Admin Assistant

Salary: Grade 3 SCP 5-6  (£19,044.80 – 19,363.38 actual)

Hours: 35 per week, term time only, plus two Inset Days

Contract type: Permanent

Start Date: Monday 11^th November 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter.

We are looking for an experienced and well-organised Administrative Assistant to join a thriving and dynamic, large town-centre primary school with a strong community focus, providing a nurturing and inclusive environment for all our young learners.  This permanent post is term time, plus two Inset Days, between the hours of 7.45am and 3.45pm, and to start Monday 11^th November 2024, or as soon as thereafter.

The Administrative Assistant will work collaboratively as a member of our established school office team, and work alongside the PA to the Co-Headteachers. In addition to ownership of administrative duties, the role also requires interaction with colleagues, pupils and parents/carers both over the telephone and in person, so strong interaction skills are vital.

The school office is an integral part of our school and is the first point of contact for parents and visitors, in addition to offering support services, to the SLT, SBM and both teaching and support staff.  You will play a pivotal role in maintaining effective communication and providing essential administrative support.

We are looking for an individual who has high aspirations for our pupils, who is committed and passionate about their work and who has the skills and determination to make a significant difference to the lives of our pupils and their families. Candidates should have excellent communication and listening skills, be extremely well organised and able to remain calm in a fast-paced environment. 

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Acting as the first point of contact for enquiries, both face-to-face and over the telephone, providing accurate and relevant information and ensuring queries are directed to the appropriate person, when necessary.
• Providing administrative support using various ICT packages and office equipment to process documents promptly and accurately, contributing to the smooth operation of office functions.
• Updating manual records and computerised management information systems (SIMS) with meticulous attention to detail, ensuring data input is accurate and errors are identified and rectified promptly.
• Providing accurate and meaningful information to stakeholders, conducting routine analysis of management information systems to generate reports and address queries effectively and efficiently.
• Taking accurate records of meetings as required, documenting all actions agreed to ensure comprehensive documentation and effective communication.

• Communicating effectively with a range of stakeholders, including staff, pupils, parents/carers and You will have experience of working in an administrative role, ideally in a school, with the ability to work independently and as part of a team.

• Managing equipment and materials, including storage, distribution, and replenishment, coordinating with suppliers as needed to ensure availability for colleagues.
• Arranging servicing and repair of office equipment when necessary to maintain operational efficiency.
• Supporting events by managing bookings, welcoming visitors, and providing hospitality and refreshments as requested, contributing to the success of our school community gatherings.

Join Our Team and Make a Difference!

If you're ready to bring your administrative skills and dedication to our school community, we invite you to apply for the position of Administrative Assistant. Together, let's ensure that our school operates smoothly and efficiently, supporting the needs of all stakeholders and fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for all our pupils.

We are a friendly, vibrant two-form entry primary school and can offer:

• Wonderful pupils and parents who support the school in all its aspirations.
• A highly committed and supportive Governing Body.
• An inclusive ethos in which everyone is valued and respected.
• A supportive, experienced and dedicated team.
• A friendly, caring and pleasant working environment.
• The opportunity to make a real difference.
• Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Support and training to develop skills relevant to the post.

The ideal applicant will:

• Have high standards of literacy, numeracy (a minimum of English and Mathematics GCSE) and excellent IT skills (MS Word, Excel, and outlook).
• Have excellent interpersonal skills.
• Understand the importance of confidentiality and Data Protection.
• Be organised, flexible and able to prioritise and use their initiative in order to complete daily tasks.

• Have experience of working in a busy office environment with an administration focus.

• Use effective communication and be warm, friendly and empathetic.
• Have a flexible approach working in partnership with staff, pupils, parents and governors.
• Have relevant experience of IT software packages and systems.
• Undertake general financial admin e.g. processing orders/invoices/cash handling.
• Have recent experience of working in a busy office environment, dealing with sensitive information.
• Be able to work with all members of the school team and with minimum supervision.
• Possess a good sense of humour, combined with energy and enthusiasm.
• Experience using SIMS would be advantageous but not essential.

To be successful in your application, you will need to demonstrate an effective and creative approach to your work, and a commitment to supporting our families and other stakeholders.

Please see Job Description and Person Specification for the requirements of this role.

Please note you will be required to undertake an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.  All posts are subject to pre-employment checks, satisfactory references, medical clearance and satisfactory enhanced DBS check.

Additionally, all shortlisted candidates will be subject to online checks.

