Head of Admissions Recruitment Pack 2022/23
Consistently Brilliant
Welcome to Horris Hill
We are a successful day and boarding school set in more than 65 acres of Berkshire countryside. The ethos of our school is very simple - happy children thrive. Our attention is not only on providing academic excellence but in delivering excellence in pastoral care too. Dedicated staff nurture an enduring love of learning and curiosity of spirit that will equip pupils with the skills and confidence for whatever challenges they may face in life. We are delighted that you are considering a role with us. This is such an exciting time for the school and we look forward to receiving your application.
About Horris Hill
The school prides itself on helping its pupils balance the demands of formal education with both creative play and organised sports and activities. Horris Hill enjoys close relationships with several of the country’s top public schools, and ensures every pupil makes the most of the opportunities available to them so that they can be excited and prepared for the next stage of their educational journey. Horris Hill is part of Forfar Education, a specialist school investment and advisory business, which partners with and manages schools across the world; supporting them to become outstanding centres of excellence for pupils of all ages to learn and grow. Forfar Education is committed to working in close partnership with school leadership for the benefit of all pupils, celebrating each school’s identity and strengths.
Our Vision
Our core aim is to maintain Horris Hill as a small, selective, academically rigorous family school coupled with an holistic learning environment. We will continue to prepare children for the next stage in their education and to deliver children into the most academically ambitious schools in the world. Horris Hill’s unrivalled culture, which creates a truly rounded education, will remain and the fundamentals of good British values and manners will be reinforced. We recognise that times change and that is why we are extending our offering by opening a 50 week nursery from September 2022 for children aged 2-4 years. Girls will also be able to benefit from the education and care that the school provides and we are delighted to offer them the opportunity to join in Nursery and Reception from this September.
The Future at Horris Hill
The Team
Our staffing team are critical to the school’s continued success and you will be joining some excellent recent appointments. We are delighted to be welcoming our new Headmaster, Mr Rob Stewart to the school in September. He has an outstanding track record including being an Eton Housemaster as well as the head of a leading Prep School. We have also hired an experienced bursar who will join the school in September as well as a new marketing manager, operations manager and an accountant as we grow our team. The role will work in close partnership with other members of the SLT including the Bursar, the Deputy Head, the Deputy Head – Pastoral and the Head of Lower School.
At Horris Hill, life never stops still. In 2021, we developed the Sports Hall into a first-class facility, with a specialist floor (to enable professional cricket practice) imported from Germany, along with new nets, a viewing space, cricket and tennis ball machines. The science laboratories have been stripped back and refurbished with the latest equipment and superfast wifi has been installed across the site. Chrome books are available to every child, and there are the latest touch screens in classrooms as well as iPads in Lower School. Expansion
We are currently working our way through an exciting phase of development to ensure that Horris Hill continues to provide the most outstanding learning experience to children in the very best learning environment. Forfar is very proud to be the first and only all outstanding/excellent-rated schools’ group in the UK. This has stemmed from hard work, a focus on the detail and making sure that we have a clear vision and roadmap for each of our schools.
Head of Admissions
We are seeking for September 2022, an outstanding Head of Admissions who will manage all stages of the recruitment process for new pupils, ensuring the strategic targets set by the Governors are met. The School is aiming to grow the number of pupils, particularly given the opening of a new nursery and the introduction of girls into the school from September 2022. Exploring new international markets, as well as creating opportunities to engage more frequently with the local community would be key priorities.
The aim is to increase enrolment, whilst also maintaining the quality that enables the School to achieve outstanding results in terms of scholarships and senior school entry. The position will work very closely with the Headmaster as well as the Marketing Manager to promote the School and generate a high level of good quality enquiries for both boarding and day places.
Job Description
This job description contains an outline of the typical functions of the job and is not an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all possible job responsibilities, tasks, and duties. The job holder’s actual responsibilities, tasks, and duties might differ from those outlined in the job description, and other duties commensurate with this level of responsibility may be either permanently or temporarily assigned as part of the job.
