About the Swan School

The Swan School, part of the River Learning Trust, is Oxford's first new secondary school for over 50 years, and opened in September 2019. When full, we will have approximately 1,200 students on roll, of whom around 300 will be in the Sixth Form. Our students are drawn from a local catchment area and the school is at the heart of the community.

Learning from the most successful approaches at the best schools, The Swan School provides a uniquely challenging and structured experience in a caring and disciplined environment. The ethos is academic; we regard an excellent academic education as the entitlement of all young people, no matter what their background or previous experiences of learning. Students are inspired and nurtured, acquiring the knowledge and skills to think critically and creatively. They will learn to be confident, resilient and ambitious, and will have high expectations in terms of their own achievements and their contribution to wider society.

Student outcomes at The Swan School are exceptional - our first cohort of GCSE students achieved a Progress 8 score of +0.55, placing The Swan in the highest category of schools across the country. In 2023, the school was graded by OFSTED as outstanding for Behaviour and Attitudes, Personal Development, Leadership and Management, and Sixth Form.

The Swan School is part of the River Learning Trust, which facilitates collaboration, professional development, and opportunities across a wide range of other highly successful schools.

About the role

You will help ensure the school has all the equipment required by managing the day-to-day purchase ledger operations - placing authorised orders, processing invoices and helping staff with the purchase requisition process.

You will also help with the organisation of trips, by managing the collection of monies from parents and other administration relating to trips. You will support both staff and parents to ensure that the school can run educational and exciting trips.

You will share our ambitions for our students, and will want to ensure that the staff have the resources required to deliver the best education. You will enjoy working in a busy environment, where no two days are the same. You will like working within a team, and feeling part of both our friendly admin team and the wider school staff. You will be confident with IT and keen to learn new skills as the school grows.

What You'll Be Doing:

You'll be the go-to person for a mix of critical finance and administrative duties:

Purchase Ledger: Managing day-to-day accounts payable, processing invoices, and placing authorised orders under the guidance of our Finance Officer.

Trip Administration Champion: Handling the financial admin for all school trips, from setting up payment items via our cashless system (Parentmail) to meticulously tracking income and liaising with parents and staff on queries.

System Savvy: Utilising and maintaining systems like PSF Accounting and Parentmail, and utilising your skills with Google Apps (Sheets, Docs, etc.).

Team Contributor: Assisting staff with purchase requisitions and helping to find the best value for money for school purchases.

What You'll Bring (The Essentials):

Qualifications: GCSEs in Maths and English at Grade C (4) or above.

Experience: Proven experience working in a finance office, including accounts payable.

Skills: Very good numeracy and literacy, a high level of accuracy and attention to detail, and a demonstrable ability to use Excel, Word, and Google apps effectively. You must be able to work constructively both independently and as part of a team.

How to apply

If you have any questions or would like to speak to someone about this post, please contact us via headteacher@theswanschool.org.uk or on 01865 416070. You are advised to visit Work At The Swan to find out more about working at The Swan. We would be delighted to arrange an opportunity to visit the school and or speak to existing members of staff.

Applications for this post should be made through the My New Term recruitment portal. Please contact us if you have any queries regarding the application process.

The deadline for applications is Monday 3rd November 2025 at 8am, with interviews likely to be held shortly the following week.

Please note that applications will be considered as they are submitted and the school reserves the right to withdraw the advert early if a suitable candidate is found.

About the River Learning Trust

Education has the power to change lives, communities and society for the better. At RLT we believe that we can achieve more for our pupils, trainees, staff and communities by working together rather than alone. Schools in RLT are united by a common belief in the benefits of working together, and by our commitment to shared principles.

OUR VISION is for our schools and SCITT to improve rapidly, continuously and sustainably: to be better faster together.

OUR 'WHY?' is that children and young people 'only get one go' in school and therefore as part of RLT we aim to ensure the best possible 'go' for our pupils.

OUR 'HOW?' is through the highest support and challenge for our schools and each other, underpinned by our principles.

Our employees benefit from a wide variety of support including extensive continuing professional learning and development opportunities, wellbeing and staff networks and access to Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (TPS and LGPS) for all staff. For more information on what it is like to work for the Trust, and the benefits you could access, please see our " Working in RLT " guide.

Safeguarding

The River Learning Trust and The Swan School are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and preventing extremism. All staff must ensure that the highest priority is given to following the guidance and regulations to safeguard children and young people. The successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check. Employment will also be conditional on the receipt of at least two acceptable references (one from current/latest employer) and evidence of the formal qualifications required for the role. This role includes regulated activity relevant to children. It is an offence to apply for certain roles within schools if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children. You should contact the school if you are unsure if this role includes regulated activity relevant to children.

For all RLT Safer Recruitment Documentation candidates should click on the following link

The Swan School's Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy can be found here

The Swan School is a free school managed by The River Learning Trust, which is an exempt charity and a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales with a registered company number 7966500. Registered Office: c/o Rose Hill Primary School, The Oval, Oxford OX4 4SF.

The Swan School jobs

Finance Assistant