School Secretary

The School

As well as being a leading prep school that caters for a wide range of able boys, The Pilgrims’ School is the Cathedral School of Winchester. The School educates both the 22 Cathedral Choristers and the 16 Winchester College Quiristers  (the treble voices in the College Chapel). The School is all boys throughout. In the Prep School (aged 7-13) boys are both boarding and day; in the Pre-Prep there are up to 54 boys aged 4-7, bringing the average total roll to about 260. 

The School occupies a superb site in the historic Cathedral Close, lying between the Cathedral, Winchester College and Wolvesey Palace; it enjoys the use of the picturesque Wolvesey playing fields and the sporting facilities of Winchester College. With its Choral foundations, the School encourages exceptional musical achievement in all its pupils, but also excels in academic endeavour and sports; it enjoys an enviable local and national reputation. For a flavour of the School and further information about us please visit our website at www.thepilgrims-school.co.uk

The School Office

The school office is the main port of call for current and prospective parents, and all other visitors to the school. The vast majority of communication coming into and flowing out of the school is centred here. Throughout the week, there are normally two secretaries working together, providing a first point of contact for all enquiries and visitors and, where

possible, secretarial and administrative support to staff and parents. Systems such as iSAMS and MSP are used for data management and communication.

Main Duties

• Receive all callers to the school at the front entrance, ensuring that visitors sign in and are issued with the appropriate identification badges

• Deal pleasantly and helpfully with all telephone enquiries by answering questions, taking messages, or re-directing calls to an appropriate member of staff

• Ensure the front hall and environs are kept tidy

• Ensure all visitors are signed in and out from the school office

• Assist with maintaining the daily attendance registers

• Handle incoming and outgoing post; deal with parcel deliveries

• Provide administrative support for staff whenever possible

Person Description

The successful candidate will:

• Have excellent communication and customer service skills, including a confident telephone manner, and deal with sensitive matters discretely and confidentially

• Be educated to a good standard, including GCSE or equivalent in English and Maths

• Be proficient in the use of ICT applications and information management systems such as

Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and iSAMS (or similar); training will be provided if required

• Demonstrate the ability to work well under pressure and use one’s own initiative

• Be flexible with their time, and highly organized

• Show excellent attention to detail

• Have a compassionate nature

Hours and Salary

This is a full-time, mainly term-time post, but there will be some holiday cover and it may include some Saturday morning hours by rota. Salary is competitive, and commensurate with experience.

This position description will not form part of the contract of employment. If the job is offered a draft contract of  employment including salary and leave terms, and a full and detailed job description, will be provided for agreement

Recruitment Policy

The Pilgrims’ School is committed to providing the best possible care and education for its pupils and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. The School is also committed to providing a supportive and flexible working environment for its entire staff. The School recognizes that in order to achieve these aims it is of fundamental

importance to attract, recruit, and retain employees of the highest calibre, who share this commitment.

The aims of the School’s recruitment policy are as follows:

• To ensure the best possible staff are recruited on the basis of merit, ability, and suitability for the position

• To ensure that all job applicants are considered equitably and consistently

• To ensure that no job applicant is treated unfairly on any grounds

• To ensure compliance with all relevant recommendations and guidance, including the recommendations of the DfE in Keeping Children Safe in Education and the code of practice published by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)

• To ensure that the School meets its commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people by carrying out all necessary pre-employment checks

Candidates are encouraged to review the school’s full Recruitment Policy and Safeguarding Policy, both of which are available to download from the school website.

How to Apply

To apply, please visit www.thepilgrims-school.co.uk/vacancies where you will find an application pack, along with further information about the school. Alternatively, you may email your CV with covering letter to: recruit@pilgrims-school.co.uk

Closing date: Noon on Friday, 6 December 2019.

Interview date: Friday, 13 December 2019.