Head of Admissions

MyNewTerm; York (York County); Hybrid; USD 86,000 - 113,000; Full time

Job summary

St Peter's School in York is seeking a Head of Admissions to lead the admissions function across day and boarding cohorts. The role will work closely with the Head Master, senior colleagues and the COO to craft and deliver an ambitious intake strategy and to oversee smooth assessment days and visits.

You will manage a team, ensure data integrity in the MIS, and maintain excellent relationships with feeder schools, agents, and prospective families while upholding safeguarding and GDPR compliance.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Create an admissions strategy differentiating the school from competitors and implement with senior staff.
• Team Leadership: Lead and develop an admissions team, increase quality, service and productivity, manage performance.
• Pupil Recruitment: In partnership with Marketing, optimise communications with prospective parents and pupils, coordinate visits, tests and interviews.
• Relationship Management and Customer Service: Act as the main contact for prospective parents and pupils; nurture referrals.
• Data Management and Analysis: Ensure accurate data capture in the MIS; generate regular recruitment reports and insights.
• Feeder Schools and Outreach: Maintain strong links with feeder schools, agents, and outreach programmes; evaluate relationships.
• Alumni: Build relations with Old Peterites to aid recruitment and retention.
• Financial Management: Manage the admissions budget in collaboration with Finance; monitor cost-effectiveness.
• Compliance: Ensure GDPR, safeguarding policies, ISI regulations and UKVI compliance for international pupils.

Job description

About the Role

St Peter's School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment by always complying with the school's Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy and Procedures. The successful applicant will be required to undergo statutory pre-employment checks, including a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Job Title: Head of Admissions

Reports to: The Head Master

Hours of work: 37.5 hours/week (52 weeks). There is some flexibility in hours but they are generally expected to be Monday to Friday 09:00 17:00, but some weekend and evening work will be required.

Accountabilities

1. 1. Strategic Leadership: Create an admissions strategy which effectively differentiates St Peter's from its competitors
   Implement the strategy in consultation with the Head Master, Head of the Senior School, Head of the Junior School and Chief Operating Officer
   Develop and communicate an action plan to support the strategy
2. 2. Team Leadership: Lead and motivate a team of admissions professionals ensuring high standards of professionalism and customer service
   Employ efficient working practices to increase quality, service and productivity
   Develop initiative and technical skills in the admissions team
   Assess resources and ensure effective departmental planning
   Manage performance
3. 3. Pupil Recruitment: In partnership with the Marketing Department, ensure the School recruits its optimum number of pupils (both day and boarding) and increases the number, calibre and diversity of candidates applying to the School
   Ensure communication with prospective parents and pupils is optimised and aligned with brand guidelines
   Ensure prospective parents visits, visiting days, test and interview days and taster days run smoothly and are managed effectively and efficiently
   Manage applications, entrance assessments and interviews efficiently and fairly
   Work with the Head of the Junior School and Head of the Senior School on the decision making process and nurture families through to acceptance of places and induction processes leading up to their first full day at St Peter's
4. 4. Relationship Management and Customer Service: Act as the main point of contact for prospective parents and pupils
   Engage with current parents to support word-of-mouth referrals and retention
   Maintain excellent relationships with all colleagues, particularly those closest to the admissions process
5. 5. Data Management and Analysis: Ensure the Admissions team accurately collect and input all admissions data in the School's MIS systems
   Follow process and procedural guidelines to ensure data is captured throughout all points of the admission process
   Provide regular reports and analysis on pupil recruitment
   Use data to inform the admission strategy and market development
   Monitor conversion rates from enquiry to acceptance, identifying areas for improvement
6. 6. Feeder Schools and Outreach: Maintain excellent relationships with feeder schools, their leaders and influencers
   Ensure the feeder school outreach programme is varied, innovative and effective
   Support colleagues in the delivery of departmental events
   Ensure the School is represented well at 'future schools' exhibitions
   Maintain and develop excellent relationships with Agents and Educational Consultants supplying boarding pupils, ensuring they are provided with the information and resources they need to represent the School
   Review and evaluate the effectiveness of each relationship
   Evaluate the effectiveness of the outreach programme
7. 7. Alumni: Work with the Alumni Department Develop and maintain strong relationships with Old Peterites to drive recruitment and retention of pupils
8. 8. Financial Management: Manage the admissions budget effectively, ensuring all admissions initiatives are cost-effective and within budget parameters
   Work effectively with the Director of Finance Director regarding applications for fee-assistance
9. 9. Compliance: Ensure compliance with ISI Regulations relevant to Admissions
   Ensure compliance with GDPR and safeguarding policies in the handling of pupil data
   Ensure compliance with UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) regulations for international pupils and be responsible for the visa applications process

General

Health & Safety - You have a legal duty to take reasonable care of your own health and safety and that of others and you are expected to be familiar with, and adhere to, St Peter's School's Health and Safety policy.

School values - You have a duty to ensure your work, communication and approach conforms to the school’s core values and mission. You will need to be aware and comply with school rules, policies and procedures at all times including, but not limited to, those relating to safeguarding, conduct, equality and data protection.

St Peter's School strives to be diverse and inclusive. We encourage applications from people who identify as Black, Asian or from a Minority Ethnic background, who are underrepresented at the school. The school is committed to providing equal opportunity to all employees and pupils. This means that employees are treated fairly, irrespective of sexual orientation, ethnic origin, religion, disability, age, gender, marital status or other reason. The post holder is expected to always comply with the provisions set out in law and the St Peter's policies on equality and diversity.

The school is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive community - a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed on merit.

Note: This job description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of duties and responsibilities associated with the post. The post holder will be expected to comply with any reasonable request to undertake work of a similar level that is not specified in this job description.

This job description may be amended at any time in consultation with the postholder.