What’s it like being a school secretary of a primary school?

[Challengerice]

Considering applying.

It’s part time.

Very busy? Enjoyable?

Absolutely chaotic! No two days are the same, we've got a class out isolating today so lots of phone calls to parents, children coming and going, one year group going on a trip tomorrow so prepping for that, sorting out new admissions for September and year 6 leavers. It's madness! But I love it. You'll need a good sense of humour though and lots of biscuits!

Sound great
Is yours a big school?
Do you leave on time?

It's a junior school, four form entry so nearly 500 children and it does feel big. Only 100 more than my last school but feels massive. Mostly I leave more or less on time but they're very good about kicking us out and not letting us stay too late.

It is a fab job, undervalued by most people but varied and busy and scope for lots of laughs. Bit crappy at the moment due to covid faffiness but that's changing even now. Definitely go for it!

It is very full on, underpaid and under valued but I LOVE IT. The children are just fantastic. You have to be prepared that you may see and hear some pretty horrible things - there’s been many a time I’ve wanted to take a child home for a bath, clean clothes, food and some affection - but there is so much happening to make you smile too.

No two days are ever the same and you wear many hats.

I rarely leave “on time” and I’m always in before my time too, but I love my job.

How do you balance with your own children?

Single paren
I’m concerned I won’t be able to leave on time

My youngest was at secondary by the time I went back to work so he was able to let himself in and back then I made sure I never stayed VERY late. He’s an adult now so when I have to stay very late (usually because there is some sort of safeguarding or child protection incident) it isn’t an issue.

One of my colleagues at my last school ALWAYS left bang on time to collect her children and that was fine because we all knew she had that responsibility.

What do you mean by leaving "on time"?
Do you mean bang on the school bell?

I'm a teacher. Our school secretary (small primary) leaves at 3.30pm Monday, Weds, Thurs and Friday. On a Tuesday Tuesday she's contracted until 5pm. There are occasions when she finds it hard to get away "on time". You can't exactly turn parents away at the end of the day if they have enquiries. She's contracted past the school bell to try to make sure the office is manned for parent queries but sometimes these go on a bit.

@WentworthPrison

What do you mean by leaving "on time"? Do you mean bang on the school bell?

I'm a teacher. Our school secretary (small primary) leaves at 3.30pm Monday, Weds, Thurs and Friday. On a Tuesday Tuesday she's contracted until 5pm. There are occasions when she finds it hard to get away "on time". You can't exactly turn parents away at the end of the day if they have enquiries. She's contracted past the school bell to try to make sure the office is manned for parent queries but sometimes these go on a bit.

I’m contracted until 4pm on my full days (I don’t work full time) so an hour after school finishes. Today I left at 4.40. One day last week it was well after 6 - that was a safeguarding incident.

The office is covered by contracted hours for an hour after end of school every day.

I'm one and love it. It's the perfect mix of small children, walking, data and spreadsheets for me.

We've all got primary school-age children and do one end of the school day or the other and use breakfast/after school club for childcare for the other end. The ones with children in our school have the kids sit in reception reading before/after school. Colleagues that have to pick their kids up from elsewhere always leave on time. The "late shift" finishes at 4pm and there are generally no parents on site then so no reason not to leave on time. We are all able to work remotely from home, so there have been occasions when I've picked up my child then sent a few more emails once I've got home.

It’s a brilliant job but underpaid and often undervalued. You have to be able to multitask like nothing else! Times flies and there are never enough hours in the day. In my first term at my current school I worked late every single day because there was so much to do. I’m in a better place now and would say on average I can leave within an hour of my official finishing time 80% of the time. When you say it’s part-time do you mean a job share so someone else is there when you wouldn’t be?

When you say ‘on time’ -what time do you need to leave? Our office lady is fantastic-it’s only a small school-she works 8-4.30.

How big is the school? Unless it’s very large you will be unlikely to be just school secretary.
I had to do admin, finance, HR health and safety, basically everything that wasn’t teaching, so it’s very underpaid for the skills you need.
As for leaving on time, that doesn’t happen. Yes school finished at 3.15 but after school clubs on to 4.30 and some parents were always late. You can’t just walk out and leave children on their own.
Most parents were lovely but a few terrible. A particular low was when one dad brought in a knife and threatened to kill me.
But the children are fabulous and the work is certainly varied!

My sister-in-law, a teacher, says that it doesn't matter if the Head is off for a month, everything still runs smoothly, but if the school secretary is out for just a day total chaos ensues.

It is a bit marmite - it is, as everyone says, different every day, and unpredictable.

Some people don't like that. They don't like being constantly interrupted. They don't like the fact it is difficult to ever concentrate on a task until it is finished. They don't like the fact they end up doing all sorts of other jobs that many would consider outside the remit of an administrator.
OTOH, that is all part of what makes the role so wonderful for other people. The variety, the interactions, the interest and the difference you can make.

Schools generally don't have a culture of people leaving when something urgent comes up. Presumably you would be paying for childcare anyway, so where there is an emergency they would deal with it.

This is my dream job
I’ve always wanted to work in a primary school but not be a teacher.
In reality I have a senior role in the city which is nothing like working in a school

@Snoopsnoggysnog

This is my dream job I’ve always wanted to work in a primary school but not be a teacher. In reality I have a senior role in the city which is nothing like working in a school

So quit your Senior Role in the City, take a hefty pay cut and become a school secretary - live your "dream"