Front of House & Admissions Coordinator (AP) in Accrington

Job Title: Front of House & Pupil Referrals Coordinator

Location: Accrington, Lancashire (Hyndburn)

Contract Type: Full-Time, Temporary-to-Permanent

Working Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM (Term-time + inset days, or full-year contract negotiable)

Salary: Up to £35,000 per annum upon permanent appointment (paid as an equivalent competitive daily/hourly rate during the initial temp-to-perm trial)

About the Role & Setting

Our specialist Alternative Provision (AP) in Accrington supports secondary and upper-primary learners facing social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) challenges who require a positive, nurturing pathway outside mainstream school.

We are seeking a vibrant, highly engaging, and organised Front of House & Referrals Coordinator to become the welcoming face and operational heartbeat of our school. In an AP environment, front of house is far more than standard reception work-it is the very first touchpoint for vulnerable young people arriving in the morning, anxious parents seeking reassurance, and visiting multi-agency professionals.

Key Responsibilities

• Front of House & Engagement
• Morning Greeting & First Impressions: Create a warm, grounded, and de-escalating welcome for students arriving at school, helping set a calm tone for the day.
• Visitor & Visitor Safeguarding: Manage reception, visitor sign-ins, ID checks, and Single Central Record (SCR) visitor protocols in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE).
• Relationship Building: Act as the first point of contact for parents and carers, establishing trust, de-escalating frustrations, and communicating with empathy and clear boundaries.
• Admissions & Referrals Management
• Referral Pipeline: Coordinate inbound pupil referrals received from local authorities (Lancashire County Council), commissioning partner secondary schools, and academy trusts.
• Induction & Transition Coordination: Collate pupil background paperwork, EHCP documentation, risk assessments, and previous school files to prepare admissions packs.
• Multi-Agency Liaison: Act as the main administrative liaison between SENCOs, social workers, youth offending teams, and local authority inclusion caseworkers.
• Data & Attendance: Input and track attendance data and referral status using school management information systems (e.g., CPOMS, SIMS, or Arbor).

What We Are Looking For

• Personality & Energy: An outgoing, energetic, and resilient personality with exceptional interpersonal skills-you naturally connect with people from all walks of life.
• Engagement & De-escalation: Natural confidence, emotional intelligence, and calm composure when dealing with distressed, deregulated, or anxious pupils and parents.
• Administrative Rigour: Strong organisational and IT capabilities to handle pupil admissions files, confidentiality (GDPR), and multi-agency referral documentation.
• Background: Experience in school administration, pupil referral units (PRU), medical/care front of house, hospitality management, customer relations, or youth liaison is highly welcomed.
• Safeguarding: Commitment to the highest standards of child protection (an Enhanced DBS check on the Update Service will be required prior to start).

Package & Progression

Permanent Salary: Up to £35,000 per annum (dependent on experience) upon successful completion of the temp-to-perm transition period.

Direct Route to Permanent: A structured 12-week agency transition offering immediate start flexibility with guaranteed permanent stability once established.

Supportive Culture: Collaborative senior leadership team, continuous professional development (including de-escalation/Team-Teach and advanced safeguarding training), and free on-site parking in Accrington.

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