Headmaster's PA - maternity cover

Terms of the engagement

The appointment is subject to the provisions of the Handbook for Non-teaching Staff.  The standard hours of the post are 37.5 hours a week (excluding a one hour mid-day break each day) from 8.15am to 4.45pm.  However, the post holder will be expected to work such additional hours as may be necessary and reasonable to enable him or her to discharge effectively his or her duties.  No additional payment will be made for overtime or irregular hours.  The annual leave entitlement is 25 working days (excluding public and bank holidays), to be taken at times agreed by the Procurator.  The holiday year starts on 1st April.

Job title

Headmaster’s Personal Assistant

Salary

Scale Point AD3a: 33,651 to be paid into the employee’s bank account in twelve equal payments on the last working day of each calendar month.

Responsible and accountable to

The Headmaster

Pension Scheme

The Local Government Pension Scheme is available to all members of non-teaching staff.  More details are available from The Procurator.

Length of tenure

6-12 months or possibly longer, with effect from 1st March 2019 (negotiable); given the uncertain nature of maternity cover contracts, a month’s notice will be given in the event that the current post-holder wishes to return.  

If the current post-holder does not wish to return to the post, we will advertise for a permanent vacancy both internally and externally.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The Headmaster’s Personal Assistant is expected to have a good working knowledge of ICT and to be familiar with appropriate computing and IT procedures, including word processing (Word) and spreadsheets (Excel), databases and use of the Internet, and to keep up-to-date with developments in these areas.

All members of the support staff are expected to be flexible and to assist with duties outside their normal area of responsibility from time to time.

The nature of the work demands that discretion and confidentiality are of utmost importance at all times.

PARTICULAR RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES 

The Headmaster’s Personal Assistant has overall responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Headmaster’s office and the particular responsibilities and duties set out below.  

1 generally keeping abreast of and informed about the work of the Headmaster and the routines of the School, which will necessarily involve reading papers, minutes and correspondence, working closely with members of staff, particularly the Procurator and senior teaching staff;

2 from time to time,  attending meetings with the Headmaster;

3 working closely with and generally assisting the Headmaster in his work, including that associated with his membership of outside bodies;

4 providing the Headmaster with administrative and secretarial support;

5 being familiar with appropriate computing and IT procedures, including word processing (Word), spreadsheets (Excel) and the School’s data management system;

6 maintaining the filing system, including looking out correspondence, maintaining a system for bringing forward items, reviewing regularly pending and pending reply files, maintaining a system of referencing and cross-referencing, matching up and keeping together related correspondence and other appropriate items within files and keeping track of active files;

7 monitoring the School email account and responding or forwarding emails to the appropriate person;

8 having responsibility for the Headmaster’s post (both Royal Mail and local authority), work to be undertaken and any special arrangements for the day;

9 dealing with the Headmaster’s routine correspondence, including the drafting of letters, ensuring that correspondence is dealt with expeditiously;

10 keeping the Headmaster’s diary, making appointments, and informing others with an interest of the Headmaster’s appointments and schedules with appropriate information;

11 dealing with telephone calls and inquiries;

12 attending the Headmaster’s morning briefing meeting (8.15am), various routine weekly meetings and heads of department meetings;

13 keeping brief notes or minutes of meetings and circulating accordingly; and writing summaries and briefing papers for meetings;

14 preparing routine statistical reports, returns and analyses;

15 preparing papers for meetings, ensuring that all papers related to items on the agenda, or to matters arising from previous minutes, are included;

16 maintaining the invitation lists of guests for school functions, ensuring that invitations are sent out in good time;

17 ensuring that annual letters, memos and associated materials are amended, brought up-to-date and distributed at the appropriate times during the year;

18 assisting with the administrative procedures for the appointing of teaching staff employed at the School, including placing adverts, liaising with Heads of Department on interview schedules, logging and acknowledging applications, calling candidates for interview, ensuring that further information is sent to candidates, sending for references and making other necessary arrangements for interviews as required;

19 maintaining the Single Central Record and administering vetting checks (DBS) on all those working or volunteering at the school, including rechecks as appropriate; authorising invoices for the online service provider;

20 keeping up to date with legislation and guidance about employment and vetting checks and any changes to the requirements of the Single Central Record;

22 assisting the Procurator with the completion and submission of the annual School Workforce Census;

23 ensuring that the Registrar, the housemaster and the form-teacher concerned are aware of any correspondence concerning pupils, particularly in respect of exclusions and of their progress and outcome;

24 where appropriate, communicating information to relevant members of staff;

25 liaising with the Procurator to ensure that necessary arrangements are made for refreshments for the Headmaster’s meetings and receptions; securing Senior Prefects as ushers when required; 

26 processing new joiners, both teaching and non-teaching staff: including, opening personal file and creating electronic records – updating when necessary;

27 making any necessary travel arrangements for the Headmaster;

28 working with the Headmaster on the revision of the Staff Handbook;

29 drafting the school summary calendar;

30 coordinating the revision and production of the Calendar, Rules and Regulations and the Rugby Fixtures booklet;

31 working closely with the Clerk to the Appeal Panel in respect of appeals against admission decisions: logging appeal form requests and drafting responses for the Headmaster; devising a timetable of appeal hearings and informing appellants; preparing and sending paperwork to appellants and Appeal Panel; booking the venue; updating, preparing and sending outcome letters;

32 assisting the Procurator with arrangements for various events, including the Patronal Festival and the Annual Carol Service;

33 providing some secretarial and administrative support to school’s Foundation Charity including preparing paperwork for meetings, taking minutes, assisting with events, help preparing the accounts and investigating legal procedures.

34 Assisting with refreshments, e.g. tea and coffee, for significant visitors and guests

35 Co-ordinating and administering governor and IRP exclusion panels, as required