School Operations Manager
Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 1PY6 days remaining to apply
Start date details
As soon as possible
Closing date
6 April 2025 at 11:59pm
Date listed
18 March 2025
Job details
Job role
- Other support roles
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Full time: 37 hours per week; Monday - Thursday 8am - 4pm, Friday 8am - 3:30pm.
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- Grade H, Points 29 -33 £38,626 - £42,708
What skills and experience we're looking for
Join us on our journey towards outstanding.
Our Lady & St John Roman Catholic High School is part of the Romero Catholic Academy Trust enjoying ‘rapid improvement’ in our pursuit of excellence.
The Board of Directors of Romero Catholic Academy Trust alongside The Governors of Our Lady & St John RC High School are seeking to recruit a confident, highly skilled, self-motivated individual to join the school as a School Operations Manager. This is an exciting opportunity to join our Senior Leadership Team.
You will have responsibility for the management, planning, and developing of core areas including administration, catering, premises, ICT and health and safety.
The successful applicant will have the highest personal and professional standards with good knowledge of current educational issues. They will be highly driven and be able to demonstrate the ability to lead and deliver improvements within the business functions of the school in order to support teaching and learning. You will be a strong team player with exceptional interpersonal and communication skills and have the ability to develop, manage and motivate staff in the relevant areas.
If you feel you have the skills required, we look forward to hearing from you. If you would like to find out more about the position please contact Mrs Zoe Robinson HR Advisor, Romero Catholic Academy Trust on 01282 855500 or zrobinson@romerocat.com
What the school offers its staff
- A Board of Directors, and LGB who have high expectations in delivering the strategic direction of the school and are positive and supportive;
- A stable and effective leadership team committed to setting and delivering ambitious goals
- A strong, supportive and dedicated staff team;
- As part of the Trust, support from the Central team;
- Committed students who are eager to learn, in an atmosphere where they all feel valued and respected;
- The opportunity to make a real difference to lives of the pupils and community we serve;
- The opportunity to play a pivotal role in achieving school improvement;
Further details about the role
The post holder will be a key strategic member
of the Senior Leadership Team. They will beresponsible
for the management, planning, development, and implementation of all support
services within a secondary school, including in-house catering and cleaning
services. The post holder will be expected to lead change within all areas of
support services and will be outward facing in their approach.
Main Responsibilities
- To support Governors and the Headteacher in strategic planning and project management of
all new initiatives.
- To manage and lead support services within the school, including administration, premises (including letting), catering, ICT and premises, ensuring that the site complies with health and safety.
- Develop, manage and motivate teams to aspire to high standards or work and professionalism
- by providing on-going coaching and training.
- To manage support staff in the relevant operational areas, including actioning appraisals and recruitment and selection.
- To develop and implement appropriate policies relevant to school support functions.
- To be the health and safety manager for the school.
- To be responsible for the schools’ fire and other emergency plans.
- To act as the organisations Data Controller, leading and ensuring compliance with GDPR.
- To be responsible for parental communications
Operational Management
- Responsible for the line management of the school’s administration functions including:
o Inductions, training and annual performance reviews
o Overseeing the development of systems and practices
o Management and development of an efficient and effective reception/office function ensuring the admin team are deployed effectively.
- Responsible for the line management of the school’s catering functions including:
o Line management of the Catering Manager
o Inductions, training and annual performance reviews
o Managing and development of the catering provision ensuring compliance with statutory regulations and good practice
o Ensuring catering audits are completed and remedial actions are followed up
o Overseeing the budget management of the service provision under the guidance of the Finance Manager
o To oversee the catering provision ensuring that the menu offers variety, quality, value for money and the service runs efficiently
- Responsible for the line management of the school’s site and premises functions with the support of the Trust Health & Safety Manager including:
o Line management of the Site Supervisors
o Overseeing all site and planned maintenance and development takes place, is evidenced and any remedial work required is completed, ensuring the school complies with Health & Safety
o Overseeing compliance with Statutory Testing guidelines in relation to all plant and equipment
o Monitoring the condition of the site buildings in conjunction with the Site Supervisor and advise Governors accordingly
o Planning and reviewing maintenance schedules for buildings and fixed plant and machinery
o reviewing the security of the school buildings and develop plans for improvement
HR Management
- Provide leadership and guidance to the Headteachers PA.
