The Safer Food Group jobs

JOB ROLE

At Ashbridge Independent School and Nursery we pride ourselves on our parent partnerships, and the support we offer to our families as part of our shared vision. In line with this vision, and as a result of our continued growth and development as an organisation, we are looking for an experienced, professional and skilled Finance Administrator to support the finance team at our Ashbridge Nursery Hutton site. As a Finance administrator you will be working Monday-Friday, between the hours of 7 AM and 6 PM (35 hours per week). Please see www.ashbridgeschool.co.uk/ for more details about this inspiring place to work.

If you are looking for a career that will give you lasting satisfaction and to work for a company that really cares then please apply below.

WHAT WILL THE FINANCE ADMINISTRATOR JOB LOOK LIKE:

• Processing and collecting monthly invoices, ensuring accuracy and collection in a timely basis.
• Supporting Early Years Education funding administration, including processing parental declaration forms and calculating claims for government funded hours.
• Liaising with families to handle fee queries, managing outstanding fees and tracking payments.
• Working closely with internal teams to resolve queries and provide updates and analysis of finance-related activity.
• Supporting continuous improvement initiatives to enhance processes, controls, and efficiency within the Finance Team, including developing digital processes.
• Completing banking and software reconciliations within reporting deadlines, investigating and resolving any discrepancies.
• Perform data entry tasks to maintain accurate financial records.
• Assist in the preparation of financial statements and reports as required.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR:

• At least 2 years’ experience in a post of a similar nature.
• Strong numerical skills, with a real passion for financial problem-solving and analytics.
• Experience of working with MS packages, including Excel & Outlook.
• Experience of working with Sage is desirable.
• Strong communication skills - both written and verbal.
• Skilled in using your own initiative & work as part of a team.
• Able to represent the company aim of "Empowering young minds through respect and nurture" at all times.

OUR COMPANY OVERVIEW:

Our brilliant team are passionate and dedicated childcare practitioners. At Ashbridge Independent School and Nursery, the children learn in a very calm and nurturing environment, full of rich learning opportunities. The children benefit greatly from the forest school and river school sessions with our designated outdoor lead.

The people, above all else, are central to making Ashbridge a special place for children because we all work together towards the same goals, we have created a friendly, family atmosphere where every child is uniquely valued, nurtured and cared for.

We pride ourselves on being a very friendly place to work, with a strong emphasis on employee support and team work. Ashbridge is the leading childcare provider in Preston, and as an established company, we can offer the chance of significant career progression across the company.

INTERVIEW SCHEDULE:

• Shortlisting: w/c 2nd November 2026
• Interview Date: w/c 16th November 2026

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Ashbridge Independent School & Nursery is committed to equality and diversity in all aspects of employment, and is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Ashbridge Independent School & Nursery follows Safer Recruitment Practices, including checks with past employers. References will be obtained in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education (2025).

The successful applicant will also be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure via the Disclosure & Barring Service, the cost of which is to be met by the successful applicant.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. If you are appointed, you will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check. If you are shortlisted for interview, you will be required to declare any cautions, convictions, reprimands or final warnings which are not protected (i.e., that are not filtered out*), as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended). A copy of this policy is available upon request.

You will also be required to disclose any other information that would suggest that you may be unsuitable to work with children. Having a criminal record will not necessarily prevent you from taking up appointment; it will depend on the nature of the offence(s) and their relevance to the post you are applying for. However, should you not declare any of the above and this is subsequently revealed, for example through the DBS check, then this may result in withdrawing the conditional job offer. Any information given will be treated in the strictest confidence and with due regard to the ROA and data protection legislation.

*Amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975 provide that certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’ meaning that they are not subject to disclosure to employers and cannot be taken into account.

All guidance and criteria on the filtering of these cautions and convictions can be found in the DBS filtering collection on the Gov.uk website and further information on disclosing a criminal record can also be obtained from NACRO . It is a criminal offence to apply for this role if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.

In line with the statutory guidance document Keeping Children Safe in Education (2025), Ashbridge Independent School will conduct online searches after the shortlisting process for any candidates who accept an invitation to interview. The purpose of the online search is to uncover any information that may suggest the candidate is:

• a potential safeguarding risk
• their appointment may damage the reputation of the school or;
• they are unqualified for the role they have applied for.

No recruitment decision will be made solely on the basis of an online search and all relevant information uncovered will be discussed with the applicant at interview. All online searches will be conducted by individuals who are not involved in any other aspect of the recruitment process. No irrelevant information uncovered will be provided to the staff responsible for interviewing the job applicant. All candidates will be treated consistently.

All posts are conditional of receipt of satisfactory references and DBS before the appointment is confirmed.

Experience:

• Finance Administration: 2 years (required)

Benefits:

• Employee discount
• Company events
• Company pension
• Health & wellbeing programme
• On site parking
• Free Parking
• Referral programme

Job Type: Full time; Permanent

Work Location: In person

Pay: £31,640.80 per year

Benefits:

• Company events
• Company pension
• Discounted or free food
• Employee discount
• Free parking
• Health & wellbeing programme
• On-site parking
• Referral programme

Experience:

• Finance Adminstration: 2 years (required)

Work Location: In person