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St John & St James CE Primary School

& Admin Application Pack

Personal Assistant to the Headteacher

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Contents Page

3. Welcome

4. About Us

5. Working in Partnership

6. Administrator Job

Description

8. Administrator Person

Specification

9. Personal Assistant Job

Description

11. Personal Assistant Person

Specification

12. How to apply

13. Where to find us

St John & St James CE Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share this commitment. We welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of gender, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or age.

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Dear Applicant,

Thank you for your interest in the role of either Administrator or Personal Assistant to the Headteacher at St John & St James CE Primary.

St John & St James is a one form entry primary school situated in the heart of Hackney. We are proud to be an outstanding primary school with a supportive and inspirational network of staff.

We are looking to appoint an Administration Officer to cover maternity leave for a year and a Personal Assistant to the Headteacher. We are looking for determined, committed and hardworking individuals who can provide a high of level of administration support to our school. We are also looking for someone who values lifelong learning and wants to grow with our school.

For more information about our school and details on how to apply please read our application pack. We encourage you to visit our school and our website to learn more about us.

Yours sincerely,

Jenna Clark Headteacher

Welcome

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About Us

St John and St James’ is a one form entry Church of England Primary School with a Nursery. The children in our care range from three to eleven years old. St John and St James’ is one of six schools within

the Primary Advantage Federation.

OUR MISSION

Learn together, journey together, pray together

We aim to express and celebrate our mission in every aspect of our school community.

We learn together by creating a safe and secure learning environment in which every child is known and valued and

motivated to learn. We aim to prepare our children for the world by bringing the world into the classroom.

We journey together towards educational excellence, personal and spiritual fulfilment. We use a cooperative approach to

support children from our rich, diverse community.

We pray together and prepare our children for life with a strong set of values to enable them to reflect and make positive

choices with confidence. We respect each other and we treat each other as we would like to be treated.

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Working in Partnership

Primary Advantage Federation

St John & St James CE Primary School is a part of the Primary

Advantage Federation.

We are a group of schools working together because we

believe our schools can gain many benefits from working

collaboratively and can achieve more by working together. We

have made a commitment to a shared responsibility to the

wider education community, the provision of good quality

education and the improvement of life chances for pupils in

the community beyond that of our own schools. Teachers,

support staff, school leaders and Governors have added

expertise in working alongside colleagues to improve

provision and outcomes for pupils.

WHAT IS OUR APPROACH?

We work in partnership, pooling our expertise and

resources in order to achieve collectively what we may

not be able to achieve individually.

We believe passionately in improving the life chances

for our pupils.

We do not tolerate low expectations.

We match tried and tested strategies that we know

work to the needs of the schools and use our

experience of supporting schools in successfully

implementing them.

We promote a collaborative approach whilst

developing the capacity of each school to serve its own

community and retain its distinct identity.

We recognise the importance of individuality,

spontaneity and creativity in developing innovation .

WHAT OUTCOMES DO WE WANT?

Every teacher is a good teacher; every school is a good

school.

Teachers who use the most effective teaching methods

to motivate learners and raise aspirations. As a result

all pupils will make good or better progress.

Quality learning environments where pupils feel safe

and secure, known and valued and motivated to learn.

Robust teaching and application of ICT skills ensure our

pupils are properly equipped for the next stage of

learning.

Curriculum provision which inspires and motivates

pupils and broadens their horizons. Our curriculum

supports community cohesion through an international

curriculum strand.

We work with precision and move incrementally

towards achieving outstanding grades in the majority

of aspects of each school’s work.

Through pupil partnership work we continue to break

down locally perceived boundaries and help pupils to

work harmoniously with pupils from other areas of

Hackney.

We seek to maximise the efficiency and effectiveness

of each school by capitalising on centralised services

and sharing systems.

Find out more about Primary Advantage Federation

by visiting

www.primaryadvantage.co.uk

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Job Description - Administrator

JOB SUMMARY:

To provide of an efficient and

effective reception,

administrative and clerical

support function for the school;

and

To provide administrative and

clerical support to school staff.

PRINCIPLE ACCOUNTABILITIES:

To be responsible for the

management of the school’s

reception/office;

To maintain the various school

databases for pupil and staff

records;

To provide reception and

administrative tasks; and

To provide administrative support

to the Head of School and other

members of staff as appropriate.

MAIN DUTIES:

To be responsible for the

management of the school’s

office, to provide administrative

support to the Head of School

and other members of staff as

appropriate, and to provide

reception and administrative

tasks:

1. To ensure that all visitors to the

school are welcomed in a polite,

friendly, and efficient manner and

providing hospitality as required.

2. To open and distribute incoming

post and arrange the mailing of

correspondence for the Head of

School and other members of

staff.

