School Secretary prep School

The Role

An opportunity has arisen for a proactive and motivated individual with outstanding administrative and customer service skills to join Fettes Preparatory School as School Secretary. Reporting to the P.A. to the Headmaster, this role is the face of the Prep School, providing a warm welcome for pupils, parents and visitors.

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

Face of Fettes Prep

• To provide an efficient and courteous reception service, ensuring that parents, pupils, Governors, staff and others who visit the school receive a prompt and helpful service. This will include answering telephones, managing emails and the electronic security doors
• To ensure all telephone and personal enquiries are dealt with efficiently and effectively in a way that promotes a positive image of the school
• To ensure the reception area and foyer are tidy and hazard free
• Ensure GDPR compliance in all reception related activity
• Maintain confidentiality at all times

Administrative & Office Duties

• To meet operational needs by providing a high-level secretarial, administrative and clerical service to all staff
• Maintain the school's main register of all pupil attendance records and ensuring class lists are regularly printed off for fire drills
• Ensure Form Tutors take their registers (twice daily)
• Pick up and action any messages regarding pupil absence, ensuring it is recorded in isams, the school's database and informing Form Tutors
• Manage the Prep School calendar and ensure that any communication relevant to trips in the calendar is sent out to parents at least a week in advance
• Create and distribute a weekly bulletin to all parents, Governors and Prep School staff
• Assist the Director of Studies with the distribution of Orders and Reports
• Manage a high-quality mail service, ensuring timely distribution of outgoing mail and delivery of incoming mail to relevant pigeonholes
• Check stock levels of stationery and order replenishments as required
• Undertake any other duties appropriate to the grade and role

The Ideal Candidate

Please see the full Job Description

About the school/organisation

ABOUT FETTES

Fettes College is a leading HMC co-educational boarding and day school close to the heart of Edinburgh. It has a strong tradition of academic, sporting and cultural excellence underpinned by outstanding pastoral care. Fettes opened its doors in 1870 and became fully co-educational in 1980: it is now an independent school of some 785 students. There are 594 students in the Senior School years) and 191 students in the Preparatory School (7-13 years). Fettes follows the English curriculum of GCSEs, and the dual pathway of A Levels and IB. Our full-boarding ethos ensures weekends are vibrant and fun.

The academic staff in the Senior School consists of the Head and 91 full-time members of the Common Room. Our Prep School shares the same site and consists of a further 29 full-time teaching staff. Fettes is a collaborative community in which every member is working towards fully realising their potential whilst supporting those around them.

The school stands on a stunning and secure 100-acre site, but still within walking distance of Edinburgh's city centre. The historic main building holds the Chapel, Library, the English, Classics and History Departments as well as the Medical Centre and two boarding houses. A large purpose-built teaching block (the Spens Building) houses Art, Modern Languages, Mathematics, Economics, Geography and Music. The Theatre, Science Laboratories and Dining Hall are adjacent. The Preparatory School and seven further boarding houses (including a purpose-built co-educational U6th House) are also on the campus. Our sports facilities (including extensive playing fields, two all-weather pitches and a private Health Club) are excellent.

We have a commitment to build even more ground-breaking facilities, including a Wellbeing Centre and construction of new Science and Innovation buildings.

As well as our teaching staff we employ over 220 Operational Staff across the many departments, including Estates, Security, Housekeeping, Finance, Admissions and Marketing with a pervading sense of community amongst staff, students and parents alike.

OUR VISION

We have created and developed a bold new vision for Fettes, one which focuses on what we believe Fettesians should aspire to be, the skills they will need in life and the impact we want them to make in the world.

We have called this vision Fettes Moving Forward: A place to live. A place to learn. A place to grow. You can find out more about the vision - and how it shapes and informs Fettes' future at

Please also watch (with sound on) our film below - Ode to Place - which complements the vision and captures the ethos of Fettes College and what a Fettes education means.

THE AIMS OF THE COLLEGE

Fettes College will ensure that our students:

• Feel valued and respected as individuals
• Receive the highest possible quality of education, engaging them in rigorous and relevant opportunities in a dynamic curriculum that creates lifelong learners
• Feel safe, have a sense of personal worth, are thoughtful and considerate of the needs of others, while possessing a willingness to take on responsibility
• Are encouraged to stretch and challenge themselves
• Develop a sense of self-confidence, integrity, emotional resilience, loyalty, good manners, leadership skills and teamwork
• Value a sense of community
• Are surrounded by inspirational caring staff
• Feel represented and are provided with equal opportunities regardless of gender, identity, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity or religion.

"Our Students will leave the school knowing themselves, looking out for others, capable of thinking critically and ready to make a positive mark on their rapidly changing world. They will be bold and visionary yet compassionate; they will possess a global perspective and be ready to embrace the opportunities of the future" Helen Harrison, Head

Package Description

This is a permanent full-time term time plus role*, working 35 hours per week Monday to Friday (exact hours to be confirmed during interview but likely to be 9am to 5pm with a one-hour unpaid lunch break). Occasional Saturday work will be required, including participation in Open Days and Assessment Days. Term times can be found here:

Salary: Circa £22,500 depending on experience

Staff Benefits: In addition to being a part of a great team, you will be entitled to a range of

benefits that include:

• Parking within the campus grounds. The campus is easily accessed by car and bus; there is a bus stop located outside the campus serving several routes across the city and to rail stations.
• 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
• Excellent Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).
• 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.
• Access to discounted healthcare, additional life insurance, shopping discounts, etc through our 4me benefits portal

Term time plus explained*

• Two additional days worked after the end of Summer term to ensure all work has been

Completed before the school is closed for the summer break

• Return to school three days before the Autumn Term Inset day and one day before the

Spring and Summer term inset days each year