Administration Manager

Overview

This role is based across two schools within the Trust: Heaton Avenue Primary School and Millbridge Primary School. The successful candidate will operate across both sites and be flexible, including the ability to travel between locations as required.

Overall purpose and description of the role

The role is to deliver a comprehensive, professional and customer focused service for Heaton Avenue Primary and Millbridge Primary. Ensuring both schools are compliant with statutory and regulatory requirements (finance, HR, governance professional support, premises, health & safety, data protection).

The overall purpose of the role is to lead and manage the school administration team and oversee the management information systems. The admin manager will provide support on a wide range of HR matters, including employee relations, recruitment, and policy compliance, working closely with school leaders and central teams.

As the admin manager you will be required to meet the general requirements of this post. You will also fulfil any reasonable expectations from the Headteacher. The post requires you to work in partnership with the Headteacher, Senior Leadership Team and staff to ensure continuous improvement of the Academy. You will be responsible for specific tasks and the development of whole Academy initiatives, determined in consultation with the Headteacher.

Key Responsibilities & Specifications

Team Leadership

• The postholder will directly line manage administration officers and other suitable roles, and delegate activities to the administration team as required.

General Admin

• Manage and lead the academy’s administration team including reception area and reprographics, overseeing an efficient, effective and friendly service.
• Lead in maintaining an accurate Single Central Record in liaison with the HR & Payroll Officer.
• Ensure all correspondence and communications are produced to the highest standard within appropriate deadlines.
• Be the first point of contact for the Headteacher and SLT, supporting them as required and dealing with matters on their behalf where possible, including receiving visitors and phone calls.
• Provide the central point of contact for the academies, ensuring consistent and accurate messages to all stakeholders and oversee management of academy communications including all electronic systems.
• Where requested by the Headteacher/Executive Headteacher or Executive PA to the CEO, attend and minute meetings and ensure agreed action points are followed up within agreed timescales.
• Ensure queries and concerns of parents are dealt with promptly and professionally and logged appropriately.
• Support the Executive PA to the CEO and the Central Administration Manager to develop, monitor and maintain MAT administration policies and procedures.
• Prepare pupil exclusion letters for signature by the Headteacher/Executive Headteacher, administer and take minutes as required at meetings and appeal panels across the trust.
• Administer trips and visits, ensuring compliance including all aspects of EVC responsibility.
• Book and arrange cover for staff requesting training events with line manager approval.
• Develop and implement high quality customer care standards.

HR Leadership

• Manage recruitment and selection processes including drafting adverts, compiling application packs, placing adverts, liaising with external recruitment agents, handling responses, corresponding with applicants, arranging interview days, securing references, undertaking pre-employment checks to Safer Recruitment guidelines, issuing provisional offers and subsequent confirmations of contracts.
• Oversee HR transactional administration throughout the employment cycle from appointment to leaving.
• Ensure DBS checks are undertaken for all staff and volunteers in line with latest guidelines.
• Organise leaver administration and ensure exit interviews are carried out.
• Maintain personnel files for all staff and ensure electronic personnel database is up to date, with GDPR compliance.
• Produce all personnel correspondence including contracts of employment and variations, and offer letters.
• Archive staff files appropriately and ensure secure disposal of records in accordance with the Records Retention Schedule.
• Arrange and deliver the Academy induction programme for all new staff including supply staff and volunteers, ensuring probationary periods and reviews take place.
• Administer and co-ordinate staff absence, communicating with the Headteacher, Nominated Absence Leader and Central HR Team to ensure accurate absence management and reporting.
• Administer and co-ordinate short-term sickness absence, ensuring return-to-work interviews are completed by the Nominated Absence Leader.
• Work with the Nominated Absence Lead to support staff returning to work and take notes at formal absence meetings.
• Administer Leave of Absence requests in accordance with current policy.
• Carry out risk assessments for new and expectant mothers and those with accessibility concerns or illnesses.
• Ensure staff are updated on policies and procedures.
• Support the Headteacher and SLT with investigations and complete relevant paperwork liaising with the Central HR Team.

Finance Admin and Support

• Managing Academy budgets, liaising with the Central Finance Team to ensure resources are managed effectively.
• Oversee timely and accurate input of purchase orders, financial transactions, debt collection (catering), petty cash, gifts register, and stationery ordering.
• Liaise with budget holders to support department budget management.
• Support the Headteacher with staffing budgets.
• Complete staffing authorisation forms with detailed rationale including costings.
• Monitor staff training budget.
• Train and support budget holders in the use of Access in line with procurement procedures.

