Personal Assistant (PA) to the Headteacher

We are seeking to appoint a Personal Assistant (PA) to the Headteacher at St Mary's Catholic High School. In this key support staff role, your core responsibilities will include providing comprehensive administrative support to the Headteacher, ensuring efficient operation of their office.

St. Mary's Catholic High School is a small and growing secondary school delivering high-quality Catholic education in the centre of Croydon. At a time of rapid change in our town centre, and with significant developments in the provision of Catholic education across the Archdiocese of Southwark, this is an exciting time to join our OFSTED good school, which is consistently one of the highest achieving schools in Croydon. Our commitment is reflected in our outstanding Progress 8 score for 2024, which places us in the top 5 schools for Croydon. We take pride in our school's dedication to supporting disadvantaged pupils and fostering social mobility. Our staff are passionately committed to ensuring that every student, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to succeed and thrive.

The ideal candidate will have some experience as a PA, preferably in an educational setting and will be able to demonstrate that they are highly organised. You do not need to be a practising Catholic to apply. Visits to the school are warmly encouraged. Please contact Francisca at the details below to arrange.

Benefits of working at St Mary's Catholic High School:

• Ranked 5th place out of all schools in Croydon for progress.
• Excellent travel links with Central London and South London: 5-minute walk from West Croydon (Southern Railway, Windrush Line - Overground, Tram and Bus) and 7-minute walk from East Croydon (Thameslink, Southern Railway, Southeastern Railway, Gatwick Express, Tram and Bus).
• Great location close to excellent shopping and local amenities.
• A collaborative approach and positive relationships.
• Strong strategic leadership.
• Support from managers and colleagues.
• Equality of opportunities for staff.
• Appreciation of staff achievement and contribution.
• Induction of new staff and ongoing development for ECT.
• Students' respect for staff and others.
• Support for career progression.
• Links with St Mary's University for professional development (10 members of staff have either completed or progressing on the MA in Catholic School Leadership).
• Access to on-site car and bicycle parking facilities for all members of staff.
• Generous local authority pension scheme for support staff.

Your New Role:

• Provide comprehensive secretarial and administrative support to the Headteacher.
• Act as the first point of contact for internal and external enquiries, using discretion and judgement to prioritise appropriately.
• Manage the Headteacher's diary, appointments, and schedule, including arranging meetings, school visits, and travel.
• Handle confidential correspondence, prepare reports, letters, and presentations with high levels of accuracy.
• Coordinate and minute key meetings including SLT, governor meetings, and staff briefings.
• Monitor and manage email communication, drafting responses and flagging urgent matters.
• Liaise with parents, staff, governors, external agencies, and local authority representatives.
• Support the preparation and organisation of whole-school events and key calendar activities.
• Maintain records, policies, and documentation in line with GDPR and safeguarding expectations.
• Provide a welcoming and professional presence within the school, upholding the ethos and values of the school at all times.

How To Apply:

To apply, please request an application form from Francisca or call her for more information. Your application is a direct permanent application to our school (not through agency), Hays is our recruitment partner for all permanent appointments.

Closing Date: Immediate, no later than 12 pm noon on Wednesday 23rd April 2025.

Interview Date: TBA, week commencing Monday 28th April 2025.

Please note, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited for interview. St Mary's Catholic High School reserves the right to close adverts earlier than the stated deadline.

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment. Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance. Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant): childcare disqualification Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), medical online and social media prohibition from teaching, right to work, satisfactory references, suitability to work with children. You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.