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.

It's s council run nursery and it's called administrator but as it's only 96 pupils it's the Bursar, secretary , receptionist all role into one. I've never wanted to be sbm don't want to just sit in an office and not interact with the kids and family so this is a perfect next step up. I'm chuffed to get an interview but was hopeful as the job description is basically what I do now with payroll and hr added. V excited.

It sounds lovely. They would have had a huge response to the advert, but your experience will put you ahead of the game. Good luck.

Petunia have you had your interview yet? How did you get on?

Currently finding my office is carnage. I haven't even got time to write a to-do list. Not really sure which way to turn.

Same where I am Hazelnut I've got a part-time admin who's got 2 speeds slow and slower, she complains she's overloaded, can't cope with interruptions and sticks stuff in her drawer which the Head finds weeks later and gives to me. The data forms for the new admissions have been on her desk since before 1/2 term and she's done 7 out of 75. I could blitz them if I found somewhere quiet to work but its part of her job so I'm standing my ground but I ended up doing them in the summer joys of being all year round because by the end of term she'd done about a quarter. When the head tells me I need to delegate work to her she goes running to her moaning she's so busy and muggins ends up taking it back Part of me's had enough but the 10 minute commute and free parking puts me off applying whenever anything else comes up in town.

Any news Petunia?

Didn't get it,between me and another girl but young head wanted someone whose been doing all the end of year finance before. I only do bits .

It's caos in work but I've got the ks1 and ks 2 results on to sims. Just phonics and eyfs to do. And for the first time ever i've got class lists already. skinny where are you based?

That's a shame Petunia, but hopefully something else will come up. I tend to think it's good to go for the odd interview as it's practise and it's good for your slt to see you looking elsewhere.

Skinny I'm so with you. Why do people have no idea about priorities? It drives me insane. We have an intake meeting coming up and the packs aren't ready, but the person responsible has been merrily counting supermarket vouchers all day!

I can't wait for the intake meeting to be over as I tend to do 'front of house' and give a talk, then we're interviewing. Next week is going to be carnage.

Skinny you have class lists? Are you a real school or did you make that up?

I've just spent that last 3 hours doing twon other applications but I've just realised that the lower grade job interviews before the higher grade job finishes. I've not been able to go to the lower grade (1 up from mine now) due to timings but I am gonna go to the higher grade one so if I really like it at least I'll know. I've got class lists very smug here with that bit.

Ha Hazel I wish I had class lists, we've got so many staff leaving or pregnant we don't even know who'll be teaching which year group.

Aunt I'm in the NW. I registered at a couple of agencies in half term but one of them said I've not got 'current, relevant experience' to go back to being a PA in the private sector and I'm now being bombarded with emails about jobs paying £7k less.

skinny how can you have no current experience, agencies are rubbish for school admin jobs. I agree I registeerd and keep getting jobs at £10K. I'm still looking g there are a few in my area so hopefully dame application as last week will get me an interview, but one insisted on postal application only! Not sure about there

Petunia can I ask you a question?

I've put on most of my key stage results (assessment manager) but the eyfs template isn't there. I've imported it from Ampark but it's just not showing in Sims.

Have you done yours yet (assuming you're on Sims)? Did you have a problems with EYFS data?

Tia

Am on sims and uploaded all my wizards a few weeks ago. If it's on ampa do you need to run an upgrade that's often why they don't show up. But tools performance assessment and wizard manager shows me all of mine.

I've done ks1 and sent off, eyfs is done but being 17 columns and 60 kids full of 1s and 2s has sent my eyes gozzy so it's being checked by the eyfs team.

Thanks Petunia. I managed to import them all, and it's saying that EYFS has been imported, but they're not showing. Hope I don't have to ring the help desk of doom!

New intake meetings were yesterday (two schools). It was ugly. Very ugly.

Are you showing all wizards or just completed ones? Can't think of any other reason why it's not showing up, can you upload again. I hate phoning help desk good luck.

Our helpdesk staff are fantastic even though they're struggling because one's on mat leave and the fms guru retired and the post hasn't been filled but you've reminded me I've not done anything about entering marks eeeek might've made a start if I had time to write a to do list

Oh skinny your pushing it. Eyfs and ks1 need to be in by tomorrow! ! And ks 2 and phonics by next week....offers virtual sims support and prayers for organised teachers.

Meant to say we get comprehensive idiot guides for everything so pm me if anyone wants anything

Problem solved (phew). The helpdesk of doom came on and did something that I didn't understand and all is now well. Have to still enter them of course but what can go wrong .

Its ok we're only KS2, I've exported the marksheet to to IT savvy DHT who knew we were close to the deadline but she's been mithered away with the Y6 residential so we'll sort it out on Monday.

hazel I recommend lots of coffee and bloody good specs, and a bit of peace and quiet as that sheet of 1s and 2s will be a nightmare. Mines been triple checked as I kept getting interuppted and wasn't confident they were right. But it's been exported to the la now and thanks to the new perspective website I can see its been picked up. 2 down 2 to go, though I've input all the phonics we've done just got a few off sick so they can go next week.

I'm really chuffed it's all going so smoothly especially as I've been on my own all week as colleague had v low BP from a virus. And I even got the blinking Sainsburys vouchers sorted and order placed. I'm on a roll, pity it's not appreciated

Those of you having to enter marks, don't you export the marksheets put on an usb pen and get the teachers to enter marks directly onto spreadsheets? You can then download them directly into SIMs.

Hahaha oh fairy you've made me laugh.

Data is 'in theory' done by the key stage leaders and has nothing to do with admin. But each lead has their own practice and won't change.

Generally they put it into target tracker and I export it from TT to Sims. But it very much depends on what else is going on what day of the week it is, what mood they are in and how helpless they are feeling

Hooray last full week but I've still got loads to do, the 2 important ones are:

• create the next academic year in SIMS - we've got so many leavers that SLT don't know how many classes we're having and who's going to teach them.

• raise the summer orders - the teachers have been 'too busy' to do them and the deadline's passed for the discount I'd haggled which means I'll have to grovel to the creepy rep for an extension.

What haven't you been able to do?

I'll need lots of to get me through this week - I've already had 3 bottles from parents whose kids have finished early to get a cheap go on holiday and from the secondary school's data bod because I uploaded the CTFs the day the KS2 results came in and she's been able to do whatever they do with them.

skinny have you put in the sats results instead of the teacher assessments. I haven't even seen th actual results! I sent my canton high schools after I'd put in the Teacher Assessment, no chance of a bottle of wine from them or any of our parents, the only people who go home on the last day with no gifts is the office staff.

I've promoted my classes, in out new staff and taken off leavers..
I've still got to get the uniform orders out, order staff inform for September, polo's, fleeces, trackies and coats. Send year 6 leaver info to school nurse admin, send all paper files to high schools, plus any other leavers make paper files for new kids and chase if no info received!

That's enough for tomorrow!

AP the results are on K2S ready to be imported. I'm determined not to come in the day after we break up but I can see myself working until the caretaker kicks me out on the last day!