Location: Secondary School, Preston, UK
Contract Type: Temporary, Part-Time
Duration: 6th January 2025 - 12th February 2025
Working Hours: Monday to Wednesday, 8:15 am - 4:00 pm

Overview:
We are seeking a professional and experienced Business Support Officer to provide temporary reception cover at our secondary school in Preston. The role involves acting as the first point of contact for visitors, students, and staff while ensuring the smooth operation of the school's reception area. The ideal candidate will have prior experience working in a school environment and possess excellent organizational and interpersonal skills.

Key Responsibilities:
Reception Duties:
Front Desk Management: Act as the first point of contact for all visitors, ensuring a warm, professional, and welcoming environment.
Visitor Management: Manage the visitor sign-in system, issue visitor badges, and ensure safeguarding procedures are followed.
Telephone Support: Answer and direct incoming calls promptly, taking messages and forwarding them to the appropriate staff members.
Student Support: Assist students with general inquiries or requests, ensuring they are directed appropriately.
Administrative Tasks:
Email Correspondence: Manage the school's general email inbox, responding to queries or forwarding them to relevant staff.
Data Entry: Update school records and databases as needed, ensuring accuracy and confidentiality.
General Support: Provide administrative support to the school office team, including filing, photocopying, and distributing communications.
Safeguarding and Compliance:
Security Checks: Monitor and manage access to the school premises, ensuring all visitors are properly signed in and out.
Safeguarding Awareness: Ensure all practices adhere to safeguarding and child protection policies, maintaining a safe environment for students and staff.
Essential Requirements:
School Experience: Proven experience working in a school environment, with familiarity with reception and administrative procedures.
Interpersonal Skills: Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage effectively with students, parents, and staff.
Organizational Skills: Excellent organizational and time management abilities, with a proactive and efficient approach to tasks.
Technical Proficiency: Confident using Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) and school management systems (e.g., SIMS or similar).
Safeguarding Knowledge: Awareness of safeguarding protocols and procedures in an educational setting.
Desirable Skills:
Experience managing busy reception areas.
Knowledge of GDPR and confidentiality requirements in schools.
First Aid certification (or willingness to undertake training).
Key Details:
Duration: 6th January 2025 - 12th February 2025 (6 weeks).
Working Hours: Monday to Wednesday, 8:15 am - 4:00 pm, including a lunch break.

Aspire People Limited provides services as an Education Agency and an Education Employment Business. Aspire People is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils and expects every candidate to share this commitment. Placements are subject, to appropriate Child Protection screening, including checks with former employers and the Disclosure and Barring Checks