Receptionist

We are looking for a Receptionist to join our friendly office team at Paddock Wood Primary and to be the welcoming face of the academy. This is a very busy role and duties will vary day-to-day, but our successful candidate will ultimately undertake specific areas of responsibility, as allocated by the Office Manager, including supporting senior staff. The role would suit someone that is looking to get back into work and ongoing training can be offered, including in First Aid and IT. Ideally, our successful candidate will be personable, with excellent organisation skills and confident with dealing with members of staff and pupils. Basic IT skills is essential for this role.

This is a permanent, part-time opportunity offering an actual salary of £10,775 per annum (£22,072 full time equivalent) based on 21 hours per week (8.15am-3.45pm, 3 days per week), Term Time + 1 week. We would like the successful candidate to join us from July 2024.

Click here to view the current benefits package, and be mindful that the list is always growing.

Working at our school: We are a thriving and engaging three-form entry school in the heart of West Kent in the town of Paddock Wood. Our ethos encapsulates high standards and expectations, excellent learning and teaching, and the positive wellbeing of our pupils and colleagues. We have a strong and committed teaching team which is widely respected and supported by our academy community. Our teachers vary in experience from Newly Qualified to 30+ years, and each brings something valuable to share, and a passion to learn. Our staff and the wider Trust team has a lot to offer new colleagues, in terms of sharing experience and opportunities, and professional development and training. 

Our broad curriculum is supported by specialist teachers of music, French, PE, computing and outdoor education. Some features that help us stand out from other schools are that all of our pupils learn French, learn other subjects in French and leave us conversant in the language, pupils leave us with a strong understanding and appreciation of music and sporting skills and that we embed independence, stamina and considered risk into children’s learning, for example through EYFS and KS1 team games and initiative exercises, Year 3 outdoor/forest skills, Y4 mountain biking, Year 5 caving and kayaking, and Year 6 skiing/snow-boarding. We have our own school minibuses and we very frequently take children out into the local area and into central London, as well as taking Year 5 pupils to the Brecon Beacons and Year 6 pupils to France or Scotland. We have a strong regard for extra-curricular learning and a healthy catalogue of sporting and other successes and awards.

Our academy benefits from significant parent and community support, but we are not complacent - we are committed, hard-working and welcoming. Our children are delightful; calm, focused and very eager to learn.

‘Our highly ambitious community builds thinking learners, who act with agency and create lasting memories.’

Being part of Leigh Academies Trust: As of 1st April 2024, our Trust comprises 32 geographically organised academies (16 secondaries, 14 primaries and 2 special) educating more than 20,000 students and employing 3,000 talented staff. Nearly 40% of our academies are judged outstanding overall by Ofsted, versus 15% nationally. The Trust is establishing four ‘clusters’ of academies: North Kent; Central Kent; South East London; Medway. In addition, the Trust is responsible for one of the region’s biggest initial teaching training organisations, a large teaching school hub and is an accredited apprenticeship provider. Our future plans are found in our Vision 2030 document available on our website.

As part of Leigh Academies Trust, you will have ample opportunity to collaborate with your peers both within the academy and across the whole Trust. This is an important part of our vision as we know through experience that we perform better when we work together. You are supported to undertake regular self-development to continue your professional development and hopefully progress further within the organisation.

Click here to view the benefits available to all LAT employees from day one.

Our commitment to safeguarding: Leigh Academies Trust and all of our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We adopt a fair, robust and consistent recruitment process across all academies and business units which is inline with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. This includes online checks for shortlisted candidates - you can read more about this in our Recruitment Guidance. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check.

Our commitment to equality and diversity: As a Trust, we are passionate about diversity and recognise that as individuals, we all bring something unique to the role regardless of any protected characteristics which is why we treat all of our people equally, without compromise. We are committed to providing equality and fairness throughout our recruitment and employment practices and not discriminating on any grounds.

Based on the quality and quantity of applications received, Leigh Academies Trust reserves the right to close this vacancy sooner than the specified closing date. Applicants will be notified of this where possible. Therefore, early applications are encouraged.