3. To arrange for outgoing post to

be either collected or posted

when required.

4. To provide information and

assistance to, and with, all staff,

parents/carers, pupils, members

of the public and other agencies

as required. This includes dealing

with enquiries and taking

appropriate action using your

own initiative, and the resolution

or passing on of complaints to the

appropriate member of staff.

5. To maintain a clear and tidy

workspace.

6. To undertake general office

duties including filing,

photocopying and the drafting

and typing of general

correspondence, newsletters,

reports and official statistical

returns as necessary.

7. To co-ordinate the purchase of

goods, services and supplies.

8. To produce and maintain the

school’s information booklets.

9. To process purchase orders as

appropriate.

10. To follow up outstanding monies

and bad debts as appropriate.

11. To co-ordinate, process and

maintain the Building Fund

Income.

12. To administer of the school’s

petty cash system and act as a

cheque signatory.

13. To manage the receiving and

banking of monies for the school

as required.

14. To monitor the office and school

stationery stock levels and order

stock as appropriate.

15. To manage the ordering, stock

control, distribution and accounts

of the school uniform service to

parents/carers.

16. To manage the administration of

free and paid school meals,

including the collection of

Job Title: Administration Officer

Reports to: Finance & Administration Manager

Accountable to: Headteacher

Based: St John & St James Primary School

Key Contacts: Pupils, parents, external contractors, Executive Principal, other

members of staff, the Governing Body, LEA officers

Salary: Scale 4

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monies, debits and credits,

banking, returns to the LEA, and

pupil travel passes.

17. To ensure high quality and

accurate school newsletters are

prepared, sent to parents and

published on the school’s website

or VLE each week.

18. To administer first aid in caring

for injuries, comforting children

with emotional difficulties,

following and planning pupil

support methods; and to ensure

all first aid administered is

recorded appropriately.

19. Photocopy resources for the

classroom and support in the

preparation of resources.

To maintain the various school

databases for pupil and staff

records:

1. To assist in maintaining and

efficient filing system.

2. To assist in maintaining the

school database of pupil records,

including attendance and to liaise

with the Special Educational

Needs Co-Ordinator, the school

Home Support Worker and the

Ethnic Minority Achievement Co-

Ordinator, staff and the Education

Welfare Officer as appropriate.

3. To maintain the school’s

emergency contact forms and

records.

4. To provide assistance with other

information databases as

required.

5. To ensure that all records are

kept accurately and comply with

the requirements of the Data

Protection Act.

6. To ensure that all computerised

data is kept accurately and

securely, and in compliance with

data protection legislation.

7. To liaise with the LEA on pupil

admissions to the school,

ensuring information is accurate

and correspondence to both staff,

LA and Parents is managed

effectively under direction of the

Finance & Admin Manager.

GENERAL:

This is not an exhaustive list of

duties and responsibilities, and

the postholder may be required

to undertake other duties which

fall within the grade of the job, in

discussion with the manager.

This job description will be

reviewed regularly in the light of

changing service requirements

and any such changes will be

discussed with the postholder.

The postholder is expected to

comply with all relevant policies,

procedures and guidelines,

including those relating to Equal

Opportunities, Health and Safety

and the Confidentiality of

Information.

The postholder may be required

to work outside normal school

hours on occasion, with due

notice.

Because of the nature of the post,

candidates are not entitled to

withhold information regarding

convictions by virtue of the

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act

1974 (Exemptions) Order 1975 as

amended. Candidates are

required to give details of any

convictions on their appointment

form and are expected to disclose

such information at the

appointment interview.

Because this post allows

substantial access to children,

candidates are required to

comply with departmental

procedures in relation to Police

checks. If candidates are

successful in their application

prior to taking up post, they will

be required to give written

permission to the Department to

ascertain details from the

Metropolitan Police regarding any

convictions against them and, as

appropriate the nature of such

convictions.

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Person Specification - Administrator

1. Qualifications, Knowledge

and Experience

Essential:

Qualifications to GCSE level.

A sound level of literacy and numera-cy.

Experience in an administrative setting, ideally within education.

Experience of working as part of a team and supporting others in order to achieve a shared vision/goal.

Knowledge of equal opportunities legislation.

An awareness of policies, procedures and best practice in relation to confi-dentiality, information sharing and child protection.

Desirable:

Qualification in Administration, eg. NVQ2 in Administration.

How Tested:

Application Form

Certificate

References

2. Communication

Essential:

Possesses effective verbal and written communication skills.

Presents information and ideas clear-ly and uses communication appropri-ate to the audience.

Able to positively influence the opin-ions of others through factual discus-sion.

Able to adapt personal style of com-munication to reflect a situation and/or need.

Able to create an environment of trust by delivering on promises.

