AN INDEPENDENT CO-EDUCATIONAL DAY AND BOARDING SCHOOL FOR PUPILS AGED 7 TO 18 IN THE HEART OF SURREY
International and Sixth Form Admissions Officer Information for prospective staff
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About Freemen's Our mission is to inspire our people to learn, to lead and to make a difference. We believe that if we can motivate pupils and staff to always give their best, the School will continue to grow and thrive. Community engagement and our impact on the world beyond our walls are at the forefront of everything we do at Freemen’s. The School was founded in Brixton in 1854 to provide an education for the orphaned children of Freemen of the City of London before moving to the present site, Ashtead Park, in 1926. We have a magnificent site with modern buildings alongside the original Main House set in a stunning 57 acres of parkland. This idyllic setting further supports the wellbeing of our students and staff, as being here, in the park, makes coming to work a pleasure. It looks striking in every season and we are lucky to have a vast array of wildlife living in our woods. Today, Freemen’s is an independent day and boarding school for students aged 7-18, with a strong ethos of community and service in accordance with the values on which the School
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was founded. We are proudly co-educational and have been since 1854, which was radical at the time, and we continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible with our forward-thinking, progressive approach. You can expect stellar exam results and academic excellence, but that’s not all. The focus within the School is on every individual finding a path which is appropriate for them, be that in the classroom, on a sports pitch or in one of the many co-curricular activities we encourage our young people to throw themselves into. Our mission is built upon four pillars of the Freemen’s education: pastoral support, House activities, academic achievement, and our varied cocurricular programme (including sport) to ensure every student realises their potential to be able to learn, lead and make a difference. Freemen’s is a place where students are keen to learn and eager to engage in the wider aspects of life at our School. Teachers at Freemen's embody our principles for excellent classroom practice, offering innovative and forward-thinking approaches, enabling us to be a beacon of learning and teaching. We take risks in the pursuit of excellence by being brave and radical, willing to challenge the status quo. Through our 1-1 iPad programme, we
About Freemen's aim to create discerning users of technology, so that staff and students can thrive in the modern dynamic world. We do all of this, in an environment where staff feel supported, by investing in life-long learning through research-led enquiry and building learning communities. The emphasis in the Junior School is on Kindness, Honesty and Fun and the Senior School picks up that message with a pastoral programme that emphasizes the importance of a strong, supportive community in which every member, staff and student, feels respected, supported and valued. As a result, we are able to support our young people to successfully navigate the tests of life they face every day. The School is one of four independent schools managed by the City of London Corporation (The City). The City provides financial support in the form of bursaries and scholarships. Other links with the City of London and the Livery Companies are strong, which presents opportunities for staff to attend events at Guildhall and elsewhere in the City, as well as the possibility of gaining the honour of the Freedom of the City of London. Transport links are good; the School is a mile from Ashtead station with regular services to Epsom and London and south to Leatherhead and Guildford. The M25 junction 9 is a sevenminute drive from the School.
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External Relations Department This is an exciting time for the External Relations department. We have worked hard to ensure that we provide the most positive experience to students and their families before, during and after their time at Freemen's. The hard work is paying off as we begin to see record numbers of pupil admissions, as well as significantly increased engagement, donations and community support. Most days bring new opportunities and some challenges, which we face together, usually with a smile, a joke and whenever possible with cake. The Admissions team forms part of the wider External Relations department, working with the Marketing and Development teams to recruit students and to maximise engagement with both external stakeholders and the current pupil and parent body. The Admissions team currently comprises the Head of Admissions and two Admissions Officers with responsibility for domestic and international/Sixth Form admissions respectively.
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We are a dedicated and dynamic team, with a commitment to first-class customer service and to providing prospective families with the very best experience possible throughout their admissions journey.
