Interview for school office staff - any tips?

[Officeinterviewschoolhelppleas]

Hi, I have an interview on Thursday in a primary school. The role is for admin, finance and reception. I wondered if anyone could give me any tips please? Or what to expect?

Thanks so much!

Have a couple of safeguarding things, the importance of safeguarding and who you'd speak of you had a concern. The school website will say who the safeguarding leads are. Confidentiality. Accurate record keeping.

Thank you for your reply. I’ve looked up safeguarding so I know who the safeguarding lead is. I’m so nervous as I really want/need this job!

Do you have sims experience? Are you clear on school procedures re safeguarding. How would you handle and angry parent (there are usually questions we’d ask I’m an ex school business manager. Are you able to multi task. Bear in mind you’ll have registers and money to handle as well as answer the phone and deal with people at reception. Can you remain calm under pressure. Think of examples for all of these.

Thank you Auntpetunia2015 that is really helpful I will practice those.

No sims/school experience so I’m hoping to emphasise my willingness to learn these systems.

I did it for 2 yrs. SIMS is easy once you get going, its down to the teachers to ensure they complete it twice daily and make sure the dinner register is correct. If they do that, its simple!

Multi task - tell them your can answer the phone, tie laces, photocopy and count money at the same time.

Being in the office, safeguarding didn’t come in to my daily work. I was privy to knowing some things but its the teachers and classroom assistant that really come across issues, not you.

If you get the job, be prepared to answer the phone to the neurotic mothers asking you to reming their precious to wear a coat at play time, those forgetting lunch boxes, those lying that precious is off as they don’t feel well (esp on PE day)

But all in all its good fun, busy and you get hugs from random kids and chat to them about weird and wonderful things!

Good luck!

Read their website thoroughly.
So they know you have taken an interest in the school and have the ability to read and remember.

Schools websites must show particular info like pupil premium numbers, governor details etc.

Then compare it to a few other local schools websites

You guys are amazing! Thank you

How did you get on?

Didn’t get it unfortunately! Feedback was that they liked me but it went to someone with sims experience. Not sure how I’m ever supposed to get experience if I can’t work in a school without it

Tips R.e safeguarding were really helpful, he said he was very impressed that I’d read their policies on this beforehand. Also the angry parent question came up too!

That’s the difficulty so many heads are of the opinion that SiMs is difficult - it’s not! As long as you have an understanding of data bases it’s the easiest one I’ve worked with. But they are all so scared to give people without experience a chance to prove it. Can you maybe ask if a local school needs ta support in the classroom (note sure if they would do that due to covid ) but that would give you a chance to see how it worked.

Op, i was in same boat as you about 4 yrs ago. I had successful career but no sch or SIMS experience. I did an online SIMS course and added it to my CV.

After 15 failed sch job interviews i finally got a job! A sch took a gamble on me , based on my corporate history but mainly my personality and my raising of my children, my involvement with their schs , the childcare i have provided to others in the community and my commitment to young people in the community and wanting to contribute something back. All substantiated by written references.

I have flourished there since and i love working with and supporting children and families.

Keep going OP but maybe do an on line SIMS course. Sometimes securing jobs is not about what you know but who you are.

What can you bring to the school and the children? Are you applying to make a contribution to children or are you applying for term time work to serve yourself? What examples of serving children in your community can you provide?

What documented contribution have you made to children and families in your community? Have you been active on PTA in your own DC's sch? Have you volunteered for sch trips and been list99 cleared? These are the kind of scenarios that show schools that a person has a proven long history of contributing to children and families and not in it for for holidays.

Children and families can be complex, You need to apply for roles like this with a greater view to contribute.

This is not a job to apply/take , to cover your child's sch holidays.

This is a real and proper role. Sch's will always need to see a genuine commitment to children and families, even in admin roles.

Admin roles will often be the first line of defence in safeguarding.

Admin roles are appointed very carefully. You do not need to know SIMs but you do need
to understand children and families and you need to demonstrate a long term and proven history to children and families and what you can offer to make these children's lives more secure in terms of education.

Did you supply any sch attendance initiatives for example?

You cannot just work in a sch because it suits your childcare requirements.

You work in a sch because you have something to offer and benefit young people
and children and families. You will have proven contribution to your community and DC's sch if appropriate.

Being a genius admin whiz is not sufficient to secure a school role.

GaiaLady thanks for your advise! I will look into an online SIMs course. To be honest I don’t really have any experience within a school, being a working parent I found I was never available when these things happened and the PTA can be incredibly unwelcoming to those outside of their ‘clique’ at my kids village school, this is definitely something I’d want to change if I was part of a school, focus on inviting and encouraging other parents to feel part of the community. The school jobs actually do not suit my childcare requirements, one of mine is in nursery so I pay for holiday care anyway and the hours aren’t workable around drop offs or pickups so DC would still need to attend before/after clubs so certainly not doing it for the holidays!
I do have experience working with disadvantaged families and having had a difficult childhood myself, the idea of working with children appeals to me.
Having been made redundant, being in a secure role also appeals to me to be honest!

