Yarrells: A great big hug of a school!
Yarrells School | Dorset | 30–32 hours per week | Term time plus four additional weeks | £26,436.80–£28,080 FTE
Are you friendly, organised, professional, and confident dealing with people?
Yarrells School is looking for an enthusiastic School Secretary and Administrator to join our busy and welcoming Administration and Reception team.
This is much more than a traditional reception role. As one of the first points of contact for pupils, parents, prospective families, visitors, and telephone callers, you will play an important role in representing the School and creating the warm, professional welcome for which Yarrells is known.
Alongside front-of-house responsibilities, you will provide important administrative support across the School, including pupil registration and attendance, Admissions, parent communications, trips and events, school activities, and general office administration.
We are looking for someone who enjoys variety, takes pride in being organised, and is able to remain calm, friendly, and professional in a busy school environment.
About the Role
Your responsibilities will include:
- Welcoming parents, pupils, visitors, prospective families, contractors, and other members of the School community.
- Managing the School's main Reception and entrance.
- Answering and directing incoming telephone calls.
- Managing the School's main office email account.
- Dealing professionally with parent, pupil, and visitor enquiries.
- Maintaining visitor signing-in and signing-out procedures.
- Supporting pupil registration and attendance, including following up unexplained absences.
- Maintaining fire registers and registers for pupils signing out of School.
- Supporting the administration of after-school activities and late stays.
- Providing administrative support to the Admissions team.
- Supporting new pupil administration, taster days, visiting pupils, and the parent portal.
- Supporting the administration of the School's extra-curricular clubs programme.
- Supporting trips, sports fixtures, events, performances, Parents' Evenings, and Open Days.
- Preparing registers, lists, programmes, signage, and other School materials.
- Managing incoming and outgoing post and deliveries.
- Maintaining staff pigeonholes and other office systems.
- Supporting School photography arrangements and liaising with external photographers.
- Monitoring room bookings.
- Providing general administrative support across the School.
- Working closely with colleagues across Administration, Admissions, Catering, Finance, Estates, Marketing, Nursery, teaching staff, and the Senior Leadership Team.
It is important that the successful candidate takes an interest in what happens across the School. You will need to develop a good working knowledge of School routines, activities, staff, and events so that you can deal confidently with enquiries and, wherever possible, provide solutions rather than simply passing people on.
About You
We are looking for someone who is:
- Warm and welcoming – someone who genuinely enjoys meeting and helping people.
- Highly organised – able to manage a varied workload and keep on top of competing priorities.
- Professional and trustworthy – comfortable handling confidential and sensitive information.
- An excellent communicator – confident and professional both face-to-face, on the telephone, and in writing.
- Calm under pressure – able to respond positively when the School office becomes particularly busy.
- Proactive – someone who notices what needs doing and takes the initiative to get it done.
- Flexible and reliable – willing to support colleagues and respond to changing priorities.
- A team player – happy to work closely with colleagues across the whole School.
- IT confident – comfortable using Microsoft Office and willing to learn new systems.
Previous experience in a school, office, reception, administration, or customer-facing environment is essential. Experience of working in a school or nursery would be an advantage, although it is not essential.
Knowledge of iSAMS would also be beneficial, but full training can be provided for the right candidate.
Why Join Yarrells?
Yarrells is a thriving independent preparatory school in Dorset with a strong family feel and a welcoming community.
You will be joining a friendly and supportive Administration team and will have the opportunity to play a genuinely important role in the day-to-day life of the School.
We offer:
- A friendly, supportive, and collaborative working environment.
- A beautiful school setting.
- A varied role with genuine responsibility.
- Opportunities for training and professional development.
- The opportunity to work alongside a dedicated and supportive team.
- Staff fee remission.
- Free lunch during term time.
- On-site parking.
Working Pattern and Salary
Hours: 30–35 hours per week, Monday to Friday
Working pattern: 08:00-14:30 (Monday to Thursday) and 10:30-17:00 (Friday)
Contract: Permanent, term time only plus four additional working weeks during school holiday periods
Salary: £26,436.80–£28,080 FTE, pro rata for hours and weeks worked
Start date: as soon as possible in September 2026
How to Apply
If you are an organised, friendly, and professional individual who would enjoy being at the heart of a busy and welcoming School community, we would love to hear from you. Please complete our application form on the TES website.
Closing date: 31 August 2026
Interviews: early September 2026
Early applications are encouraged, as Yarrells School reserves the right to interview suitable candidates before the closing date and may close the vacancy early should a successful appointment be made.
Yarrells School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All appointments will be subject to satisfactory safeguarding checks, including an enhanced DBS check.
Job Types: Permanent, Part-time
Pay: £26,436.80-£28,080.00 per year
Benefits:
- Employee discount
- On-site parking
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Poole BH16 5EU: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Experience:
- Administrative: 1 year (required)
Language:
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