Utilises report writing skills to accu-rately reflect a situation through positive communication techniques.

Able to disseminate information and demonstrates a consultative ap-proach to communication.

Able to persuade and influence oth-

ers effectively.

Able to demonstrate tact and diplo-macy in communication.

Desirable:

Able to communicate in an additional language.

Knowledge and understanding of Makaton.

How Tested:

Application Form

Interview

References

3. Skills and Abilities

Essential:

Competent to an intermediate level in the use of Microsoft Office soft-ware to complete secretarial or ad-ministrative tasks, eg. Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook etc.

Competent in the maintenance of database packages and experience of reporting from database packages.

The ability to plan and complete a piece of work in a methodical, effi-cient and timely manner to met a set deadline.

The ability to deal with a range of people, including members of the public and other professionals, in an effective and polite manner.

The ability to use own initiative and creativity to achieve desired results.

Possesses good organisational skills in order to maintain efficiency and the ability to prioritse own workload.

Motivated to work towards creating a safe, open and trusting environment.

Willingness to partake in continuous professional development.

Demonstrates excellent administra-tive and reception practices.

Exercises flexibility so as to take on changes in work priorities and prac-tices.

Able to balance tasks and resources in the organisation of a wide range of activities.

Able to provide contingency plans to

address the unexpected.

Demonstrates clear and logical think-ing in working through problems.

Able to follow organisational proce-dures and maintain quality of stand-ards in own work.

An awareness of the needs of chil-dren who have a variety of needs and who come from a variety of back-grounds.

The ability to adapt to new office technologies.

An understanding of customer ser-vice and the principles in delivering outstanding customer service.

How Tested:

Application Form

Interview

References

4. Accountability and Freedom to Act

Essential:

Able to make routine decisions based

upon guidelines and procedures laid

down within established frameworks.

Leads by example in standards of

behaviour in the work environment.

How Tested:

Application Form

Certificate

References

Other

Understands the nature of a Church

of England Primary School.

How Tested:

Application Form

Certificate

References

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Job Description - Personal Assistant to the Headteacher

Purpose of the post:

Under the guidance of senor staff, be responsible for undertaking administrative, financial, organisational processes within the school. Assist with the planning and development of support services.

To be a Personal Assistant to the Headteacher and perform all necessary tasks requested by the Headteacher.

To undertake a full range of secretarial and administrative duties to the Headteacher and to ensure the efficient and effective running of the Head teacher’s office and daily business.

Main duties and responsibilities

Organisation:

Deal with complex reception and visitor matters.

Contribute to the planning, development and organisation of support service systems/ procedures/policies.

Organise school events in line with school policy.

Supervise, train and develop staff as appropriate.

Administration:

Manage manual and computerised record/information systems.

Analyze and evaluate data/information and produce reports/information/data as required.

Undertake typing, word processing and complex IT based tasks.

Provide personal, administrative and organisational support to other staff.

Provide administrative and organisational support to the Governing Body. Undertake administration of complex procedures.

Complete and submit complex forms, returns etc., including those to outside agencies e.g. DFE.

Undertake the administration of FMS, SIMs & payroll systems.

Maintain the diary, events and schedule for the Headteacher ensuring that he/she is adequately briefed on matters to be discussed.

Process all travel arrangements for the Headteacher and provide care for his/her visitors including the provision of refreshments.

After discussion, draft, as appropriate, outgoing correspondence and school documents that are the direct responsibility of the Headteacher.

Cover for absent colleagues in the general office as necessary.

Deputise for the Federation Business Manager in his/her absence. Maintain a high degree of confidentiality with regard to issues concerning members of staff and pupils. Respond positively with tact, sensitivity and awareness to pupils and parents in relation to duties undertaken.

Communicate with necessary organisations and directed.

Work flexibly across schools.

Maintain communication to parents as directed.

Manage any projects that are requested.

Job Title: Personal Assistant to the Headteacher

Reports to: Executive Principal & Headteacher

Based: St John & St James Primary School

Key Contacts: Headteacher, teaching staff, Finance and administration staff,

Business Manager, Governors, local community representatives, union repre-

sentatives, and other external agencies

Salary: S01

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Resources:

Operate relevant equipment/complex ICT packages.

Monitor and manage stock within an agreed budget, cataloguing resources and undertaking audits as required.

Provide advice and guidance to staff, pupils and others.

Undertake research and obtain information to inform decisions.

Assist with the marketing and promotion of the school.

Assist with administration of facilities including use of school premises.

Undertake complex financial administration procedures.

Assist with the planning, monitoring and evaluation of budgets and bids.

Manage expenditure within an agreed budget.

Responsibilities:

Comply with and assist with the development of policies and procedure relating to child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person.

