Reception Administrative Assistant

Oak Grove College – A wonderful place to work

Oak Grove College is a community generic special school providing special education for 279 students with learning difficulties/disabilities from Year 7 to Year 14. We are part of the Thrive Federation of Schools which also includes Palatine Primary School, Herons Dale School and Cornfield School.

We are immensely proud of our college and our community. We are committed to providing the very best for young people while they are with us, helping them to develop the knowledge, skills, confidence and aspiration to succeed throughout their lives. We have a staff team of about 180 people, and we believe in looking after everyone well. We know that our staff team make the college what it is today and are the key to a successful future.

Staff are well supported by the leadership team and are offered opportunities to progress. We know that each and every one of our staff have a pivotal role to play and we believe in supporting everyone to achieve their potential. We have been awarded the Gold School Mental Health award, and our staff wellbeing and mental health is paramount to the success of Oak Grove College. Oak Grove College is a rewarding place to work, and staff report high levels of job satisfaction.

We know that our staff work hard to do their very best each day for our students and we believe in looking after them well in return. We pay for an extensive health and welfare support service for all our staff which includes physiotherapy, counselling, mindfulness support, menopause support, chronic illness support, weight management and much, much more. We are also committed to creating a supportive and open culture having signed the ‘Charter for Employers Positive about Mental Health’ and are proud to support the mental wellbeing of all our staff.

Oak Grove College has convenient road and rail links with good public transport available. It is a 15-minute walk from Durrington-on-Sea train station, there is a bus stop just by the entrance, a large car park for those travelling by car and good pedestrian access for those on foot. West Sussex County Council staff can also obtain 15% staff discount on Southern Rail daily, weekly, monthly and annual tickets and are entitled to a range of other travel discounts and incentives too.

As part of our growth and commitment to providing exceptional educational experiences for all our students, we are excited to announce plans to open a new satellite site less than 2 miles from our existing campus. Candidates joining our team should be ready to embrace the unique opportunities the new location will offer and be prepared to work at both sites. This is a fantastic chance to be part of an innovative chapter in our school’s development allowing us to continue to make a positive impact on student’s lives across our community.

New employees joining Oak Grove College are guaranteed a warm welcome from the community. Our motto is that ‘Everyone matters, every day counts’ and we strongly believe that this should include our entire college community. We look forward to getting to know you better and helping you to play your part in providing the very best to our young people.

Job Details

Salary:£25,583 - £25,989 - term time only, pro-rated

Contract Type: Permanent

Working Pattern: Thursdays and Fridays 7.30am - 4.00pm (plus additional hours available on other days)

Location: Worthing

Interviews: Tuesday 30th June 2026

The role of the Receptionist is critical to the successful operation of the college. Working closely with students, parents, teaching staff and the rest of the Operations team, your role will be to provide support and guidance to all.

In addition to the administrative tasks, it is the responsibility of the Receptionist to maintain a safe and secure environment within the college premises, monitoring the entrance and exits of students and visitors, regulating access to the college and maintaining various college records.

Key tasks include

• Answering the phone and dealing with queries/enquiries.
• Welcome all visitors professionally and direct them appropriately.
• Manage email inbox and forward emails accordingly.
• Receive incoming deliveries, store tidily and organise their distribution (keeping the entrance/reception area free of deliveries and clutter).
• Sort and distribute incoming mail.
• Support teaching staff by co-ordinating diary communications and ensuring messages are passed on efficiently.
• Uphold high standards in child protection and data privacy.
• Manage lost property and keep families up to date of any valuable items that arise from this.
• Send letters/texts/emails to families.
• Log late student arrivals.
• Be a Fire Marshall and prepare fire registers for students every morning and afternoon.
• Book vaccination clinics.
• Book doctor clinics.
• Archiving of student records.
• Organise student bus pass applications.

What You Need to Succeed

Oak Grove College are looking to appoint a highly professional individual to provide support within the reception team. This is an exciting and varied position with the aim of providing exceptional customer service, liaising with internal and external customers, and creating the all-important first impression of the college.

The role of the Receptionist is critical to the successful day to day operation of the college and the right candidate will need to have knowledge and experience of the following:

• Experience of working within a busy reception area
• Excellent organisational skills
• Good experience in Microsoft operating systems
• Able to maintain accurate records and data
• Able to prioritise and meet deadlines
• Ability to work under pressure
• Able to work without supervision
• Knowledge/experience of Bromcom is desirable but not essential

Further Information

Oak Grove College and West Sussex County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. All successful candidates will be subject to an appropriate Disclosure and Barring Service check along with other relevant employment checks, including satisfactory references.

How to Apply

To apply for this role please download the job description and application form below.

Please complete the application form and ensure that you outline your motivations for applying and explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills in the job description).

Once complete please return this to ***email_hidden***

Should you have any questions regarding the role or the application please feel free to email us at ***email_hidden*** or contact us on 01903 708870.

NOTE TO CANDIDATES - Please do not select the ‘Apply online’ button as the School processes your applications directly rather than through this site.

The reference number for this role is SCHO02619.

Job Reference: SCHO02619