Heathlands School, St Albans

Required from September 2026

School Business Manager

Heathlands School is a successful and welcoming specialist school for deaf children and young people aged 3–18, set in beautiful grounds close to the centre of St Albans. We currently have over 150 pupils on roll and are proud of our strong community, excellent outcomes, and highly regarded residential provision for up to 20 weekly boarders, which has consistently received Good and Outstanding Ofsted judgements.

We are seeking to appoint a highly capable, strategic professional to play a pivotal role in our school community.  To support a successful transition, the appointed candidate will benefit from a structured handover period from September to October 2026 with the current School Business Manager.

This is an exciting opportunity for a talented School Business Manager to join a highly regarded specialist setting and play a key strategic role within the leadership team, working closely with the Co-Headteachers and Governing Board.

The successful candidate will provide strategic leadership across all business and operational functions of the school, including:

• Financial management and budgeting
• Human resources and personnel administration
• Premises and estate management (including boarding and staff housing)
• Health and safety compliance
• Risk management and policy oversight
• Procurement and contract management
• Income generation and strategic development

This is a full-time, full-year role (52 weeks), with working hours of 8.00am to 4.00pm Monday to Thursday and 8.00am to 3.30pm on Fridays, including a 30-minute unpaid lunch break.We are however, open to discussing some flexibility in working arrangements for the right candidate. The minimum requirement would be term time plus three weeks.

The School Business Manager attends five evening meetings of the Full Governing Board and three meetings of the Resources Committee each year.

Salary: £42,839 – £61,421 per annum (dependent on qualifications and experience), equivalent to Hay Grade M1–M5. Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme is included.

We welcome applications from experienced School Business Managers, as well as candidates with transferable leadership, financial or operational experience who are seeking to move into the education sector.

 Benefits of working at Heathlands include:

• Working within a dynamic, highly successful and supportive school team
• Fully funded training in British Sign Language
• Access to a staff wellbeing support service, including an online GP and additional benefits
• Complimentary breakfast provided daily
• Free bookable school lunch (Monday–Friday)
• Free onsite parking
• A welcoming and inclusive school community

Heathlands School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful applicant will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.

How to Apply

Please return your completed Application Form and Person Specification to:

Co‑Headteachers, Heathlands School, Heathlands Drive, St Albans, AL3 5AY

Email: [email protected]

Application forms and further details are available on our website:  www.heathlands.herts.sch.uk.

We warmly welcome visits to the school and encourage prospective applicants to contact us to arrange a visit or informal discussion about the role. For further information, please telephone 01727 807807 to speak to Mrs Bush, School Business Manager.

Prospective candidates are encouraged to submit their applications as soon as possible as the school reserves the right to close the advert early if we feel able to appoint the right candidate.

Closing date: 15th June 2026, 12 noon

Interview date: 25^th June 2026