Receptionist and Administrative Assistant

Support our thriving academy! We are looking for a Receptionist/Admin Assistant to manage the 6th Form entrance and to be the first point of contact for all visitors, staff and students at Harris Academy South Norwood. You will assist in the running of the reception area as well as providing administrative support in order to contribute to the smooth running of the academy.

This is a one year fixed-term contract. 

About Us

If you are looking for a school with clear and effective behaviour policies and systems, a visible and supportive leadership team, useful but not onerous CPD, and frequent opportunities for promotion, then we could be the school for you. Our students behave well, and so they achieve well. This is a product of our excellent behaviour systems. We have 6 non-teaching Heads of Year who support behaviour and welfare and run a fully centralised detention system. Exemplary behaviour can only be achieved through a highly visible Senior Leadership team, and they are constantly touring the Academy. CPD is bespoke, first and foremost in the subject and grounded in tried and tested methods of effective teaching such as modelling, questioning, literacy, practice and consolidation. We don't engage with the latest fads. We believe the best approach to workload and wellbeing is to run a highly effective school with gives people purpose and avoids unnecessary work. Our sizeable department teams mean that despite our excellent retention rates, opportunities for promotion are frequent and exciting. I really hope that you'll be joining our team.

Harris Academy South Norwood is an extremely popular 11-19 academy that has been judged Outstanding by OFSTED since 2010. We deliver a broad and challenging curriculum to all our students in a calm and well-ordered environment. We have high expectations of all members of the school community. This is reflected in our consistently high student performance at GCSE, progression to post 16 study at our sixth form and then on to some of the best universities in the country. Last year 188 of our year 11 students chose to remain with us for the sixth form.

Boasting one of the most unique school buildings in the country Harris Academy, Clocktower perfectly blends classic British architecture with modern contemporary design. With our main building built newly in 2007 HASN is a modern Academy that boasts open plan corridors and skylight panels across the main building. The classic Stanley building dating back to 1907 provides a charm and a history that compliments the new stylings of the main building and provides a reminder of the scholarly traditional values that a Harris Academy South Norwood education is built upon. 

We are very fortunate to have excellent transport links to central London (some trains get to London Bridge in 11mins) and just 4 minutes on the train from East Croydon. The Clocktower campus is a 6 minute walk from Norwood Junction train station.

Main Areas of Responsibility

Your responsibilities will be:

• To present the professional and welcoming face of the Academy to all visitors, staff and students, including telephone callers.
• To ensure all visitors are signed in to the academy in accordance with safeguarding procedures.
• To respond to queries from parents/carers and the general public with exemplary professionalism, ensuring that any messages or complaints are immediately dealt with, forwarded to the appropriate member of staff or escalated as required.
• To ensure the overall appearance of the reception area is tidy, professional and presentable at all times.
• General administrative duties such as typing, photocopying, filing, collation and distribution of post.
• In liaison with appropriate academy staff, to contribute to the maintenance of academy information databases and filing systems relating to pupils, ensuring confidentiality is observed at all times and records are accurate and up to date.
• To assist academy staff in all aspects of academy life, including contacting parents and pupils where necessary.
• To provide general administrative support to the academy as required, including preparation of documentation, and administrative duties relating to specific areas such as academy calendar maintenance, extra-curricular activities, school trips, school meal arrangements.

Qualifications & Experience

• Educated to GCSE level or equivalent
• Competent in the use of Microsoft Office packages
• Proficient in the use of computers and databases
• Previous experience in an administrative or front office/reception role
• Demonstrable customer service experience

Next Steps

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please contact us via e-mail, or call to arrange a conversation.

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.

Please note: we may hold interviews as and when applications are received and we reserve the right to offer to a candidate prior to the closing date. We only accept applications submitted online via our careers website and which are completed before the closing deadline. With this in mind, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible and advise you check the job information as per the listing on our careers site.

Professional Development & 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.

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.