Administration Manager

The role is to deliver a comprehensive, professional and customer focused service for Heaton Avenue Primary and Millbridge Primary. Ensuring both schools are compliant with statutory and regulatory requirements (finance, HR, governance professional support, premises, health & safety, data protection).

The overall purpose of the role is to lead and manage the school administration team and oversee the management information systems.

The admin manager will provide support on a wide range of HR matters, including employee relations, recruitment, and policy compliance. Working closely with school leaders and central teams.

As the admin manager you will be required to meet the general requirements of this post. In addition, you will be required to fulfil any reasonable expectations from the Headteacher. The post will require you to work in partnership with the Headteacher, Senior Leadership Team and staff to ensure the continuous improvement of the Academy. You will be responsible for specific tasks and the development of whole Academy initiatives, which will be determined in consultation with the Headteacher.

Key Responsibilities & Specifications

Team Leadership:

The postholder will directly line manage administration officers and other suitable roles, if required. To manage and delegate activities to the administration team, as per the key responsibilities below.

General Admin:

• Manage and lead the academies administration team including reception area and reprographics, overseeing an efficient, effective and friendly service.
• Lead in maintaining an accurate Single Central Record in liaison with the HR & Payroll Officer.
• To ensure all correspondence and communications are produced to the highest standard within appropriate deadlines.
• Being the first point of contact for the Headteacher and SLT supporting them as required, where possible dealing with matters on their behalf, including receiving visitors, phone calls.
• Providing the central point of contact for the academies, ensuring consistent and accurate messages are provided to all stakeholders and to oversee the management of academy communications including all electronic systems.
• Where requested by the Headteacher/Executive Headteacher or Executive PA to the CEO, to attend and minute meetings, ensuring agreed action points are followed up within agreed timescales.
• To ensure queries and concerns of parents are dealt with promptly and professionally and logged appropriately.
• To support the Executive PA to the CEO and the Central Administration Manager, to develop, monitor and maintain MAT administration policies and procedures.
• To prepare pupil exclusion letters for signature by the Headteacher/Executive Headteacher, to administer and take minutes as required at meetings and appeal panels across the trust.
• To administer trips and visits and ensuring compliancy, including all aspects of EVC responsibility.
• The booking and arranging of cover for staff requesting training events including line manager approval.
• To develop and implement high quality customer care standards.

HR Leadership

• Manage the recruitment selection processes including drafting the advert, compiling application packs, placing the advert, liaising with external recruitment agents, handling responses, corresponding with applicants, arranging the interview day, securing references, undertaking pre-employment checks to Safer Recruitment guidelines, issuing provisional offers and subsequent confirmation of contracts.
• Oversee HR transactional administration throughout the employment cycle, from appointment to leaving employment.
• To ensure DBS checks are undertaken for all staff and volunteers in line with the latest guidelines.
• To organise leaver administration and ensure exit interviews are carried out.
• The maintenance of personnel files for all staff and to ensure the electronic personnel database is kept up to date; ensuring compliance with GDPR.
• The production of all personnel correspondence including contracts of employment (and variations to) and offer letter.
• The archiving of all staff files as appropriate and ensuring the secure disposal of records as appropriate in accordance with the Records Retention Schedule.
• To arrange and deliver the Academy induction programme for all new staff including supply staff and volunteers, ensuring probationary periods and reviews take place.
• To administer and co-ordinate staff absence, passing messages to the Headteacher, Nominated Absence Leader and Central HR Team to ensure absences are managed and recorded accurately, produce absence reports for the Headteacher/Executive Headteacher.
• To administer and co-ordinate short term sickness absence ensuring return to work interviews are completed by the Nominated Absence Leader.
• To work with the Nominated Absence Lead to support and encourage staff to return to work and be the note taker at formal absence meetings.
• To administer Leave of Absence requests in accordance with current policy.
• To carry out risk assessments with new and expectant mothers and those with accessibility concerns and illnesses.
• Ensure staff are made aware of updated policies and procedures.
• Support the Headteacher and SLT with any management investigations and complete relevant paperwork while liaising with the Central HR Team.

Finance Admin and Support

• Managing Academy budgets, liaising with the Central Finance Team to ensure that resources are managed effectively.
• Ensuring timely and accurate completion overseeing the input of purchase order requisitions, financial transaction requests, debt collection -catering, handling of petty cash, maintaining a gifts register, ordering of stationery.
• Liaising with budget holders to support with managing department budgets.
• Support the Headteacher with staffing budgets.
• Completion of staffing authorisation forms with detailed rationale including costings.
• Monitoring of staff training budget.
• Train and support budget holders in the use of Access in line with procurement procedures.

