Ex-staffer charged with stealing $460,000 from top NSW private school

A former business manager at one of Sydney's most exclusive private schools has been charged with embezzling almost half a million dollars from the school.

The ex-staffer at the Kambala School, Rose Bay, is alleged to have misused school-issued credits cards for personal purchases totalling more than $460,000 during a five-year period.

It is understood the 56-year-old resigned from his senior position at the independent girls' college at the end of 2013, with the school council only discovering the aberration last year.

The wider school community was then notified.

"The school has completed a forensic audit of our accounts and has successfully recovered $381,000," school council president Sally Herman said.

"Our work to recover misappropriated funds is not complete and we will continue our efforts to retrieve the remaining money."

The man has been charged with eight counts of obtaining financial advantage by deception.

He will face Waverley Local Court on February 25.

Located on prime real estate at Rose Bay in Sydney's east, Kambala charges up to $29,500 in annual tuition fees.