Headteacher's PA

The Heathland School; Greater London; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

The Heathland School in London is seeking an experienced School Administrator to provide high‑quality administrative and organisational support to the Headteacher and leadership team.

Responsibilities include coordinating recruitment processes, supporting the Governing Body and Governors, managing diaries, meetings, and communications, and ensuring GDPR compliant record keeping and DBS administration.

Responsibilities

• 1. Provide administrative and secretarial support for the Headteacher and other Senior Leaders, handling communications and documents; organise meetings; act as contact for inquiries; maintain confidentiality.
• 2. Deliver high-level admin support to the Heathland Leadership Team and Extended Heathland Leadership Team; prepare agendas and minutes.
• 3. Manage the Headteacher’s diary and commitments; verify appointments; prepare relevant paperwork; alert on upcoming issues.
• 4. Organise meetings and appointments: book venues, prepare agendas and papers, order refreshments, take minutes (including confidential staff meetings).
• 5. Handle parent and external stakeholder queries with discretion; screen calls and requests; delegate as needed.
• 6. Act as point of contact for complaints with Headteacher; ensure timely responses.
• 7. Maintain confidential records in line with GDPR and ensure checks are up to date.
• 8. Keep job specifications for teaching and support staff up to date with senior leaders.
• 9. Oversee Internal Promotions process; coordinate interviews; inform Finance Office/LA of pay amendments.
• 10. Manage the Single Central Register; ensure staff return required documentation.
• 11. Ensure all staff complete a new DBS every 5 years.
• 12. Administer suspensions and permanent exclusions; liaise with Deputy Headteacher and LA; maintain external suspensions spreadsheet.
• 13. Compile weekly Update after Staff Briefing for staff information.
• 14. Produce and review the School Development Plan on behalf of the Headteacher.
• 15. Plan and manage admin for major events (Prizegivings, Year 7 meetings, Prospective Parents evenings).
• 16. Update staff details in SIMS.net; resolve queries and share information with staff/external agencies.
• 17. Manage information for ECTs to the DfE and Teach West London.
• 18. Serve as confidential initial contact for the Chair of Governors.
• 19. Act as intermediary between parents/staff and Chair of Governors.
• 20. Prepare papers for annual Governing Body meetings using Governorhub.
• 21. Prepare correspondence on behalf of the Local Governing Body.
• 22. Assist with ballots for new teaching and parent governors.
• 23. Arrange hospitality for Governors’ meetings.
• 24. Issue governor IDs and set up Governorhub access for new members.
• 25. Complete safer recruitment training.
• 26. Utilise TES and other recruitment avenues; review options.
• 27. Advertise vacancies; manage recruitment packs; post vacancies on school site; record applications; shortlist.
• 28. Manage interviews; organise programme, lesson observations, tours.
• 29. Support staff matters; conduct pre-employment checks and gather required documents.
• 30. Handle reference requests and follow up.
• 31. Administer work status, immigration and sponsorship information.
• 32. Support staff with Enhanced DBS disclosures; processing forms as required.
• 33. Manage health check questionnaires and OH referrals as needed.
• 34. Ensure safeguarding procedures, DBS checks, and Single Central Register updates.
• 35. Update Payroll provider/LA with contracts, new starters and leavers; file changes.
• 36. Manage daily cover for absent teachers; analyse staff absences; inform users of absences.
• 37. Handle cover requests and arrange emergency cover during the day.
• 38. Ensure fair and transparent distribution of cover.
• 39. Manage supply agencies and ensure safeguarding information for supply staff.

Job description

JOB PURPOSE

To provide high-quality administrative and organisational support to the Headteacher and wider leadership team.

To oversee recruitment, including preparation of recruitment packs, adverts, interview scheduling, candidate liaison and communication with the London Borough of Hounslow.

To work with the School's Governors and Leadership Team to provide administrative support to the Governing Body of the School

