School secretary

School secretaries provide administrative support in schools.

• Starter salary£22,000 a year
• Experienced£28,000 a year
• Typical hours36 to 38 a week

What you'll do

As a school secretary, you could:

• act as the main contact for parents, governors and pupils
• answer queries face to face, by email and by telephone
• greet visitors and provide refreshments
• use IT systems to run financial reports and other data analysis
• keep records up to date
• use scanners, photocopiers and printers
• order resources, pay invoices and deal with banking
• manage the school meal payment system

Working environment

You could work in an office, in a reception area or at a school.

Skills and knowledge you'll need

You'll need:

• administration skills
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• the ability to work well with others
• the ability to work on your own
• sensitivity and understanding
• to be flexible and open to change
• excellent verbal communication skills
• customer service skills
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

How to become a school secretary

You can get into this job through:

• a college course
• an apprenticeship
• working towards this role
• applying directly

College

You could complete a college course to get some of the skills needed for this job.

Courses include:

• support work in schools
• business administration
• T level in Management and Administration

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do an apprenticeship, such as:

• Administration Assistant Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
• Business Administrator Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
• School Business Professional Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
• 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Work

You could start as an admin assistant in a larger school or multi-academy trust and work your way into a secretarial post with more responsibility.

Direct application

You could apply directly to become a school secretary. Employers would expect you to have a good standard of general education and experience of office work.

You should be able to use common office software including spreadsheets. Knowledge of accounts packages would also be helpful, although employers may provide training in some of these.

Restrictions and requirements

You'll need to:

• pass enhanced background checks

Career path and progression

With experience, you could become a school business manager, or personal assistant (PA) to the headteacher.

Career tips

School secretaries may be employed term-time only. A working week can vary from a few hours up to full time.

Advertised pay rates are often listed as full-time equivalent (FTE) or pro rata. Actual pay will depend on the number of hours you work over a year.

Guides for this industry

• Education & Teaching: pay, interviews and getting started →

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