Premises Admin and Support

• Where required, administer school site lettings (in accordance with the Lettings Policy) using booking system software as appropriate.
• Organise and administer events in school; coordinate risk assessments for academy activities and liaise with site technicians where appropriate.
• Ensure timely and accurate completion of personnel evacuation plans and support the Headteacher/Executive Headteacher with evacuation practice and risk assessments.
• Coordinate lifecycle works and building changes with the Headteacher and SHARE MAT Premises Manager and complete related requests from reserves forms.

Health and Safety Admin and Support

• Ensure a safe environment for all stakeholders and students, reporting issues to the Caretaker and/or SHARE MAT Premises Manager.
• Oversee fire, bomb and lockdown drills and ensure procedures are in place and communicated to all parties.
• Maintain accurate records of drills and practices.
• Ensure appropriate risk assessments are in place for community use of the Academy.
• Ensure compliance for minibus use.

Governance Admin and Support

• Recruitment of Academy Governors and adherence to safer recruitment guidelines for new governors including DBS checks and references.
• Update and maintain the single central record with governor information.
• Attend Academy Governors meetings.

Cover Leadership

• Oversee day-to-day cover and liaise with supply agencies, managing cover budgets and ensuring value for money while delivering a high standard of service.
• Ensure agency vetting is complete and in line with SHARE MAT policies and procedures.
• Update and maintain the single central record with supply staff information.
• Provide induction for supply staff where appropriate.
• Lead the Academy Cover Supervisors as directed.

Staff Wellbeing

• Support the development of the SHARE MAT culture where staff are valued and encouraged to achieve their personal best.
• Support mental health and wellbeing of staff using available training and resources.
• Support staff during disciplinaries and management investigations.
• Make adjustments as needed to support staff returning to work.
• Liaise with the Headteacher and central HR team regarding occupational health referrals.
• Be the go-to person and ensure staff know the Academy supports them.

General

• Communicate strategies and expectations effectively to all staff.
• Evaluate own performance and undertake professional development to achieve high standards.
• Communicate with parents/carers in a confident, sensitive and appropriate manner.
• Other duties commensurate with the role or as directed by the Central Administration team/Headteacher/Executive Headteacher, with flexibility to support colleagues across the MAT team.

Ethics and Professional Conduct

All staff are expected to uphold consistently high standards of ethical and professional behaviour. In your role, you must demonstrate integrity, accountability, and leadership in line with the Seven Principles of Public Life: Selflessness, Integrity, Objectivity, Accountability, Openness, Honesty, Leadership.

As a representative of the trust, the post-holder must:

• Build respectful, professional relationships and maintain appropriate boundaries.
• Show tolerance and respect for others, embracing cultural diversity.
• Uphold fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect.
• Ensure personal beliefs do not influence or compromise professional responsibilities.

In your role in the Trust, you are expected to:

• Act in the best interests of the trust and its community.
• Model ethical behaviour and professionalism.
• Accept accountability and operate within relevant statutory frameworks.
• Commit to ongoing professional development and contribute positively to the wider education system.
• Be attentive to potential discrepancies or concerns, and act with professional curiosity and healthy professional scepticism.
• Be aware of and follow the trust’s whistleblowing and reporting procedures, ensuring safeguarding, integrity and transparency are upheld at all times.

Other Requirements

• Commitment to the Trust’s values and objectives.
• Willingness to work flexibly and travel between Trust sites as required.
• Ability to work independently while contributing to a collaborative team environment.

Safeguarding Requirements

This post requires the post holder to work in settings with children and young adults. Any employment offer is therefore subject to the results of an Enhanced Disclosure from the DBS. People who may have contact with younger children (i.e. primary school age) are also required to complete a declaration about family or other members of their household.

Applicants MUST apply via My New Term to be considered, will be required to provide evidence of identity and qualifications and offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references. For applicants who work or have recently worked in a school, one of the references must be from the headteacher.

Expertise in Role (At selection – level 1)

• Able to build warm, positive but professional working relationships with a wide range of colleagues with a broad range of emotional and professional needs

Essential or Desirable

• Experience or working in an academy trust, school or other educational setting

Expertise in Role – After initial development – Level 2

• Experience of working in schools and promoting development of effective working relationships with staff and stakeholders
• Experience of managing a range of change projects across an organisation
• Evidence of making decisions based on needs for change with strong communication skills

Expertise in Role – (Advanced – Level 3)

• Track record of successful strategy implementation in a large organisation
• Strong knowledge of working practices and processes across the trust for all financial areas

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