Assistant Accountant

The Assistant Accountant is a key player in working within the finance team to support the Senior Accountant. You will carry out general accounting duties to ensure an effective receivable and treasury function is provided, in line with the School’s invoicing policies. You will be involved in a range of financial processes, including AR and AP, balance sheet journals and audit. You will be given opportunities to work with the financial systems team, innovating and collaborating to support continuous improvement within the department.

Location: You will be based at our Senior School, Bodiam

Hours: Monday to Friday, Full time

Line Manager: Senior Accountant

Pay: Commensurate to experience

Key Responsibilities

The job description is subject to change. The post holder is expected to undertake such other duties within their capabilities and that may be required by the Senior Accountant and Bursar.

Responsibilities include:

• Ownership of billing operations, including organising the billing timetable, liaising with admissions and teaching staff to prepare invoices as well as supporting with billing system improvements.
• Leading on credit control, working in line with school policies and escalating to where required.
• Weekly debtors reporting to the Senior Leadership Team, including KPIs on cash collected and age of debt. Commentary to include relevant action plans and deadlines.
• Maintaining the GoCardless direct debit system and dealing with system and parent queries in a timely manner.
• Processing of bank transactions including daily bank postings and monthly bank reconciliations.
• Administrative duties such as responding to parent queries via email and phone.
• Calculation of Early Year Funding Scheme (EYFS) claims, ensuring we are compliant with relevant legislation.
• Ensure month end procedures are carried out on a timely basis per the month end timetable. Assist Senior Accountant with month end journals including accruals, prepayments and fixed asset entries.
• Be the first point of contact for the Finance Assistant should they require support. You will be required to support with various bookkeeping areas such as posting supplier invoices, supplier statement reconciliations and credit card postings.
• Support Senior Accountant with annual statutory audit.

Skills, Qualifications and Experience

Minimum Level 3 AAT qualifies (or actively studying towards an accountancy qualification)

Ideally, 5+ years’ experience in a similar role

Articulate, communicative, and strong attention to detail

Works well as part of a team

Organisation skills: well organised and able to prioritise tasks

Critical thinking

Ability to find solutions to ensure tasks are completed within specified timescales

Benefits

• A varied role within a fast-paced environment
• A close-knit friendly team
• Competitive salary scale
• Remission of fees in line with the School fees discount policy
• 30 days annual leave
• Free dining and refreshments during term time
• Free on-site parking
• A walk away from Bodiam Castle
• Employee Assistance Programme – a 24-hour individual assistance programme
• Company Pension
• Access to iSP Learning Hub – an online professional development platform with hundreds of courses to widen your knowledge and support career growth

ISP Senior Leadership Competencies

You consistently demonstrate and role-model the ISP Leadership Competencies in all that you do.

Modelling Collaboration. Takes an active part in leading your leadership team; is cooperative and a genuine team player, developing positive, supportive relationships with colleagues to solve problems and maximise opportunities.

Learning & Getting Better. Continually demonstrates personal commitment and passion for learning and getting better using evidence and feedback; supporting others in their continual learning, development and growth.

Leading Innovation. Is good at creating an environment where ideas for learning initiatives and services are generated and can motivate and inspire others through the process of creation through to completion.

Focusing on Outcomes. Can be counted on to find solutions. Is consistently looking to exceed goals and is focused on learners and their learning.

Acting with Resilience. Can deal with setbacks and challenges calmly and effectively.

Managing Ethically & with Integrity. Has the ability to work ethically and with integrity; helps others feel valued; upholds and models the ISP Vision, Purpose and Principles.

Leading & Inspiring Through Influence. Supports, encourages and inspires students, colleagues and teams so that they give their best.

Demonstrating Agility. Responds and adapts to changing circumstances; manages and solves problems by providing solutions in a climate of ambiguity.

Planning & Making Decisions. Makes decisions on the best course of action and then plans, organises, prioritises and balances resources to achieve the desired outcome.

Advocating Diversity & Equity. Has the sensitivity, awareness and skill to understand the values, behaviours, attitudes and practices across cultures that support all children and adults to learn and work effectively.

Safeguarding & Safer Recruitment

Claremont School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All post holders are subject to appropriate vetting procedures and satisfactory Criminal Background Checks or equivalent covering the previous 10 years employment history.

About Claremont

Claremont School is an independent day and boarding school. The Nursery and the Junior School are based in St Leonards on Sea, and the Senior School is located in Bodiam, East Sussex. The school is nonselective and welcomes children and young people from a large catchment area spanning 25 miles. In addition, one third of the students in the Senior School are international boarders.

Children join Claremont aged 2, and the school offers a British curriculum throughout with GCSEs and iGCSEs at KS4, and A Level and BTechs at KS5. In addition, the school delivers outstanding programmes in Performing Arts (winning an award for outstanding School for Performing Arts in 2021) and in football where students can join the Football academy and look to become professional players.

Results and Value-Added at Claremont are outstanding, with Senior School results beating national averages year on year, as well as more local independent selective schools. We believe that successful schools are the ones that put learning at the heart of everything they do, always aiming to create rounded individuals that can forge successful careers and lives, in a rapidly changing world. Claremont aims to be the School of Choice for the local area and supports its young people to excel in all that they do in a safe and inspiring environment.

Claremont School is also part of the International Schools Partnership (ISP) group, comprising committed colleagues in financially responsible schools around the world, where learning is at the heart of everything we do for our students, colleagues, and parents. We are committed to getting better, all the time.

ISP was founded by an experienced team of committed educationalists and operators who have worked together over many years. ISP’s growing group of private schools are located in the UK, the USA, Canada, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Costa Rica, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, educating children and students from 2–18 years of age. ISP has expanded to 83 schools that employ over 10,000 staff and deliver multiple curricula to over 56,000 students located across the globe.

ISP Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

ISP is committed to strengthening our inclusive culture by identifying, hiring, developing and retaining high-performing teammates regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender expression, age, disability status, neurodivergence, socio-economic background or other demographic characteristics. Candidates who share our vision and principles and are interested in contributing to the success of ISP through this role are strongly encouraged to apply.