Job Title: Administrative Manager
Job Location: Acorn School, Winkleigh (EX19)
Salary: £24,227.84 based on working 40 hours per week, term time only (39.2 weeks per year)
Contract Type: Permanent – Term Time Only
Are you ready to join an Ofsted-Rated Good School with Ambitions for Excellence?
Acorn School is hiring an Administrative Manager, where you’ll play a key part in supporting our Head Teacher and our pupils’ educational experience within a nurturing and inclusive environment.
You'll be the warm, welcoming face for pupils, families, and visitors and the calm, professional voice that sets the tone for every interaction. As both the first and last point of contact, your approach will help ensure everyone who connects with our school feels respected, supported, and valued.
You’ll oversee daily operations, ensure compliance with internal processes, and contribute to continuous improvement. Your attention to detail, strong organisational skills, and positive leadership will be essential in maintaining the high standards that support our "Good" Ofsted rating and help us grow even further.
If you’re ready to bring your experience, initiative, and passion into a role where your impact truly matters, we’d love to hear from you!
Please note: Interviews for this role will not take place until September 2025.
A day in the life of an Administrative Manager will involve:
- Being the first point of contact and welcoming face of the school, for visitors and callers, and ensuring all inquiries are handled with professionalism and care.
- Leading and supporting the administrative team, providing guidance, allocating tasks, and fostering a collaborative environment to ensure the smooth running of the school.
- Overseeing and managing key administrative functions, including admissions processes, attendance records, and compliance with examination protocols, while maintaining meticulous attention to detail.
- Supporting the school community by addressing administrative needs, ensuring team members have the resources and systems to function effectively.
- Promoting safeguarding, health, and safety standards, ensuring compliance with policies and creating a secure, inclusive environment for pupils, families, and team members.
To be a successful Administrative Manager, you’ll need:
- Proven Administrative and Leadership Expertise: Experience in a forward-facing role, managing diverse individuals and administrative tasks, with proficiency in education-based systems.
- Outstanding Communication and Relationship Skills: Strong verbal and written communication abilities, including tact and diplomacy, to engage effectively with parents, external agencies, team members, and young people.
- Organisational and Problem-Solving Skills: Demonstrated ability to manage workloads, prioritise tasks under pressure, and lead an administrative team to ensure smooth operations.
- Commitment to Professionalism and Development: A positive attitude toward professional growth, including undertaking training, and a dedication to fostering a supportive, inclusive school environment.
- Experience of working with vulnerable young people or those with SEND needs, and ideally qualifications like NVQ Level 3 in Administration.
In return for your time, you’ll get:
- Holidays – You’ll get 28 days annual leave. You’ll still need to work on bank holidays if the rota requires. You’ll also get an extra day off for your birthday after your first year with us.
- Pension scheme– Our pension scheme is based on you paying in 5%, and us adding 3%.
- Learning & Development Opportunities – We provide comprehensive learning opportunities for team members to develop themselves.
- Discounts – You’ll have access to brilliant discounts through the Blue Light Card and our own employee benefits platform.
- Wellbeing Support – Your wellbeing is always our priority. You’ll have access to mental health and wellbeing support. On top of this, our therapies team offers a monthly confidential check in clinic, and group reflective practice sessions.
- Cycle2Work -The cycle to work scheme enables you to buy a bicycle at a discounted rate.
- DBS – As this role required you to have an enhanced DBS carried out, we will cover this cost.
- Sleep-in Allowance - You have the potential to earn up to an additional £6,183 per year, based on completing 10 sleep-in shifts per month - but these are not guaranteed.
- After 12 months service - You’ll also be eligible for our Medicash scheme which covers a wide range of medical, health and wellbeing expenses (Including immediate access to a GP!). You’ll get life assurance paid at x2 your annual salary.
In line with safer recruitment guidelines, we will run an online check on the successful candidate. This can and may include any public social media profiles.
At Phoenix Learning and Care, we pride ourselves on our diverse workforce, and ensuring we have an inclusive environment for all our team members. We remain committed to ensuring our teams can bring their true selves to work without risk or fear of discrimination.