"This friendly, grounded and well-run school takes the pressure off getting academically bright young things into senior schools and seems to a knack of making challenging work seem fun." The Good Schools Guide WWW.FREEMENS.ORG
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Information about the role Purpose of post To work effectively with other members of the Admissions team to provide first-class customer service to prospective families, with particular responsibility for: • Administration of the international admissions process, from initial enquiry to enrolment, at all entry points to the school. • Responsibility for the administration of UKVI Sponsorship for overseas students and associated compliance duties, on behalf of the Head of Admissions. • Administration of Sixth Form admissions from initial enquiry to enrolment. • Supporting the wider Admissions and Marketing team at marketing events and entrance examinations for domestic applicants, as required.
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Main duties and responsibilities
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International admissions • Receiving and responding to admissions enquiries from prospective parents and/or agents, by telephone, email and face-to-face. • Conducting tours for overseas boarding enquirers and agents. • Acknowledging applications and registration fees.
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Liaising with candidates’ current schools to obtain references prior to entrance examinations. Sending out correspondence to prospective international parents and agents regarding entrance examinations. Administration of International Entrance Examinations, both overseas and at the school. Arranging candidate interviews (online and face to face). Receiving and acknowledging deposits. Providing all required information to our immigration partner for the issuing of CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) for students requiring sponsorship. Working with the Head of Admissions in the forecasting, statistical analysis and reporting of international student admissions data. Maintaining a register of international Agents, screening agency requests and collecting references, and managing termly Agency commission payments. Developing relationships with key agents, including online training meetings, webinars for prospective parents, termly agent newsletter.
International and Sixth Form Admissions Officer
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UKVI sponsor accountabilities • To become familiar with and remain up to date with all aspects of Sponsorship compliance, and all associated guidance issued by the Home Office. • To provide compliance advice and updates to the Head of Admissions and Director of External Relations. • To provide informed immigration advice to prospective parents, agents and pupils. • To conduct a regular audit of the School’s operational records to ensure compliance with UKVI requirements for Sponsor record-keeping and duties. • To attend regular UKVI compliance training courses, as required.
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• Sponsorship (Child Student Visa) and other visa routes responsibilities: • Maintain meticulous compliance records for Child Student Visa holders, and holders
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of other visas, in accordance with UKVI regulations; Maintain an accurate database of all sponsored and other visa students, including expiry dates for passports and visas with electronic reminders to notify parents. Record Right to Study checks for all students, including EEA and British pupils and those with indefinite leave to remain. Administer electronic storage of copies of all CAS, passport scans and scans of Visas and BRPs for all sponsored pupils and other visa holders. Scan and load all relevant documents onto each child’s Schoolbase record for ease of reference in a UKVI inspection. Maintain a record of all arrivals and departures of sponsored pupils into and out of the UK, as well as details of responsibility for care in UK for all exeats and school holidays. Produce travel letters for sponsored students at the end of each term.
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International and Sixth Form Admissions Officer •
Maintain all requirements for ACL (Alternative Location Collection) status for receipt and distribution of BRPs, including security, logging of receipts and logging of collection – including quarterly notification of stats to UKVI as per requirements.
Sixth Form admissions • Receiving and responding to admissions enquiries by telephone, email and face-to-face. • Acknowledging applications and registration fees. • Administration of the Sixth Form interview day. • Liaising with feeder schools to obtain current school references prior to entrance examinations. • Sending out correspondence to prospective international parents and agents regarding entrance examination. • Administration of international entrance examinations, both overseas and at the school. • Recording examination results. • Arranging candidate interviews (online and face to face). • Working with the Head of Admissions in the forecasting, statistical analysis and reporting of international student admissions data. Other responsibilities • Assisting with marketing events and entrance examinations for domestic applicants, as required. Other points • To seek to implement and comply with the school’s Safeguarding policies and procedures and to demonstrate a commitment to the safety and welfare of children.
