Office Manager - Secondary School - Middlesbrough

Start Date: As soon as possible
Contract: Full-time, Permanent
Salary: Paid to scale

Are you an experienced administrator who is ready to take responsibility for the smooth running of a busy school office? A secondary school in Middlesbrough is looking for a confident and organised Office Manager to join its support team on a full-time, permanent basis.

This is a senior administrative position suited to someone who enjoys taking ownership of processes, supporting colleagues and ensuring that the school office operates efficiently from the beginning to the end of the school day.

You will oversee a range of administrative functions and act as an important link between the main office, senior leadership, teaching staff, students, parents and external contacts. The successful candidate will need to be approachable and professional while also being confident enough to prioritise workloads and ensure deadlines are met.

School Information

The school is an established secondary school in Middlesbrough serving a diverse student community. It provides a structured and supportive environment where high expectations, student wellbeing and effective communication are important parts of school life.

The main office is a busy environment, particularly at the start and end of the school day. The Office Manager will be responsible for helping ensure administrative processes are organised, information is accurate and staff receive the support they need.

You will work closely with senior leaders and other support staff and may be responsible for coordinating the work of other members of the administration team.

Office Manager - Key Responsibilities

Your responsibilities will include:

• Overseeing the day-to-day operation of the school office.

• Coordinating administrative tasks and ensuring priorities are managed effectively.

• Providing professional support to senior leaders and school staff.

• Acting as a key point of contact for parents, students and visitors.

• Managing telephone and email enquiries.

• Ensuring enquiries are dealt with promptly or passed to the appropriate colleague.

• Maintaining accurate administrative records.

• Overseeing filing and document management.

• Preparing letters, reports, forms and other school documentation.

• Supporting the organisation of meetings and appointments.

• Maintaining staff and student information where appropriate.

• Supporting admissions and student administration.

• Assisting with attendance-related administration when required.

• Coordinating office procedures and ensuring deadlines are met.

• Ordering office supplies and monitoring stock levels.

• Liaising with suppliers and external organisations.

• Processing invoices or administrative financial information where required.

• Supporting school events and meetings.

• Maintaining confidentiality when dealing with sensitive information.

• Assisting with school communications.

• Supporting the administration of examinations or assessments where required.

• Helping ensure office procedures comply with school policies.

• Identifying administrative issues and suggesting practical improvements.

• Supporting and coordinating other office staff where appropriate.

The successful candidate should be comfortable managing several responsibilities simultaneously. School administration can be unpredictable, and you may need to change priorities quickly when an urgent issue arises.

Managing the Office Team

Depending on the school's existing structure, the Office Manager may oversee or coordinate other administrative colleagues.

This will involve allocating tasks, monitoring deadlines and ensuring the office continues to provide a consistent service. You should be confident giving clear instructions while maintaining a positive and supportive working relationship with colleagues.

You will also need to recognise when an issue needs to be escalated to a senior leader rather than attempting to resolve it independently.

Parents, Students and Visitors

The Office Manager will regularly communicate with parents and carers, sometimes regarding sensitive or urgent matters. A professional and calm approach is essential.

You will also deal with visitors and contractors entering the school, ensuring they follow the appropriate sign-in and safeguarding procedures.

Students may approach the office throughout the day, so you should be comfortable communicating with young people and maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.

Office Manager - Experience and Requirements

The school is looking for an experienced administrator who has worked in a busy office environment. Previous school or education administration experience would be highly advantageous.

The successful candidate should have:

• Previous experience in administration or office management.

• School administration experience would be desirable.

• Excellent organisation and time management.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Confidence managing competing priorities.

• Good attention to detail.

• Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook.

• Experience using databases or management information systems.

• Ability to maintain accurate records.

• Experience handling confidential information.

• Confidence communicating with parents, staff and external organisations.

• Ability to work independently and as part of a wider team.

• Good problem-solving skills.

• A professional and approachable manner.

• Ability to support and coordinate colleagues.

• Reliability and a strong work ethic.

• Commitment to safeguarding.

Experience with school systems such as Arbor, SIMS, Bromcom or similar platforms would be advantageous.

Safeguarding

The Office Manager will have access to confidential information and will regularly interact with students, parents and visitors. A strong understanding of safeguarding and confidentiality is therefore essential.

You will be expected to follow school safeguarding procedures, maintain appropriate professional boundaries and ensure concerns are passed to the relevant staff member promptly.

Application

To apply for this Office Manager position in Middlesbrough, please send your CV as soon as possible. The school is looking to appoint an experienced and dependable Office Manager who can join the team on a full-time permanent basis and start ASAP.