School Secretaries/Admins/Bursars - come hither

[TheIncidentalGoat]

Is there a support thread for us admin types anywhere? If not come say hello and share your new term woes (or otherwise)

I'm school sec in an inner city primary, with all that entails. We've been back week and already I'm approaching the end of my rope.

Jimmy, my experience is certainly not as NotSoSkinny details. There is some basic admin, processing detentions, stationery ordering, entering coursework marks etc - and some exciting laminating/guillotining/photocopying of resources , but the vast majority of my work revolves around organizing trips; getting quotes, making bookings/liaising with travel companies, arranging itineraries, group passports, dietary/health issues, getting the money paid, talking to parents and obviously all the letters and paperwork that go with this. And everyone who works in a school works more hours than they are paid for - as you know already. . I worked in University admin in my previous life so it was an easy transition.

Bumping this as I've just been offered the a Year Manager job in a secondary - attendance, admin and pastoral for the whole of Year 8. I'm simultaneously chuffed to bits and terrified! Am awaiting DBS so probably won't start til after October half term. If there's anyone around who does similar, insight would be welcome!

I've a very strong admin background, plus various experiences in public sector roles that involve client contact and really wanted something that had working with teens as part of the role - and it appears that that's what I've got. This is my first 'back to work' job having taken 4 years out to do a degree and I suspect that by Xmas I'll be falling over as will DH and DDs when they realise that I'm not there to keep the house running smoothly but I'm hoping it's something that I'll be good at and enjoy!

Well done elle on the job. Can't help with any advice high schools are scary places. I've got an interview after half term for a pa to head role in a big primary school a bit away from me but it's such a perfect match of my experiences that I had to go for it. Got to do a power point presentation which is a bit frightening, don't like talking in front of people.

Just discovered this thread, can I join?

I'm the attendance and website manager of a medium sized primary in a 'difficult' area, but was previously office manager at a large primary. My current job is really interesting but I'm struggling to see all the things that colleagues are doing, when I can see better ways. I'm working hard at becoming more involved in the day to day stuff, but infultrating the girls (who have been there for 54 years between them) is proving challenging!

The way they administer clubs is interesting! Would anyone like to share their brilliant, time-saving ideas?

Hiya hazel can you tell us what the "girls" are doing to administer clubs and then maybe we can come up with ways to streamline. It's sounds like where I am now when I first started there 8 years ago. They did certain jobs on certain days and wouldn't be swayed, nothing to do with beat way to do job just how it always had been.

Our clubs are all registered with Children's university. Registers are kept by 2 tas who update excel spreadsheet on a bi weekly basis to ensure all kids get the credits they should have. Clubs are first come first in, but kicked out for naughty behaviour, consistently forgetting kit or missing club. Some are invite only ( usually aimed at pupil premimum enhancement) it's now down to the best way we can run it. Does that help.

Petunia the current system is so out of date, it's embarrassing!

Parents complete a reply slip, noting which clubs they would like. It's a small school, so we have 12 clubs. My colleague starts with 12 pieces of paper and hand writes the names on each piece, on the order that they came in. She then asks the teachers to select the pupils that they would like and types a register from there. So some children go to 3 clubs, and some go to none. There is no consideration for siblings either.

I'm slightly ashamed that our school does this, but as a new member of staff I can't change they way things are done when they are not my remit, iyswim. I suggested typing the names into a spreadsheet but was shot down.

What!!! I don't get why the teacher then gets a say in who goes that smacks of favouritism. Why is she hand writing and not typing in the first place ( let me guess....that's how we've always done it!)

So kids hand in slips names typed into excell on first come first served basis. 1 document with different page for each club then no teacher should get to pick who goes that's wrong. Our teachers only get involved if child is consistently naughty yet goes to club it's a punishment sanction, same as if they don't brin pe kit in but have sports kit for football etc.

I take it clubs aren't registered with children's university then?! That might be a good way drag it kicking and screaming into 21st century, have a google and see if there is a centre near you. It makes doing clubs worthwhile as kids get to graduate if they achieve 30 hours or more of clubs in a school year. Have you a member of slt you can speak to about streamlining things or the head, they mut have someone forward thinking they've taken you on to do website ( I do ours and our twitter along with everything else) id have words with senior team about ways to make system fairer for kids.

We're with the CU as well and as a result offer a minimum of 6 clubs per night and 3 lunchtime clubs. My only gripe is the registers are stored on the teachers' server and guess who doesn't have access to that. It would make my life so much easier if I knew which kids were attending which club especially when the dumb parents phone up and don't get me started on the ones who don't know which club their little darling is attending

Because of the number of clubs on offer we don't have a quota but when we do parents will rush into the office in the morning and I number the slips as they hand them in.

Hazel your office sounds like my last school. In addition to being set in their ways they completely lacked initiative or commonsense and were unable to retain anything resulting in regular "does anyone remember speaking to x" when they did answer the phone and me failing to hide my irritation "you did" followed by a "oh yeah"

Skinny why haven't you got access to the teachers server? Can you not ask your it people to move it over so you can access it. I agree with the irritating parents we have those, doesn't every school? I hate the can you tell me if our xx has club tonight? How the hell should I know, we have 400 pupils and you have 1 child to look after.

My current office is so slick as me and the bursar are young (ish) with keen it skills.

