Office Manager - Secondary School - Watford

Marchant Recruitment; Waterford; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Marchant Recruitment is seeking an experienced Office Manager to lead the day-to-day administration of a busy Secondary School in Watford. You will oversee the school office, support staff, and maintain efficient systems for staff, students, parents and visitors.

The role requires excellent communication, strong IT skills, and the ability to manage competing priorities while handling confidential information with discretion.

Qualifications

• Previous administration experience is essential.
• Experience in a school or education setting is desirable.
• Experience supervising or coordinating administrative work would be advantageous.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong IT skills, particularly Microsoft Office.
• Experience using databases and administrative systems.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills.
• Professional and approachable manner.
• Ability to handle confidential information appropriately.
• Commitment to safeguarding and student welfare.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a wider team.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the day-to-day operation of the school office.
• Manage and prioritise administrative workloads.
• Act as a professional first point of contact.
• Deal with telephone calls, emails and enquiries.
• Communicate with parents and carers.
• Welcome visitors and support visitor procedures.
• Manage electronic and paper filing systems.
• Update databases and school information systems.
• Prepare correspondence and documentation.
• Support senior leaders with administrative tasks.
• Assist with meetings and appointments.
• Support attendance and admissions processes where required.
• Assist with student record management.
• Liaise with external agencies and service providers.
• Maintain confidentiality at all times.
• Support and guide other administrative staff where appropriate.
• Identify improvements to office systems and procedures.
• Ensure school policies and procedures are followed.

Skills

Administration

School experience

Supervision

Communication

IT skills

Office databases

Attention to detail

Organisation

Time management

Problem solving

Safeguarding

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Office Manager - Secondary School - Watford

Start Date: As soon as possible
Contract: Full-time, Permanent
Salary: Paid to scale

Are you an experienced administrator who is ready to take the next step into a position with greater responsibility? A busy and well-established Secondary School in Watford is looking for a capable Office Manager who can lead the day-to-day administration of the school office and provide an efficient service to staff, students, parents and visitors.

Watford

As soon as possible start

• Managing the day-to-day operation of the school office.
• Supporting administrative staff.
• Maintaining effective systems and records.
• Liaising with staff, parents and external contacts.
• Paid to scale.

The Office Manager will be responsible for ensuring that the school office operates efficiently and professionally each day. You will manage a varied workload, oversee administrative processes and provide practical support to staff across the school.

You will act as an important point of contact for parents and visitors, dealing with enquiries professionally and ensuring that information reaches the correct member of staff. You will also handle correspondence, telephone calls and emails and ensure that administrative tasks are completed accurately.

A key part of the role will be maintaining effective systems. You will oversee records, databases, filing and documentation and ensure that information is kept accurate and up to date.

Depending on the school's needs, you may also support areas such as attendance, admissions, finance administration, student records and staff administration. The successful candidate will therefore need to be adaptable and comfortable working across different areas of school administration.

This Secondary School in Watford is committed to providing students with a high-quality education within a supportive and inclusive environment.

The school serves a diverse community and places strong emphasis on academic achievement, personal development and student wellbeing. Staff are expected to work collaboratively and contribute to creating a positive school culture.

The administrative team plays a vital role in allowing the wider school to operate effectively. The Office Manager will work closely with senior leaders, teachers, pastoral staff, support staff, parents and external organisations.

The school values staff who are organised, approachable and able to solve problems independently. You will be trusted to manage your responsibilities while knowing when an issue needs to be escalated to senior colleagues.

This is a varied role that would suit an administrator who enjoys working in a fast-paced environment and wants to make a tangible contribution to the smooth running of a school.

• Oversee the daily operation of the school office.
• Manage and prioritise administrative workloads.
• Act as a professional first point of contact.
• Deal with telephone calls, emails and enquiries.
• Communicate with parents and carers.
• Welcome visitors and support visitor procedures.
• Manage electronic and paper filing systems.
• Update databases and school information systems.
• Prepare correspondence and documentation.
• Support senior leaders with administrative tasks.
• Assist with meetings and appointments.
• Support attendance and admissions processes where required.
• Assist with student record management.
• Liaise with external agencies and service providers.
• Maintain confidentiality at all times.
• Support and guide other administrative staff where appropriate.
• Identify improvements to office systems and procedures.
• Ensure school policies and procedures are followed.

Office Manager – Experience and Requirements

• Previous experience in administration is essential.
• Experience within a school or education setting is desirable.
• Previous experience supervising or coordinating administrative work would be advantageous.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong IT skills, particularly Microsoft Office.
• Experience using databases and administrative systems.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills.
• Ability to manage competing priorities.
• Professional and approachable manner.
• Ability to handle confidential information appropriately.
• Good problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a wider team.
• Commitment to safeguarding and student welfare.
• The successful candidate will need to be confident taking responsibility and making sensible decisions while maintaining a professional and supportive approach.

Safeguarding

The school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All successful applicants will be required to complete the appropriate DBS, safeguarding and pre-employment checks.

Office Manager - Secondary School - Watford • Watford, England, United Kingdom