“ Pupils of all ages have a mature understanding of, and respect for, cultural diversity and tolerance of individual differences.
ISI Inspection
”
“ ” Both in and out of class, behaviour is excellent.
ISI Inspection
Thank you for your interest in the position of Payroll & Benefits Lead at the Royal Grammar School Guildford.
The RGS boasts a diverse, vibrant community of individuals in both teaching and support roles who take pride in the success of their School.
The School’s success presents itself in its most recent GCSE and A level results (80% at Grade 8/9 and 50% at Grade A* respectively); in the large number of student applications year on year (consistently four applications for every place); the ISI inspection report in which the RGS was rated ‘Excellent’ across all aspects of School life; in the range of sporting achievements and in the staff who are proud to say that they work here.
Our boys are “excellent listeners who contribute to discussion with great respect” and “display excellent attitudes to their learning” (ISI report, February 2022). The academic standards in the School are excellent and the curriculum is enriched by an extensive extra-curricular programme in which all academic staff are expected to participate; sports and the arts are an important element in School life.
The benefits of working here go beyond those listed in the job description; if you accept an offer of employment, you would be joining a staff body that collaborates professionally and socially across all departments.
The RGS is an exciting place in which to be a member of staff; I look forward to receiving an application from you.
HEADMASTER
The Department
The School has approximately 1,300 pupils, over 300 staff and generates an income in the region of £27m per annum. The Finance team has a wider remit than just the School in Guildford. It also manages the accounts for the Foundation, an associated fundraising and alumni relations charity, the group companies which provide intellectual property and educational support to our international partner schools (currently Qatar, Dubai, China and Oman) and an enterprises company for lettings of our Guildford facilities.
We are a team of seven in the Finance department and are a mixture of accountants, part-qualified accountants and qualified by experience.
We are looking for a motivated and capable Payroll & Benefits Lead, with a strong customer focus, who has a drive for continuous improvement, along with the introduction of a new pension scheme and the payrolling of benefits. This role will report to the Finance Manager who, in turn, reports to the Head of Finance.
The Role
As a member of the support staff you will be part of a large and friendly community of professionals who support our students’ education and experience. You will work across both of our UK schools, RGS Guildford and RGS Prep. As our Payroll & Benefits Lead, you will be a member of our busy Finance Team located on site at the RGS, working closely with the Finance Manager, with responsibility for the day to day running of the payroll and benefits function.
Excellent payroll knowledge, communication and relationship building skills are essential, as is strong attention to detail and organisation skills.
Pupils show an acute sense of respect for each other and were unanimous in their belief that diversity is a normal part of life. ISI Inspection
Job Title: Payroll & Benefits Lead
Responsibleto: Finance Manager
This role is responsible for administering the payroll, pensions and benefit functions of RGS Guildford. It will be the primary point of contact for all payroll, pension and benefit queries and will work closely with the HR function and the rest of the Finance team to ensure the accurate running of payroll and pensions, ensuring legal compliance.
The role requires provision of a professional, friendly and efficient service in line with the needs of the School and the creation and sharing of information about payroll, benefits and other employee programmes.
• Performance of the end to end running of the payroll function.
• Leadership of the relationship with the School’s payroll system supplier including managing updates, and developing processes.
• The creation and maintenance of excellent and compliant payroll records ensuring data security and in line with GDPR guidelines whilst maintaining confidentiality and discretion.
• To ensure errors are resolved, communicated and parties are kept updated, following up with preventative action.
• Through relevant CPD, ensure that all necessary payroll and pension related knowledge is kept current, appropriate and sufficient for the role.
• To keep HR, the Finance Manager, Bursar and Head of Finance up to date with new legislation and ensure staff are informed of changes.
• To create and maintain up to date procedure notes for Payroll to enable another member of Staff to cover key aspects of the role if required.
• To administer the Net Pay, Relief at Source and Salary Exchange the pension schemes subscribed to by the School – including Teachers’ Pension Scheme and support staff pension schemes.
• To administer and assist staff with other Staff benefits – currently including Cycle to Work, Payroll Giving, Private Medical Scheme, Relocation Scheme, Death in Service etc.
• To be an active and positive member of the team and contribute to the development of the service and review of administration processes and procedures.
• To undertake any other duties as commensurate with the responsibilities, skills and qualifications of the post holder.
• To provide ad hoc information as required.
• The nature of this post will require flexibility to meet urgent work needs as they arise.
• Run monthly payroll and send payslips via the ePayslips portal.
