Administrative Assistant

Shorefields; Basildon; Hybrid; GBP 22,000 - 23,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Benenden Healthcare cover

Cycle to Work Scheme

Staff training opportunities

Job summary

James Hornsby School in Basildon is seeking an organised Administrative Assistant to join the admin team. The role provides essential support to the SENCO and Senior Leadership Team, handling correspondence, meetings, pupil records, and communications with staff, parents, and external agencies.

The successful candidate will have excellent organisational and communication skills, discretion with confidential information, and experience in a busy admin setting; school/SEN experience is

Qualifications

• Experience in busy administrative environments.
• Experience in a school or SEND setting is advantageous.
• Excellent organisational and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage correspondence and communications for the SENCO and SLT.
• Coordinate and book meetings and maintain records.
• Maintain accurate pupil records and liaise with staff, parents, carers and external agencies.

Skills

Administration

Organisational skills

Communication

Discretion

Job description

Job Ref No. ECC4007-482S Position Type: Administration Pay Range: Scale 2/3, point 4-7

Position Start Date: 05/01/2027 Contract Type: Part-time Contract Term: Permanent

Application Close: 22/11/2026 Midnight Date of Interviews: To be confirmed

37 Hours per week, Monday to Thursday 8.00am - 4.00pm, Fridays 8.00am to 3.30pm. Term Time Only

Scale 2/3 point 4-7 (Actual Salary £22,385 to £23,436 including outer fringe allowance)

Required January 2027

Do you wish to be part of a popular, oversubscribed school, where "Staff speak positively about professional development and feel well supported to refine their teaching practice" Ofsted 2026?

At JHS, we believe that "together we excel" students and staff alike and we are proud to be a highly inclusive school community.

We are looking for an organised, enthusiastic and reliable Administrative Assistant to join our friendly and dedicated admin team. This is an important role within our school, adding capacity to essential administrative support to our SENCO (Assistant Headteacher) and the wider Senior Leadership Team. You will undertake a varied range of duties including managing correspondence, coordinating meetings, maintaining accurate pupil records and liaising with staff, parents, carers and external agencies.

The successful candidate will have excellent organisational and communication skills, a good eye for detail and the ability to manage a varied workload whilst handling sensitive and confidential information with discretion. You will need to be approachable, professional and confident communicating sensitively with a range of people. Experience of working in a busy administrative environment is essential, with experience in a school or SEND setting being advantageous.

The post is advertised at 37 hours per week; however, we are also happy to consider applications from candidates seeking part-time hours.

This is an exciting time to be joining the school, as we grow in popularity both locally and beyond. We are proud to be part of the Zenith Multi Academy Trust, comprising five local schools with significant professional development support and networking.

By joining us, you will benefit from high-quality professional development opportunities and expert support from a strong leadership network across our family of schools, alongside guidance from our highly experienced Senior Leadership Team.

If you would like to be part of our journey, and make a genuine difference to students' life chances, we would be delighted to hear from you.

We can offer you:

• A friendly and welcoming place of work, which invests heavily in staff training
• Benenden Healthcare cover
• Cycle to Work Scheme,

For more information or to arrange a school visit/tour contact Leeann Howsego, HR Manager

Information about the School

James Hornsby School is an oversubscribed school in Laindon, offering a calm and inclusive environment where every student is supported to succeed. At the heart of our school is our belief that “Together we excel”, and this applies equally to our students and staff. We are proud of the strong sense of community and family ethos we have created, where everyone is encouraged to contribute, develop and achieve their potential.

We are part of Zenith Multi Academy Trust, whose core aim is “to ensure that we enhance the life chances of all young people within the Trust to enable them to fulfil their potential and achieve the best possible outcomes.” This shared ambition underpins everything we do and our commitment to providing the very best opportunities for our students.

We are extremely proud of the positive relationships and supportive culture within our school. We place students at the centre of all we do, with a strong focus on developing personal character, resilience and independence, while removing barriers to success. We have highly effective safeguarding structures in place and work closely with parents and carers to support high levels of attendance, wellbeing and achievement.

Our staff play a vital role in creating an environment where all students can make great progress. This is underpinned by a well-structured, rigorous and aspirational curriculum, supported by quality first teaching. We are committed to working collaboratively, supporting professional development and ensuring that our staff feel valued as an important part of the James Hornsby family.

We are very pleased that Ofsted recognised the progress we have made since our last inspection, reflecting the dedication of our students, staff and wider community. Achieving a ‘Strong’ judgement in Personal Development is something we are particularly proud of, alongside teaching, behaviour and inclusion being judged as meeting the new higher standard of ‘Expected’. We recognise there is still more work to do, particularly in achievement, but the report provides us with a clear and positive foundation from which to continue building our progress together.

Our ultimate purpose is to ignite hope, drive ambition and advance the life chances of everyone who is part of our family. We want our students to gain the qualifications that open the door to opportunity, alongside the character and confidence to make the most of it. At James Hornsby School, we believe that creating the life we want to enjoy starts with being positive role models, embodying our school values and working together to make a difference.

All appointments are subject to safer recruitment requirements to ensure the safeguarding of children and young people. All positions will involve appropriate checks and clearances.