Receptionist and Administrative Assistant

Harris Academy Orpington opened in September 2016, joining the highly successful Federation of Harris academies in London and the senior leaders here are experienced in creating and running great schools and that is what we are doing in BR5.  We are a community school that serves families in and around Orpington and we are well on our way towards providing an outstanding education for the students who come here. We want out students to succeed and have choices in their lives; to take control of their futures and achieve beyond their dreams. We are ambitious, tenacious and enterprising and committed to helping our students succeed. Our work as a Health Science Specialist school, with students being given access to recognised professional qualifications, work experience and careers is unique and is designed to help and support the whole community who are regularly invited into the Academy to hear from guest speakers.  

We have the most incredible facilities; with brand new science labs, 3 Main Halls, Dance Studios, 3 Astro Turfs, Drama Studios, dedicated Art and DT blocks, we are incredibly proud of the work that our students do here. We have developed a curriculum that is ambitious and broad. We believe in the need to nurture an appreciation of human creativity and achievement and have designed a curriculum that does just that.

We aim to ensure that every student is inspired and supported to achieve his/her personal best and learning comes first. Our motto is “Together We Can” and if you are interested in joining us, we would be very keen to meet you.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Presenting the professional and welcoming face of the Academy to all visitors, staff and students, including telephone callers
• Ensuring all visitors are signed in to the academy in accordance with safeguarding procedures
• Responding to queries from parents/carers and the general public with exemplary professionalism, ensuring that any messages or complaints are immediately dealt with, forwarded to the appropriate member of staff or escalated as required
• Ensuring the overall appearance of the reception area is tidy, professional and presentable at all times
• General administrative duties such as typing, photocopying, filing, collation and distribution of post
• Contributing to the maintenance of academy information databases and filing systems relating to pupils, ensuring confidentiality is observed at all times and records are accurate and up to date
• Assisting academy staff in all aspects of academy life, including contacting parents and pupils where necessary
• Providing general support as required, including preparation of documentation, and Administrative duties relating to specific areas such as academy calendar maintenance, extra-curricular activities, school trips, school meal arrangements

We would like to hear from you if you have:

• Qualifications to GCSE level or equivalent
• Competency in the use of Microsoft Office packages
• Proficiency in the use of computers and databases
• Previous experience in an administrative or front office/reception role
• Demonstrable customer service experience
• Good level of interpersonal and communication skills, with a good standard of written and spoken English
• Excellent organisational and time management skills
• Commitment to delivering excellent level of professional customer service
• Ability to remain calm and deal with challenging callers or visitors in an appropriate manner
• High level of attention to detail and accuracy of work

For a full job description and person specification, please download the Job Pack.

Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level.

In addition to the opportunities for career development and progression, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions, a Wellbeing Cash Plan, electric car scheme, 26 days' annual leave (plus bank holidays) for staff who work across the full year, and many other benefits. Learn more about our benefits on our website.