• Upload payroll BACs instructions to bank for checking and approval.
• Ensure that all payroll deductions are paid over on a monthly basis and on time e.g. Pension Contributions, PAYE, national insurance
• Roll over payroll.
• Complete year end process in line with payroll software protocols and HMRC requirements and prepare payroll for new tax year and produce P60s.
• Prepare, complete and submit P11ds.
• Prepare, complete and submit PAYE settlement Agreement for benefit and expenses and pay NI due.
• Input of starter and leaver details.
• Maintain an up to date, good working knowledge of statutory payments such as SMP, SPP and SSP.
• To prepare and report the Gender Pay Gap.
• Administer Apprenticeship Levy scheme, plus payments to HMRC.
• Prepare payroll reconciliations and other payroll documentation for annual statutory audit and liaise with Auditors on pay related queries.
• Teachers’ Pensions – maintain records and submit files via MCR monthly. Prepare the TP end of year certificate for external audit and submission to TP. Prepare and submit re-employment, retirement and any other forms to TP as and when required. Keep employees up to date with new legislation and processes.
• Act as primary liaison with external auditors on annual Teachers’ Pensions audit.
• Assess, auto-enrol new members to relevant Pension schemes. Ensure compliance with auto enrolment and the issuing of pension letters to new staff and existing staff and recording any opt out requests and forms. Ensure that re-enrolment is individually assessed and processed every three years.
• Administer and manage support staff pension schemes.
• Support all staff with pension queries and retirement forms.
• Liaise regularly with HR and Finance Manager to in respect of any changes to payroll and process salary payments on a monthly basis for all employees.
• Prepare and submit data for ONS Government surveys.
• Administer the company private health scheme – joiners/leavers and P11d calculations.
Outstanding organisational and prioritisation skills. Y
A proactive and collaborative worker with a strongteam ethos and an ability and drive to problem solve and find solutions.
Excellent communicationskills (written and verbal) with the ability to communicatefinancial concepts and processes to non-finance audiences in a clear and easy to understand manner.
Excellent interpersonal skills and an ability to build positive, supportive and collaborative relationships with colleagues and stakeholders across theorganisation.
A flexible, pragmatic and results focussedapproachto work combined with a keen eye for detail and always meeting significant deadlines.
A positive, flexible and energetic approach to change, improvement and problem solving.
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
High levels of tact and diplomacy combined with absolute integrity. Y
Can show enthusiasm,tenacity and resilience with the ability to work under pressure,while maintaining a senseof humour. Y
CommitmenttoCPD.
Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality and discretion.
Your career at the RGS begins with a warm welcome and comprehensive induction. You will be introduced to department colleagues, key people within the School and fellow new starters from across the departments.
Opportunities to get involved in wider school activities are many and varied; sporting fixtures, theatre productions and field trips to name just a few. Then there are the social groups set up by and for colleagues which include a running group, book club, theatre trips, football and a wind band. However you choose to get involved, you are guaranteed to find yourself among like-minded individuals.
Deborah Banks
Management Accountant, joined 2022
What do you love about your department?
It's a really friendly environment and everyone is very helpful.
What would be the title of your autobiography? What was I thinking?
Peter Channing
Head of Finance, joined 2023
What’s the best thing about the RGS?
There is a very positive sense of community and purpose.
If you could choose any other career, what would it be? Being a writer.
Aldona Schmittat
Finance Manager, joined 2023
What do you love about your department? Kindness and friendliness.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Bake, sport, hiking, time with my children
In addition to joining a successful and sociable staff body you will also receive the following benefits:
Hours of work
Remuneration
Fee reduction
Annual Leave
Private healthcare
Pension
Commuting Loan
Gym
Dining
Employee Assistance Programme
Full time, 40 hours per week inc. breaks. 08.30 to 16.30 during term time, 08.30 to 15.30 during the school holidays.
£35,000 - £40,000 per annum
Fee reduction for son(s) of staff is available (after a qualifying period and subject to success at the entrance examination).
28 days leave plus bank holidays, the majority to be taken during school holidays.
Private medical cover is available for all staff. This is paid for by the School, but is a taxable benefit so there is an indirect cost to the individual.
All support staff are automatically enrolled into the company pension scheme. The level of contribution by the individual is 5%; the School will contribute 10%.
Interest-free loans are available for rail season ticket holders.
Use of on-site gym at certain times of the day.
A choice of hot lunches, a delicious salad bar and range of desserts are provided daily in the staff dining room during term time.