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To promote and to implement the City of London’s Occupational Health and Safety Policy in relation to the duties of the post, and at all times give due regard to the health and safety of both themselves and others when carrying out their duties. Reporting all accidents to the Bursar via the School’s Accident Report Form procedure. Report forms are held in the Medical Centre. Inform the Bursar of any concerns regarding Health and Safety and safe working practices. To implement the City of London’s Equal Opportunity Policy and the objective to promote equality of opportunity in relation to the duties of the post. To liaise closely with a range of colleagues in an effective and collaborative way. To undertake any other duties that may reasonably be requested appropriate to the grade.
Revision of job description According to the development and requirement of the school, job descriptions may need to be reviewed and updated periodically after consultation with the job holder.
Person Specification
Please find below the qualifications, experience and techincial skills required to undertake this post. Each criterion will be assessed at application (A), interview (I) or test (T) as indicated below. The qualifications, experience and technical skills will be used in the decision making process for recruitment. Please give examples of how you have exhibited these behaviours in your previous role(s). It is essential you address the criterion marked as (A) on your application form in the section for supporting information. Be as specific as possible, we cannot guess or make assumptions, but will assess your application solely on the information provided. Try to provide evidence, by examples, where possible, of skills, knowledge and experience contained in this person specification. Experience required • Proven relevant customer service experience (A, I) • Previous experience of working in an administrative role (A,I) • Proven ability to work under own initiative and manage own workload with little supervision (A, I) • Proven ability to build relationships with key stakeholders, both internally and externally (A, I) • Demonstrable ability to meet targets over a sustained period of time without compromising on the quality or accuracy of the work produced (A, I) • Time management and priority planning (A, I) • Experience of working with children and a demonstrable commitment to the safety and welfare of children (A, I) • Demonstrated understanding of equality of opportunity and how to apply this in relation to the duties of the post (A, I) WWW.FREEMENS.ORG
Professional qualifications / relevant education and training • Educated to A Level standard or equivalent (A) • GCSE (or equivalent) English and Maths (A) Technical skills • Ability to provide high quality customer services in person and on the telephone (A, I) • Intermediate level of IT proficiency (Word, Excel, Outlook), including mail merge (A, I) • Ability to quickly familiarise with and learn new IT systems (eg data management system) • Ability to contribute to the review and development of administrative systems and procedures in a school setting (A, I) • Excellent oral and written communication skills (A, I) Other relevant information • Prior knowledge of Home Office immigration regulations relating to Child Student Visa sponsorship, and compliance requirements for all students studying at the School who are subject to visa conditions would be an advantage (A, I) • Proven experience in an admissions /customer service environment working with overseas agents would be an advantage (A, I)
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Professional expectations of staff Safeguarding Staff will be kind, fair and respectful to students and each other, challenge others when they are unkind, unfair or disrespectful and have the highest regard for the students’ safety and their safeguarding duties, whether on or off the school premises. Appearance Smart professional dress, or appropriate co-curricular clothing, at all times. Availability Prompt attendance during the School’s operating hours and a commitment to completing School business is expected. Awareness and use of Freemen’s policies Staff will be able to access and use policies as necessary, and read and act upon them appropriately. Behaviour Staff will establish Freemen’s as a place of learning and will determine clear boundaries of behaviour, based on mutual respect and trust. Staff will have high expectations of students and will manage their behaviour effectively.
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Collective responsibility Staff share collective responsibility for Freemen’s standards, reputation and property, should treat them with respect and care, and insist others do likewise. Communication Staff will expect high standards of communication from students and will, in turn, demonstrate accurate, timely and appropriate communication when dealing with students, parents and colleagues. Ethics and behaviour Staff will uphold public trust in the profession and the reputation of Freemen’s by maintaining high standards of ethics and behaviour, within and outside School. They will be respectful and tolerant of the rights of others, including colleagues, and not undermine fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect, and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. They will ensure that their personal beliefs are not expressed in ways which exploit pupils’ vulnerability or might lead them to break the law.
