xxxxxxxxx History of Berkhamsted Schools Group

Berkhamsted School is situated in the historic Hertfordshire town of Berkhamsted, a prosperous community surrounded by Chiltern countryside and within easy reach of London Berkhamsted is a leading Independent School for pupils aged 3 to 18 years, the foundation of which dates back to 1541 (when John Incent, the Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral, successfully applied to King Henry the VIII for a license to purchase a piece of land for a ‘freescole’).

In 1888 a Girls School was founded in Berkhamsted under the same governing body, and the Boys’ and Girls’ Schools merged to form a diamond school in 1997 The Prep School was also integrated at this stage, and the School became Berkhamsted Collegiate School.

In 2011 the School merged with Heatherton House, a small independent day School for girls in Chesham Bois, and became the Berkhamsted Schools Group. Operating as a satellite Prep School, Heatherton provides a feed of Girls to the Berkhamsted Girls School every year. In 2012 Berkhamsted Schools Group acquired Haresfoot, a small proprietary prep school in Berkhamsted. This site now houses the Berkhamsted Pre-Prep and Berkhamsted Day Nursery Limited, and Berkhamsted Prep takes children from age 7-11.

Berkhamsted is the only School in the Herts, Beds and Bucks region, and one of only a small number of Schools in the country, to offer a ‘diamond’ structure that combines the best of both single-sex and coeducational teaching. Boys and Girls are taught together until the age of 11 (Berkhamsted Pre-Prep and Prep), separately from the age of 11-16 (Berkhamsted Boys and Berkhamsted Girls), before coming back together again in a joint sixth form (Berkhamsted Sixth).

Job Description

Hours of Work:

Full-time, 8.30-5.30pm Monday to Friday, term time plus 3 weeks during the school holidays

Hoursofwork:830am-5pmMondaytoFriday,allyearround

Reporting to: Vice Principal and Chief Operating Officer (Bursar)

Key responsibilities

Diary management

Efficient scheduling of meetings, including long term planning (Governors/Committees/121s) and ad hoc reactive requests

Responding promptly, on behalf of COO & VP, to meeting invitations

Welcoming of visitors to COO’s office

Including answering of front door, creating a pleasant waiting experience, sourcing refreshments, providing facilities and presentation equipment if required

Manage post and telephone calls, prioritising and either responding or forwarding to relevant colleagues, consulting with the COO/VP or others, as necessary.

Taking minutes if called upon to do so for any meetings

Begin, enhance, or tidy up documents, particularly in Microsoft word, including letters, Annual Statutory Financial Statements and Parent Contracts

Provide absence cover for the Principal’s Personal Assistant when required

Provide absence cover for the Clerk to the Governors, for Governor's meetings if required – such as arranging agendas, taking minutes, and communicating decisions/actions to relevant parties

Job Description

Key responsibilities relating to COO

To act as the primary contact for the COO for enquiries from internal and external parties

Hoursofwork:830am-5pmMondaytoFriday,allyearround

On occasion, liaise directly with key advisors (as requested by the COO) to seek advice/answers to specific queries or to gather general research information.

Maintain an efficient filing system – particularly for deeds and other relevant legal documents

Identify and recommend potential process improvements where you see opportunity for efficiency or information security gains in any of the work the COO is involved in General administrative tasks to support the COO and SMT Operations team as required (including scanning and electronic filing of key contracts and legal documents)

Any other administrative duties that the COO may require from time to time

Key responsibilities relating to VP

Assisting in the organisation and planning of INSET days, Staff Meetings, Away Days, and other School events.

Managing the transfer of safeguarding records for leavers and joiners in collaboration with Heads’ PAs

Extracting relevant information from MyConcern (the school’s safeguarding monitoring software) such as anonymised data and reports.

Uploading information, as required, to MyConcern relating to child protection and safeguarding.

Carry out redaction as appropriate to support sharing of data for safeguarding related enquiries and Subject Access Requests (the latter to support our Data Protection Advisor).

Job Description

Person specification

Hoursofwork:830am-5pmMondaytoFriday,allyearround

Solid experience of working at a senior level; prior PA experience is essential

Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with a range of different stakeholders

Excellent written and spoken English; the ability to articulate and communicate clearly in a professional manner

Highly organised while being aware of the wider context, as well as maintaining control over detail

Ability to remain calm under pressure and work to tight deadlines, managing competing priorities

Highly diplomatic and discreet with the ability to handle highly sensitive matters

Strong IT user skills with a good knowledge of Microsoft word, Outlook, PowerPoint, SharePoint applications – uses IT to increase efficiency