate a commitment to continuing E Application and Interview professional development both for yourself and the team you lead

PAGE 8 HOW TO APPLY

I hope having read through this document, you are keen to apply. If so, then please do the following:

• Fill in the standard Balcarras Application Form

• Write a supporting statement/letter of no more than two sides of A4 articulating why you are interested in this role and demonstrating why your experience make you a suitable candidate. The deadline for receiving applications is 9am on Monday 14th June 2021. If you require any further information then please do get in touch. We are happy to speak to prospective candidates on the telephone or to arrange a visit, notwithstanding the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. The best point of contact is my PA: Nicki Harrington [email protected] Shortlisting will take place shortly after the deadline and we will look to interview soon afterwards. We will agree a start date with the successful candidate dependent on their notice period. I look forward to reading your application. Dominic Burke CEO The Balcarras Trust

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