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• 1. To provide administrative and secretarial support for the Headteacher and other Senior Leaders including decision making and delegation when appropriate, handling communications and preparing documents. Key duties include organising meetings and acting as a point of contact for internal and external enquiries, while maintaining confidentiality.
• 2. To ensure that high level of administration is provided to the Heathland Leadership Team and Extended Heathland Leadership Team (EHLT) meetings: gathering and preparation of Agenda and Minutes.
• 3. To ensure that the Headteacher’s diary and commitments are updated on a daily basis, checking details of appointments, reminding of commitments, researching and collating relevant paperwork prior to meetings. Alert the Headteacher well in advance of approaching issues and/or events.
• 4. To organise meetings and appointments including booking venues, preparing agendas and papers, ordering refreshments, taking minutes, including confidential staff meetings, disciplinary meetings, flexible working meetings and absence review meetings.
• 5. To deal with parent and other external stakeholder queries, especially in the absence of the Headteacher, and decide how to screen telephone calls, enquiries and requests and handle them or delegate to others as appropriate, using discretion in providing information both within and outside the school.
• 6. To act, in association with the Headteacher, as the point of contact in relation to any complaints received, referring matters to appropriate members of staff when required, and ensuring that complaints are responded to within the set timescales.
• 7. To maintain all confidential and personal records in line with GDPR such that appropriate information is on file and that all relevant checks have been carried out to a high standard.
• 8. To maintain up to date job specifications for all teaching and support staff in liaison with senior leaders, ensuring confidentiality.
• 9. To manage of the Internal Promotions process, producing the relevant documents and coordinating the programme of interviews. Ensure that appropriate amendments are on file following internal promotions and that the Finance Office and LA are informed of any pay amendments.
• 10. To manage the Single Central Record ensuring that it is accurate and up to date. To ensure all staff return appropriate documentation (follow up action by Designated Safeguarding Lead or Headteacher).
• 11. To ensure that all staff complete a new DBS every 5 years.
• 12. To manage the administration for suspensions and permanent exclusions in liaison with the Deputy Headteacher (Pupil Support) and Headteacher, including communication with LA Officers and preparation of all relevant documents. To manage the spreadsheet recording all external suspensions.
• 13. To collate and produce the weekly Update following Staff Briefing, which includes important and key information for all staff.
• 14. To manage on behalf of the Headteacher the production and review of the School Development Plan.
• 15. To plan and manage the administration for major school events: Senior and Junior Prizegiving Events, New Year 7 meetings with primary schools and Prospective Parents evenings. This includes liaison with SBM, Heads of Year and senior staff to deliver successful events
• 16. To update, via SIMS.net software, staff contact details, in order to resolve queries and provide information to appropriate staff members or external agencies.
• 17. To manage all necessary information regarding ECTs to the DfE and Teach West London.

Correspondent to the Governing Body

• 18. To be the initial, confidential point of contact for the Chair of Governors.
• 19. To be the intermediary between parents/school staff and Chair of Governors.
• 20. To be responsible to the Chair of Governors for issuing papers for the annual cycle of meetings using Governorhub.
• 21. To prepare correspondence on behalf of the Local Governing Body.
• 22. To assist with ballots for new teaching and parent governors.
• 23. To arrange hospitality/refreshments for Governors’ meetings.
• 24. To issue governors with ID cards and set up access to new members to the Governorhub website

Recruitment and Personnel

• 25. To complete safer recruitment training.
• 26. To ensure that we get full use of the TES subscription and reviewing and evaluating other avenues for recruitment e.g. LinkedIn.
• 27. To manage the advertisements for any vacancies, the formulation, maintenance and forwarding of recruitment packs and ensuring that all vacancies are posted on the School website. Maintain records of applications and prepare for shortlisting.
• 28. To manage the interview process - preparing the programme in consultation with the Headteacher, providing lesson observation details, tasks and arranging tour guides and visits to the school.
• 29. To support general personnel matters in consultation with the Headteacher e.g. ensuring required pre-employment checks are carried out for new employees, details including identification, employment history, qualifications and overseas records.
• 30. To manage reference requests and follow up as necessary.
• 31. To manage the administration of all aspects relating to work status and registration, immigration and sponsorship.
• 32. To assist in providing staff with information for applying for Enhanced DBS disclosures and processing application forms as required.
• 33. To manage providing staff with information regarding health check questionnaires and processing forms as required including OH referrals when appropriate.
• 34. To ensure all safeguarding procedures are in place and adhered to, particularly in relation to applying for DBS checks, updating the Single Central Register and any other recruitment requirements.
• 35. To update the Payroll provider/LA with any contract revisions, new starters and leavers. Forwarding contract letters and updating school records with any changes.

Management of Whole-School Cover

• 36. To manage daily cover for absent teachers and inform HoD, HoY, Leadership and Finance Manager of all absences. Produce a half termly analysis of staff absences for HLT.
• 37. To manage requests for cover and respond to requests for emergency cover during the school day.
• 38. To ensure that cover is distributed fairly and with transparency.
• 39. Management of supply agencies for daily supply and decision making on supply staff when required. To book supply and to ensure that all Safeguarding information is in place for supply staff.

Other duties

• 40. To follow all safeguarding procedures and complete training as required.

This Job Specification may be re-negotiated if the needs of the school change in the future

We reserve the right tointerview as suitable applications are received. Please note references will be taken up in advance.

Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service. The Heathland School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff, governors and volunteers to share this commitment. This appointment is subject to an Enhanced DBS check.

In line with KCSIE 2025 and safer recruitment practices, we will conduct an online search for all shortlisted candidates. The online search is part of safeguarding checks and will seek publicly available information on candidates' suitability to work with children. Shortlisted candidates will be provided with further guidance and asked to clarify their online presence.