Learn, lead and make a difference Leaders Staff will be leaders in the School, exercising good judgement and modelling the behaviour and habits that are expected of the students. Learners Staff will show and share a passion for their subject or discipline(s). They will seek to develop as professionals and as specialists, will be open to feedback and will seek opportunities to collaborate with colleagues and engage with relevant research. Planning Teaching staff will have a sense of where the lesson fits within the scheme of work and plan well-structured lessons using an appropriate range of pedagogies. Use of feedback Staff will seek to use feedback for themselves and if appropriate, their students and will complete assessments and reports in a timely fashion in the appropriate manner and style.
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How to apply Applicants should send a letter of application and a completed application form to the Headmaster via CLFS-Recruitment@cityoflondon.gov.uk, by Monday 13 November 2023. Shortlisted candidates will be called for interviews that will take place on Tuesday 21 November, though candidates are asked to note that Freemen’s retains the right to interview and appoint at any time during the process. Freemen’s acknowledges receipt of all applications, if you have not received confirmation of the safe receipt of your application within two working days please call the School or email CLFS-Recruitment@cityoflondon.gov.uk to check on its status. The successful candidate must be able to satisfy the City of London’s health requirements and a confidential medical assessment by the City of London’s Medical Officer is required. The City of London Freemen’s School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all employees to share this commitment. The successful applicant must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service (Enhanced Disclosure).
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"Friendly was the single most uttered word used to describe the school by students, while parents report that their offspring are happy. ‘Kind’ and ‘non-judgemental,’ we also heard, with support on tap." The Good Schools Guide WWW.FREEMENS.ORG
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Your benefits
Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Contributory defined benefit
City of London benefits:
• CityBenefits - discounts and cashback. • Wellbeing resources. • Sponsorship to become a Freeman of the City of London.
Sports and Leisure: Family friendly Significantly enhanced maternity, adoption and shared parental leave entitlement
Free lunch and refreshments The option to join Supper Club at a subsidised rate
Annual Leave 25/29 days (subject to grade) plus bank holidays increasing with service.
Cycle to work scheme Up to £3,000 salary sacrifice
• Discounted gym membership. • Free use of the fitness suite. • Staff social and sporting opportunities including pilates, yoga and five-a-side football. • Free staff swimming and weekend family swimming for staff.
Learning and Development:
• In-house and externally run CPL • Enquiring Schools project • Support for professional development appropriate to the role including Apprenticeships/Masters.
Season Ticket Loan Wellbeing: Free parking on site
Access to on-site facilities
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• Up to 2 days’ paid leave for volunteering. • Cash back on private health care treatment. • Access to on-site Medical Centre. • Staff Wellbeing Committee. • Confidential Employee Assistance for staff and their families. • Emergencies-only approach to out of hours email. 15
Campus Map
Click here to view 360 Tour of campus 01. Visitor parking 02. Reception 03. Philp House 04. Science and Technology 05. Medical Centre 06. Art and Design 07. Stable Block 08. Ferndale Theatre 09. Dining Hall 10. Haywood Centre 11. Junior School (Kemp House) 12. Boarding (Walbrook House)
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13. Music School and Recital Hall 14. Main House 15. Sports Hall 16. Swimming Pool 17. Cricket Pavilion 18. Tennis and Netball Courts 19. Astro Pitch 20. Cricket Nets 21. Cricket Pitch 22. Italian Garden 23. Rugby and Football Pitches 24. Green Room
25. Fire Assembly Point 26. Bus Stop 27. Upper Car Park 28. Lower Car Park 29. Service Gate (KT21 1JB)
"A down-to-earth, friendly school that’s comfortable in its own skin rather than relentlessly trying to show off its most polished side – and is all the better for it. Just the ticket for parents after a high-quality, stress-free route for their academically bright sons and daughters from age 7 right through to 18. Almost unique around here." The Good Schools Guide WWW.FREEMENS.ORG
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