Job Description
Download printable version
Admin and Finance Support Officer Job Description
The Haefen is part of LIFE Education Trust, a family of schools who work together and have the same mission, to build great learning communities which unleash creativity and champion optimism, in a spirit of compassion.
We are looking for brilliant people to join our school and Trust community who share and demonstrate our beliefs:
● Courageous Optimism
● Boundless Creativity
● Heartfelt Compassion
Job Title - Admin Support Officer
Grade - Scale 3
Contract Type - Permanent
Hours - 25 Hours Per Week initially - hours will grow as the school develops
Hours Per Day - Monday to Friday, 8am to 1pm
Weeks Per Year - 39 - Term Time Plus One Week
Based - The Haefen
Reports to - Operations Manager
Liaison with - Executive Headteacher, Head of School, Deputy Head, Teaching and Support Colleagues, Pupils, Parents, external agencies, visitors and Governors
Admin Support Officer
Job Purpose
To provide professional and efficient administrative support for the school, ensuring smooth day-to-day operations. The role involves managing communications, maintaining accurate records, and assisting staff, students and parents, while contributing to a supportive and inclusive environment for children with SEMH needs.
Undertake HR and financial related administrative work to ensure an efficient and effective administrative service for the school.
Specific Duties
Administrative Support
● Communicate with all stakeholders, on the telephone and using email to respond to queries; provide information and services; take and record messages (using the school systems)
● Use the school reprographics systems to copy and distribute documents, make sure there is a supply of the materials required to operate the systems and report and record faults.
● Maintain accurate student records and databases.
● Ensure integrity, sensitivity and confidentiality are adhered to regarding pupil and employee situations and information
● Produce letters and documents using word processing equipment
● Receive, sort and distribute incoming messages, post and deliveries and to collect and dispatch outgoing mail, packages and so forth
● Support the organisation with arrangement of events - which may include (but not exclusively) training courses, assemblies, festivals and concerts - through the provision of materials, equipment, invitations, publicity and so forth
● Use computerised management information systems and/or paper-based filing systems to enter record and retrieve data and make returns required by a variety of sources.
● Administer the communications service to parents
● Circulate the weekly Staff Bulletin
● Follow processes and systems within the office, ensuring procedures are maintained
● Ensure office efficiency
● Have an understanding of all the ASO roles and fulfil required tasks in others absence where necessary
● Maintain school calendar system
Front of House / Reception Duties
● Greet visitors, parents and staff professionally and provide refreshments where required.
● Support student check-ins, attendance monitoring and general queries.
● Assist in co-ordinating appointments or meetings related to SEMH support.
● Fulfill reception duties including dealing with enquiries/visitors, lost property and deliveries
Finance
● Working with the Trust finance system to raise Purchase Orders for the Harwich Hub, using Trust finance regulations, posting to correct codes
● Ordering goods and services
● Ensuring goods and services are checked and marked as received on the finance system
● Receiving supplier invoicesand attaching to GRN note
● Reconciling and collating all approved paperwork associated with charge cards then submitting for processing
● Collating approved paperwork for expense claims and submitting for processing
● Administration of trips finance - income reconciliation, final balance reconciliations, refunds in collaboration with trip lead
● Administration of the parent payment system
● Maintaining school Inventory
● To ensure stationery stock levels are maintained
● Income reconciliation on BromCom
● Monthly review and annotation of current commitment reports and support with payroll processes
HR
● To support schools to ensure recruitment is undertaken to agreed timescales in accordance with the LIFE Recruitment Policy and LIFE procedures.
● To prepare and issue contracts of employment and variation letters, and to inform Payroll of any employee changes that have a financial and/or payroll implication, subject to approval by the Operations Manager.
● To ensure that accurate and up-to-date employee information is held in our systems and in each school's Single Central Record.
● Placement of job adverts, administration of recruitment process, including supporting the interview panel at selection.
● Issue pre-employment check documentation and conditional offer of employment to prospective employees
● To undertake the pre-employment checks, including references, DBS, right to work and fitness to work.
● Issue amended contracts of employment and/or variations letters to employees at the instruction of the Operations Manager or in order to comply with their contractual terms and conditions of employment.
● Issue documentation to employees and administer the process on for occupational and/or statutory leave, with the exception of statutory sick pay.
● Administer the flourishing annual review process for all employees
● Complete and submit a workforce census return
● Remind employees of their DBS application renewal
● Update application renewals on the School Central Record
● To inform Payroll of any individual employee changes to their terms and conditions, employment status and any absence, excluding annual leave.
● To support schools in referring employees to occupational health.
● To arrange and take notes at meetings between Heads and employees concerning employee relations issues, including the preparation and issue of relevant documentation.
● Analyse employee absence to identify any levels, patterns or issues of concern to report to the Operations Manager.
● There may be a requirement to be able to travel to LIFE schools within the Tendring area and occasionally to schools and premises elsewhere with the Trust in performance of their duties.
●
First Aid
● Ensure medication permission forms and information is gained from parents of those pupils requiring medication
● Administer first aid where needed
● Ensure the First Aid Process is followed and quality assured
● Ensure that parents informed in line with the policy and pupils are collected where necessary
General
● To take part in the Trust performance management system, taking personal responsibility for identification of learning, development and training opportunities in discussion with line manager and attend SDP/inset days.
● To work in accordance with the values, culture, ethos, equalities and inclusion policies of the Trust proactively promoting anti-racist, anti-sexist and anti- discriminatory behaviours in the day to day operation of the job
● Comply with individual responsibilities in accordance with the role, for health and safety in the workplace
● Ensure that all duties and services provided are in accordance with the School's Equal Opportunities Policy
● The Local Governing Committee is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all employees and volunteers to share in this commitment
The duties above are neither exclusive or exhaustive and the post holder may
be required by the Executive Headteacher or Head of School to carry out appropriate duties within the context of the job, skills and grade.
Information about the School
LIFE Education Trust is opening a new independent special school to support pupils with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. The Haefen, set in a beautiful open location, on farmland, with access to woodland and a private beach area, aims to create a nurturing, structured and inclusive learning environment where every young person feels safe, supported and able to achieve their full potential. Subject to DfE approval, we hope that this incredible school will be ready to welcome pupils in the Autumn Term.
Our school will provide a highly supportive setting with small class sizes, a strong pastoral approach and a dedicated team committed to improving outcomes for children who may have experienced barriers to learning in mainstream education.
We aim to inspire and nurture every child so that they can live, believe, and achieve their true potential.