PA to Executive Principal

Working across two Harris Federation Sixth Forms (both rated “Outstanding” by Ofsted) will give you a unique perspective into sixth form education. HWSF is selective on both ability and disadvantage and places first go to academically able students from disadvantaged backgrounds. It is a wonderful school with an ethos of “learning is amazing”, where staff truly care about the progress their students make over their two years. At HCL6F, our motto is “come as you are, we will teach you to fly” which encapsulates the exciting adventure that students undertake. A love of learning and a commitment to the transformational power of education is at its core.

We want the best people to join our community and we are committed to a diverse and inclusive student and staff body. If you are passionate about making a difference and feel you have the right experience and expertise, we encourage you to apply to join us.

This post is an excellent opportunity for those who wish to develop their administrative and organisational skills across two educational environments, and to make a real difference to the lives of young people across London. Please note that this is a year-round post (not term-time only) and that working on occasional half-Saturdays will be required at HWSF (no more than eight Saturdays per year). This post also requires onsite working 5 days a week, spending half the week at HWSF and half at HCL6F.

Main Areas of Responsibility

• Keeping the Executive Principal’s (EP) diary and be responsible for entering all appointments and assisting the EP to manage their time efficiently and effectively.
• Providing a daily diary and documentation for meetings and maintain an overview of approaching deadlines.
• Taking all telephone calls for the EP in the first instance, dealing with queries and passing calls on if absolutely necessary.
• Organising meetings and passing on messages between the EP and staff, students, parents/carers and other external agencies.
• Maintaining the EP’s paper and electronic filing system.
• Completing such clerical duties, telephone calls and secretarial tasks as may be reasonably expected in the course of the duties of the appointment.
• Preparing or proof-reading any documentation required by the EP.
• Acting as Clerk to the Governing Body at HWSF.

Qualifications & Experience

• Qualifications at C or above in GCSE English and Mathematics (or equivalent).
• Qualifications to A level (or equivalent).
• Good numeracy/literacy skills.
• Recent and relevant experience of clerical/admin/finance work.
• Understanding of the importance of confidentiality.
• Knowledge of safeguarding procedures for young people.
• Understanding of the importance of students achieving their full potential.
• Excellent ICT skills, specifically Word and Excel, and a willingness to undertake training when required.
• Good keyboard skills.
• The ability to relate well to children and adults.
• The ability to work constructively as part of a team, understanding of school roles and responsibilities and your own position within these.
• The ability to take initiative, manage own workload and work independently; as well as the ability to work as part of a team.
• Good communication (oral and written), organisation and time-keeping skills.
• Excellent organisational and administration skills, with attention to detail.
• The ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.

Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed 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.

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.

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.

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please send us an email, or call to arrange a conversation. Before applying, please download the Job Pack for full details on the job responsibilities and person specification. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible as we may interview and offer to a candidate before the closing date.