Receptionist - London

WORKING WITH US

The founder and sponsor of the Harris Federation, Lord Harris of Peckham, opened our first school in 1990. We have, over the past thirty years, implemented ideas and initiatives that have transformed the opportunities of pupils from working class and disadvantaged backgrounds. Harris academies are widely recognised as a force for social mobility. We are immensely proud of the role that our alumni are now beginning to play in the world and of what we believe our current generation of pupils will go on to achieve. We now have over 50 schools educating more than 40,000 young people across London and Essex, and employ over 5,000 staff across our academies and head office. With the majority of our academies located in areas of high socioeconomic disadvantage, a high-quality education is key to the futures of the pupils we serve. As a provider of employment and education, we value the diversity of our staff and students, and all our staff are equally valued and respected. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff. Our work will impact many generations to come, and our staff come from all backgrounds and walks of life, coming together to inspire young minds. We promote an inclusive culture that embraces the valuable and enriching contribution that all of our community make.

ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY

We are looking for a receptionist to work within the Harris Federation Head Office, undertaking Reception and other administrative duties within the CEO's team.

MAIN AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

• Greeting and receiving all visitors to Head Office in a professional manner, ensuring compliance with safeguarding and Health & Safety protocols.
• Operating the telephone switchboard, directing calls to appropriate departments or staff members, taking messages, and responding promptly to enquiries from parents/carers and the public.
• Maintaining the reception area and meeting rooms to a high standard, ensuring they are tidy, presentable and reset after use, and reporting any maintenance issues to the Office Manager.
• Supporting the Office Manager with office maintenance tasks, including coordinating fire drills, liaising with engineers and managing heating/air con servicing.
• Organising and preparing refreshments for meetings and events.
• Updating employee records to reflect staff changes for switchboard/Inventry accuracy.
• Managing incoming and outgoing mail and parcels, including maintaining the franking machine account and ordering supplies.
• Coordinating courier services and managing related accounts.
• Maintaining the academy contact sheet, ensuring Principal and PA details are current.
• Building positive relationships with staff, contractors and external agencies to support the Federation’s objectives.

A full list of responsibilities can be found in the Job Pack.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We would like to hear from you if you have:

• Flexibility and ability to respond to multiple demands and to prioritise.
• The ability to work well with colleagues and visitors.
• A high level of adaptability to changing demands.
• The ability to work collaboratively as part of a team.
• The ability to plan and organise work to meet varying deadlines.
• The ability to work on own and take initiative.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience of delivering a high-quality service.
• Experience of a range of general administrative duties.
• Good ICT skills and experience, including Word, Excel and management information systems (MIS).

Please download the Job Pack for a full person specification.

APPLYING FOR THIS POSITION

If you would like to discuss the opportunity further, or if you have any questions, please contact us via email to arrange a conversation. Before applying please ensure you download the job pack from our careers website, this will help with completing your application. Please note that we only accept applications submitted online before the closing date. When applying, you will have the option to import your CV or use a LinkedIn profile which will auto populate the online application. A reminder to check your junk mail for our email communications and add us to your safe senders list to ensure all future email communication is received.

OUR VISION & VALUES

Our vision, from the start, has been to provide the structure and services needed for our schools to amount to more than the sum of their parts, and to free-up our teachers and leaders to focus on one thing and one thing only: the outstanding education of all their pupils. Our young people and communities are at the heart of everything we do. Our core mission has always been to close the educational gap between young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers. Our ambition is one where every child in London, no matter their background, has equal access to high quality education, giving them the same opportunities and potential to succeed. We know there are many challenges facing our young people and the communities we serve, and that’s why we need determined people like you to help us tackle those inequalities. Whilst each of our academies has their own unique cultures and values; as a whole Federation, we have four core values which are central to successfully achieving our vision: Excellence, Collaboration, Support, and Innovation. We are proud of our values because they guide us in how we work allowing us to achieve the best possible outcomes for our young people, communities, and colleagues.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Safeguarding Notice: The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.

Equal Opportunities: The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates. We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

Harris has a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level. You will also have access to a variety of benefits, support programmes and initiatives including:

• Excellent opportunities for continuous professional development and career progression.
• Annual performance and loyalty bonus.
• Pension scheme (Teachers' Pension Scheme or Local Government Pension Scheme) with generous employer contribution.
• 26 days' annual leave (inclusive of our Christmas Eve closure day) plus bank holidays, rising to 27 days after 2 years' service, or equivalent for staff on term time contracts.
• Harris Wellbeing Cash Plan including cover for routine and specialist healthcare.
• Employee Assistance Programme for free and confidential advice.
• Cycle to work salary sacrifice scheme.
• Wide range of shopping, leisure, and travel discounts.
• 20% off at Tapi Carpets, exclusive to Harris employees.
• Interest-free ICT and season ticket loans.

For most non-teaching staff based at our Head Office in East Croydon, we also offer lifestyle friendly working arrangements including flexible start and end times, and hybrid working with two days from home and three days on site.