School Secretary (maternity cover)

Fettes College is a leading HMC co-educational boarding and day school (7-18) close to the heart of Edinburgh. It has a strong tradition of academic, sporting, and cultural excellence underpinned by outstanding pastoral care.

Fettes Preparatory School are seeking to hire a customer-focused School Secretary (maternity cover) to be the face of the Prep School, providing a warm welcome for pupils, parents and visitors.

Responsibilities

Working closely with the Prep School staff, you will be a key presence there, carrying out the following roles and responsibilities.

· For current parents you will be the first person they speak to on the telephone or face to face at the beginning and end of each school day

· Through telephone, email, School Post communication system and in person, provide parents with support and information on all aspects of school life

· Production of a weekly bulletin for all Prep parents and Prep School governors

· Regular communication with parents, both on an individual basis as well as whole school communications and liaise with the Senior School Office to ensure consistency across both schools

· Providing parents with information about the website and daily routines in the Prep School

· Collate and distribute pupil reports, produce up to date School lists, create pupil labels and order supplies

· Printing of reports and orders, filing and archiving

· Being a point of contact for children in the Prep School. For example, helping answer questions about routine, finding members of staff, stationery, etc

· End of term mailing and sending out pupils’ reports at the end of each term

· Provide a point of contact between the Senior and Prep Schools

· Provide support to the Prep School Director of Music in creating twice per term Concert programmes and Autumn, Spring and Summer Concert programmes

· Trip organisation and administration as required

· The weekly coordination of sports reports to be sent to the Sports Administrator for website publication

· Organise Biennial photography rotations in Prep Assembly Hall and on Gallery Corridor

· Administrative support to the Prep School Senior Management Team, as well as Prep staff; for example, assisting the Director of Studies with arrangements for Parents’ Evenings (this involves working beyond 5:30 pm on those days)

· Update the school database regarding daily absences, sign out times or notes on pupils and ensure these are circulated appropriately

· Assist with the Sign-Out procedure

· Provide administrative support to Head of Pastoral Care/Child Protection Co-ordinator

· Distribute and collect mail from the Senior School

· Ordering stationery and supplies for staff

· Reprographics as required

· Manage rota and organise catering for the “Coffee Cart” at all Prep School home matches

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Our people are at the core of everything we do, and part of our vision is for Fettes to be the school of choice for students, parents and staff.

Experience

· Excellent organisational and planning skills with strong attention to detail;

· Ability to work independently but also to work well with colleagues;

· Motivated and can take the initiative to manage tasks;

· First rate business writing skills and good inter-personal skills;

· IT literate across a broad range of common Microsoft applications specifically Outlook, Word and Excel and, ideally, experience and confidence in the use of databases.

Personal Qualities

· Approachable and open manner for daily interaction with Pupils, Parents and Staff;

· Enthusiastic and willing to involve oneself in the life of the school;

· Confidentiality, discretion, diplomacy and integrity;

· Smart and professional in presentation.

Benefits

This is a maternity cover position from January 2025 to 16th December 2025 working during term time 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday (8 am to 4 pm, with a one-hour unpaid lunch break).

Salary: around £21,000 per annum

Benefits include:

· Parking within the campus grounds. The campus is easily accessed by car and bus.

· Membership of Westwoods gym and health club which offers a range of excellent fitness and leisure facilities including a 25m swimming pool.

· Free lunchtime meals during term time, and at other times when catering is provided, and you are on duty.

· Life insurance scheme (3x salary).

· Excellent Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).

· Benefits portal with extensive discounts section, as well as healthcare, dental plan cover, etc.

· You will be opted into the Fettes College Pension Plan after 3 months service. This scheme is a money purchase one, operating as a salary exchange plan. The College will contribute to the scheme a minimum of 8% and you will contribute a minimum of 2% employee. Fettes operate a contribution matching scheme up to 12% of base salary.

Applications should be made through the Fettes College website and the closing date for applications is Wednesday, 30th October 2024 with interviews to be held week commencing 11th November; however, applications will be reviewed as and when submitted. Interviews may be scheduled, and we reserve the right to appoint, prior to the closing date. Start date would be 6th January 2025.

When applying, please provide an up-to-date CV, a covering letter setting out how you meet the person specification and what you feel you can bring to this role, and include the name and contact details of 2 referees (note we will not contact referees without your permission). Our PA to the Headmaster, Mrs Mona Gill, is available to have an informal conversation with any potential candidate prior to applying.