Finance Assistant

River Academy opened in September 2024 with 180 students and seven students in its resource base. From September 2026, student numbers will increase again as the school welcomes its next cohort of Year 7 students. The school is currently oversubscribed, with waiting lists in all year groups, and expects continued high demand for September 2026. River Academy has a strong focus on calm, purposeful learning environments. Classrooms are quiet, corridors are calm. Students are expected to demonstrate good manners, strong oracy skills, and high standards of personal and academic presentation. Reflecting this focus on consistency and high expectations, River Academy is ranked in the highest decile across all DfE attendance measures, and Sparx homework completion rates consistently exceed 98%. River Academy is seeking to appoint a Finance Assistant to provide high-quality finance support under the direction of the Hub Finance Officer. This role will support accurate, efficient and compliant financial administration across Maiden Erlegh Trust schools, helping schools operate smoothly and enabling education-related activity to be delivered effectively. The successful candidate will process purchase orders, invoices, goods received notes, deliveries, returns and refunds through PS Financials and related systems. They will also maintain accurate records and reconciliations across purchase orders, trips, events, credit cards, prepaid cards and cashless payment systems. As a Disability Confident employer , we want to ensure everyone can perform at their best when applying to work with us. If you need any support with your application or adjustments during the selection process, please contact our People Team by emailing hr@maidenerleghtrust.org or calling 0118 929 6020. Key responsibilities Provide accurate and effective finance administration that supports the smooth running of Trust schools. Process purchase orders, invoices and goods received notes through PS Financials. Support colleagues, requisitioners and budget holders with order processes and finance queries. Maintain accurate financial records, reconciliations and system information. Support the financial administration of trips, events, lockers and pupil-related funding. Support cashless payment systems, including payment items, login details and parent queries. Assist with Pupil Premium, Catch Up Premium, Sports Premium and Free School Meal checks. Liaise professionally with colleagues, parents, carers, suppliers and external agencies. Support best value purchasing and supplier processes. Attend Trust-wide Finance Assistant network meetings and training. The ideal candidate Has an NVQ Level 2 or equivalent qualification or experience in a relevant discipline. Has a high level of numeracy. Has experience of finance administration and working in a finance office, including accounts payable. Can maintain accurate manual and computerised financ