Applicants are required to hold the following qualifications: GCSE Maths and English (A-C) or equivalent, or hold a qualification at NVQ Level 3 in a relevant discipline.

Application packs are available to download from our website:  www.josephlockeprimary.com or alternatively contact Julie Morris the PA to the Co-Headteachers on 01226 729910 or email j.morris@jlps.org.uk

Please return your completed application form to Julie Morris at the school’s address, Shaw Street, Barnsley, S70 6JL or by email j.morris@jlps.org.uk

Closing Date:  Friday 1^st November 2024 4pm

For further information about this post, please contact school on 01226 729910 or visit our website www.josephlockeprimary.com

Please note, we operate safer recruitment and do not accept CVs.   All applicants must complete a job application form in full, and return it to Julie Morris by the closing date.

Attendance Officer

Grade: 6 SCP 18-23 (29,269.00 - £32,076 pro rata)

Hours of Post: 25 hours per week

Term time only, working 38 weeks, plus two Inset Days

Working days: Monday to Friday, 08.00 – 13.00

Contract: 12 month fixed-term temporary post with the possibility of it becoming permanent

To start: as soon as possible

Responsible to: the SLT

We are seeking to appoint an experienced Attendance Officer to join a thriving and dynamic town-centre primary school with a strong community focus, providing a nurturing and inclusive environment for young learners. The Attendance Officer will support pupils and families with attendance which will include maintaining/analysing registers, assisting in compilation of reports and working directly with our families to enable all pupils to have full access to the curriculum.

The Attendance Officer will play a key role in working closely with the school's leadership team, teachers, parents and other stakeholders.  The successful candidate will ensure that attendance is tracked accurately and that any concerns are addressed swiftly and effectively.

You will liaise with the relevant staff and external agencies to identify those families who need support and find ways of overcoming the barriers that prevent children from accessing the curriculum

The successful applicant will be an enthusiastic, flexible, positive, passionate and creative individual, who has a proven record of supporting families with a variety of complex needs.

This is a 12-month fixed term temporary contract with the possibility of it becoming a permanent role.

Key Responsibilities:

• Attendance Monitoring: Monitor and analyse daily student attendance and punctuality, identifying patterns of absence and lateness. Investigate any unexplained absences.

• Record Keeping: Maintain accurate and up-to-date attendance records using the school’s management information system (SIMS). Ensure data is compliant with statutory requirements. Work closely with school to manage the process of addressing poor attendance across the school.
• First Day Response: Implement the school’s first-day response procedures, contacting parents/carers if pupils do not arrive at school. Conduct safe and wellness checks (home visits) for absent pupils. Track cases where children are missing from education.
• Parent/Carer Liaison: Communicate regularly with parents/carers to address attendance concerns, providing support and guidance where necessary. Communicate with parents and carers proactively to follow up on unexplained or persistent absences, offering support and guidance where needed. Conduct home visits in line with school policy, identifying reasons for non-attendance, working closely with families and others to break down barriers to learning and achieve regular attendance. Ensure effective communication/consultation as appropriate with the parents of pupils through phone, letter and home visits as relevant.

• Follow-Up on Absences: Contact parents/carers via phone, email, or text to obtain reasons for pupil absences. Escalate issues of persistent absenteeism to SLT and EWO.
• Reporting: Provide attendance reports and data analysis to senior staff, the governing body and external agencies highlighting trends, concerns, and any pupils requiring intervention.
• Legal Compliance: Assist in preparing documentation for legal processes related to poor attendance, including preparing for possible court proceedings.
• Support Strategies: Work closely with the Parent Support Adviser to develop and implement strategies to improve attendance, offering practical support to families where necessary ensuring that prompt, consistent and rigorous intervention with poor attendees is robust.
• Monitoring:  Monitor the attendance of the most vulnerable pupils at the school, including Looked After Children, those who meet the threshold for child protection, children identified as being in need either by school staff or external agencies. Ensure that attendance records are up-to-date and comply with statutory requirements. Produce regular attendance reports for the SLT and external agencies.

• Collaboration: Work closely with SLT, Parent Support Advisor, and external agencies to address attendance issues and promote a positive school culture.
• Management: Assisting parents who choose to electively home educate their children and the management of Fixed Penalty Notice arrangements.
• Meetings & Interventions: Lead meetings and participate in intervention sessions for pupils at risk of persistent absenteeism. Assist in creating and monitoring action plans for improving attendance. Represent the school at external meetings ie Social Care, Case Conferences, Child in Need Meetings, LAC Reviews etc.