A free, confidential counselling & wellbeing support service that can support you, your partner or spouse, and dependent children over 16 still living at home.
The RGS is a kind, inclusive, tolerant community where diverse opportunity, personal development, high achievement and collaborative partnership define who we are.
Our values of inclusivity, scholarship, integrity, respect, courage and collaboration underpin all we do.
Boys come to the RGS from around 140 different schools in Surrey and the neighbouring home counties and this number is growing each year. We regularly receive four applications for every place.
The RGS curriculum aims to combine breadth with balance. In the first three years all boys study a broad range of subjects, choosing options at the end of their third year which sees them sitting ten GCSE subjects including English Language, English Literature, a Modern Foreign Language, Mathematics, three separate sciences and a humanities subject. From the Third Form, a Tutor Period is introduced during which boys study Information Technology, Problem Solving, First Aid, Health Education and Study Skills. It is also during this time that initial careers and higher education guidance is given which then continues throughout the boys’ time at the School.
The RGS boasts a thriving Sixth Form with all boys studying four subjects in the Lower Sixth and then continuing with three or four subjects to A Level in the Upper Sixth. This is complemented by a range of General Studies courses which are co-educational, organised jointly with Guildford High School.
All boys are encouraged to engage in independent research and activities throughout their time in the School via our Scholarship for all programme. Whilst not curricular, there is an expectation that staff will support this provision as their experience and expertise enables.
All members of the teaching staff help with co- and extra-curricular activities, of which there is an impressively wide range. Music, Art and Drama all flourish with performances, exhibitions and workshops. There is a well-equipped auditorium, a large Art School and a purpose built Music Department. We have a very active clubs and societies programme that takes place before, during and after school each day. All the Third Form take part in our curricular, weekly expedition and adventure programme, EXAD. We have five Field Days per year and also offer overseas expeditions, a large Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Programme and numerous sports tours. Staff are invited to attend and support all of these events.
Guildford is a vibrant and exciting place in which to live. Rich in history, it is a welcoming town with a flourishing and varied cultural life. Entertainment is diverse with a number of lively and nationally renowned venues including G Live, the Yvonne Arnaud theatre and the eclectic Electric Theatre. There are outstanding sport and leisure facilities which include the state-of-the-art training venues and sports complexes of Surrey Sports Park and Guildford Spectrum. Guildford offers one of the south east’s best shopping experiences with the iconic High Street combining exclusive and popular national chains as well as a number of independent retailers. Dining options cater for every taste and budget with local traditional and gastro pubs in nearby Surrey villages drawing customers from a wide area.
Educationally, Guildford is thriving. RGS Guildford and Guildford High School are regularly ranked in the top ten single-sex schools in the country. RGS also enjoys close links with other girls’ schools, Tormead School and St Catherine’s, Bramley. The University of Surrey was awarded ‘University of the Year for Graduate Employment’ by The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022.
Guildford has the advantage of being very accessible and enjoys excellent transport links. London is just over a 30-mile drive via the A3 and well served by trains (just 29 minutes to Clapham Junction and 39 minutes to London Waterloo). International airports London Gatwick and London Heathrow are only 30 minutes from the town.
Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty are close by; the Surrey Hills and North Downs are on the School's doorstep and provide opportunities to enjoy the stunning countryside; the south coast is approximately one hour by car.
“
The town of Guildford, which I, who have seen so many, many towns, think it is the prettiest, and…most happylooking, that I ever saw in my life.
William Cobbett
The setting:
The Surrey Hills
North Downs
South Downs
Picturesque villages
The south coast
Travel by rail:
Clapham Junction 29 minutes
London Waterloo 39 minutes
Portsmouth Harbour 60 minutes
Gatwick Airport 45 minutes
Travel by road:
London 32 miles via the A3; Heathrow 22 miles; Gatwick 34 miles via A3 and M25; Portsmouth 44 miles; Brighton 59 miles
The North Downs
The Royal Grammar School Guildford meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. All applicants who are offered employment will be subject to an enhanced criminal record check from the DBS before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of cautions, reprimands or final warnings, as well as convictions. It is of fundamental importance to The Royal Grammar School to ensure, so far as possible, that those who take up appointments do not pose a risk to the children in its care.
We are proactively committed to creating a diverse staff body, which reflects the community that we teach. At RGS we value diversity and inclusion; we want to attract the best people for the roles available. This is regardless of age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, disability, socioeconomic status or religious beliefs.
Please note: applications will be considered on receipt and we reserve the right to close applications early.