@Officeinterviewschoolhelppleas
I am just trying to give advice.

I was a single mum, working full time. I did SIMs training and just trying to give advice re your interview.

I am just offering that if you want you want to work in a sch, with children and families, you need to be invested in children and families.

You clearly have not had time to invest in requirement . Either find a new career path or invest in young people in your community to support your application.

You want to work in a school but you have not told us what you can offer and bring to the school and those students?

You have not once mentioned in your post the wellbeing of young people in your post and your commitment to improving their lives. Why should you work there?

I was offering advice as to why to why you were not successful in role.

You can continue to post excuses as to why you have been unsuccessful or you can learn and improve yourself.

@Officeinterviewschoolhelppleas
The school jobs actually do not suit my childcare requirements, one of mine is in nursery so I pay for holiday care anyway and the hours aren’t workable around drop offs or pickups so DC would still need to attend before/after clubs so certainly not doing it for the holidays!

You are looking for
sch work when your childcare arrangements do not fit / suit/allow you to work in a sch?

I'm a school admin. I had no experience with SIMS but had had a similar role in local government and had lots of transferable skills including using a database similar to SIMS for our service users. Not every school uses sims though, and it is really easy to pick up. Schools and local government jobs interviews are done on points so someone having that experience over you will do it I'm afraid.

Maybe volunteer as a parent helper at your children's school while you are not working? They still might want readers? Also consider volunteering at your children's scouts/guides/sports clubs as that will give you some safeguarding experience and training.

@GaiaLady

Op, i was in same boat as you about 4 yrs ago. I had successful career but no sch or SIMS experience. I did an online SIMS course and added it to my CV.

After 15 failed sch job interviews i finally got a job! A sch took a gamble on me , based on my corporate history but mainly my personality and my raising of my children, my involvement with their schs , the childcare i have provided to others in the community and my commitment to young people in the community and wanting to contribute something back. All substantiated by written references.

I have flourished there since and i love working with and supporting children and families.

Keep going OP but maybe do an on line SIMS course. Sometimes securing jobs is not about what you know but who you are.

What can you bring to the school and the children? Are you applying to make a contribution to children or are you applying for term time work to serve yourself? What examples of serving children in your community can you provide?

What documented contribution have you made to children and families in your community? Have you been active on PTA in your own DC's sch? Have you volunteered for sch trips and been list99 cleared? These are the kind of scenarios that show schools that a person has a proven long history of contributing to children and families and not in it for for holidays.

Children and families can be complex, You need to apply for roles like this with a greater view to contribute.

This is not a job to apply/take , to cover your child's sch holidays.

This is a real and proper role. Sch's will always need to see a genuine commitment to children and families, even in admin roles.

Admin roles will often be the first line of defence in safeguarding.

Admin roles are appointed very carefully. You do not need to know SIMs but you do need
to understand children and families and you need to demonstrate a long term and proven history to children and families and what you can offer to make these children's lives more secure in terms of education.

Did you supply any sch attendance initiatives for example?

You cannot just work in a sch because it suits your childcare requirements.

You work in a sch because you have something to offer and benefit young people
and children and families. You will have proven contribution to your community and DC's sch if appropriate.

Being a genius admin whiz is not sufficient to secure a school role.

@GaiaLady, Would you mind sharing which online SIMS course you signed up for? Thank you 😊

@CarpeVitam Capita.

[quote GaiaLady]@CarpeVitam Capita. [/quote]
Thank you! 😊

@CarpeVitam I did the attendance one but that was some yrs back now. Good luck.

Unless you manage to apply for a school office post in a less than desirable school, or for less than desirable hours, you are unlikely to not come up against someone with more relevant experience.

The interviews will be scored against predetermined criteria and unless you score more than the other candidates, you won’t be the one they offer it to. Competition is strong for school office roles.

If you can do training, great, but real life examples are what you are likely to need to score well at interview.

If you can afford to, I would offer to volunteer in a school office and use it as a chance to shine and build up examples for your future applications and interviews. Earn yourself a glowing reference from the Office Manager or Headteacher. Even getting in as an unpaid volunteer is a challenge. School office staff are too busy to even think about having someone to look after. They will see it as a hinderance rather than a help until you get in there and show them otherwise. Pull on all and any contacts you have to blag your way in somewhere. There are many barriers to this - it won’t be offered on a plate, even unpaid.

I did 3 days a week paid TA in a very challenging school alongside 2 days volunteering in the office of a very desirable school. I treated the volunteering like paid work, worked hard, never took so much as an hour off and stepped up at every opportunity. That got me the school references and school office experience, to add to my “real world” experience, to come across as a credible candidate at an interview at another school two terms later.

Then I worked very hard and learnt fast in a school office job-share role. I now successfully run a busy school office on my own. I still work very hard and I’m still learning - but I love it! You have to make it happen though. It’s worth it if you want it enough. Good luck.