JOB DESCRIPTION

SCHOOL: / WhitstableJuniorSchool
JOB TITLE: / SCHOOL SECRETARY
NAME:
SALARY/ GRADE: / Kent Scheme KR6
REPORTS TO: / School Business Manager
DATE:

HOURS:35 hours per week Monday – Friday 08:30 – 16:30 (excluding 1 hr lunch

break)

Hours worked to ensure office always has two personnel on duty at any given time

Strategic Role

  • maintain the efficient running of the school office,
  • provide an administrative support role to the Deputy Head/SENCo,
  • provide an administrative service to the Headteacher and staff and
  • assist pupils and parents with any problems they might have.
  • Manage the admissions policies of the school
  • Manage the attendance systems of the school, liaising with parents and pupils to encourage good attendance and punctuality and, where appropriate, referring pupils/parents to the Family Liaison Officer or Educational Welfare
  • Act as ‘the face of the school’ when interacting with parents and the local community to ensure a positive corporate image and to promote the image and reputation of the school within the local community.
  • Act as Clerk to the Governors – separate contract and Job Description

Key Accountabilities

  • Provide a secretarial and administrative service to the Headteacher and other staff
  • Provide a secretarial and administrative service to the SENCo with a particular focus on supporting the use of Assessment Manager
  • Manage the school admission policies to ensure compliance with KCC guidelines
  • monitor absence levels of all children within the school and take appropriate action to ensure that the disruptive affects of sickness/absence are minimised. To include regular liaison with Educational Welfare Officer, FLO and SENCo / Well Being Co-ordinator
  • maintain SIMS database of pupil records in order to complete required returns e.g. PLASC in a timely manner
  • administer medicines and first aid as appropriate; maintain pupil medication records in order to adhere to school policy
  • assess concerns, queries and complaints from parents, Local Authority Staff and outside bodies to ensure these are dealt with effectively and within KCC guidelines and procedures
  • complete DfES/LA/other returns in an accurate and timely manner

Administrative Accountabilities

  • act as a personal assistant to the Headteacher,
  • act as a personal assistant to the Deputy Head / SENCo
  • maintain school and Heads diary/planner
  • make arrangements and carry out general office duties in order to free the Headteacher and other staff to concentrate on curricular issues
  • Undertake reception and telephone duties, take messages, filter visitors and enquiries as appropriate, respond to parent and pupil enquiries
  • General typing and word-processing for letters, memoranda etc
  • General clerical duties; filing distribution of mail to parents/governors
  • Be the named person for the completion of a range of electronic returns to various outside agencies e.g. annual attendance returns, PLASC, SATs data

Admissions/Pupil Accountabilities

  • collate and monitor applications for admissions, including new intake of pupils; provide prospective parents with information on the school, enter new intake onto the pupil database
  • Complete relevant forms for pupils leaving the school; update the pupil database and send pupil files to the relevant secondary schools to ensure procedures are complied with
  • maintain accurate records of numbers of pupils on roll and future intake to ensure a correct formula funding budget is allocated and to enable future planning of the school budget (School Business Manager)
  • manage the SIMS database to ensure accurate recording and retrieval of the information relating to pupils
  • To tend to or arrange first aid for children sent to medical room during teaching hours and to contact home or responsible adult if necessary

Person Specification

Essential / Desirable
Qualifications /
  • relevant qualifications – including high levels of literacy & numeracy
  • ICT qualifications or ability to demonstrate skills
  • Evidence of relevant continuing professional development
/
  • first aid certificate

Experience/Attainments /
  • Understanding of administrative procedures/practices
  • Experience of using a range of IT programmes including Microsoft Office
  • Experience of working in a public /front line position
/
  • experience of an educational environment
  • experience and/or expertise at using SIMS & specifically Assessment Manager

Skills/Abilities /
  • Excellent interpersonal skills
  • Ability to work under pressure and with initiative
  • Excellent organisational skills
  • Ability to prioritise work and work to deadlines
  • Ability to handle confidential information
  • Ability to take accurate minutes

Knowledge /
  • Knowledge of the education environment
  • Knowledge of KCC systems & processes e.g. SIMS

Additional requirements /
  • Positive attitude
  • Ability to perceive children as ‘customers’ and to develop positive, caring relationships with children and their parents
  • Willingness to undertake appropriate training for Clerking to Governors service

Appendix to all Job Descriptions

The Emotional Intelligence Competencies

Self-Awareness

Emotional Self-Awareness:

Recognising how our emotions affect our performance.

  1. Aware of own feelings
  2. Aware of triggers
  3. Understands implications of own emotions
  4. Has emotional insight

Accurate Self-Assessment:

Knowing one’s own inner resources, abilities and limits.

  1. Aware of own strengths and limits
  2. Open to feedback
  3. Has a sense of humour about oneself
  4. Solicits honest critiques

Self-Confidence:

A strong sense of one’s self-worth and capabilities

  1. Is confidence in job capability
  2. Believes in oneself
  3. Is self-assured
  4. Has presence

Social Awareness

Empathy:

Sensing others’ feelings and perspectives, and taking an active interest in their concerns.

  1. Listens
  2. Reads non-verbal clues
  3. Open to diversity
  4. Sees others’ perspectives

Organisational Awareness:

Reading a group’s emotional currents and power relationships.

  1. Understands informal structure
  2. Understands climate and culture
  3. Understands organisational politics
  4. Understands underlying issues

Stakeholder Awareness:

Anticipating, recognising and meeting stakeholders’ needs.

  1. Makes self available
  2. Monitors satisfaction
  3. Takes personal responsibility
  4. Matches customer needs

Self-Management

Emotional Self-Control:

Keeping disruptive emotions and impulses in check

  1. Show restraint
  2. Has patience
  3. Responds calmly
  4. Stays composed and positive

Transparency:

Maintaining integrity, acting congruently with ones values.

  1. Keeps promises
  2. Brings up ethical concerns
  3. Publicly admits mistakes
  4. Acts on values

Achievement Orientation:

Striving to improve or meeting a standard of excellence.

  1. Improves performance
  2. Sets challenging goals
  3. Anticipates obstacles
  4. Takes calculated risks

Initiative:

Readiness to act on opportunities

  1. Addresses current opportunities
  2. Seeks information
  3. Makes extra efforts
  4. Initiates action for the future

Relationship Management

Developing Others:

Sensing others’ development needs and bolstering their abilities

  1. Recognises strengths
  2. Provides support
  3. Gives constructive feedback
  4. Acts as a mentor

Inspirational Leadership:

Inspiring and guiding individuals and groups

  1. Leads by example
  2. Stimulates enthusiasm
  3. Inspires others
  4. Communicates a compelling vision

Change Catalyst:

Initiating or managing change

  1. Defines general need for change
  2. Acts to support change
  3. Personally leads change
  4. Champions change

Influence:

Having impact on others:

  1. Engages audience
  2. Anticipates impact of actions or words
  3. Uses indirect influence
  4. Develops behind the sense support

Conflict Management:

Negotiating and resolving conflict

  1. Airs disagreements
  2. Maintains objectivity
  3. Addresses conflict
  4. Orchestrates win-win solutions