School Secretary

Typical Salary

£15,250 To £19,500

Typical Hours

36 to 38 variable

evenings attending events or appointments

How To Become a School Secretary

You can get into this job through:

a college course
working towards this role
applying directly

College / University

You could complete a college course to get some of the skills needed for this job. Courses include:

Level 2 Award in Support Work in Schools
Level 3 Diploma in Business Administration

2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course

Apprenticeship

You'll usually need:

5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

You could start as an admin assistant in a larger school and work your way up to a post with more responsibility.

You could apply directly to become a school secretary. Employers would expect you to have a good standard of general education and experience of office work.

You should be able to use common office software including spreadsheets. Knowledge of accounts packages would also be helpful, although employers may provide training in some of these.

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

administration skills
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
the ability to work well with others
the ability to work on your own
sensitivity and understanding
to be flexible and open to change
excellent verbal communication skills
customer service skills
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Day To Day Tasks

Your day-to-day duties may include:

being the main contact for parents, governors and pupils
greeting visitors and providing refreshments
using IT systems to run financial reports and produce newsletters
keeping paper and electronic records up to date
using reprographic equipment
ordering resources, paying invoices and banking cash

Working Environment

You could work in an office, in a reception area or at a school.

Career Path & Progression

With experience, you could progress to school business manager, or personal assistant (PA) to the headteacher.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Restrictions & Requirements are not listed for this job.

Restrictions & Requirements

You'll need to:

pass enhanced background checks