Office Manager - Secondary School - Eastbourne

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

Are you an experienced administrator who is ready to take ownership of a busy school office? A secondary school in Eastbourne is looking for a professional and highly organised Office Manager to join its administration team on a full-time, permanent basis.

This is a position for someone who is confident managing competing priorities and understands what is required to keep a school office running efficiently. You will work closely with senior leaders, teachers, support staff, students, parents and external contacts.

The successful candidate will need to be approachable and helpful while also being confident enough to manage processes, coordinate administrative work and ensure important deadlines are met.

School Information

This is a well-established secondary school in Eastbourne with a strong focus on providing students with a safe, organised and supportive environment.

The school office provides essential support across the whole school. It manages communication with families, student administration, records, appointments, correspondence and a range of other operational tasks.

The Office Manager will therefore have an important role in ensuring that administrative systems operate effectively.

You will work closely with senior leadership and may coordinate other members of the administration team. The school is looking for someone who can take responsibility rather than waiting to be given instructions for every task.

Office Manager - Key Responsibilities

Your responsibilities will include:

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

• Coordinating administrative workloads.

• Supporting senior leaders with administrative tasks.

• Acting as a key contact for parents and carers.

• Welcoming visitors and managing reception procedures.

• Answering telephone calls.

• Responding to emails and general enquiries.

• Ensuring enquiries are directed appropriately.

• Maintaining accurate student records.

• Updating the school's management information system.

• Supporting admissions and new student administration.

• Assisting with attendance administration.

• Preparing letters and school correspondence.

• Producing forms, reports and administrative documentation.

• Maintaining electronic and paper filing systems.

• Coordinating appointments and meetings.

• Preparing paperwork for meetings.

• Ordering office supplies.

• Monitoring stock levels.

• Liaising with suppliers.

• Communicating with external organisations.

• Supporting routine financial administration where required.

• Assisting with school events and activities.

• Supporting trips and other school arrangements.

• Assisting with examination administration where required.

• Maintaining confidentiality.

• Ensuring office procedures are followed.

• Reviewing administrative processes and identifying improvements.

• Supporting and coordinating office staff where appropriate.

The role requires excellent prioritisation skills. The school office can become extremely busy, particularly at the start and end of the school day, and you will need to ensure urgent matters are dealt with while routine work continues to progress.

Managing Administrative Work

The Office Manager will be expected to take ownership of administrative processes.

This could involve checking that records are up to date, ensuring correspondence is sent on time or coordinating tasks across the office team.

Where other administrative staff are involved, you may also allocate work, monitor progress and provide practical support.

The school is looking for someone who can be firm when deadlines need to be met while maintaining positive working relationships with colleagues.

Parents, Students and Visitors

You will regularly communicate with parents and carers. Enquiries may relate to attendance, admissions, school events, appointments, student records or general school procedures.

You should be able to communicate clearly and professionally and know when a query should be referred to a teacher or senior leader.

You will also deal with visitors and contractors, ensuring the appropriate sign-in and safeguarding procedures are followed.

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

Data and Confidentiality

The role involves handling sensitive student and family information. You must therefore be comfortable maintaining confidential records and ensuring information is only shared with appropriate people.

Strong attention to detail is essential when updating student records, preparing correspondence or entering information onto school systems.

Experience using SIMS, Arbor, Bromcom or another school management information system would be advantageous.

Office Manager - Experience and Requirements

The successful candidate should have previous administration or office management experience.

School experience would be desirable, but candidates with strong experience from other professional office environments may also be considered.

You should have:

• Previous administration or office management experience.

• Strong organisational skills.

• Excellent attention to detail.

• Confident written and verbal communication.

• Good IT skills.

• Strong Microsoft Office knowledge.

• Confidence using Excel and databases.

• Experience managing confidential information.

• Ability to coordinate workloads.

• Ability to manage competing priorities.

• Strong record-keeping skills.

• Professional and approachable manner.

• Confidence dealing with parents and external organisations.

• Ability to work independently.

• Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues.

• Good problem-solving skills.

• Reliability and professionalism.

• Commitment to safeguarding.

Experience within a school, academy, college or other education setting would be particularly useful.

Safeguarding

The Office Manager will have access to confidential information and regular contact with students, families and visitors.

You must therefore understand the importance of safeguarding, confidentiality and professional boundaries. Any concern should be reported promptly through the school's established safeguarding procedures.

Application

To apply for this Office Manager position in Eastbourne, please send your CV as soon as possible. The school is looking to appoint an experienced and organised Office Manager who can join the team for an ASAP start.