School Receptionist / Administrator

Pay: Approx. £13.47 per hour PAYE
Hours: 8:30am–3:30pm
Days: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
Start Date: 5th October 2026
Contract: Temporary – initially while the school completes a permanent recruitment process

Looking for a friendly, organised school administrator who enjoys being at the heart of a busy primary school.

Local Education is recruiting an experienced Administrator / Receptionist to join the office team of a welcoming primary school in Essex.

This is much more than a back-office administration position. You will be one of the first people that pupils, parents, visitors and external professionals speak to, so the school is looking for someone who is warm, professional, confident and exceptionally reliable.

The position is available from 5th October, working four days per week, and will continue while the school completes its restructure and permanent recruitment process.

The role

Working alongside the school's existing office team, your responsibilities will include:

* Being a first point of contact for parents, pupils and visitors

* Managing face-to-face enquiries at reception

* Answering incoming telephone calls and taking messages

* General school administration and clerical duties

* Data input and maintaining accurate records

* Filing, photocopying and document preparation

* Dealing with incoming and outgoing post

* Supporting school visits and general office organisation

* Receiving deliveries and welcoming visitors

* Supporting with pupil welfare where required

* Liaising professionally with parents regarding pupil sickness or injury

* Maintaining confidentiality when dealing with pupil and family information

* Following the school's safeguarding and visitor procedures

* Supporting the wider office team wherever required

Who are we looking for?

The school is looking for somebody who can become a dependable part of the team quickly.

You should ideally have:

* Previous administration, reception or office experience

* Excellent communication skills

* A confident and professional telephone manner

* Strong organisational skills

* Good written English and basic numeracy

* Confidence using Microsoft Office and general computer systems

* The ability to manage several tasks at once

* A calm approach when dealing with busy periods

* A friendly and approachable manner with parents and children

* An understanding of confidentiality and data protection

* A reliable and professional approach to work

Previous experience working within a school, nursery, college or education setting would be highly desirable.

However, we would also consider strong administrators from other sectors who have the right personality and transferable experience.

Experience in reception, healthcare, local government, professional services or other customer-facing administration environments could transfer particularly well.

The recruitment process

The school wants to find the right person, rather than simply someone who happens to be available.

Local Education will therefore be interviewing suitable applicants before CVs are submitted to the school.

Shortlisted candidates will then have the opportunity to meet with the Headteacher and Office Manager before the assignment begins.

Why work through Local Education?

Local Education is an independent Essex-based education recruitment agency and an approved supplier through the national GCA education recruitment framework.

Unlike larger national agencies, we work closely with the schools and candidates we support and aim to make sure you understand the setting before you arrive.

Candidates working through Local Education benefit from:

A dedicated local team

Weekly PAYE pay

Access to temporary and longer-term school opportunities

Support throughout the compliance process

Safeguarding and school-specific training where appropriate

Clear information before placements

Opportunities across primary, secondary and specialist education settings

A recruitment team you can actually speak to when you need us

Interested?

If you are an experienced administrator who would enjoy becoming part of a busy primary school office, we would like to hear from you.

Apply today with your CV.

We are interviewing suitable applicants now and will begin submitting shortlisted candidates to the school shortly
Only candidates based in UK and eligible to work in UK are allowed