School finance officer

[Beansprout30]

I’m new to the role of school finance officer and although I’m enjoying the job I can’t help but feel im expected to do too much in the hours I do. I roughly have about 15 hours a week to complete banking, process invoices, raise invoices and purchase orders, cover medical and reception at times plus lots of other little bits which also takes time to do and sorting queries etc

Just wondering if anyone else out there does the same job and how many hours you do?! I’m starting to wonder if I’m just slow or they actually are piling too much on. Also are you able to work from home at all?

You are still new to the job, and soon u'll b able to do things much faster, esp if u start to automate things in excel or whatever system you use.

At the start of any job, i usually tell them, let me pic these bits once im comfortable at them, i'll pick up the additional tasks, and just account of what you do. Some times ppl forget how long it took for the previous person to learn the ins and outs!! And cuz he has already learnt them, they assume the next person will be just as fast on their first day!

And sometimes we over stretch ourselves! Chill out and make sure u manage what you can and cant do with your boss. You dont need to accept everything thrown at you. You just need to be clever how you word it.

Welcome to working in school admin. You will be asked to do more and more as school budgets are so tight administration support is often the first to go. It will continue until you push back and say (politely, helpfully) " No".

Speak to your line manager (bursar? Head teacher?) with your to do list. "You need me to do x,y,z. I also need to do a,b,c by the month end. I cannot do all of these in the 15hours I work, which would you like me to do and which should I let go?'

Thanks for your replies, I am due my review soon and I plan to raise it.my boss understands that I’m not going to learn the job overnight, sometimes even the easiest of tasks is not easy when you’re having to find out things you wouldn’t know without experience.. the same in any job I guess!

I do think I need to say no sometimes however being new to the job I obviously want to prove I’m capable, it feels like everyone wants things doing and straightaway!