Examinations Officer

We are looking for an experienced administrator to manage, co-ordinate and implement the School’s examination procedures, reporting to the Director of Studies.

Responsibilities of the post:

• Advising the Director of Studies, Senior Leadership Team, subject and form tutors and other relevant support staff on annual examination timetables and application procedures as set by the various awarding bodies.
• Overseeing the production and distribution to staff and candidates of an annual calendar for all examinations in which candidates will be involved and communicating regularly with staff concerning imminent deadlines and events.
• Overseeing arrangements for all public examination entries in advance of deadlines and providing and confirming detailed data on estimated entries.
• Ensuring that candidates and their parents are informed of and understand those aspects of the examinations timetable that will affect them.
• Ensuring that the Headmistress is fully briefed on matters relating to public examinations and enabled effectively to fulfil her role as Head of Centre.
• Receiving, checking and storing securely all examination papers, completed scripts and examination stationery.
• Arranging prompt dispatch of completed scripts as required by awarding bodies.
• Consulting with teaching staff to ensure that necessary coursework is completed on time and in accordance with Joint council for Qualifications guidelines.
• Working with the Director of Studies and Special Educational Needs     
    Co-ordinator (SENCo) to co-ordinate examination invigilators, including recruitment, training and management of casual invigilation staff.
• Working with the Director of Studies and Timetable Manager to ensure appropriate  timetabling, room arrangements and invigilation procedures for School and public examinations, and informing the Site Supervisor of furniture requirements.
• Ensuring that all examinations start and finish appropriately in line with awarding body  regulations, including online examinations.
• Ensuring that pupils are given all the information they need about examination entries, the dates and times of the examinations, conduct during examinations and the collection of results and certificates, and that this information is given in good time.
• Ensuring that all necessary stationery and other items are provided for examinations.
• Initiating appropriate correspondence with and responding appropriately to correspondence from the various awarding bodies and others in relation to:
• Issues relating to appeals, re-marking and other administrative issues such as pupils who miss examinations through illness or who require special consideration
• Enquiries from parents and pupils, including former pupils
• Examination results and certificates and arrangements for their issue
• Working with the Director of Studies to ensure the appropriate dissemination of public examination results to pupils, local and national newspapers and appropriate agencies, ensuring that figures are checked for accuracy.
• Downloading and processing public examination results for June and November examination series, checking for accuracy, disseminating and analysing with the Director of Studies.
• Submitting examination results queries in August.
• Liaising with the SENCo to establish invigilation costs incurred by pupils requiring individual access arrangements, eg a reader or scribe.
• Liaising with the Finance Officer to ensure that parents are correctly invoiced for examination entry fees and any costs incurred by examination results queries and individual access arrangements.
• Accounting for income and expenditures relating to all examination costs/charges.
• Keeping up to date with the necessary policies, procedures, rules and regulations laid down by the different awarding bodies and JCQ inspector’s visit to School during an examination period.
• In conjunction with the SENCo administering access arrangements, reasonable adjustments and special consideration.
• Identifying and managing examination timetable clashes and arranging for secure supervision of candidates whose examinations clash.
• Working with the Director of Studies to provide information related to public and school  examinations in a format which is easily accessible so that effective examination analysis can take place immediately after results have been received and processed.
• Liaising with the Director of Studies concerning arrangements for MidYIS and INSIGHT tests.
• Attending staff meetings where necessary to pass on information about examinations.
• Undertaking any other task that may reasonably be required in order to fulfil the  requirements of the role.

Person specification

Essential 

• Highly organised, efficient and able to manage competing priorities 
• Excellent IT skills
• An eye for detail
• Strong interpersonal skills 
• Highly effective communication skills, in person and in writing 
• Understanding of and support for the Catholic ethos of the School 
• Diplomatic and patient 
• Ability to work calmly under pressure
• Flexible 
• Collaborative, reliable and resilient 
• Integrity and discretion 
• Inspiring confidence in others 

Desirable

• Experience of working in compliance with formal regulations, ideally within an academic environment

Hours of work

The post is part-time during term-time only (10.00 am - 2.30 pm Monday to Friday including a 30-minute unpaid lunch break) with additional working hours required during examination periods and the results’ weeks in August.

Pay and benefits

The annual salary for the post will be pro rata the full-time equivalent salary of £26,000 per annum.

All support staff are invited to join the School’s Standard Life Group Personal Pension Scheme.

All salaried staff, full or part-time, are entitled to a fee remission, 50% for full-time staff and pro rata for part-time staff. 

Support staff benefit from membership of Westfield Health’s health cash plan after a qualifying period of six months.

At specified times, staff may use the School’s Fitness Suite, and during Trinity Term staff may use the swimming pool at the advertised times.  Lunch is provided in the school dining room during term time and when the kitchen is open during the holidays. Refreshments are provided in the Staff Room at morning break and teatime.  There is car parking on site, and the School is easily accessible by bus.

Applications (application form, accompanying letter and full curriculum vitae with contact details for two  referees) should be addressed to the Headmistress, Mrs Sarah Ryan, and sent by email to the Human Resources Manager, Ms Ellen Phelips (ephelips@ryestantony.co.uk or by post to her at Rye  St Antony, Pullen’s Lane, Oxford OX3 0BY; telephone 01865 762802). 

The closing date for applications is 12 noon on Thursday 26 September and interviews will be held on Monday 7 October 2019.

The School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and all applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service.