Senior Schools Admissions Officer in Croydon

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Salary: Grade 9 £42,060-£43,680 Permanent - 36 hours per week

Job Purpose

Croydon has a duty to ensure that all children of school age living within its boundaries have access to a suitable school place. It is responsible for administering young children's start at school (reception places) and their transfer to secondary education. Croydon is also legally responsible for coordinating children's transfer between schools during a school year when this is necessary or when parents' desire this. It must make sure that children are not left without a school place even when individual pupils are vulnerable and have complex needs that make demands upon the schools that they are allocated to or when there is a shortage of places. This work amounts to approximately 15,000 school placements per year. The work involves liaison with a wide variety of admission authorities and Croydon has to coordinate and agree fair admission arrangements each year. These arrangements are complex. They are derived from many years of legal change and challenge. The arrangements must take account of parent's preferences for their child's school as well as the availability of school places and a variety of admissions priorities.

About You

• Experience in education and in particular school admissions such as the Admission and Appeal Codes; the School Standards Framework Act 1998, Data Protection Act, Freedom of Information Act, Academies Act, 2010.
• Knowledge of legislation and guidance affecting the size and location and organisation of schools place including Net Capacity, Published Admission Numbers.
• Understanding of additional needs and rights that some children have such as Special Educational Needs (including SEND), exclusions from school and the type of education available for children with behavioural difficulties, safeguarding, Looked After Children (LACs), parental rights and residence of children, children from overseas.
• High-level reading and writing skills - able to understand and be familiar with statutory guidance and regulations.
• Data-handling skills. Able to manipulate electronic information to extract reports that provide an overview of school admissions and the issues associated with annual patterns and take-up of places.
• Proven success in delivering projects within agreed timescales.
• Experience working in partnership with schools and their governing bodies.
• Experience working with the general public including parents.
• Providing support to a school in relation to admissions and school governance issues.
• Ability to travel to offices and schools across the borough, including occasional attendance at evening meetings.

About Us

• Croydon Council's priorities include becoming financially sustainable, listening to and respecting diverse communities, strengthening collaboration with partner organisations, ensuring good governance, and developing a workforce that respects community diversity.

Key business plan outcomes:

• Croydon is a place of opportunity for business, earning and learning.
• Children and young people in Croydon have the chance to thrive, learn and fulfil their potential.
• Croydon is a cleaner, safer and healthier place, a borough we're proud to call home.
• People can lead healthier and independent lives for longer.

Croydon Council's new ways of working include an Equal Opportunities Statement, welcoming applications from all sections of the community, considering flexible working arrangements, and supporting hybrid working. As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the advertised role. Croydon council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to a DBS check, if the role requires one.