This role has a starting salary of £35,730 per annum, based on a 36-hour working week.
We are excited to be hiring a new Senior School Admissions Officer to join our fantastic School Admission team, based at our office in Woking. The role is offered as a permanent full-time position.
Rewards and Benefits
- 26 days' holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years' service
- Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
- An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
- Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
- Paternity, adoption and dependants leave
- A generous local government salary related pension
- Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
- 2 paid volunteering days plus 1 team volunteering day per year
- Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
From flexible working to job sharing (where possible), we are committed to providing a healthy work life balance. A laptop and mobile will be supplied if applicable to your role.
About the Team
The above post is within the School Admissions team which has responsibility for:
- coordinating normal round admissions for all schools;
- managing the in-year admissions service;
- arranging the placement of challenging and vulnerable children under the Fair Access Protocol;
- tracking and monitoring applications up to the date children start school; and
- identifying and referring children who might be missing education.
These are complex areas of work which are heavily regulated. The admissions process has statutory application and offer dates which must be met, creating a highly pressurised environment. Relevant statutory guidance is issued by the Department for Education including the School Admissions Code; the School Admissions Appeals Code; guidance on the admission of summer born children; guidance on applications for overseas children; guidance on Fair Access Protocols; Home to School Travel and Transport Guidance; and Children Missing Education.
About the Role
You will be an experienced and enthusiastic person capable of managing a committed and successful team of Admissions Officers. You will have management responsibilities and assist in the decision-making process to ensure the efficient and effective delivery of school admissions, whilst developing the necessary expertise in order to manage, advise and support colleagues as required.
As part of the senior management team, you will act in a supervisory capacity as the first point of contact for Admissions Officers in relation to queries on their areas of work. You will have regular contact with parents, schools and other stakeholders who will require advice and information on the authority's policies and on individual school applications.
You will need good managerial, organisational, communication and interpersonal skills, and have the ability to work under pressure and enjoy working as part of a team to meet statutory deadlines and targets.
The contracted place of work will be at Quadrant Court, Woking (soon to be moving to Victoria Gate in Woking). Whilst opportunity to work remotely from home is currently available, this is subject to work demands and there is no guarantee that this will continue to be on offer in the future.
Shortlisting Criteria
To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your application will need to clearly evidence the following:
- Experience of working within the service area of school admissions
- Knowledge of legislation and policies governing school admissions and appeals
- A proven ability of managing and prioritising workload and of working under pressure to meet a deadline
- Experience of handing difficult situations
- Effective written and verbal communication skills that have been honed to deal with a diverse range of customers and partners
- Robust IT skills including Word, Excel and database management systems
- A sound knowledge of the principles of safeguarding and GDPR
The job advert closes at 23:59 on 11/08/2024 with interview dates to be confirmed.
Our Commitment
Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applications where:
- The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
- The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form
Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.