Admissions Officer (Bursaries)

THE DEPARTMENT

The dynamic Admissions team are responsible for leading and co-ordinating the admission of pupils to Highgate’s over-subscribed Pre-Prep, Junior and Senior Schools, fast-paced work which is crucial for the ongoing success of the school. Led by the Head of Admissions, the team consists of 6 members who each have who each have their own autonomy but also work collaboratively as a team. With four formal entry points, the team’s primary focus is on relationships with prospective parents and pupils through designing and running a comprehensive admissions and induction process. We work closely with the Communications team as well as the leadership teams across all three schools.

THE ROLE

This is a fulfilling and exciting role as you will take forward and oversee the Senior School’s bursary programme, awarding bursaries to 11+ and 16+ applicants. You will also lead our Senior School Admissions process for occasional place applicants. Both of these roles involve supporting families of applicants, guiding them through the process. You will have excellent administrative, communication and customer service skills to ensure a positive and inclusive experience of the school for all prospective families, whether applications are successful or not. Calm and organised, you will be a people-person with a flexible, pro-active and can-do approach. You will thrive in a busy environment and you will enjoy developing your skills. You’ll have a keen interest in promoting access to an independent education and be able to demonstrate warmth and empathy towards all prospective applicant families.

You will be working closely with the Head of Admissions, the Head of Lower School and Heads of Sixth Form, the Bursar, the Marketing Manager, the 11+/16+ (academic) Admissions Officer (a post held by a teacher at the Senior School), the Director of Inclusion, the Director of Development and the Partnerships Director and of course your colleagues in the Admissions Team.

THE SCHOOL

A culture of community, kindness and belonging

Highgate is a different kind of independent school. We are a school whose charitable ethos is an inextricable part of both staff and pupil DNA. Highgate doesn’t exist in a bubble, but is connected to, and part of, a community. We have partnerships with over 60 state schools across 7 London boroughs, and, in 2017, Highgate co-founded the free sixth form school, The London Academy of Excellence Tottenham (LAET), with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club as principal business sponsor.

From the Pre-Prep right up to the Sixth Form, we are actively seeking to embed a real sense of belonging at Highgate. Everyone who works and studies with us deserves to feel they are part of an environment that:

• welcomes them
• enables them to be themselves
• understands them
• encourages questioning, self-knowledge, and self-expression
• helps them not just to manage, but to thrive, to discover and pursue their passions, and to develop as individuals and members of a community.

To do this, we are evaluating diversity in our professional, curricular and co-curricular life, exploring how to attract pupils and staff from all backgrounds to work and learn at Highgate and providing opportunities to share our own experiences as well as learning from alternative perspectives. Our work on inclusion at Highgate involves pupils, staff, alumni, parents and carers.

Award-winning success

Founded over 450 years ago in 1565 by Sir Roger Cholmeley, Highgate is one of the UK’s leading co-educational independent schools for pupils aged 4-18. There are currently in the region of 1,850 pupils split across our Pre-Preparatory School, Junior School and Senior School sites, in conjunction with approximately 600 teaching and support staff. We are proud to be able to claim some of the top academic results across the UK, as well as titles of Independent School of the Year 2019 and Independent School of the Year for Social Mobility 2019. Highgate has recently been named the Sunday Times London Independent School of the Decade by Parent Power, The Sunday Times Schools Guide. “Ranking in the top 25 independent schools in the UK for its results in the examination hall, Highgate achieves well for its children. But it also makes a difference for many more children beyond its own gates.” Alistair McCall, The Sunday Times.

Closing date: Midnight on Sunday 16 May. Applications will be considered on receipt and we reserve the right to close an advert early if we find a suitable candidate. Interviews will take place on 25 and 26 May 2021.                                 

Salary: Full-time equivalent £27,250 - £29,250 p.a., pro-rata for part time (£21,800 – £23,400) qualifications, skills and experience

Location: Highgate, North London

Type of position: Permanent. A part-time role, envisaged as 4 days, but there may be potential for flexibility of hours, particularly during school holiday periods. Options regarding this can be discussed at interview.

Additional Vacancies: Please see our work with us page for further opportunities within the Admissions department. Please state in your personal statement if you would like to also be considered for any other role currently advertised. It will also be helpful to understand your preferred working pattern for the roles you wish to be considered for.

To apply: For further information and an application form, please visit our website: https://www.highgateschool.org.uk/work-with-us/staff-vacancies/

Highgate School supports anonymous recruitment. This means we hide your personal, identifying information to remove bias from the hiring process. We encourage applications from candidates who experience barriers and inequity due to their ethnicity, gender identity, physical or mental health, sexuality, and/or socio-economic background.

Highgate is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of children. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to this post, including checks with past employers, overseas police check if necessary and the Disclosure and Barring Service.