Personal Assistant: Secondary Education

We are looking for an experienced administrator to join our central team as Personal Assistant to the Secondary Director.

This role will provide maternity cover on a 12-month fixed-term contract.

About Us

The Harris Federation is the leading large Multi Academy Trust in the country for both primary and secondary education. We have an established reputation in transforming education in London and an unrivalled track record in achieving success through rapid school improvement.

Harris is a Federation and not a chain; each academy is different, reflecting the particular aspirations and leadership style of its Principal. Our vision is that Harris academies work collaboratively in sharing school improvement strategies, and support one another as part of the wider Harris Federation. We look for talented individuals who want to help transform education in London, and create exceptional places of learning.

Harris secondary academies combine the traditional values of good manners, strong discipline and smart uniform with the best of modern teaching and technology.

Our academies are located largely in disadvantaged areas of London, yet our students comfortably outperform national averages and are more than twice as likely to get a place at a top Russell Group university.  Three-quarters of our secondary academies are rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted, compared to just a fifth of schools nationally.

Main Areas of Responsibility

Your key responsibilities will include:

• To present the professional and welcoming face of the Harris Federation and all secondary academies, to all visitors, staff and students, in person and on the telephone
• To liaise with Federation functional teams on behalf of the Director, including; Primary, Sixth Form, Data, HR, IT, Compliance and Finance, and academy Principals across the Federation as appropriate
• To support the Director with the preparation of paperwork and presentations for a range of meetings including interviews, disciplinary hearings, grievances, performance management, presentations, training sessions etc.
• To manage all communications from the Director to all employees
• To support the Compliance team with the management of external communications including academy websites
• To support the Compliance team in the preparation and timely review of all Federation policies, including typing, proof reading and production of the same
• To maintain the academy policies folder, ensuring updates are added as appropriate
• To track delegated tasks where required and monitor progress, chasing any documentation or responses not received and keeping the Director informed as appropriate
• To ensure all correspondence to the Director is managed effectively and accurately, using the appropriate filing and dispersion methods as necessary
• To keep the Director’s meetings file and retrieve necessary paperwork as and when meetings arise
• To be responsible for organising meetings and ensuring effective communication between all stakeholders, parents/carers, external agencies and students and the Director
• To type up, disseminate and file all agendas and minutes for meetings involving the Director
• To ensure that the Director’s diary is managed efficiently and effectively. This will involve liaising with a variety of external and internal stakeholders
• To provide a daily/weekly diary and documentation and maintain an overview of approaching deadlines
• To maintain the Director’s contacts
• To maintain an exemplary professional environment for the Director at all times
• To exercise complete discretion when dealing with issues of confidentiality and sensitivity
• To take all telephone calls, in the first instance, dealing with queries, passing on calls if necessary
• To liaise with clerks to Governors to ensure that all relevant paperwork and correspondence is efficiently managed for all the secondary academies
• To maintain the Director’s filing systems, both hard and electronic copies as appropriate
• Proof reading of documentation as requested
• Annual collecting and collating of information for the Academy Improvement Plans, and typing, proof reading and production of the same
• Ensure that information from the Director is forwarded to appropriate staff in a timely manner
• To complete any ad hoc reports for Governors meeting as required
• To collect any correspondence for Governors and forward as appropriate
• To ensure that all visitors are welcomed and catered for in a professional manner, organising refreshments as appropriate
• To accompany the Director to any off-site meetings that may require support

Qualifications & Experience

The successful candidate will have:

• Appropriate degree or equivalent experience in previous roles
• Training in the use of a variety of ICT packages, including Word and Excel
• Experience of producing and disseminating company news, updates and communicating with top level stakeholders
• Experience of working to targets and deadlines
• Experience of managing meetings including preparation and circulation of papers, minutes and ensuring information is circulated as required
• Experience of managing staff in relation to a team support role

Next Steps

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please contact careers@harrisfederation.org.uk to arrange a conversation with the Director.

Before applying, please download the Job Pack for full details on the job responsibilities and person specification. You will need this when completing your application.

Rewards & Benefits

Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level to senior leadership.

We look for talented individuals who share our vision for creating exceptional places of learning, and are committed to ensuring that every child in London has access to the best possible education.

In addition to the opportunities for career progression, training and development, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes our Harris Allowance, a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme, a Wellbeing Cash Plan and many other benefits.

We also operate a flexible hybrid working policy, details of which can be discussed at interview.

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share in this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed for all applicants. Before applying, please review our Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders.

Equal Opportunities

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

As a provider of employment and education, we value the diversity of our staff and students, and all our staff are equally valued and respected. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff.