Desperate for help with interview question!

[dhbadmoodnc]

I was just wondering if someone would be able to help me? I am applying for a job as an admin role in a school, and I have no idea how to answer the below question:

Be able to work well as part of a team, understanding school roles and responsibilities and your own position within these.

How would I answer that? Any help would be massively appreciated.

I've nevwr worked in a school, but I'd tackle it from this angle:

Who would you be working for? What are their responsibilities and how would you help them fulfil those responsibilities?

e.g this person does x, y, z meetings - I'd have relevant reports ready for them the night before or x hours before so that they can prepare etc.

Thank you @cam2020, there is actually a list of responsibilities as part of the job description, there are 8 in total, should I go through the list and address them and give examples of similar, do you think?

I think this is asking if you're aware of the limitations of your role ie; you recognise when you need to seek advice/go higher. For example, as school admin, if a child disclosed abuse you would not deal with that yourself, you'd pass it on to your manager/senior team/safeguarding team.

I would agree with a PP. It's about dealing with parents who say they want to speak to X person and knowing what order they hierarchy goes to deal with their query e.g. class teacher/phase leader/ deputy head.

Also about redirecting people when safeguarding calls are made and understanding when to and when to not give out information/when to pass on.

Good luck! The office staff in any school keep it running well - it's a tough gig and a crucial role.

Schools work to a very specific set of deadlines. Absence recording, classroom registers, lunch registers etc all need doing by specific times each day. So if you have examples of managing competing deadlines/supporting a colleague with protected work time that would be good. In one school I worked in, we had a finance officer who would at 9.15 every day say "what classes haven't sent over their registers?" And she'd go and get them for me so I could get the attendance done by 9.30 and the lunches by 10

Thank you for your replies!

@JohnLapsleyParlabane thank you, that was really helpful. Do you have any tips for applying in general? Or can I also ask, did you visit or speak to the school prior to applying there? I know for work in schools the adverts often offer to go for a look around the school but it's so hard for me to have time away from my current job, would that affect me negatively do you think?