Information for candidates for position of:

School Librarian (Maternity Cover)

Job Description and Person Specification

Job Details

Job title:School Librarian (maternity cover)

Reporting to:Principal

Starting salary: £21,000per annum (actual)

Hours: Term time (including all INSET days) plus 3 days, 8am to 4.30pm Monday to Thursday and 8am to 4pm on a Friday, 30 minute lunch break

Benefits:School fee discount, defined contribution pension, lunch in term time, free parking

Start date:5th September 2016, subject to satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks. The post is maternity cover until 17thFebruary 2017

1Job description

We are seeking an enthusiastic and professional School Librarian (6 months maternity cover).The successful candidate will promote the Library’s resources and support a love of reading and literacy in all girls in this academically selective school.

Key areas of responsibility:

  • To promote the Library and its resources to staff and students
  • To support reader development activities and initiatives
  • To create a welcoming, supportive environment that is conducive to effective independent study
  • To support the development of library and information skills
  • Maintaining library resources and buying new stock as required
  • Ensuring that students and staff have access to books and information to support their learning

Job Description:

  1. Dealing with student enquiries and providing information and referral as needed
  2. Administering the Library budget
  3. Ordering and preparing text books for use throughout the school as requested by academic Heads of Department within an agreed annual budget and notifying them at regular intervals of their remaining budget position
  4. Administering the Library Management System (Oliver V5) and all associated tasks including:
  5. issuing and discharging stock
  6. dealing with reservations
  7. managing overdues/lost book processes
  8. Ordering, classifying, cataloguing and preparing library books, periodicals etc.
  9. Developing and teaching library and information skills courses for girls including:
  10. Planning and teaching a 5-week Library lesson programme for all girls starting at the school in the Thirds
  11. Planning and teaching a General Studies lesson on referencing to each of the Lower and Upper Sixth year groups
  12. Providing a Library Refresher presentation to Lower Sixth students
  13. Managing and developing Library ICT and electronic resources provision including Laptops, iPads and Photocopying/Printing facilities
  14. Library stock selection through liaison with Heads of Department and girls
  15. Undertaking Reader Development activities including:
  16. Planning and delivering annual World Book Day events
  17. Organising the Annual Scholastic Book Fair
  18. Planning and delivering the annual Community Read project in liaison with the Head of English
  19. Organising the Lower Fifth – Upper Sixth reading group in liaison with the Principal
  20. Planning and organising Author Visits
  21. Managing and training the pupil librarians
  22. Ordering book tokens for school prizes

The Librarian will also be expected to attend all main school events including Open Days, Entrance Examinations, staff meetings and INSET days.

1.1The Library Department

The KEHS Library is at the heart of the school and provides a supportive, welcoming environment for all students to relax and study. We encourage our students to be active and independent learners and the KEHS Library has a key role in developing this.Students have access to the Library throughout the school day as well as before and after school.

The post-holder will be responsible for the day-to-day running of two adjoining school libraries containing approximately 20,000 items (Oliver V5 is the Library Management System).The KEHS Library also provides access to networked laptops and iPads with internet access.

2Person Specification

The ideal candidate would be required to show evidence of many of the following skills and qualities; these have been divided into essential and desirable qualities.

Essential / Desirable
Qualifications / Educated to A level or equivalent
Minimum grade B in GCSE English and Maths / Library and Information Studies degree
Chartered Librarian (MCLIP)
Experience / Experience of working within a Library setting
Experience of working with children and young people / Experience of working in a school library
Experience of budget management
Experience of delivering teaching/training
Knowledge and skills / Knowledge of and enthusiasm for literature and information sources
Knowledge of how to use a Library Management system to fulfil the requirements of the post
Proven high level of organisational skills
Strong ICT skills including the ability to use electronic resources / Knowledge of the Library Management system ‘Oliver‘
Knowledge of cataloguing and classification
Personal qualities / Able to work flexibly and the necessary hours to meet the requirements of the post
Self-motivated and able to work under own direction
Ability to work effectively with young people
Outgoing, positive and enthusiastic
Ability to work under pressure

3Background information

3.1Location

King Edward VI High School for Girls and King Edward’s School are both part of the Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham (‘The Foundation’) which has eight schools in Birmingham. Both schools share the same beautiful 50 acre campus in Edgbaston close to the University of Birmingham. The schools are only three miles from Birmingham city centre and have excellent transport access by road and rail (the University train station is only a 10 minute walk).

3.2King Edward VI High School for Girls

Founded in 1883, King Edward VI High School for Girls (KEHS) is an independent day school with 560 girls aged 11-18 and is one of the most successful girls’ schools in this country. Academic standards in the school are extremely high – in 2014 the school achieved its highest ever percentage of A* grades at A Level, 38% and in 2015, girls achieved 68% A* at GCSE. The school was rated ‘excellent’ by the Independent Schools’ Inspectorate in 2010 and was ranked number one in the Sunday Times ‘Top 10 Schools in the Midlands’ in 2013.

Extra-curricular activity is also an important part of school life. Along with King Edward’s, the school produces music and drama of an exceptional quality and shares the impressive Sir Paul and Lady Ruddock Performing Arts Centre. There are also a large range of sporting opportunities and over 60 different extra-curricular activities offered each week.

Further details about the school can be found at:

4How to apply

Applications should comprise the following:

• A completed application form (available for download at:

• A short covering letter. This should explain why you want to work at the King Edward’s Foundation and why your experience makes you the best candidate for the job.

Please send completed applications addressed to the HR Manager (Suzanne Inskip) by email to or by post to Mrs Suzanne Inskip, HR Manager, King Edward VI High School for Girls, Edgbaston Park Road, Birmingham, B15 2UB. The closing date for applications will beThursday 12th May (9am)

A copy of the schools’ Recruitment, Selection and Disclosure Policy is available on each school website.

Applications will be acknowledged shortly after receipt. Candidates will be informed by email or phone of the outcome of their applications. Those candidates who most closely match the requirement will be invited to interview on Wednesday 18th May.