School secretary

School secretaries manage school offices and provide administrative support to the head teacher and other staff. Their duties vary considerably depending on the size and type of school. Secretaries in small primary schools have more varied duties and more contact with pupils and parents. Those in large secondary schools are more likely to specialise in one aspect of the work.

Work activities

School secretaries provide administrative and secretarial support to the head teacher, senior managers and other staff in schools. They use a computer to produce letters, reports and brochures, for example. They might act as a personal assistant to the head teacher, organising their diary and making appointments. They might also be known as school administrators. Secretaries sometimes take minutes of meetings (an account of what was discussed and agreed). Some secretaries do shorthand or audio transcription. They might be responsible for producing a regular school newsletter for staff and parents, or programmes and tickets for school performances or events such as an open day. They might use a desktop publishing application to do this. They manage the school office and organise the handling of incoming and outgoing mail, record keeping, filing and photocopying. In smaller schools, they might do this work themselves; in larger schools, they might supervise one or more clerical assistants. School secretaries are often the first point of contact in the school; they answer the telephone and greet visitors. In smaller schools, they might have regular contact with the pupils, for example, collecting class registers. They will also have contact with parents, for example, to follow up unauthorised absences, deal with problems or arrange meetings.

School secretaries often keep computerised records of school activities including numbers of pupils, absences, exam entries and results and financial information. They might also be responsible for checking, ordering and receiving supplies. They could use spreadsheets and databases in this work. They often handle cash such as dinner money or payments for school trips, photographs or uniforms. They might also organise supply cover for staff who are absent and assist with parents’ evenings. Some school secretaries support the recruitment of teachers by sending out application forms and showing applicants round the school. Being able to read, write and speak Welsh may be an advantage when you’re looking for work in Wales.

Personal qualities and skills

As a school secretary, you’ll need to:

Have good word-processing and IT skills.
Be well organised and able to prioritise your tasks.
Be flexible and able to manage several tasks at once.
Have record-keeping skills.
Adopt a calm, common-sense approach.
Have interpersonal skills and a sense of humour.
Be able to work under pressure.
Have excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Get on well with different people.
Enjoy working with children and young people.
Be tactful and able to keep confidential information.
Have audio-transcribing skills.
Work on your own initiative.
Pay attention to detail.
Have number and cash-handling skills.

Some school secretaries need shorthand skills. School secretaries who are responsible for one or more clerical assistants will need supervisory skills.

Pay and opportunities

Salaries for school secretaries vary. The pay rates given are approximate. School secretaries earn in the range of £15,000 - £21,000 a year.

School secretaries usually work 36-38 hours, Monday to Friday, with occasional attendance at evening meetings. Full-time, part-time, temporary and flexible working arrangements might be available. Typically, school secretaries work during term-time, plus an extra two, or three, weeks during school holidays.

Employers are primary schools, secondary schools and academies in the state and independent sectors. Opportunities for school secretaries occur in schools in towns and cities, and some rural areas, around the UK.

Where are vacancies advertised?

Vacancies are advertised on the LGJobs and individual local council websites, on job boards, in local newspapers, and on the Government’s Find a Job service.

Entry routes and training

New entrants usually have secretarial qualifications. A variety of courses cover secretarial and IT user skills such as text processing, shorthand and audio transcription. Courses lead to OCR, EDI, City & Guilds or Edexcel (BTEC) qualifications, and are available at local further education colleges. An alternative route is to find employment as a school office administrative assistant and learn on-the-job, with part-time study towards nationally recognised secretarial qualifications. You may be able to find an intermediate or advanced apprenticeship scheme in this role.

It might be possible to work towards relevant Awards, Certificates and Diplomas, including business and administration (levels 1-4). Many school secretaries go on short training courses to learn how to complete the computerised school information management records. You might be able to take the level 2 Award in support work in schools, or the school administration foundation Certificate. It might be possible to study towards the level 3 National Certificate in educational administration by distance learning.

Some school secretaries take further training to become business managers or bursars, managing the school’s finances. The Institute of School Business Leadership offers a programme for existing and aspiring school business managers/bursars. If you are interested in this area, the level 4 higher apprenticeship in the role of school business professional may be of interest.

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act: This career is an exception to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. This means that you must supply information to an employer about any spent or unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings, if they ask you to. This is different from other careers, where you only have to reveal information on unspent convictions if you are asked to.

Qualifications

The entry requirements for secretarial courses vary depending on the course and the college. Some might ask you to sit an entrance test. Employers are likely to look for about four GCSEs at grades 9-4, including English. A relevant work-related qualification in a business subject, such as an Edexcel (BTEC) level 2 First qualification, might be accepted for entry.

In general, employers want to see evidence of fast, accurate typing skills (at about 40-50 words per minute), together with general IT and office skills.

If you wish to enter this career through an intermediate or advanced apprenticeship, you will need GCSEs in maths and English, although you may be able to undertake these alongside your apprenticeship programme.

Adult opportunities

Age limits: It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

Some entrants have a relevant background, such as in office and administrative work. Some college courses are aimed specifically at people wanting to gain or update their keyboard and secretarial skills. These can be organised on a one- or two-term full-time intensive basis or taken part-time. Colleges will usually consider applications from adults who do not meet their usual entry requirements. You should check the admissions policy of individual colleges.

Related careers

Personal assistant
School business manager
Secretary