JOB DESCRIPTION

Job title:Admissions Manager

Reporting to: Headteacher/Cognita UK Marketing and Admissions Manager

School:Oakfields Montessori School

School Overview

Oakfield’s MontessoriSchool is located in Upminster, Essex. It is situated in a large mansion house, which was built in 1782, and surrounded by seven and a half acres of gardens. In this beautiful and tranquil setting, boys and girls from three to eleven years are offered the very best of Montessori and traditional teaching in small classes. The School is proud of its pupils, all of whom are encouraged to achieve their individual potential, both academically and personally.

Principal responsibilities/duties

  • To manage and oversee the admissions process, including timely follow up and on-boarding of pupils
  • To ensure accurate upkeep of the SIMS admissions database for the extraction of data
  • Action internal and external PR and communications.
  • Report to Cognita Head Office (sometimes in person) re: pupil numbers including annual budget meeting.

Admissions Management

  • Responsible for handling all incoming admissions related enquiries from prospective parents (by telephone, letter, email , walk-ins & website).
  • Liaise with Headteacher and other relevant staff members to schedule parental visits to the school.
  • Implement pre-visit briefings for the Headteacher on all prospective parents who are visiting the school.
  • Action prompt post-visit follow-ups to parents who have made visits to the school
  • Maintain the prospective parents’ SIMS database and ensure accurate and timely data-input for every stage of the admissions process.
  • Organise, administer and promote Open Days, Taster Days, Induction Days, Assessment Days, new parent events, Transition Days and Parent Engagement Groups.
  • Manage the Nursery lists and changes to session take up.
  • Maintain stocks of admissions communication materials and implement regular reviews to ensure that the information is up-to-date.

SIMS Data Entry and Records Management

  • Maintain up-to-date personal records and parent contact details for all pupils on the SIMS database. Conduct annual audit and update records once a year.
  • Collect all necessary documentation relating to new joiners, make copies and file in central pupil record file.

Relationship Management

  • Provide a welcoming and efficient point of contact between parents and the School concerning all aspects of the Admissions process.
  • Execute communications with prospective and existing parents relating to school admissions.
  • Act as the central point of contact for marketing and admissions to Cognita Head Office.
  • Work in collaboration with the school administrative team to ensure registration fees and deposits are banked in a timely manner.
  • Report to the Headteacher / Line Manager on the pupil number forecast, marketing initiatives and retention activity.

Measurement, tracking and forecasting

  • Produce the weekly pupil forecast report for Head Office in conjunction with the Headmaster and other relevant staff.
  • Be responsible for the accuracy of the data contained within the pupil forecast and ensure the report is authorised for submission by the Headteacher each week.
  • Track, manage and analyse the admissions statistics (including enquiries, visits, registrations, offers, deposits, starters and leavers) on the SIMS database and report figures monthly to Cognita Head Office.

Administration support

  • Provide cover of the School Reception desk and deal with phone enquiries during the School holidays.
  • Provide cover of the School Reception desk during billing periods (at least once per term) and as requested during periods of financial review (ad hoc).
  • Undertake any other duties, as required regularly or occasionally, to ensure the smooth running of admissions, marketing and the school.

Required Experience and Skills

  • Experience of school admissions, ideally gained within in a similar role in the independent schools sector, would be an advantage but is not essential.
  • Excellent people skills with the ability to engage on a personal level, with prospective and existing parents and other relevant stakeholder groups to effectively promote the school and encourage admissions.
  • Good written communication skills with the ability to craft parent letters and other forms of external communication.
  • Accurate typing and data entry.
  • A pleasant and confident telephone manner.
  • Excellent front-of-house skills when meeting and greeting visitors.
  • Good ICT skills (e.g. Word, Access, Excel, PowerPoint). A knowledge of Content Management Systems and social media would be an advantage.
  • A methodical and efficient approach to office procedures and record-keeping.
  • Ability to prioritise and use initiative to progress own workload and to work efficiently to agreed deadlines.
  • Results oriented with the ability work to targets and to set own targets in support of the school’s admissions objectives.

JOB STANDARDS

Handling Incoming Enquiries

  • All telephone enquiries to be handled in a professional and pleasant manner.
  • All enquiries received by letter or e-mail are to be followed up within 24 hours. Where a message has been left from a prospective enquiry, calls are to be followed up on the same day or where this isn’t possible, within 24 hours.
  • A prospectus is to be sent out within 24 hours of the initial enquiry being received.
  • All admissions enquiries are to be recorded on the standard Enquiry Form and entered onto SIMS.

SIMS Data Management

  • Data on initial parent enquiry to be input onto SIMS within 24 hours of receiving the enquiry.
  • Subsequent SIMS data updates to be made within 24 hours of the enquiry progressing to the next stage of the admissions process.
  • Reasons for leaving to be captured for all non-natural leavers and input into SIMS.
  • Follow-on schools to be captured for all leavers and input into SIMS.

Lead Conversations

  • Target minimum conversion rate of 50% visits from initial enquiries.

Pupil Forecast Report

  • To be completed on time each week and submitted by end of day each Friday.
  • Be responsible for the accuracy of the pupil report including detail on ‘leaver’ reasons and narrative around any major variances to the prior forecast.

Communications

  • All parent communications to be well written with no grammar / spelling mistakes or inaccuracies.

School Holiday Periods

  • The Admissions Officer is required to work operating from within the school premises during each of the school holiday periods.
  • Any request to work from alternative locations including from home during any part of the school holiday period, must be requested and agreed on an individual basis with the Headteacher.

Safeguarding

The jobholder’s responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young persons for whom s/he is responsible, or with whom s/he comes into contact will be to adhere to and ensure compliance with the relevant Cognita Safeguarding; Child Protection Policy and Procedures at all times. If in the course of carrying out the duties of the role the job holder identifies any instance that a child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm, either at school or at home, s/he must report any concerns to the School’s Child Protection Officer/Designated Safeguarding Lead, or to the Head, or indeed to the Regional CEO so that a referral can be made accordingly to the relevant third party services.

Oakfields School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Safer recruitment practice and pre-employment checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed. Appointment is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for regulated activity.