School Admissions Officer

School Admissions Officer

Job description

We are looking for an experienced and knowledgeable School Admissions Officerto join our School Admissions team.

This is a varied and rewarding role at the heart of our education service. You will help coordinate and deliver school admissions processes, ensuring applications and allocations are handled fairly, accurately and in accordance with legislation, statutory guidance and Council procedures.

Working as part of a busy and supportive team, you will:

• Coordinate and oversee key school admissions processes, including normal year-of-entry and in-year applications.
• Manage complex and sensitive admissions cases, applying admission arrangements and oversubscription criteria accurately and consistently.
• Make fair and timely decisions within the school admissions framework.
• Support Fair Access Protocol arrangements and the school admission appeals process, including representing the local authority at appeal hearings.
• Provide clear, specialist advice to parents and carers, schools, academies, trusts and other stakeholders by telephone, email and through website information.
• Explain complex or potentially sensitive decisions professionally and empathetically, including advising families about appeal rights where appropriate.
• Build effective relationships with schools, academies and trusts and support discussions around admissions policies, available places and oversubscription criteria.

The successful candidate will have significant experience in school admissions, school places planning, school organisation or a related education service, together with extensive knowledge of school admissions processes and the legislation and statutory guidance that underpin them.

You'll be confident handling complex cases and using policies, evidence and professional judgement to reach sound decisions. Excellent communication skills are essential, as you will regularly need to explain detailed information to parents, carers, schools and colleagues, sometimes in challenging or sensitive circumstances.

You'll also bring:

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent accuracy and attention to detail.
• The ability to manage competing priorities and meet strict statutory and operational deadlines.
• The ability to build positive working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Confidence using IT systems, databases and Microsoft Office applications.
• A professional, impartial and objective approach.
• Resilience and the ability to remain calm when dealing with difficult or contentious situations.
• A strong commitment to customer service, confidentiality, equality, diversity and inclusion.

You'll need to be educated to A level standard. Qualifications in education, business or public administration, data analysis or a related field would be advantageous, as would experience of school place planning, pupil forecasting and working with academies or multi-academy trusts.

This is an opportunity to take on a role where your expertise can make a genuine difference to children, young people and families.