Premises Admin and Support

• Undertake if required, the administration of school site lettings (in accordance with the Lettings Policy), utilising booking system software as appropriate.
• Organise and administer events in school; co-ordinating risk assessments for academy-based activities and liaising with site technicians where appropriate.
• Ensure timely and accurate completion of personnel evacuation plans, support the Headteacher/Executive Headteacher with the organisation of lockdown/bomb threat/fire evacuation practice and coordination of school specific risk assessments.
• Liaise with the Headteacher and SHARE MAT Premises Manager with relation to lifecycle works, building works and classroom changes and detailed completion of request from reserves forms.

Health and Safety Admin and Support

• Ensure a safe environment in the Academy for all stakeholders and students while reporting any issues to the Caretaker and/or SHARE MAT Premises Manager.
• Oversee fire/bomb/lockdown drills and appropriate procedures are in place and shared with all parties.
• To ensure accurate records of practices and drills are maintained.
• Ensuring correct risk assessments are in place for when the Academy is used for community use.
• Ensure compliance for minibus use.

Governance Admin and Support

• Recruitment of Academy Governors.
• Adhering to safer recruitment guidelines for all new governors ensuring DBS and references are completed.
• Accurately update and maintain the single central record with governor information
• To attend Academy Governors meetings.

Cover Leadership

• To oversee day to day cover and liaise with supply agencies as appropriate, managing the cover budgets, ensuring value for money whilst delivering the best service possible.
• Ensure Agency vetting is complete and in line with SHARE MAT policies and procedures.
• Accurately update and maintain the single central record with supply staff information.
• Provide the induction of supply staff, where appropriate.
• To manage and lead the Academy Cover Supervisors, as directed.

Staff Wellbeing

• To support the development of the SHARE MAT culture in which all staff are valued and achieving their personal best.
• Support the mental health and wellbeing of staff using strategies learnt via training and resources available.
• Support staff during disciplinaries and management investigations.
• Make adjustments, where needed to support a staff members return to work
• Liaise with the Headteacher and central HR team in relation to occupational health referrals.
• Be the ‘go to person’, speak with staff and ensure all staff know as an Academy we support them.

General

• To communicate strategies and expectations effectively to all staff.
• To evaluate own performance and undertake professional development to help achieve the highest possible standards in the role.
• To confidently, sensitively and appropriately communicate with parents/carers.
• Any other duties commensurate within the requirements for this role or as directed by the Central Administration team/Headteacher/Executive Headteacher, displaying flexibility to support colleagues across the MAT team.

Ethics and Professional Conduct

All staff are expected to uphold consistently high standards of ethical and professional behaviour. In your role, you must demonstrate integrity, accountability, and leadership in line with the Seven Principles of Public Life: Selflessness, Integrity, Objectivity, Accountability, Openness, Honesty, Leadership.

As a representative of the trust, the post-holder must:

• Build respectful, professional relationships and maintain appropriate boundaries.
• Show tolerance and respect for others, embracing cultural diversity.
• Uphold fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect.
• Ensure personal beliefs do not influence or compromise professional responsibilities.

In your role in the Trust, you are expected to:

• Act in the best interests of the trust and its community.
• Model ethical behaviour and professionalism.
• Accept accountability and operate within relevant statutory frameworks.
• Commit to ongoing professional development and contribute positively to the wider education system.
• Be attentive to potential discrepancies or concerns, and act with professional curiosity and healthy professional scepticism.
• Be aware of and follow the trust’s whistleblowing and reporting procedures, ensuring that safeguarding, integrity, and transparency are upheld at all times.

Other Requirements

• Commitment to the Trust's values and objectives.
• Willingness to work flexibly and travel between Trust sites as required.
• Ability to work independently while contributing to a collaborative team environment.

Safeguarding Requirements

This post requires the post holder to work in settings with children and young adults. Any employment offer is therefore subject to the results of an Enhanced Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). People who may have contact with younger children (i.e. primary school age) are also required to complete a declaration about family or other members of their household.

Applicants MUST apply via My New Term to be considered, will be required to provide evidence of identity and qualifications and offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references. For applicants who work or have recently worked in a school, one of the references must be from the headteacher.

Expertise in Role - After initial development - Level 2

• Experience of working in schools and promoting
• Development of effective working relationships with staff and stakeholders
• Experience of managing a range of change projects across and organisation
• Evidence of making decisions based on needs for change with strong communication skills

Expertise in Role - (Advanced - Level 3)

• Track record of successful strategy implementation in a large organisation
• Strong knowledge of working practices and processes across the trust for all financial areas