Be aware of and support differences and ensure equal opportunities for all. Contribute to the overall ethos/work/aims of the school.

Establish constructive relationship and communicate with other agencies/professionals. Attend and participate in regular meetings.

Participate in training and other learning activities and performance development as required.

Recognise own strengths and areas of expertise and use these to advise and support others.

This is a description of the main duties and responsibilities of the post at the date of production. The duties may change over time as requirements and circumstances change. The person in the post may also have to carry out other duties as may be necessary from time to time.

General Requirements

Take part in the school’s performance management system.

Attend governing body meetings on a regular basis.

Enhanced DBS Check.

Strong commitment to furthering equalities in both service delivery and employment practice.

You must promote and safeguard the welfare of children, young and vulnerable people that you are responsible for or come into contact with.

To Be Noted:

This is not an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities, and the postholder may be required to undertake other duties which fall within the grade of the job, in discussion with the manager.

This job description will be reviewed regularly in the light of changing service requirements and any such changes will be discussed with the postholder.

The postholder is expected to comply with all relevant policies, procedures and guidelines, including those relating to Equal Opportunities, Health and Safety and the Confidentiality of Information.

The postholder may be required to work outside normal school hours on occasion, with due notice.

Because of the nature of the post, candidates are not entitled to withhold information regarding convictions by virtue of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exemptions) Order 1975 as amended. Candidates are required to give details of any convictions on their appointment form and are expected to disclose such information at the appointment interview.

Because this post allows substantial access to children, candidates are required to comply with

departmental procedures in relation to Police checks. If candidates are successful in their application prior to taking up post, they will be required to give written permission to the Department to ascertain details from the Metropolitan Police regarding any convictions against them and, as appropriate the nature of such convictions.

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PersonSpecification - Personal Assistant to the Headteacher

Essential Desirable

Qualifications and Experience

NVQ Level 3 or equivalent qualification or experience in relevant discipline.

Degree educated in a relevant field (business management, finance, law)

Experience & Knowledge

Experience of development, management and operation of administrative systems.

Full working knowledge of relevant poli-cies/codes of practice and awareness of relevant legislation.

A thorough understanding of the education-al context

Skills and Abili-ties

Very good literacy & numeracy skills.

Effective use of ICT and other specialist equipment/resources.

Very good ICT skills.

Ability to relate well to children and adults.

Work constructively as part of a team, understanding school roles and responsi-bilities and own position within these.

Ability to self-evaluate learning needs and actively seek learning opportunities.

Display commitment to the protection and safeguarding of children and young peo-ple.

Able to work independently, being proac-tive and demonstrating initiative and prob-lem solving abilities.

Highly effective communications skills, particularly written communication skills.

Highly effective IT skills using a range of administrative programmes (e.g. excel, word)

Able to communicate with a range of audi-ences including colleagues, governors, officers of the County Council and suppli-ers.

Able to identify work priorities and man-age own workload to meet deadlines.

Able to show sensitivity and objectivity in dealing with confidential issues.

Able to work with precision and attention to detail.

Others

Demonstrates equal opportunities in all aspects of their work.

Able to work flexibly, as required.

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Applicants are asked to complete all the standard

information required on the Primary Advantage

application form, and to submit a supporting

statement, addressing all the criteria identified in

the person specification. Please specify the role you

are applying for i.e. Administrator or Personal

Assistant

The reference number for Administrator is: Admin/

SJSJ

The reference number for Personal Assistant is:

PA/SJSJ

Candidates are advised that when completing the

references section on the application form to please

ensure that:

• Your first referee is your current, or most recent,

employer

• You provide a referee who can confirm your ability

for the role

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to teach an

activity or lesson and will be advised of the details of

the lesson observation prior to interview.

How to apply

Candidates must ensure that if they are successful

at interview, that they are able to provide evidence

of their Right to Work and Remain in the UK. The

school is not able to employ any person who cannot

validate their Right to Work and Remain in the UK

in the line with the Asylum, Immigration and

Nationality Act 2000.

Successful candidates will be required to apply for

an enhanced Criminal Record Check via the DBS.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting

the welfare of our children and expect all members

of staff to share this commitment.

We look forward to receiving your application.

Completed application forms must be received by 9:30 on

Monday 13th October 2014

Interviews will take place on Friday 17th October 2014.

If you have any queries or would like to arrange to visit our

school, please contact Venessa Williams on

0208 985 2045 or email

recruitment@primaryadvantage.hackney.sch.uk

We look forward to receiving your application.

Successful Candidates

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St John & St James CE Primary School

Isabella Road

London E9 6DX

Tel: 0208 985 2045

Email: office@johnjames.hackney.sch.uk

Website: www.johnjames.hackney.sch.uk

Where to find us