AN INDEPENDENT CO-EDUCATIONAL DAY AND BOARDING SCHOOL FOR PUPILS AGED 7 TO 18 IN THE HEART OF SURREY
Marketing and Communications Officer Information for prospective staff
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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The External Relations Department The External Relations Department is comprised of Admissions, Community and Partnerships, Development and Alumni, and the Marketing team.
The successful candidate would need to be comfortable in a team atmosphere. While we all have our distinct areas of responsibility, we are not afraid to lend a hand as and when other members of the team require it, with everyone collaborating to ensure the success and growth of the wider External Relations function. However, any new member of the team can expect support at every level.
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.
The Marketing Team As one of three teams within the External Relations department, the Marketing team works very closely with Admissions and Development. Led by the Head of Communications and Marketing and supported by a Digital Marketing Officer, this is an exciting time of growth and change.
There is still more to be done, however. This role will play a crucial part in helping us to meet our team objectives as well as the School's wider strategic plan. Most days bring new opportunities and some challenges, which we face together, usually with a smile, a joke and whenever possible with cake.
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"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 maximise student numbers across key year groups and raise awareness of the school locally, nationally and internationally through events and a range of marketing and promotional activities. Activities will include working with departments across the school to develop interesting and engaging content for the production of brochures, newsletters and website articles and continuous marketing through a variety of print and digital channels. Analysis of campaigns and marketing activities is vital to understand their effectiveness and to determine future marketing activities.
Main duties and responsibilities 1. Contribute to the development of the school’s Marketing and Communications strategy by generating ideas to encourage effective internal and external marketing to advertise and promote the school 2. Support the Head of Marketing and Communications to develop and implement a data-driven annual marketing plan to support agreed targets with specific actions, tactics, and resources to effectively measure results.
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3. Meet with teaching and professional services staff on effective ways to promote their departments, including making photographic records of activities and events and writing copy, editing and proof-reading website articles. 4. Proactively and regularly gather content, including articles, infographics, videos and photographs for internal and external marketing and communications. 5. Prepare reports for the Head of Marketing and Communications to demonstrate the performance of marketing and communications initiatives and support future decision-making, using key data and analytics such as KPIs, ROI and conversion rates. 6. Work with the City of London’s Media Team to proactively seek and secure editorial coverage with local and national media in order to raise the profile of the school. 7. Oversee the school’s website and work with the Head of Marketing and Communications and the Digital Marketing Officer to increase traffic, engagement and conversions. 8. In collaboration with the Head of Marketing and Communications, either in house or with external designers, design, edit and produce promotional material to showcase the school, including but not limited to online and offline advertisements, prospectuses, and brochures.
Job description - Marketing and Communications Officer
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9. Assist with the organisation and set up of, and attend internal events, such as Open Days, Taster Days, Entrance Assessments, including liaison with the catering contractor, printers and internal staff. 10. Attend external school fairs, school, shows, conferences and exhibitions, as well as some high profile internal school marketing events, e.g. Fireworks, Careers Fair and Christmas Fairs as required to raise the profile of the school. 11. Keep abreast of new marketing techniques and trends to promote the school. 12. To provide cover for the Admissions Team, as required. Other points • Actively seek 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. WWW.FREEMENS.ORG
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Reporting all accidents to the Chief Operating Officer via the School’s Accident Report Form procedure. Report forms are held in the Medical Centre. Informing the Chief Operating Officer of any concerns regarding Health & Safety and safe working practices. Actively seek 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 undertake any other duties that may reasonably be requested appropriate to the grade. Some weekend work or evening work will be required.
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.
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Person specification
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• Please find below the qualifications, experience and technical skills required to undertake this post. Each criterion will be assessed at application (A), interview (I) or test (T) as indicated below. Professional qualifications, relevant education and training: • Educated to degree level or equivalent experience that demonstrates an understanding of marketing (A) • Good knowledge of marketing and communications principles, tools and techniques and the ability to apply these to a school environment (A, I) • Excellent written communication skills in order to write web content, articles, newsletters and other promotional material and edit material produced by others (A, I, T) • Excellent oral communication skills in order to liaise with marketing colleagues, teaching staff and local and national media on marketing and promotional matters (I) • Ability to evaluate marketing activities and generate ideas to improve their effectiveness (A, I) • Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines (A, I) Experience required, including budget holding experience: • Relevant experience in a similar role providing marketing and communications support to include: - the writing and production of newsletters and promotional material; - the content and design of websites; - experience in continuous marketing through social media channels; - the evaluation of marketing activities; - the writing and design of printed promotional literature (A, I, T).
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Experience generating new ideas for marketing and promotional activities (A, I) Experience of designing on and offline collateral and use of design software including the Adobe Suite (A, I) Experience of event management and working as part of a team to deliver events (A, I) Understanding of marketing metrics such as, KPIs, conversion rates and ROI (A, I)
Technical skills: • Highly IT literate with excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Office suite, websites and media and presentation software with the ability to design and produce brochures /magazines (A, I, T) Other relevant information: • Understanding of the independent education sector (A, I) • Knowledge of Schoolbase or similar CRM systems desirable (A, I) • Photography skills (A, I) Note to applicants: 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 will assess your application solely on the information provided. Try to provide evidence, by examples, where possible, of skills, knowledge and experience.
"It’s rare in this neck of the woods to find an all-through route that will scoop up your 7-year old and hand them back to you at the end of Year 13 ready for (most likely a Russell Group) university – and this, say parents, makes a place at this semi-rural Surrey prep the most shiny of golden tickets." The Good Schools Guide WWW.FREEMENS.ORG
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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 completed application form to the Headmaster via CLFS-Recruitment@cityoflondon.gov.uk, by 9am on Thursday 29 February 2024. Interviews will take place at the school during the following week. Candidates are asked to note that Freemen’s retains the right to interview and appoint at any time during the application 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
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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