- To support on all HR related policies and ensure that such policies are adhered to
- To provide managerial support and direction with regard to all personnel functions relating to the school
- To support the monitoring of staff sickness absence escalating poor attendance in line with appropriate policies
- To support in the identification of support staff development needs and staff appraisals
- To support advising the Governors Resources Committee on all HR related matters
Premises Management
With the support of the Trusts Estate service you will:
- Have responsibility for premises related staff
- Have responsibility for the site and planned maintenance and development
- Ensure that the school complies with Statutory Testing guidelines in relation to all plant and equipment
- Ensure the School's Asset Management Plan is updated and reflects the needs of the school
- Monitor the condition of buildings on site and advise Governors accordingly
- Liaise with the Trust, DfE, architects and contractors in relation to new building and refurbishment projects
- Oversee planning and review of maintenance schedules for buildings and fixed plant and machinery
- Overview the security of the school buildings and develop plans for improvement
- Have overall responsibility for development and management of school lettings and the booking system used for such lettings
- Review and negotiate service level agreements and contracts in relation to premises management with Trust input
- Liaise with the Senior Leadership Team to ensure that the schools facilities meet the school curriculum needs and plans
- Provide accurate reports and information and to the Governors Resources Committee
Health & Safety Management
With the support of the Trust Health & Safety Manager you will:
- Act as the school's Health & Safety Officer
- Liaise with the Site Supervisor and appropriate curriculum leaders regarding the upkeep of records
- Ensure the school's Health & Safety policy is implemented and reviewed accurately
- Liaise with Site Supervisor to ensure systems are in place to enable the identification of hazards
- Implement Risk Assessments across the school to ensure hazards are appropriately removed or managed
- Ensure that all site related planned, preventative maintenance is undertaken and that suitable records are maintained, ensuring a proactive service is operated
- Ensure that suitable First Aid provision is in place within the school
- Act as the schools Education Visits Co-ordinator offering advice and guidance to Trip Leaders and members of the Senior Leadership Team
- Liaise with the Headteacher in relation to fire procedures taking responsibility for planned and emergency evacuations in the role of Chief Fire Officer
- As the school's Chief Fire Officer ensure all legislation requirements are in place, fire notices are displayed and records are kept up to date, with regular fire practice drills
- Report Health & Safety matters to the Governors Resources Committee
ICT Management
Led by the Trusts ICT Strategy you will:
- Oversee the provision of the schools’ ICT Infrastructure
- Work with the Network Manager or IT Provider to ensure that the school network is secure
and that suitable filtering and monitoring systems are in place to support the schools
safeguarding arrangements
- Work with the Network Manager or IT Provider to ensure that Business Continuity Plans for ICT are in place
- Ensure IT faults are monitored and responded to in a prompt manner
- Ensure the IT provision supports developments within Teaching & Learning
Partnerships
- To create new partnerships which will further enhance the links between school and the local and wider community
- To maintain those partnerships already developed with a range of stakeholders, including National Governing bodies
Marketing
- To be actively involved in the marketing of the school
- To promote and support school events and publications
- To liaise with the press on marketing initiatives
Additional:
- To support and demonstrate a commitment to the distinctive Catholic mission and ethos of the school
- This job description sets out current responsibilities of the post that may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the post or the level of responsibility entailed
- Some of the above responsibilities may be achieved through effective delegation and supervision of the day-to-day tasks involved
- Whilst every effort has been made to explain the main duties and responsibilities of the post, the list is not comprehensive
Commitment to safeguarding
Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.
Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.
Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
childcare disqualification
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
medical
online and social media
prohibition from teaching
right to work
satisfactory references
suitability to work with children
You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.
Applying for the job
Apply for the job by following the link below.
CVs are not accepted.
Additional documents
If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.
About Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy
- School type
- Academy, Roman Catholic, ages 11 to 16
- Education phase
- Secondary
- School size
- 821 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 16
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- Email address
- zrobinson@romerocat.com
- Phone number
- 01282 855500
Our Lady’s & St John is a large and friendly school, under the Trusteeship of the Salford Diocese and part of the Romero Catholic Academy Trust. Our school aims to be a “Caring Catholic Community” centred on Christ, where our faith and values guide everything we do.
Arranging a visit to Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy
To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email zrobinson@romerocat.com.
School location
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