School Receptionist

School Receptionist

Chaigeley School, Lymm Road, Thelwall, Warrington, WA4 2TE
Part-time, term time only
16hrs per week Monday to Thursday, 12:30pm to 4:30pm
NJC Payscale Spine 1 to 4
Actual Pay £9,266 to £9,634 (FTE £24,224 to £25,185)
To start as soon as possible

About us
Chaigeley School is a Non-maintained Special School that caters for young people between the ages of 8 and
16 who experience Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) difficulties. We provide a specialist
environment where all pupils have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Our school ethos is rooted in
the Quaker principle of respect for the individual and valuing every person's contribution. We are an Ofsted-
rated 'Good' school committed to supporting every pupil to achieve their best. Our Vision is to prepare and
empower our young people with all the skills they need to live independent lives, become valued members of
the community and achieve their true potential.

The Role
We are seeking a part-time professional, welcoming and highly organised School Receptionist to be the first
point of contact for our school community. The post holder will play a vital role in ensuring the smooth and
efficient running of the school reception and supporting wider administrative functions.

The role involves managing all aspects of the school reception, including handling telephone and face-to-face
enquiries with empathy and discretion, ensuring the reception area is staffed at key times of the school day,
and maintaining a calm, orderly and secure environment. You will be responsible for managing visitors,
ensuring safeguarding and security procedures are followed at all times, and maintaining accurate sign-in
systems and evacuation records.

In addition, the role includes responsibility for school attendance processes, ensuring registers are accurately
completed, absence messages are managed appropriately, and relevant staff are informed while maintaining
confidentiality. You will also provide administrative support, including managing mail, stationery and uniform
supplies, supporting staff queries, maintaining office systems, and ensuring pupil records are kept accurate
and up to date. The post holder will be responsible to organise, book and confirm supply staff.

Health and safety, security and safeguarding are central to this role. You will be expected to understand and
follow all relevant school policies, participate in emergency procedures when required, and demonstrate a
strong commitment to safeguarding in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education. As with all roles in school,
duties may evolve to meet the changing needs of the organisation.

The Candidate
The successful candidate will be friendly, calm and professional, with the ability to work effectively in a busy
environment. You will have excellent communication skills and be confident interacting with pupils, parents,
staff and external visitors. A high level of discretion, confidentiality and attention to detail is essential.

You will be organised, flexible and proactive, able to prioritise tasks and respond to changing demands
throughout the school day. Confidence in using and learning new IT systems is important, along with the
ability to maintain accurate data across multiple platforms. Experience within a school setting, particularly in a
SEND or SEMH environment, would be advantageous but is not essential.

Essential Qualifications and Experience:

•  Proven experience in general administrative duties
•  Ability to maintain detailed, accurate and confidential records
•  Strong oral and written communication skills
•  Ability to organise, prioritise and work effectively in a busy office environment
•  Confidence in liaising professionally with parents, pupils, staff and external bodies
•  Willingness and ability to learn new IT systems and processes
•  Competence in maintaining data quality across office systems
•  GCSE Maths and English at grade C/4 or equivalent
•  Understanding of safeguarding requirements, including Keeping Children Safe in Education
•  Understanding of GDPR principles
•  Willingness to undertake training as required
•  Clear and enhanced DBS check

If you've got what it takes to join our amazing team, complete the application form located on our website
www.chaigeley.org.uk and email it across to HR@Chaigeley.org.uk no later than Midnight on the 1st
February 2026. Please include a brief supporting letter outlining your suitability, skills and
experience for the role. Interviews will take place shortly after the closing date.

You are welcome to come and visit the school prior to submitting your application. To do so, please email
your request to HR@Chaigeley.org.uk

This position is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Therefore, the successful applicant will be required to disclose any
relevant criminal convictions, cautions, reprimands, or final warnings.

An Enhanced DBS check will be undertaken for the successful candidate. An online check will be carried out for all shortlisted candidates
and references may be requested prior to interview. Our school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and
young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and
encourage applications from individuals regardless of race, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, or religion. If you have a disability
and need any adjustments to help you with an interview, then let us know and we will be happy to work with you to find out more about
what you need.

All personal information provided in the application process will be handled in accordance with data protection
legislation and will be used solely for the purposes of recruitment and selection.

Job Description
School Receptionist

Responsible for
School reception duties and administration support for staff and pupils in school.

Main Purpose
To undertake reception and administration work for school as directed by the senior leadership team (SLT) and
the Assistant Business & Finance Manager. Within the conditions of service, the post holder will be responsible to
the Business & Finance manager and in consultation with the Assistant Business & Finance Manager.

Job Profile

Reception
•  Handle  incoming  telephone  calls  in  line  with  the  established  procedures  ensuring  that  empathy  is

shown with parents/carers and pupils.  Taking clear messages when necessary

•  Ensure  that  the  school  reception  is  manned  at  critical  times  such  as  when  a  visitor  is  expected  or

during key times such and start and finish of school, lunchtime traffic and trips.
•
Log calls on Arbor, the schools information system and forward messages to the relevant recipient.
•  Keep the reception desk clean, tidy and free of clutter ensuring no confidential paperwork is left out

on the desk at anytime.

•  Manage  all  visitors  by  getting  the  visitor(s)  to  sign  into  the  schools’  signing  in  electronic  system
issuing every visitor with a badge.  Notify the staff member who they are visiting on their arrival and
escort visitors to the meeting place if needed.

•  Ensure the Inventry System always reflects the correct information ensuring the evacuation reports

are correct.

•  Manage the sign in and out of the spare key sets, ensuring they are counted and present at the end

of the day.

