School Receptionist | Academy | Reading

The Opportunity

Reading is a dynamic, high-tech commercial powerhouse at the heart of the Thames Valley, globally celebrated as the UK's silicon hub and a leading center for digital innovation, finance, and major infrastructure links. We are seeking a warm, highly organized, and professional School Receptionist to join a progressive academy. As the literal face and voice of our institution, you will manage our front-of-house operations with absolute precision, acting as the critical link between our families, visitors, and the school’s leadership and teaching faculties.

The School

Operating as an independent academy within a forward-thinking multi-academy trust, our school combines innovative educational practice with robust operational support. We benefit from centralized administrative networks, freeing our frontline staff to focus entirely on maintaining an exceptional operational environment. We implement explicit, highly consistent, school-wide behaviour routines that keep our campus quiet, respectful, and orderly. This structured environment ensures that our reception hub remains a calm and highly productive workspace where front-desk staff can manage visitor traffic and inquiries with complete professional focus.

The Administrative Team & Front Office Culture

You will join a highly collaborative, supportive Main Office team where efficiency, clear communication, and exceptional organization are celebrated. The department operates within a contemporary, well-resourced reception hub equipped with modern visitor management infrastructure and integrated school communication databases. Our administrative framework explicitly prioritizes a streamlined, calm workflow, ensuring that front-desk responsibilities are managed effectively during peak morning and afternoon periods. Staff benefit from standardized operating procedures, ensuring that telephone routing, visitor safeguarding checks, and student inquiries are handled smoothly and sustainably.

Core Responsibilities

• Front-of-House Excellence: Greeting all parents, contractors, and external agency visitors with warmth and professionalism, ensuring our statutory safeguarding sign-in protocols are meticulously followed.
• Switchboard Management: Directing incoming telephone inquiries and general email traffic efficiently, accurately routing messages to the relevant pastoral, academic, or leadership teams.
• Student Support & Inquiries: Acting as a central point of contact for students during the school day, managing late arrivals, coordinating student passes, and assisting with general daily queries.
• Administrative Assistance: Supporting the School Business Manager and wider office team with essential clerical duties, including data input onto the school's internal database (MIS), formatting parent notifications, and sorting incoming mail.
• Emergency Coordination Support: Maintaining an accurate, real-time log of visitors and fire evacuation registers, ready to assist the operational team instantly in the event of an emergency drill.

The Successful Candidate

We are looking for a proactive, resilient, and highly articulate individual who loves working with people and thrives in a fast-paced environment. Your profile should include:

• Proven Front-of-House Experience: Strong experience in a busy reception, customer service, or administrative role—ideally within an educational setting, though corporate or clinical backgrounds with transferable skills are highly valued.
• Exceptional Communication Skills: A calm, professional, and empathetic manner, with the ability to defuse complex situations and communicate clearly with children and adults alike.
• Technical Literacy: Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) and a clear capacity to quickly adapt to specialized school database and visitor tracking systems.
• Meticulous Reliability: Excellent multi-tasking skills, a smart professional presentation, and an uncompromising approach to maintaining strict confidentiality and data protection laws.

Why Join Our Support Staff?

• The distinct satisfaction of working within an academy setting where your daily operational input directly impacts the safety, smooth running, and atmosphere of the whole school community.
• Comprehensive internal induction and continuous training covering school safeguarding practices, data handling regulations, and specialized educational software.
• The exceptional lifestyle benefits of living and working in Reading—a thriving town offering fantastic riverside dining, a legendary shopping and music culture, affordable suburban areas, and unparalleled transport connectivity via the Elizabeth Line and national rail network.
• A supportive senior leadership and business team that respects support staff workload, provides a structured schedule, and values your vital role in the school's operational success.

How to Apply

Please submit your current CV to begin the application process.