Office Manager

We are looking for an organised and dedicated Office Manager to join our team at Shaftesbury School. The postholder will be responsible for PA support for the Headteacher and Senior Leadership team and have oversight for all office and administrative services for the school.

The postholder will play a crucial role in the day-to-day running of the school and be a key link with SAST Shared Services. The Office Manager will provide PA support for the Headteacher and the SLT. The working environment is busy, and you will be working on varied tasks on a daily basis. The postholder will need to be able to work on their own initiative and prioritise their workload to best meet the needs of the school. The Office Manager will represent the school with various stakeholders.

At Shaftesbury School we hold an educational vison close to hearts of everyone “being the best they can be”. Just as Jesus used the parable of The Good Samaritan to explain, “love thy neighbour as thyself”, we too have this at the root of our ethos. This vision and ethos is brought to life through our core values; Belonging, Empathy, Service and Thrive. Staff have the highest expectations of every student and guide them to ensure they become confident learners, who will leave Shaftesbury School with an excellent level of knowledge, skills and experience to flourish in an ever-changing world.

We are pleased to be part of SAST. There is real strength in coming together with a collective responsibility for all of the children’s development and progress between 0-19 years. We believe in preserving schools in the local community. This means that there will be considerable local expertise to support staff with the chance to make a contribution to any wider developments. 

We are looking for someone with high expectations, who is able to motivate and organise. We are looking for someone who will go the extra mile and can make substantial and sustained contribution to the school team and beyond. In return, you will join a school and a trust that is full of activity, opportunity and optimism. You will join a school that has a centralised behaviour management system, supporting staff workload. The school has an Alternative Provision on site for students who struggle with the mainstream lesson setting and these are fully staffed. Shaftesbury is a school which has a thriving 6th Form and fantastic facilities, including a staff gym, an industrial hospitality facility for our Catering courses, five ICT suites, a 6th Form and Staff Café, a fully resourced Library, staff refereshments every day, a multi-faceted Steps to Support programme for our young people, a staff well-being charter and staff counselling. 

Should you wish to arrange a visit to view the School, please do not hesitate to contact Shirley Yeo, Office Manager on Shirley.yeo@shaftesburyschool.co.uk and they will be happy to arrange this for you.

SAST will conduct online searches of shortlisted candidates. In line with KCSIE guidance, this will be part of safer recruitment checks, and the search will purely be based on whether an individual is suitable to work with children. As care must be taken to avoid unconscious bias and any risk of discrimination, a person who will not be on the appointment panel will conduct the searches and will only share information if and when findings are relevant and of concern.

Safeguarding responsibilities associated with this role may include engagement in regulatory activity, such as administering first aid or supporting an upset child. It will have contact with young people on a day-to-day basis. SAST is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will have to meet the person specification and the post is subject to safeguarding checks, including an enhanced DBS check and Children’s Barred List check. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020.

SAST recognises the benefit of having a diverse workforce and is committed to building a workforce which reflects diversity from the communities it serves. SAST values the contributions from all staff from a wide range of different backgrounds and actively seeks to promote an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment and at the same time supports fair promotion and cultural acceptance. Under the provision of the Equality Act 2010 SAST welcomes applications from everyone and operates a recruitment process which is fair and does not discriminate against or disadvantage anyone because of their age, disability, gender reassignment status, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race or nationality, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

This role is UK- based and your right to work will need to be established as part of the appointment process.