Job Description

Business Admin and Finance Assistant Level 3 Apprenticeship – Ad Astra Academy Trust

We are looking for an enthusiastic and hard-working individual to join our central team at Ad Astra Academy Trust. As a Business Admin Apprentice, you will gain many new skills to help you develop throughout the apprenticeship. If you are looking to start a career in admin apply now!

Key Details

Salary: £8 per hour, increases to NMW after 12 month

Working hours: Monday to Friday - All year (not term-time) 37 hours per week total. Daily hours to be confirmed.

Location

Ad Astra Academy Trust Head Office, The Innovation Centre Hub, 2 Queens Meadow Business Park, Hartlepool, TS25 5TG

Apprenticeship Details - 16 months expected duration to complete, working towards your Level 3 Business Administration Qualification. (All learning is delivered online/ remote).

Training Provider: LMP Education (rated 1st best UK training provider)

The successful candidate will work provide the business support to the central team and schools within our Trust. They will undertake a Level 3 apprenticeship, through the Trust’s Apprenticeship Provider LMP. As an apprentice, you’ll work at a company and get hands-on experience. You’ll gain new skills and work alongside experienced staff.

What you’ll do at work

Administration

• Provide a welcoming, courteous and professional first point of contact, responding to routine telephone, email and face-to-face enquiries and referring matters appropriately.
• Undertake general office duties, including preparing correspondence, scanning, filing, photocopying, maintaining electronic records, arranging post and ordering stationery.
• Enter, update and retrieve information accurately using management information, finance and office systems, in accordance with access permissions and local procedures.
• Support the organisation of meetings, visits, events and appointments, including room bookings, papers, attendance records and follow-up actions.
• Maintain orderly records and support document retention, archiving and secure disposal arrangements.
• Assist with Trust records as directed, checking information for completeness and escalating discrepancies.
• Produce routine documents, spreadsheets, reports and presentations using Microsoft 365 or other approved systems.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the school or trust and provide reasonable cover within the administration team when required.

Finance

• Support the processing of purchase requisitions, purchase orders, goods received records and invoices in line with the Trust’s financial procedures and delegated authority arrangements.
• Check invoices and supporting documentation for accuracy, coding, authorisation and potential duplication, referring exceptions to an authorised colleague.
• Assist with maintaining supplier records, responding to routine queries and preparing information for payment runs without independently authorising expenditure.
• Support income administration, including receipting, banking records, payment system reports and follow-up of routine outstanding balances as directed.
• Assist with reconciliations, budget monitoring and the preparation of routine financial reports, identifying and escalating differences promptly.
• Maintain complete, accurate and auditable records and provide documents for internal checks, external audit or assurance reviews.
• Handle financial and personal information securely and maintain appropriate separation of duties at all times.

Desired skills and Personal Attributes:

• Communication skills
• IT skills
• Attention to detail
• Organisation skills
• Problem solving skills
• Administrative skills
• Analytical skills
• Logical
• Team working

Essential qualifications

• GCSE Maths and English (Grade A-C (4-9) or equivalent) essential

About the Employer

Ad Astra’s strapline is ‘STARS IN THE MAKING‘ and is equally resonant with employees as with our pupils, we can all be the best we want to be within Ad Astra. All employees, pupils and other stakeholders, within our Trust are given the support needed to not only achieve their ambitions but to enjoy and thrive within our Trust.

Our Central Team require a highly motivated, enthusiastic and suitably qualified Administration and Finance Apprentice to join our innovative and forward thinking organisation. The Trust currently comprises 10 schools across County Durham and the Tees Valley.

The successful candidate will work provide the business support to the central team and schools within our Academy Trust. They will undertake a structured Level 3 apprenticeship, through the Trust’s Apprenticeship Provider LMP.

LMP-ADMIN