New job in primary school office, need advice and tips plz from fellow school office staff!!

[Sunshine982o27]

Morning!!
I've been trying to get a school office job for a couple of years now, only have customer service experience, no school experience.
I have been extremely lucky to finally get one! Its a catholic primary school, one form entry, has 2 office staff and an office manager .
It was advertised as 30 hours a week and the hours the office manager has set me are 9-3.30. The other office staff member works 8 - 4.30. The school day is 8.45 to 3.10

I am so happy to have got this job and I am looking forward to working in a school environment. Even though the pay is very low it comes with a lot of advantages.

I want to make a good impression so looking for a bit of advice. Every job I've had you leave on the dot at the end of your work day. Am I OK to leave at 3.30 each day or will this be looked down on?

I presume there is an expectation for me to be present at parent evenings, summer fairs, Xmas fairs outside of school
hours (which is fine) . I expect I won't be paid for these extra hours?

I've been sent a lot of courses and training I need to do via email. Am I supposed to get these done before I start there ?

I have a 30 min unpaid lunch hour. Will I actually be able to take this or will I be eating at my desk when I get 5 mins?

All this is fine, I just want to know what to expect and make a good impression and I want to hopefully stay there long term

I would have thought you'd be able to leave on time every day - the other staff member will be covering anything that needs attention later than that.
You'd be able to take the full half hour for lunch in the staff room.
When do you start? I would assume you should do the training before you start if there's realistically time to do that.
Not sure about the Christmas fairs etc. I think the PTA often organise those and the office would be closed.

I work in a school office. I finish working at my set time and then get ready to leave, so I would be shutting my computer down at 3.30 not walking out of the door at that point.
If I do extra hours that are agreed I claim overtime.
Breaks or lunch are taken in the staff room or I go out, it's seen as important to get away from your desk where I am.
Ask about the training, I did some before I started and was told to claim overtime for it.
I don't have to go to any school events, unless I want to, in my own time.
I really enjoy it, it's very varied and busy.

They should pay for your time for any training. Or give you time to do it during your first few weeks.

F

I wouldn’t expect anyone to do the training before they start but maybe knocking of a course or two would get you off on a good start. I doubt parents eve is expected, there is unlikely to be one before October, schools must report to parents 3x a year, one written so usually at the end of the summer term. Fairs are PTA, but good to make yourself part of the school community. I wouldn’t cancel things to go but do so occasionally. Lunch in the staff room is a good chance to build relationships, some days it will be a 5 min lunch.

I leave on time nearly every day, occasionally it’s not possible and I may end up 5mins over time or a bit more but I aim to be away on time. Your contract probably includes paid INSET training days. This tends to be while school training mainly for teaching staff but office staff attend some, including safeguarding training. You may be expected to do the odd out of hours thing like a spring fair etc, and most staff would show willing. I take the 30 minutes lunch break, start as you mean to go on. Training will be ongoing, ask what they want you to do before you start. Welcome to the crazy life of a school office, where no two days are the same, and just when you think you’ve heard, or seen it all, you’ll learn that you haven’t!

Our office staff leave on time and are encouraged to take their full lunch break away from their desk.
Mine are wonderful and completely have my back - they screen the shouty parents for me and are amazing at doing my photocopying or printing or organising me, I love them all (I'm the SENCO and I have a lot of parents and paperwork).

Some people say a school receptionist get too many phone calls. Is this true?

What’s too many? Answering queries from parents etc is a key part of the job whether that be by email or phone.

I’m a primary TA. What I love about our wonderful secretary is how bloody efficient she is.
Passing comment that we’re low on whiteboard pens? She orders them immediately. A blocked toilet? She checks it herself and then gets on to sorting it. (I usually try to sort it myself but I can’t if I’m with a group!)
It sounds like not much but our last lady was lovely, but insistent on trying to get the best deals. Which meant you sometimes waited weeks for stuff, or in the hunt for a bargain it would get forgotten about as more urgent things came in.

She is also aware that she is almost always the only adult in the school who doesn’t have a child with her so she pitches in - watches children in the playground for five minutes while you have a wee or call a parent. It’s not her job and we don’t take the piss but it can be a real life saver.
She mostly gets her full lunch time and she usually leaves on time. She doesn’t do parent evenings or plays etc but does come to the school fair .
Good luck.

Don't start off on the back foot. It's a good job and interesting but let's face it you are not paid enough to work over your hours. Do the hours you are set and take your lunch. I don't go to any out of school hour events , it isn't expected. If I come in early for a meeting or training or in the holidays, I take this as time in lieu of. I could get paid for it but prefer a tiny bit of flexibility (because there isn't much)
As PP said you do need to be very immediate with things, people want things with really quick turnaround.