Cover Manager

Gillotts School, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 1PS

19 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  As soon as possible

• Closing date

  23 September 2026 at 12pm (midday)

• Date listed

  4 September 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Administration, HR, data and finance
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Part time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full time equivalent salary: £26,824.00 - £29,065.00 Annually (FTE) Actual starting salary £20,804 per annum

Cover Manager job summary

The Pitch

Morning cover in a busy secondary environment requires swift decision-making and precise coordination. Supported by clear, school-wide cover and administrative processes, your detailed organisation and planning will ensure there are no interruptions to learning, even if a teacher is absent.

Why This Role Matters You are the cornerstone of our morning routine. By coordinating planned and short-notice cover in advance or from home before heading onto site, you ensure that our classes are covered by experienced and competent staff. Working in a busy secondary environment, your ability to manage logistics with clarity directly impacts students’ learning across the school.

What You’ll Bring

• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage morning logistics calmly and efficiently under time constraints.

• High-level communication skills to liaise smoothly with teaching staff, supply agencies, and internal cover personnel.

• Strong IT literacy to navigate school management information systems and cover booking software.

• Self-motivation and reliability to handle the 6:30am - 7:00am remote cover window independently.

• A professional, adaptable mindset that keeps student continuity at the heart of daily decisions.

The "Why Us" Difference

• Established Systems: You are not starting from scratch; our cover processes are well-structured, predictable, and understood across the whole school community.

• Balanced Morning Schedule: The role offers a defined 6:30am to 12:00pm working pattern, leaving your afternoons entirely free.

• Collaborative Support: Work alongside an administrative and pastoral team that respects operational expertise and values clear organization.

The RLT Connection Education has the power to change lives; we are better, faster, and stronger together. As part of the River Learning Trust, you gain access to:

• Professional Security: Recognised continuous public sector service and a secure, government-backed Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).

• Shared Growth: Role-specific development, network collaboration, and funded professional pathways or apprenticeships.

• The Whole Person: 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme support and health benefits designed to care for you beyond the workplace.

River Learning Trust and Gillotts School are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and preventing extremism. We are an exempt employer under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.

We actively value the "different contributions" you can make. We want you to be at your best during the application process; if you require any reasonable adjustments, please let us know.

Note: We do not accept CVs; please apply via My New Term. We reserve the right to interview and appoint exceptional candidates early.

Call to Action

• Start a Conversation: Contact Simon West at swest@gillotts.org to discuss the role or arrange a school visit.

• The Future Path: Not the right time? Register with our Talent Pool to hear about future opportunities first.

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

Visas cannot be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

Commitment to safeguarding

This school is committed to safeguarding, promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All staff are expected to promote fundamental British values. Successful candidates will be subject to Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks along with other relevant employment checks.

Applying for the job

This school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

About Gillotts School

• Organisation type: Academy, ages 11 to 16
• Education phase: Secondary school
• Size: 934 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 11 to 16
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• Website: Gillotts School website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/gillotts-school

Gillotts is a school that takes great pride in its unique identity. It is one of four mixed 11-16 schools in south-east Oxfordshire and occupies a 33 acre site on the edge of Henley-on-Thames. Its 900 students come from Henley and the surrounding villages. The site incorporates a Victorian house as well as extensive grounds, both of which contribute to the school’s special character.

As a high-performing school, Gillotts places innovation in teaching and learning at the heart of its development. However, more than this, the school is developing its thinking and practices to ensure that each student’s experience of the school is tailored to his or her needs. At the centre of this is the tutoring system, which puts each child in a group of about twenty students of mixed age. The tutors monitor the academic progress of each of their tutees, and work with them to develop their learning skills.

School location

Get a job alert when similar jobs are listed

Find more school jobs in Oxfordshire