Westminster School - Head Master's Office Assistant

Summary

We are currently seeking to fill the position of Head Master's Office Assistant.

Detail

Required for: as soon as possible
Location: Deans Yard - Westminster School
Contract: full-time (term-time only), permanent
Salary: £26,982.98 (actual) based on a full-time equivalent of £35,000 per annum 
Benefits include: 

• free School meals when onsite
• a generous School pension scheme 
• free access to the School’s leisure facilities, including a fitness gym (restricted hours) 
• access the School’s Cycle to Work Scheme and season ticket loans following completion of our standard probation period

For this role, there is no fixed closing date. Applications will be considered on receipt, and interviews may occur at any stage.

For this role, we can only accept candidates who already hold the legal right to work in the UK and if successful will need to provide evidence at interview. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer sponsorships for applicants, or candidates currently working in the UK on a sponsored visa as we are unable to assist with renewal upon expiry.

The Head Master’s Office Assistant provides efficient and effective secretarial and administrative support to the Executive Assistant to the Head Master, to better enable their role in supporting all aspects of the Head Master’s time. They are a secondary point of contact for all things in the Head Master’s Office and possess a calm and professional attitude, combined with good organisational and secretarial skills.

They will be primarily responsible for the organisation of Teacher Cover, and also provide significant support to the Registration team in ascertaining pupil whereabouts, in line with safeguarding protocols. 

The office ethos is supportive and relaxed but a high degree of accuracy and confidentiality is expected, alongside the ability to work to deadlines and to act appropriately under pressure.

Reporting to, and working closely with, the Executive Assistant to the Head Master they will:

• Support the EA to the Head Master in all of their duties.
• Support the administration of the Emergency Response Plan as directed by the Executive Assistant to the Head Master.
• Provide an additional point of contact for people contacting the Head Master’s office.
• Maintain the paper filing system (including archiving of leavers’ files and creation of new files).
• Log staff absences.
• Administration of all staff cover (both planned and emergency) for lessons and Station (sport).

Administration of:

• East India Club referrals
• Emergency telephone list
• HM events, including dinners 
• Room bookings in the Head Master’s Drawing Room
• Maundy money
• Parking permits and parking requests
• Pupil awards (Praebendum and Digniora) and disciplinary matters
• Pupil proof of status requests
• Reference requests for former pupils
• Staff review cycle

Pupil registration (training will be provided):

• Updating LiveRegister based on registration, absence@westminster.org.uk and absentee feedback.
• Emailing housemasters with a list (by house) of pupils unaccounted for by 12 noon.
• Telephoning and emailing parents in the event that a day pupil remains unaccounted for as soon as possible.
• Informing the Under Master and Executive Assistant to the Under Master if a pupil cannot be tracked down
• Monitoring pupil absence and registration; advising Under Master on regular absenteeism.
• Pupil registration when in on the Saturday AM rotation.

General Administrator responsibilities

• Maintaining the email inboxes associated with their administrative responsibilities.
• Acting as the primary point of contact for their administrative area, making sure telephone callers and visitors receive a professional response and are dealt with appropriately. 
• Providing administrative support connected with their area of responsibility.
• Assisting the EA to the Head Master in maintaining the Head Master’s accurate and up to date calendar
• Minuting / noting and circulating information as requested.
• Manage the daily administration for Blackout (our mobile phone management system) by analysing Excel data and sharing information with appropriate tutors.
• Manage termly administration for Lower School Activities, using the school's intranet to collect data from pupils and allocate pupils to sessions.

Hours of work 
This is a full-time, term time only role.

Working hours are 08:15 to 16:15, Monday to Friday, with a one hour lunch break, and 08:15 to 13:15 on Saturdays where there is school (roughly equating to 20 Saturdays per year).

The expectation is that when Saturday mornings are to be worked, the postholder can either come in later one morning or leave early one afternoon during the weekday (with the fixed day agreed in advance) – equating to 35 hours per week.

Equal Opportunities
We are an equal opportunities employer. We therefore encourage candidates to apply irrespective of age, disability, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion and belief, gender identity, sex or sexual orientation.

Safeguarding and Child Protection
Westminster School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Working at Westminster

Westminster School is a busy, purposeful and vibrant place to be and an excellent workplace. The community is made up of around 750 pupils, 120 teaching staff and 108 support staff.

Our staff are friendly and welcoming, and all newcomers quickly become part of the rhythm of life here.

There is a real sense of community here as, being a boarding school many members of staff and pupils live on site and the School’s premises are very much treated as a home away from home. School life starts before breakfast and continues way beyond the working day; as a result, there is always a lively atmosphere in and around School and always someone to share a tea and biscuit with in the Common Room. Support staff as much as teaching staff are encouraged to embrace the School’s day-to-day activities, whether that be attending an evening concert or a morning service in the Abbey.

At Westminster we will always select the best candidate for every position. We do know, however, that we can only truly choose the best person on every occasion if a broad and diverse pool of candidates see the job advertised and are encouraged to apply.

As such, we continue to work on how our job roles are encountered, and particularly welcome applications from groups who have traditionally been underrepresented here.

Westminster School is for everyone, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic. We hope you are encouraged to apply.

The School

Westminster School is an independent day and boarding school for boys aged 13-18 and girls aged 16-18, with a long history, a distinctive ethos, and a unique sense of place in the very heart of London. Pupils achieve exceptional examination results and entrance to some of the top universities in the world. It is a busy, passionate and purposeful place where independent and deep thinking is enjoyed, encouraged and respected by all, and where holistic excellence is nurtured and valued.

While the School is one of the foremost centres of academic excellence in the country, its commitment to academic life does not make it a hothouse for passing examinations. Pupils’ success at examinations and entry to leading universities is instead a result of their enjoyment of academic enquiry, debate and search for explanation, well beyond published syllabuses. Pupils are intellectually, socially, ethically and politically engaged and our aim is to ensure that their enthusiasm for learning is developed further, allowing them to take full advantage of the opportunities presented to them in the future. At Westminster, pupils have the freedom to lead on projects outside of the classroom and embrace a whole range of extra-curricular activities and interests. A host of pupil-led societies take place every week at the School, often with expert guest speakers, and pupils can choose to study an additional language, play an instrument or two, volunteer in local primary schools, row along the Thames, take part in plays and musicals, and much more. 

The School’s ethos resides in the enduring values of the liberal tradition reflected in the 1560 Charter of Westminster’s Elizabethan foundation, where it is stated that: ‘the youth which is growing to manhood, as tender shoots in the wood of our state, shall be liberally instructed in good books to the greater honour of the state’. Whilst academic and cultural attainments are highly prized at Westminster, the School is fully committed also to each pupil’s spiritual, moral, emotional and physical development and wellbeing – with a particular emphasis on drawing out individual talent wherever it lies – and to prepare young people for fulfilled private and public lives.

From September 2028, the School will welcome both girls and boys at 13+ entry, offering a Westminster education to all. By 2026, Westminster Under School will have opened its brand new pre-prep for girls and boys at 4+ and girls will have joined boys in Years 3 and 7, at the 7+ and 11+ entry points. By 2030, all year groups at Westminster School and Westminster Under School, from ages four to 18, will be fully co-educational, reflecting the School’s dedication to inclusivity and excellence.

Documents

• Head Master's Office Assistant - person specification PDF Document