Admin assistant at s primary school..help!!!!

[Newstart142]

I am going to apply for an admin assistant post at a local primary school.... what are my changes of being called for interview.... i have years of call centre customer service experiance! I really need this job as it has the perfect hours and will fit in with the kids. I currently work in a call centre at a local housing association doing reception cover at times. What do u think would be good to mention in my supporting information on my application form?
Thanks for all your help in advance xx

These jobs normally go to the person the Head / school think will be most pleasant to work with and who is most plugged into the various local networks that the job holder will need to utilise. Often this will be a parent the Head already knows through PTA / volunteering.

By all means emphasise your call centre experience but it may not be the deciding factor, I would really big up any other connections to the school etc.

I work in a school office. I had no school experience but I had volunteered as a reading partner in my son's school and had worked for the council in a children's centre, and I'm a pretty awesome admin.

This is the wrong time of year to be recruiting for schools. Once you are in a school you don't generally change for another school unless it's better hours or location, so if there are other school admins applying the head will be looking at why they are moving. they may be crap

Look at the job spec very carefully and answer absolutely everything. It's fine to mention things you've done with your kids. Helped out on a school trip/PTA/Beavers? Stick it on. It's fine if you don't have experience with SIMS, just tell them about whatever database you work on in housing and how awesome you are at picking up new software and how willing you are to do training.

Safeguarding. Anything relevant from your current job. Have a quick look at prevent duty (radicalisation) so you can say you've heard of it.

You may need to pay for breakfast/after school club but of course there will be no childcare in the holidays. If you are termtime+2 weeks you might be able to bring your kids in, or holiday clubs are quite cheap for the sports clubs. My head lets staff children come in to work with their parents if it's an inset day and they attend another school.

Good luck!

These jobs normally go to the person the Head / school think will be most pleasant to work with and who is most plugged into the various local networks that the job holder will need to utilise. Often this will be a parent the Head already knows through PTA / volunteering.

This is absolutely not the case at all. An office / admin job in a school requires a huge amount of experience in a lot of different areas. It certainly doesn't go to the one who is most pleasant to work with, or a parent who has been volunteering for a while.

I’d make a big deal out of any previous reception work that you have done. As others have said multitasking and dealing with all sorts of people is really important.

If you’re first aid trained get that down as our receptionist deals with all of our first aid (secondary) and any knowledge of Microsoft Windows (excel is the main babe) and then see what the school uses in terms of computer systems- we are hot on google drive and sims

BeenHereForAges the role is not as a TA. No specific qualifications are required for the admin role. OP, go for it. As others have said, read the job spec and write an application that ticks all the boxes to secure an interview. After that, it really is down to the interviewer looking for the best fit candidate. They will go for the person they can see fitting in. You don't know who that will be so it may as well be you. Be open, flexible and enthusiastic.

A parent in the office would be a total nightmare for most Heads, I would have thought.

Safeguarding, dealing with difficult people and situations, tact, diplomacy and confidentiality.

I work in my childrens school in a admin role. There was almost 100 applications for 2 posts. I had some experience working with governors which helped.
The advice you have had on safeguarding, prevent and school research is what I did. They did ask safeguarding questions so was able to answer referring to who the DSL was.

@thistimelastweek funny you should say that. My precious head teacher instructed the people carrying out the interview for their admin assistant to put anyone to the top of the list who mentioned how ideal the hours were. He said it showed honesty, and cut through a lot of bullshit.
I actually got the job, I may have mentioned the hours, I don't actually remember, the trauma of my first interview in ten years seems to have given me some sort of post interview amnesia!
OP, school experience is ideal but not having it doesn't necessarily mean you don't have a shot. Highlight your ability to communicate well with everyone and your ability to diffuse potentially volatile situations. Your knowledge of current safeguarding guidelines is crucial and your ability to prioritise tasks.

Previous! It's a good job I don't use a phone for office work!

Based on your post, I would triple-check your spelling!

It’s a harder job than most people think. All the admin assistants i see in schools are frazzled !

Proofread before posting?

You need to be very people friendly/good telephone manner.

You would assume, right?

