Senior School Receptionist/Administrator

Hours of work: The role is term time plus 6 weeks in School holidays. All office team members work a rotation of shifts ensuring the office is staffed throughout the school day between 7.45am and 6.15pm

Start date: August 2024

Salary: £27,703pa

An opportunity has arisen for a welcoming, enthusiastic and hardworking individual to join our dedicated team in the busy senior school office. The successful candidate will staff the reception desk during school opening times and act as a welcoming face and point of contact for pupils, staff and visitors in person, by email and over the telephone. They will also undertake an administrative role, handling a variety of tasks quickly and efficiently whilst maintaining a calm and professional manner. 

The Receptionist/Administrator is an integral part of the day-to-day running of this busy, friendly office, including registration and will be responsible for departmental photocopying and laminating. On occasion throughout the year, it may be necessary to attend after-school and weekend events, such as Open Days. There may also be an opportunity to help in the junior school on occasion. 

The successful candidate will have excellent interpersonal, administrative and PC skills, with an ability to multitask and prioritise as required They will be able to work individually and as part of a team. Both a bright, friendly manner and professional appearance are essential, along with discretion as confidential work will be involved. Previous school experience and knowledge of the SIMS database would be beneficial but is not essential, as training will be provided as necessary.

As a member of the administrative team, the Receptionist/Administrator will be expected to work across the full range of administrative support requirements needed in a busy and diverse school office environment. The allocation of duties will take account of strengths in skills and experience in an ever-changing and interesting mix of all areas of administrative support. 

These include the following, but this is not an exhaustive list: 

• to welcome visitors and ensure all visitors sign in and out of the school
• to assist with pupil, parent and visitor enquiries
• to assist with senior management requirements in a timely manner
• to input data onto SIMS and report to relevant staff for attendance matters
• to assist with all registration processes 
• to answer and respond accordingly to reception phone calls and emails
• to sign for deliveries received at reception and ensure swift notification to the appropriate member of staff
• to prepare mail for posting daily, including parcels
• to be responsible for departmental photocopying and ordering stationery
• to log confiscated items, ensuring they are safe and then signed for on return
• to oversee pupil lost property and contact pupils and parents for timely re-distribution      
• to produce letters, reports and other notes and correspondence as required, using a variety of software applications including email and mail merge
• to provide office support under the management of the Office Manager who will prioritise and allocate tasks/pieces of work
• to be willing to undertake basic first aid training and provide first aid support as required, carry out first aid equipment checks
• to keep up to date with all the policies and procedures of the school as they impact on this post or as they impact on all employment matters
• to undertake any other duties as reasonably requested by the Office Manager

This job description reflects some of the core activities of the role and as the successful candidate develops there will inevitably be changes in the emphasis of duties. It is expected that the Receptionist/Administrator recognises this and adopts a flexible approach to work and be willing to participate in training. This post will report directly to the senior school Office Manager.

This role does not attract fee remission.

Application procedure  

The recruitment process will require all applicants to complete an application form, accompanied by a letter of application and a current CV. The application should be submitted Mrs A Ross, Human Resources at recruitment@colfes.com 

Applications should be sent as soon as possible and by Noon, 3 June at the latest. Colfe’s reserves the right to appoint to this post before the closing date if necessary.

Colfe’s School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure & Barring Service.