Office Manager

Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

St Mary’s Catholic School is seeking an outstanding Office Manager to lead the admin team and ensure smooth running of the Main Office and school administration. You will work closely with the senior leadership team to drive high standards across all admin activities and will lead Senior Admin and Admin staff.

The role involves coordinating communications with parents via Arbor, overseeing recruitment, and ensuring quality administrative processes throughout the school year.

Qualifications

• Significant and current administrative experience.
• Ability to lead the school admin team and coordinate admin support.
• Strong communication with parents via multiple channels.
• Experience with recruitment and staff management is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead the school admin team and ensure smooth running of the office.
• Delegate tasks to admin staff and ensure high-quality output.
• Foster excellent communication with parents via Arbor, phone, email, and in person.
• Lead admin reviews, including regular meetings with the admin team.
• Support production of school newsletters, prospectus, and staff handbook.
• Oversee whole-school admin priorities at key calendar points (e.g., Parents’ Evenings).
• Coordinate admin support for transition events and visits.
• Greet visitors and manage hospitality.
• Administer examination results and staff cover for absences.
• Support recruitment processes and bookings for trips and visits.
• Assist SLT with daily staff cover management.
• Manage free school meals and alternative provision.
• Maintain excellent relationships with staff, parents, governors and external agencies.
• Contribute to regular duties of Senior Admin/Admin Assistant roles.
• Fully support the school’s Catholic/Christian ethos.
• Carry out any other duties as directed by Senior Leaders.

Skills

Leadership

Admin leadership

Communication

Arbor

Tools

Arbor MIS

Job description

St Mary's Catholic School
Benton Park Road
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
Tyne and Wear
NE7 7PE
Required from 2nd November 2026

The Governors wish to an outstanding Office Manager to lead the school admin team and ensure the smooth running of the Main Office and other admin support in school. This is an excellent opportunity to gain an enhanced leadership post within the school’s support staff structure. The successful candidate will work closely with the senior leadership team to ensure that all aspects of administration at St Mary’s are outstanding. The successful candidate will lead a team of Senior Admin Assistants and Admin Assistants in school.

Specific areas of work will be agreed with the successful applicant following appointment but the duties and responsibilities of the Office Manager will include:

• Leading the school admin team and ensuring the smooth running of the office and effective administrative support across the school.
• Delegating appropriate work to members of the administration team and ensuring that work is completed efficiently and to a high standard.
• Leading the school admin team to ensure high quality communication with parents via our MIS system Arbor, telephone, email and in person.
• Leading support staff review, including leading review meetings, with the administration team.
• Ensuring that all school documentation is maintained and updated, including support in the production of the school newsletters, prospectus, staff handbook etc.
• Leading the completion of whole school administrative priorities at key points in the school calendar. For example, Parents’ Evenings.
• Leading admin support for school transition process and events.
• Welcoming, looking after and providing hospitality for all school visitors throughout the year.
• Organising the administration of examination results.
• Organising the work time of administrative staff, including on-call days.
• Providing administrative support for all school recruitment.
• Providing administrative support and bookings for trips, visits and residential visits.
• Provide support to the SLT in the management of daily staff cover for planned and unplanned absences.
• Management of free school meals and organising alternative provision where required.
• Ensuring excellent relationships with staff, parents, governors, contractors’ representatives and external agencies in order to promote the objectives of the school.
• Leading and/or contributing to all of the regular duties of Senior Admin/Admin Assistant roles.
• Fully supporting the school’s Catholic/Christian ethos.
• Carrying out any other duties as directed by Senior Leaders commensurate with the general level of responsibility of the post.

Application process

Applicants must have significant and current administrative experience and expertise to apply for this role.