Receptionist

Location: Cambridge

Salary: £20,884 pro rata (£29,825 FTE)

Vacancy Type: Full time or Part time

Working hours:

• Full-time 45 hours a week, full year.
• Part-time 26.25 hours a week, full year.

Closing date: Friday 15th May at midday

We are seeking to appoint either one full- time Receptionist or two part-time Receptionists to provide cover between 07:45 and 17:45 during term time and 08:00 to 17:00 during school holiday periods. For the part-time option, the two roles will alternate morning and afternoon shifts on a weekly basis and will include a handover period.

Reception at The Perse is the first point of contact for parents, prospective parents and other visitors to the School. The School Office at the Upper School provides administrative support to Senior Staff, Academic Departments and the Pastoral Team, as well as supporting other departments during busy periods (e.g. Admissions).

Job Purpose

Reception provides a vital service to the School in providing a professional welcome to parents and visitors, as well as being a source of information and assistance to members of staff and pupils.

Key Responsibilities

The School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. A key part of the role of the Receptionists is to contribute to the control of access to the school and ensure visitors are dealt with in accordance with the School’s Visitors and Visiting Speakers Policy.

The Receptionists are expected to take the lead in setting standards for Reception and ensuring these standards are adhered to. This includes:

• establishing standards, procedures and guidance for Reception work; 
• ensuring that staff covering are trained and conversant with these standards;
• creating and updating Reception manuals. 

The Receptionists are also responsible for Access Card management, the production and distribution of the Daily Bulletin and assisting the School Office during busy periods.

Whilst work is generally carried out at the Upper School site, it may be necessary on occasions to assist at either of the School’s other sites - the Perse Prep School and the Perse Pelican Nursery & Pre-prep School.

Person Specification

Education and Experience

• Reception and administrative experience are essential.
• GCSE or equivalent, grade C or above in Maths and English.

Desirable

• A level or equivalent qualifications.

Skills and Abilities

• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, including a professional, smiling and welcoming manner, empathy and confidence communicating with both adults and children and an excellent telephone manner.
• A commitment to providing a high level of customer service.
• The ability to handle confidential matters with tact and discretion.
• A close attention to detail and a conscientious approach. 
• The ability to set standards and ensure implementation of those standards among the wider team.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to plan and prioritise, multi-task and stay focused and work efficiently despite frequent interruptions. 
• The ability to react to situations as they arise with a calm, proactive and ‘solution’ based approach, including at times of pressure. 
• Initiative; use of judgement on when to inform senior staff of issues arising.
• Well-developed written communication skills, with high standards of literacy, and the ability to draft high quality correspondence and other documents.
• Well-developed ICT skills with a good working knowledge of the Microsoft Office suite and Outlook (or similar email programmes). 
• The ability to work both independently and as part of a team.

Working Hours 

• Full time 9 hours per day (45 per week)
• Part time 5.25 hours per day (26.25 per week) – to alternate 0745-1300 and 1230-1745, Monday to Friday. 

Some flexibility in working hours to cover absence would be an advantage. 

In addition, there are 2 occasions in the year when Reception is required to be open on a   Saturday or during the evening. The Receptionists will be expected to cover these occasions for which overtime will be paid: Michaelmas Term-Open Morning and Lent Term-Entrance Exam Day.

To Apply

If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for The Perse School, please proceed through the following link to be redirected to our website to complete your application.

https://www.perse.co.uk/work-with-us/

Contact information

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