Receptionist

Job title: Receptionist (Ark Blake Academy)

Location: East Croydon – Ten-minute walk from East Croydon station

Contract: Permanent; 37.5 hours per week – Term Time + 2 weeks    

Salary: Ark Outer London Grade 4 Scale points 3 - 7 (£25,633 to £27,245 actual salary) depending on experience

Start date: November 2024 or sooner

Closing date: 12.00pm on Monday 7th October 2024

Please note we will be reviewing applications on an ongoing basis and this advert may close earlier than advertised depending on the level of response. Early application is strongly advised.

Things are changing at Ark Blake.

Do you want to be part of a strong and developing team where you will help make a lasting impact on our students and unlock their life chances?

We currently have an opportunity for an exceptional Receptionist

to join our Office Team

About our school:

Ark Blake Academy is a growing and successful academy based in East Croydon that opened in September 2020.  We are consistently oversubscribed in every year group and currently have students in Years 7–11.  We are looking forward to our first cohort of students completing their GCSE studies in the summer of 2025.  We have an exceptionally strong team of committed staff at Ark Blake and are now seeking to recruit for further key roles to drive forward our ambitious plans.

At Ark Blake Academy, our mission for the school is to embed a powerful knowledge-rich curriculum and provide fantastic opportunities for character development, all underpinned by an environment where exemplary behaviour is the norm.  In terms of our school culture, it is based around the simple but powerful belief of ‘working hard, being kind and taking responsibility’.  We aim to become a leading school in London as quickly as possible by living out this day to day belief.

What we offer our staff?

·        Collaborative planning, centralised or shared resources

• Clear and consistent behaviour systems
• Knowledge rich curriculum & traditional T&L approach
• Highly visible supportive leaders who have your back
• Centralised daily detentions
• Realistic and manageable feedback policy
• Excellent CPD opportunities – internal & within network
• Thoughtful and impactful meeting schedule with time for co-planning
• Friday afternoon co-planning following earlier student dismissal
• Free breakfast daily

Why Work at Ark Blake Academy?

Further information about working at Ark Blake can be found here.

The role

We are seeking an exceptional Receptionist to join our Office Team, to work in close partnership with our Office Manager.  As the Receptionist, you will be the welcoming face of the school providing a positive first impression to all visitors, parents and carers, students and staff. You will collaborate with members of various teams to uphold the vision and ethos of the Academy at all times and provide outstanding general administrative support and customer service to a range of stakeholders.  

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to grow with the Academy and be supported in developing their knowledge and skillset. 

In addition to professional support all employees are eligible for Ark Rewards, a scheme that offers discounts at many retailers and other benefits such as Cycle to Work and the Employee Assistance Programme.

You will demonstrate:

·        Excellent team working skills

·        Excellent communication skills, both written and spoken

·        Empathy, patience, reliability and consistency

·        Flexibility, proactivity and a willingness to change approaches when necessary

·        A high level of self-awareness and self-management

·        Resilience, motivation and commitment to achieving excellence

·        Ability to be reflective and proactive in seeking feedback to constantly improve practice

·        An unwavering determination to deliver an excellent customer service and administration support for all our students, parents/carers and stakeholders

·        Courtesy, professionalism and tact and present a positive image in a busy Reception/Office environment

For further information please refer to the full job description and person specification.

Ark Blake Academy is part of Ark, one of the UK’s most successful school groups, with a network of 39 schools in 4 locations across the country.

As a proud member of the network, we offer:

·        Salaries 2.5% higher than main pay scale

·        Twice as many training days as standard

·        Generous pension scheme

·        Access to Ark Rewards – a scheme offering savings from over 3,000 major retailers

·        Interest free loans – up to £5,000 available for season tickets or to buy a bicycle

·        Gym discounts offering up to 40% off membership

·        Access to our Employee Assistance programme providing free confidential counselling, legal advice and a range of support

·        Access to high-quality, regular professional development

·        Opportunities to collaborate with colleagues across the network

How to apply:

Please click ‘apply’ on the website you are visiting to complete an online application form.

Please click here for other vacancies.

For more information about our school, please visit: www.arkblake.org.  To arrange a confidential conversation about this role, or if you have any further questions please contact: v.rouse@arkblake.org