The successful candidate will:

• Have previous experience in a similar role such as Education Welfare Officer, Parent Liaison, Family Support Worker or related profession.
• Understand potential barriers to school attendance.
• Be a skilled communicator – working effectively with parents/carers, school staff and external agencies with the ability to engage positively with them.
• Manage and understand attendance data, to identify patterns and trends.
• Have the ability to act upon analysis
• Have excellent organisational skills with the ability to maintain accurate confidential and detailed records.
• Be confident and effective in the use of IT systems and data handling, particularly in managing attendance databases (knowledge of systems like SIMS would be beneficial).
• Have knowledge of statutory attendance regulations and the ability to ensure compliance.
• Use specialist knowledge and experience to support pupils and families to ensure pupils have at least good attendance at school.
• Lead collaborative initiatives to promote attendance and punctuality.
• Have the ability to relate well to young people and to understand their needs.
• Understand the need for effective relationships with parents, carers and external agencies.
• Have the ability to maintain a professional manner in difficult situations.

In return for your skills and experience, we can offer you:

• Wonderful, polite, hardworking pupils, who are eager and willing to learn.
• Supportive parents, families and the wider community.

• A friendly, experienced and dedicated team of staff.
• The opportunity to make a real difference to school attendance.
• Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Leading professional development and training opportunities.

Qualifications: Four GCSE’s (including Maths and English) Grade 9-4 (A-C) or equivalent.

To be successful in your application, you will need to demonstrate an effective and creative approach to your work, and a commitment to supporting our families and other stakeholders.

Please note we operate safer recruitment and do not accept CVs.   All applicants must complete a job application form in full and return it by the closing date.

Application packs are available to download from our website:  www.josephlockeprimary.com or alternatively contact Julie Morris the Co-Headteachers PA on 01226 729910 or email j.morris@jlps.org.uk

Please note you will be required to undertake an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.  All posts are subject to pre-employment checks, satisfactory references, medical clearance and satisfactory enhanced DBS check.

Additionally, all shortlisted candidates will be subject to online checks, prior to interview.

Please return your completed application form to Julie Morris at the school’s address, Shaw Street, Barnsley, S70 6JL or by email j.morris@jlps.org.uk

Closing Date:  Friday 1^st November 2024 4pm

Interview Date:  Thursday 7^th November 2024

For further information about this post, please contact school on 01226 729910 or visit our website www.josephlockeprimary.com

School Meals Supervisory Assistant (SMSA) – Relief Posts

Grade 1: £9.50-£9.60 per hour  

Hours: 7 ½ hours per week (permanent) - Relief (as and when required
Start/finish time: 12 noon - 1.30pm

Required from: as soon as possible

We are looking to appoint to our already successful SMSA team.  We have a number of relief posts vacant.  The role requires you to have experience of working with or looking after children (ages 3 -11 year old), have excellent verbal and communication skills and the ability to encourage the children in constructive and co-operative play. You will be required to supervise children in Nursery, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 over the lunchtime period, in addition to working with children inside and outside the building, organising games, activities and the one-to-one supervision of children with special educational needs.

Responsibilities will include:

• Ensuring children eat their packed lunch / school dinner
• Escorting children from the dinner hall to playground
• Supporting children in the classroom on indoor play days due to weather conditions
• Liaising with teachers about behaviour or playtime incidents
• Making sure all areas are safe for pupils to play
• Cleaning dinner hall after lunch, cleaning tables, sweeping floor etc
• Working both inside and outside the building
• Organising games activities and encouraging children in constructive and cooperative play
• One to one supervision of children with special educational needs

Applicants must have experience of looking after or working with children between the ages of 3 and 11, and be hardworking, reliable and trustworthy.

Application packs are available from, and returnable to, Ms Julie Morris, PA to Co-Headteachers, Joseph Locke Primary School, Shaw Street, Barnsley, S70 6JL or j.morris@jlps.org.uk Please call  01226 729910 if you require any further details.

Application packs are also available by visiting our website www.josephlockeprimary.com

Please note for these posts you must complete the school’s standard application form available from our website or by contacting Julie Morris on the email address or telephone number above.  Unfortunately, CV’s are not accepted.

Please note that school will conduct an online search of all shortlisted candidates. 

Please note for this post you will be required to undergo an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Check.

The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.