It's one thing panicking me about the interview next week, what if the office is behind the times!!!

Reading the clubs posts with interest. I'm banging my head against the desk on a regular basis trying to improve the way ours are done. I've had the 'type it straight on to the register' conversation too. So frustrating.

Are any of your primary schools cashless? We've been looking into it but I'm not sure our parents will be able to manage (lots of EAL, a deprived area so lots on benefits, not all have internet).

We looked at it but then decided against cashless for pretty much the reasons you said. Our fsm is 49% and we have 17 languages represented in school. We're also a deprived area with many people without internet access.

Which caused us no end of problems when ofsted came 3 weeks ago as the parent questionnaire is all on line now. We got 12 replies and we've over 400 on role! We were ready for that and had a parent questionnaire to give out as soon as we got the call and they begrudgingly accepted those views though at first they hadn't believed us when we said no one would bother it was too complicated on a phone/tablet.

I've a job interview on Monday and am hoping the office isn't in the dark ages.

AuntPetunia - I saw your other thread about ppt - and sounds like you ought to walk the new job! Can you find out in advance if the new school is eg on CU, and really make use of the knowledge you have?

Hi ghoul they are already part of cu so am pushing my other passion which is esafety! Gotta have a usp as they say on apprentice! (Unique selling point ) have done the presentation and rehearsed and recorded it! So can tweek it a bit today and tomorrow. Thanks for your faith my current head and sbm have said the same!

Aunt please come back next week to let us know when you have got the job so we can all celebrate!

I'm hoping to pick your brains, school people!

I work in an infants school (receptionist) and am paid for 44 weeks of a year over 12 monthly equal payments. If I leave mid-term (not that I want to, but circumstances may dictate), will I just get paid up until my last day, or will the accounted-for-but-not-taken-holidays mean that I get paid a bit extra in my last paypacket?

I'm not sure I have explained that very well! If you know what I mean, are you able to advise me? I might have to leave school at the end of Nov, which seems really bad timing for a financial pov?

Just for info, I won't be in control of when I need to leave, so may not be able to be change it. Thanks in advance of you can help!

Very good question Netball!

Until last year, I would have said that you got paid until the last day of employment. However, we had a member of our support team leave at the beginning of July, giving no notice. We paid her until her last day and she subsequently took action to claim some holiday pay. Our HR provider advised us to pay it, saying that we wouldn't win a legal case.

I'm in a different school now, and our HR provider has just sent us a spreadsheet to calculate holiday pay for support staff that leave. So I guess you may have to contact your provider, but you will have a claim.

Auntipetunia, how did you get on today?

Hi ladies. I didn't get the job, got down to final 3 after a whole day of activities!! But if actually decided I didn't want it. Just didn't get the right feel for it, the office staff were lovely but just didn't get it with the head and there was an internal candidate so I'm imagining she got it. Still very happy 107 applicants and final 3 is good.

Aunt well done - that is impressive!

Good going Aunt. And if it wasn't the right job for you, it would almost be annoying to have to turn it down.

I'm hoping for a flush of admin vacancies, as I'm getting itchy feet. Shall we all agree to move one school to the right?

Thanks hazel and dontgo. It was a full on day but a bit demeaning lots of tasks, writing a letter, correcting grammar and copy typing. I was happy with my presentation but knew before I did it that it wasn't what they wanted. Think I'll give moving a miss for a while unless it's the ideal job. I do love where I am and our head whilst sometimes being a pain is a good guy, he texted me at 8:15 to wish me luck and has dropped me off some wine on his way home to drown my sorrows. I told him I didn't have any but I'd take the wine it's going down very well.

Aunt You have a fab Head, who did not want you to go, but supported you in a career move - that is job heaven. But you have earned it!
Have a lovely evening, enjoy the wine, and please stay with us!

Yeah you're right dontgo he's a good guy which is why people never leave my work. In my 9 years the only people who've left have been maternity/long term cover or they've retired. We've got staff in their 40s who came as students and stayed our Dep head being one. Am totally shattered after today so off to bed ( though that may be caused by the )

I think our school needs to do something to explain/encourage parents who would be entitled to the original free school meals, to still apply, so that we can get the pupil premium money.
Now they are getting the universal free school meal (for infants anyway) our lower income parents don't seem interested in applying, as they are not really seeing the benefit themselves.
What have your school done to encourage parents to apply? We have discussed free trips, some free uniform etc, but would love to know what other schools are doing.
Also have you produced any letters, leaflets etc to encourage parents to apply ?

It must be a geographical thing, because in SW London/Surrey border applications vastly exceed places, and encouragement is the last thing needed!
Where we live, was shocked to see on the LA website admissions maps, that our DC (thankfully now in secondary) would not have been able to get a place anywhere for primary in the borough this year

I think you've got the wrong end of the stick dont I understand icant it's not applying for school places it's applying for their fsm entitlement. We haven't had a problem as we told parents if they still claimed then wed still provide free after school clubs and subsidised trips as we'd always done. Plus it seems for once that L'pool council are on the ball and if people are claiming their other benefits then they are ensuring that they get registered for fsm. We've not had a noticeable drop still 49% overall and 32% in reception Which is our normal.

I don't know how it will work going forward though, as people start well have to ask about benefits and remind them to register the child