Admissions Support Officer

This role has a starting salary of £27,897 per annum, based on a 36 hour working week.

A vacancy has arisen for a School Admissions Support officer post based within the School Admissions team, based at our office in Woking.

This is a 6-month fixed term contract/secondment opportunity.

Rewards and Benefits

• 26 days' holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years' service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependants leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days plus 1 team volunteering day per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

About the Team

The above post is within the School Admissions team which has responsibility for:

• delivering the mainstream school admissions service for all schools;
• coordinating normal rounds admissions;
• managing the in-year admissions service;
• arranging placement of challenging and vulnerable children under the Fair Access Protocol;
• tracking and monitoring applications up to the date children start school; and
• identifying and referring children who might be missing education.

These are complex areas of work which are heavily regulated. The admissions process has statutory application and offer dates which must be met, creating a highly pressurised environment. Relevant statutory guidance is issued by the Department for Education including the School Admissions Code, the School Admissions Appeals Code; guidance on the admission of summer born children; guidance on applications for overseas children; guidance on Fair Access Protocols; Home to School Travel and Transport Guidance; and Children Missing Education.

About the Role

The main duties of the role involve supporting the School Admissions team in its administrative functions and responding to both written and telephone enquiries from parents and schools by providing accurate information and support in a sensitive and courteous manner.

You will work closely with the School Admissions Officers to ensure that weekly tasks are completed and statutory deadlines are met, whilst communicating on a daily basis with parents, schools, other local authorities and colleagues within Surrey County Council by email, letter and over the telephone.

Shortlisting Criteria

To be shortlisted to interview for this position your application will need to clearly evidence:

• some knowledge or experience of the service area of school admissions
• knowledge of legislation governing admissions
• a proven ability of managing and prioritising workload and of working under pressure to meet a deadline
• experience of handling difficult situations
• effective written and verbal communication skills that have been honed to deal with a diverse range of customers and partners
• robust IT skills, including Word and Excel and database management systems
• familiarity with the principles of safeguarding and data protection.

Does this sound like a career you'd be interested in? If so, we look forward to receiving your application!

The job advert closes at 23:59 on Sunday 14/04/2024 with interviews to follow.

Unfortunately, due to anticipation of a high volume of applications, we will only be able to provide feedback to those who take part in the interview process.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Our Values

Our values are as important as our abilities and shape who we are as an organisation. Discover more about our?values.

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description. Our Life at Surrey handbook also attached provides insights of the culture at Surrey and how as a valued employee, you can help shape our Council.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applications where:

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.