School office manager job - advice needed please :)

[OfficeManagerFingersCrossed]

Good evening - am posting here for traffic, hope that’s ok.

I’m planning on applying for a school office manager role. I have done an office manager role before, but in a different organisation, and am currently doing a more customer service type role.

I have an application form to complete, with a large space for how I meet the job & person specification, which is fine.

However, they also want a covering letter, no more than 2 sides long. What do I put in this? Is it the same info as on the application form? Seems strange to duplicate, but no idea what else to put.

Is the covering letter read first, and if they like it, they read the whole application form?

Any advice would be marvellous please, and hugely appreciated!!

Can't help - but make sure you have read the safeguarding policy on their website and know what to do if you have concerns about a child. You will be asked.

There’s excellent advice on cover letters on the Ask a Manger website - she’s in the US but the cover letter advice applies here to. It’s for you to really show why you want the job and what you have that’s special to bring to it. Show your passion for working in a school. Don’t be tempted to just reiterate your achievements from your CV/ application form. Cover letters can also be useful for putting any employment breaks into a positive light etc.

My advice would be to try and explain in your covering letter why you want to work in that school in particular rather than just any school, and why you’re looking to move from your current role to one in school - what transferable skills and expertise you bring that someone else might not.

I’ve shortlisted lots of jobs in schools and the thing that seems to impress those recruiting is when people have taken the time to say why they want to work in that particular school - so do a bit of research about the school, it’s ethos, mission statement etc

The covering letter explains the skills you have, and how they might apply to the job. The application form is just a list of your experiences.

Personally, I wouldn't overdo why you want to work in this particular school (it will come across as fake). Explain clearly why you want to work in a school, and both your particular strengths skills with office work AND children - although the role is not child-based, all schools want someone there who is good with children.

A school role involves a lot more multi-tasking - the ability to clean up vomit while inputting data to the ICT systems!

Teaching jobs always ask for a two page letter like this and yes, it does sometimes feel like they have also asked for the same information in the box on the form. I imagine they have a standard format for their teaching jobs and have adapted the same format for their admin too. It is fine to write “please see covering letter” in the box on the form and just put everything in the letter.

When we are recruiting in our school we are looking at the covering letter to see how the person fits in with the person spec we provide. We will state in the advert the experience and skills we are looking for and then want the applicant to take each element and explain how their prior experience has prepared them for this job. The best letters take a paragraph for each point and often have a heading for each paragraph e.g. Good Communicator ~ In my current job I am required to x, y and z, here are some examples of specific times I have communicated well…

Thank you all so much, will see if I can do it justice!!

Wish me luck! 🤞🏻

I would think that the space on the application form is for matching your skills and experience to the job/personal spec as usual and the covering letter will be about your motivations for applying for the job.
Two very different things and the latter you don't always get a chance to do.
I would suggest not just researching the role but also the school, the area and any wider current issues in relation to local education, social issues etc?

Definitely mention and read up on all their policies related to safe guarding, GDPR, confidentiality etc. I went for a similar role at a children's charity and they asked the above. Plus they asked if I was familiar with the children's and family act.

I recruit a lot, and I expect the covering letter to set out how the person meets the job specification. I generally give more weight to the covering letter than the CV when I am short listing and have a lot of applicants