Head's PA

The Portsmouth Grammar School is a leading co-educational school located in the historic heart of Portsmouth. The school is an IB World School and offers the IB Diploma alongside A Level.

The Head’s PA is responsible for providing comprehensive and confidential administrative, secretarial and organisational support to the Head. The successful candidate will have experience of a similar role within a professional environment supporting at senior level. 

The post is full-time (40 hours Monday – Friday, 8.30am to 5pm, with an unpaid 30 minutes for lunch) and operates throughout the calendar year.  A flexible approach is essential to be able to support occasional evening or weekend meetings and events and to work additional hours where necessary. 

The start date is expected to be mid July 2019 and this can be discussed further at interview.

Duties and Responsibilities 

The duties and responsibilities of the role will include but are not restricted to:

Planning and managing the Head’s diary, appointments and reminder systems in order to make the most effective use of her time and ensuring the smooth running of the office

Attending the weekly planning meeting to ensure co-ordination between the Head’s diary and the school diary

Dealing proactively with incoming and outgoing correspondence to and from the Head’s Office, including drafting letters and emails, in order to ensure appropriate and timely responses to all communications

Managing the Head’s daily folder and ensuring all papers are prepared in advance for meetings and conferences

Preparing correspondence re staff pay, for example pay award letters

Filing of Head’s paperwork, including personnel files and confidential filing

Arranging all CPD and probation interviews with the Head and the associated paperwork

Arranging all exit interviews with teaching staff and some support staff

Making welcome the Head’s visitors, receiving incoming telephone calls and other messages; responding on behalf of the Head to routine enquiries. Ensuring that all visitors to the Head receive an efficient, professional, approachable and welcoming service, in line with the ethos of the school

Preparing, editing and processing documents, reports and presentation materials to a high standard, and to agreed timescales, using appropriate software packages

Planning and organising internal and external meetings as required by the Head, ensuring that appropriate information, facilities and refreshments are provided; making travel arrangements if required

Preparing agendas and papers for meetings and taking minutes where needed

Supporting a service-oriented ‘can-do’ approach and a culture of support within the administrative team, contributing to mutually supportive working relationships between academic and support staff

Developing administrative systems and maintaining records and databases as required by the Head. This may include information about members of staff and pupils, so must be managed in accordance with data protection requirements

Assisting with the organisation of events such as guest nights, the annual prefects’ dinner and new staff welcome drinks in September, ensuring the events run smoothly and efficiently

Contributing to the positive promotion and marketing of the school in the local and wider community

In all aspects of the role, respecting the confidential and sensitive nature of the work of the Head’s office both within and beyond the school

Person Specification

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate:

Substantial senior secretarial and administrative experience, working in a complex environment and supporting at senior level. Previous experience within an educational environment will be desirable but is not essential

A positive outlook and a commitment to completing tasks to the highest standard

Excellent interpersonal and communications skills, along with a diplomatic and discreet outlook

Accuracy and thorough attention to detail

A pro-active approach to planning and prioritising work on their own initiative, as well as first rate organisational skills

The ability to maintain a high work rate and to cope with a range of tasks and competing priorities

Proficient use of Microsoft Office, desk-top publishing software, databases and management information systems and Google’s cloud-based G suite products

Knowledge and understanding of data protection matters including the GDPR

A willingness and ability to ‘roll up sleeves’ in an emergency along with a professional, unflappable and approachable demeanour

Excellent command of written and spoken English

Sufficient numeracy to deal confidently with statistical data

A good telephone manner and the ability to deal with visitors and callers in a calm and courteous way

An enjoyment of working in the company of children and young people, and of participating fully in the life of the school, including attending the school for out-of-hours events at evenings and weekends

A high level of personal integrity, honesty, enthusiasm and stamina

A willingness to undertake all training required by the school including safeguarding training