Safeguarding, GDPR, able to defuse situations (relationships with children, parents/carers, teachers, management, peers, governors, visitors), quick to pick up new systems (SIMS), confident with phone, excel, word, emails, multitasking, able to prioritise but mostly safeguarding and school policies. You like children. Go to school website and download their policies (safeguarding, behaviour, welfare & wellbeing, attendance, health & safety, etc), able and willing to get stuck in, no job too small, willing to become part of the school community, aligning with the ethos (able to say what that ethos is), more safeguarding, there will probably be in in-tray exercise if they interview you. Confidentiality, discretion, sensitivity, assertiveness.
And then more safeguarding.

You really need to brush up on spelling and grammar - use grammarly when typing up your CV and proofread it through a few times to ensure there's no mistakes and that it makes sense.

Really read the job and person description, use that to help you with your CV and covering letter.

Definitely do some research on the school, it's ethos, safeguarding policies...

Do know, however, that there'll probably be 100s of parents who will be desperate for this job too - just don't get your hopes too high.

I got several interviews for primary school admin but didn't get the role. You need to absolutely give examples of everything on the job description. Confidentiality is key, they don't want a blabbermouth on the desk, so examples of that are good. I did well at feedback but the roles went to people with more direct experience. Safeguarding came up at every interview too, I also had an admin task at every one - mostly putting data into Excel and doing simple calculations. Some typing, spotting errors type of stuff.

I have actually got a school job in a different field that suited all my previous experience. I probably had slight overkill with my previous experience vs the job description. Think £billion revenue experience! I also got on very well with my boss at interview, which I think really helped as we work closely together. Lots of these jobs are about personality as much as anything.

You might have some scenario type questions. Like what would you do if a child reported to reception with a headache, another child arrives with a message, there is a postman with a parcel, four parents waiting to be seen and the phone is ringing.

The answer: Get the sick child sat down with a drink first. The headache might just be the tip of the iceburg in terms of what's wrong. Second priority would be taking the message from the child and parcel from the postman so they can get back to class/work. Ignore the phone and deal with the queue of parents in the order they arrived. Phone the caller back as soon as you get a spare minute.

What would you do if a child came up to you, wanting to tell you something but asking that you keep it to yourself?

Make sure that the child understands that you cannot make any promises to keep the information to yourself. Listen to what the child says, making no interuptions and calm and reassure them. Report the information to the head of safeguarding (the school will inform you of who that is if you get the job) and make a written report in pen, because it is hard to tamper with information written in pen. Do not discuss it with anyone other than the safeguarding officers, not even other members of staff.

Best of luck!

You need to be very people friendly/good telephone manner

Oh how I wish our School receptionist was like this!

I rang her recently as I had a missed call from the School and knew DD had toothache that morning.

I rang reception and said I had a missed call, is everything o.k?

She said as far as I know , and it could have been anyone that rang me.

You would think she might try and find out?

She never ever says hello when parents approach the desk, or ask if she can help.

She just gives a hard stare

She shouted "No" at me when I asked to see what contact details they have for N.O.K.

I heard her say "Im keeping his mobile for a while to teach him a lessson for losing it" when I handed it in, I found it outside the school on the pavement. She knew whose it was.

Funnily enough when teachers approach the desk, she is smiley and polite.

Do you think they tell her to not fully engage with parents?!

PPs have mentioned most of the things I would have said. The only thing I'll add is to think if going to things like your child's nativity or sports day is important to you. If yes, then I would check their policy on that before the interview stage. Some schools will not allow leave for these things. There may be an expectation of working on training days in addition to school days.

The interviews for the Admin role at my school were ridiculously difficult. What they were expecting for just over minimum wage was no joke. Some applicants obviously thought it would be a nice little job and they didn't stand a chance. It is a very tough job. Not trying to put you off but be prepared for extremely busy days, having to learn on the job very quickly, learn hundreds of names and classes, parents, school policies, procedures, timetables, routines, where everything is or how to put your hands on it PDQ while having the phone ringing off the hook, children, parents and staff nagging you every other minute and wishing you could stick a broom up your arse so you could sweep the floor as well while you're at it. We held three rounds of interviews and didn't recruit during the first two as none of the candidates fitted the bill apparently!
Good luck but these jobs are very popular. Until someone gets it and realises how relentless and bloody difficult it is!