Personal Assistant to Heads of School

Start date: As soon as possible

Location: Ark Alexandra Academy, Hastings, East Sussex

Salary: Ark Outside London Support Scale 8, Pay Points 20-28: £28,370 to £34,723

Hours: 36 hours per week, 52 weeks per year

Contract: Permanent

Closing date: 9.00am, Tuesday 03 October 2023

Interview date: 9.00am, Friday 06 October 2023

Considering making a move to Hastings? We are able to offer relocation allowances of up to £3,000 to support you with the process.

This is a rare opportunity for a dedicated administrative professional to join our growing academy.

As a Personal Assistant, the successful candidate will play a crucial role in supporting our two Heads of School, ensuring they are best equipped to lead the academy. Duties will include providing key administrative support, managing diaries and being involved in a wide range of other projects.

As Personal Assistant you will be an ambassador for the school when meeting parents, stakeholders and other visitors, providing a warm welcome to all. You will ensure that all information is treated confidentially and to have absolute discretion and tact at all times, complying with the school’s data protection procedures.

Our standards are high, and we need someone who can be a team player and flexible when supporting other colleagues with the ability to be resilient, calm and professional under pressure.

For more information, please read the job description and person specification which you can download from here.

As the ideal candidate you will:

• Have experience of providing PA or secretarial support to staff at a senior level
• Have experience of running effective administrative processes, preferably in a school environment
• Have excellent organisation and time-management skills
• Have excellent communication skills
• Have a high level of proficiency with Microsoft Office
• Be able to manage a high volume workload including projects, prioritising accordingly to meet deadlines

Our school:

Ark Alexandra is a two-campus secondary academy with a Sixth Form provision in Hastings, East Sussex and is the largest secondary with 6th form in the Ark network. A popular school, we have grown to have over 1,600 students this year. We work across a split site which brings with it unique opportunities for growth and development. At our most recent Ofsted inspection in September 2021, Leadership & Management, Behaviour & Attitudes, Personal Development and Sixth Form were all judged to be Good. 

Ark Alexandra works closely with our feeder primary schools, Ark Blacklands, Ark Little Ridge and Ark Castledown, all of which have exceptional leadership graded as Outstanding by Ofsted.

As a Church of England school, our values of faith, excellence and kindness underpin our ethos, culture and behaviour. We have an inclusive admissions policy that welcomes, without preference, students of all faith and none. Our vision is to create a truly great school for the young people in Hastings. We believe that everyone deserves to be accepted, included, and empowered to live a purposeful and fulfilling life.

How to apply:

Please click 'apply' on the website you are visiting or visit www.arkalexandra.org/jobs/vacancies  to complete an online application form by 9am on Tuesday 03 October 2023, however we will be reviewing applications on an on-going basis and this advert may close earlier than advertised depending on the level of response. Early application is strongly encouraged. You will be able to pause, save and log back in to complete your application up until the vacancy closes.

If you have any questions about the role, please email ALEHR@arkalexandra.org

If you’re interested in further information about our school, please visit our website – www.arkalexandra.org

Ark is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in its academies. In order to meet this responsibility, its academies follow a rigorous selection process to discourage and screen out unsuitable applicants.

Ark requires all employees to undertake an enhanced DBS check. You are required, before appointment, to disclose any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. Non-disclosure may lead to termination of employment. However, disclosure of a criminal background will not necessarily debar you from employment - this will depend upon the nature of the offence(s) and when they occurred. To read more about Ark’s safer recruitment process, please click this link.