•  Arrange  refreshments  for  meetings  as  requested  board  meetings,  SLT  meetings  and  meetings  with

external people and ensure the meeting room is presentable and ready.

School Attendance
•  Ensure the  attendance  is  complete  on  Arbor, ensuring  absence  reasons  are  correctly  coded in  line

with DfE guidance and relevant notes are completed.
Following up unexplained absences (e.g. phone calls, texts, emails to parents/carers)

•
•  Manage  the  absence  telephone  messaging  system.  notifying  relevant  staff  about  pupil  and  staff

absences whilst maintaining confidentiality.

Administration and Office Duties
•  Attend to simple photocopier faults i.e. paper jams, toner.  Report all other faults to the supplier’s

engineer immediately.
•
Sort incoming mail and distribute
•  Prepare outgoing mail for posting.
•  Write procedures for all aspects of work within your area and review and update when required.
•  Manage  the  school  stationary  including  keeping  within  budget,  ensuring  the  school  has  sufficient

stock and managing staff requests for stationary items in a prompt and professional manner.

•  Manage the school uniform for pupils ensuring sufficient stock is maintained, negotiating prices with
suppliers and  ensuring  quality  control  is  in  place.  Assist  parents  with  the  supply  of uniform,  collect
monies when necessary.

•  Assist new parents in downloading and using the ParentApp.
•
•
•

Support staff with queries as needed.
Liaise with parents of prospective new pupils to organise and distribute uniforms.
Flexibility is required, as the post holder may be asked to assist other Support Services teams during
staff shortages or special events, for example supporting kitchen operations.

•  Ensure the photocopiers, coffee machines and meeting room supplies and equipment is kept in full

working order

•  Be based in the school office as and when required.
•  Preparedness to undertake other team member responsibilities in their absence.

Supply Staff
•  Book and organise the supply staff ensuring that all necessary paperwork is on file.
•  Ensure and develop relationships with supply agencies ensuring we have the correct, accurate and up

to date information on file.

•  Carry out the induction with temporary supply staff ensuring that we comply with all requirements

under KCSIE

•  Maintain the supply staff tracker and a Single Central Record

Information Systems and Data
•  Ensure that pupil files are always kept up to date within Arbor.
•  Maintain  the  quality  of  the  data  held  in  all  associated  office  systems  including  but  not  limited  to
Arbor, Inventry, Parentapp, and collaboration spaces such as the  365 calendar, white board, Teams
and Sharepoint

•  Responsible to ensure the data of the visitor, contractor, external DBS tracker and SCR is up to date

at all times.

Security, Health & Safety
•  Ensure  that  you  are  familiar  with all  aspects  of  health  and  safety  including  security,  fire  safety  and

emergency procedures, so that established good practices are adhered to.
•  Take part in and undertake any emergency fire drill or emergency evacuation.
•  Undertake training in the safe use of fire extinguishers and any other health & safety training when

required to do so or as instructed.

•  Have an awareness of security.
•  To adhere to the Health and Safety policy and procedures

Safeguarding

All staff are expected to have an understanding and adhere to the school’s Safeguarding Policy (including
Child Protection) and the document “Keeping Children Safe in Education” produced by the Department
for Education.

At all times, carry out his/her responsibilities with due regard to the schools policies and procedures,
for example Equal opportunities policy.

From time to time undertake to review the job description and alter it in accordance with the changing
needs of the school.

The post holder may reasonably be expected to undertake other duties commensurate with the level
of responsibility that may be allocated from time to time by a member of the Governing Body, SLT or
the assistant business & finance manager.

This job description is relating to the present post holder.  As with all job descriptions it is open for review
and should be seen only as an indication of possible duties and not set in stone.

Person Specification - School Receptionist

Experience, Knowledge & Skills
Proven experience in general administration duties
Ability to maintain detailed and accurate records
Ability to liaise professionally with parents, pupils, staff and external
bodies.
Ability to support staff with various queries
Good oral and written communication skills
Ability to work in a busy office environment
Ability to organise and prioritise tasks, work as directed and as part of a
team
Ability to embrace and learn new IT Systems, processes and procedures
Understanding of school operations
Experience of a SEND/SEMH environment

Personal Attribute
A flexible approach to work
Reliability and professionality

A strong commitment to maintaining confidentiality
Excellent communication manner
Ability to relate to children
A proactive approach to tasks and
Tolerance, understanding, patience and humour

IT Proficiency
Competence in maintaining data quality across associated office systems
Ability to embrace and learn new IT Systems
Ability to use a range of systems such as MIS Systems, Microsoft suite

Education, Qualifications and Training
Maths and English at grade C/4 or equivalent
Willingness to participate in training courses
An understanding of Keeping Children Safe in Education
An understanding of GDPR
Health and Safety Awareness

E/D
Essential
Essential

Evidenced via
Application/Interview
Application/Interview

Essential

Application/Interview

Essential
Essential
Essential

Application/Interview
Application/Interview
Application/Interview

Essential

Application/Interview

Essential
Desirable
Desirable

E/D
Essential
Essential
Essential
Essential
Desirable
Essential
Essential

E/D
Essential
Essential
Desirable

E/D
Essential
Essential
Essential
Essential
Desirable

Application/Interview
Application/Interview
Application/Interview

Evidenced via
Interview
Interview
Interview
Interview

Interview
Interview
Interview

Evidenced via
Application/Interview
Application/Interview
Application/Interview

Evidenced via
Application/Checks
Interview
Interview
Interview
Interview

Other
Clear DBS Check

E/D
Essential

Evidenced via
Checks