Junior School Reception Administrator (Part-Time)

Required: As soon as possible

Salary: £12,225 per annum

Line Manager: PA to the Head of Junior School

Hours: 20.5 hours (2.5 days) per week, job share

Closing date: Tuesday 4th June, 12:00 noon

Interview date: Monday 10th June

The Role

We are seeking to appoint an exceptionally organised and adaptable individual to work collaboratively with a job share counterpart, for just over two and a half days per week on the Junior School Reception. This is an extremely busy role and the successful candidate will play an instrumental part in the efficient day-to-day operations of The King’s Junior School.

As the first point of contact for many visitors to the School, this role carries an essential marketing aspect and high-quality customer care is essential when dealing with the needs and requests of pupils, staff, parents and visitors. The ideal candidate will be capable of working under their own initiative whilst also being part of the wider administrative team providing support to the whole School.

The School

The King’s School, Gloucester has a rich academic tradition dating back to its founding in 1541. It houses the longest-serving classroom in Europe and is held in high esteem amongst the local and wider community, winning Gloucestershire Independent School of the Year in 2020 and 2021 and being Highly Commended again in 2022. Following the 2022 ISI Inspection, King’s was proud to be declared ‘excellent in all areas’.

Main Purpose

• Meet and greet all visitors to Junior School Reception, ensuring compliance with safeguarding regulations and representing the school as the first point of contact;
• Complete relevant administrative tasks to support the work of Junior School staff and ensure the School operates efficiently;
• Manage all incoming calls to Junior School Reception and distribute messages in a timely manner;
• Assist with registration and signing-out of the pupils.

Key Duties

• Collate and distribute the weekly digital newsletter in conjunction with the Head of Junior School;
• Place stationery and equipment orders for Junior School and Little King’s;
• Care for sick children, administer or seek first aid in the case of minor injury, as required;
• Maintain the Junior School’s fire registers;
• Organise sales, distribution and design of tickets and programmes for Junior School events;
• Assist staff and external club providers with the end-of-day signing-out process;
• Distribute incoming post and lost property for the Junior School;
• Stay calm and take immediate action in the event of an emergency (e.g. fire drill);
• Deal with enquiries from parents, staff and pupils in a professional manner;
• Handle complaints efficiently and non-judgementally according to the School's policy and procedures;
• Provide administrative support to Junior School staff;
• Provide support to the Head of Junior School’s PA as necessary;
• Attend staff training and meetings as necessary;
• Provide cover for the wider administrative team when required;
• Any other duties that may reasonably be assigned by the Headmaster or Head of Junior School.

Personal Profile

The successful candidate should:

• Have previous experience in a school or similar environment;
• Have a desire to work with children and young people;
• Be diplomatic, friendly and approachable, able to build appropriate relationships with pupils, parents and staff;
• Demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of Office 365, particularly Word, Excel, SharePoint and Forms;
• Be IT-literate and able to pick up the various School IT systems quickly;
• Have good communication skills and an excellent telephone manner;
• Be resourceful and able to work under pressure;
• Be a calm and reassuring presence in case of an emergency;
• Exemplify integrity, confidentiality and professionalism at all times;
• Be prepared to take complete responsibility for the busy and challenging environment of the Junior School Reception.

Hours of Work

The post is for 2.5 days per week, term-time only plus two weeks during the School holidays and INSET days, with hours worked as follows:

• Wednesdays 11:00 – 16:30
• Thursdays & Fridays 08:00 – 16:30, with a one-hour break

There will be occasions such as School events, Open Days, festivals and performances when additional hours may be required. Provision of occasional cover may also be required during term time. Remuneration will be given for any extra hours worked.

Benefits

• A contributory pension through Aviva APTIS;
• Generous fees remission for children at King’s;
• Before / After School Care for children at King’s;
• Access to a doctor for advice and short consultations;
• Staff Wellbeing Programme;
• Cycle to Work Scheme;
• Lunches;
• Parking.

Applications 

Candidates should apply through TES or by submitting a completed School Application Form and Covering Letter via email to recruitment@thekingsschool.co.uk. A CV is not required.

Closing date for applications is Tuesday 4th June at 12:00 noon, with interviews taking place on Monday 10th June. However, early applications are encouraged and we reserve the right to make an appointment prior to the published closing date if appropriate.

Please note, the School is on half term break for the week commencing 27th May 2024, returning Monday 3rd June. Applications received during this time may experience a slight delay in response; thank you for your patience.

For further information, please contact Mr Harry Fuller on 01452 337337 or via email to recruitment@thekingsschool.co.uk.

The King’s School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post including: references from previous employers, a Disclosure and Barring Service check at the enhanced level, as well as eligibility to work in the UK (in compliance with UK immigration regulations). Interviews will be conducted in person, and they will explore candidates’ suitability to work with children. In line with Keeping Children Safe in Education an online search will be carried out for short listed candidates only – this will consist of a Google and social media search. The search is looking for anything that calls into question the candidate’s suitability to work with children, or could cause harm to the reputation of The King’s School. Any information discovered will be shared with members of the interviewing panel prior to interview.