Strategy
• Setting of recruitment targets for each year based on strategic plans and guidelines approved by the Governors.
• Working with the Headmaster to create an innovative admissions strategy that will generate sufficient enquiries to ensure enrolment targets are met.
Admissions Process:
• Managing all aspects of an efficient and effective year- round Admissions process, ensuring that prospective parents and pupils are managed in a professional and caring manner at every stage. • Ensuring that every stage of the process (enquiries, registrations, visits/tours, offers, acceptances and enrolment) is accurately recorded and monitored. • Ensuring that conversion to the next stage is maximised by maintaining close communication with prospective parents, building relationships, following-up each contact in a prompt and proactive manner and using sales skills with the aim of securing acceptance of an offered place. • Following up leads generated for enquiries to the School through individuals, the School’s website and other organisations. • Providing a welcoming and informative response to all incoming enquiries concerning pupil admissions, ensuring, with the assistance of others, year-round availability via email, phone and letter. • Being the primary point of contact between prospective parents and the School. • Managing the provision of admissions materials and personalized follow-up communications (e.g. offer letters) to prospective parents at each stage. • Organizing engaging visits and tours for individual prospective parents, plus follow-up taster days for prospective pupils; assisting with or conducting parent tours as necessary; requires extensive co-ordination with the Headmaster and other colleagues. • Conducting pre-visit briefings for the Headmaster in advance of each visit and agreeing any specific requirements and opportunities to maximise the prospective family’s experience of the School.
• Organising and administering interviews and assessments, including obtaining references and reports from current schools.
• Preparing the Parents Handbook.
• Providing parents with all necessary joining information, documentation and support to ensure smooth entry of new pupils into the School. • Providing relevant information on new pupils to teaching staff. • Ensuring that accurate pupil, parent and admissions process records are maintained on the appropriate databases (including maintenance of the Admissions Register in line with ISI regulations); currently both RS Admissions and Engage are used. • Conducting timely follow-up calls to parents who did not choose the School to build a body of knowledge on alternative schools and areas for Admissions improvement. • Reviewing the effectiveness of all aspects of the Admissions process; designing and implementing improvements as necessary. • Securing the production of appropriate materials to support the Admissions process.
• Updating the Admissions Policy annually or as required.
This role reports to the Headmaster.
Working Hours: 37.5 hours per week full time, with a generous 40-day holiday allowance per annum. Occasional Saturday and evening working is required for Open Days, major events or Prospective Pupil visits.
Marketing of the school:
• Participating in major School events (e.g. Horris Hill Day) and other key PR/marketing events.
• Supporting the development and implementation of marketing initiatives to generate enquiries and support pupil recruitment. • Helping to identify the external organisations that can support the generation of new enquiries into the School, including local nurseries, other schools, relocation agents, educational consultants, embassies, businesses and the community. • Participating in visits to and by local schools that could feed pupils to the School.
• Organising and running Open Days.
• Ensuring that Admissions-related information on the website is current and appropriate. • Help to inform our good working knowledge of developments within main competitor schools and follow-on schools.
Recruitment Pack 2022/23
Monitoring, Forecasting and Reporting
• Tracking and maintaining an accurate record of all stages of the Admissions pipeline (enquiries, registrations, visits, offers, acceptances, enrolment, leavers), generating statistical information about performance (e.g. conversion rates through different stages) and providing analysis to support decision making on marketing and recruitment e.g. infill strategies. • Forecasting, in conjunction with the Headmaster, the likely School roll, by year group and type, for future terms.
• Producing a ‘dashboard’ of key indicators.
• Weekly/monthly reporting to and discussions with the Headmaster and Bursar. •Termly reporting to the Governors; attending Governors’ meetings as required. • Maintaining an accurate Admissions Register for upcoming terms and informing staff about joiners, leavers and changes of status.
Immigration Compliance
Financial Management
• Maintaining awareness of the School’s policies and procedures for Immigration Compliance (for which the Bursar has overall responsibility). • Ensuring that Admissions processes and documents are compatible with the School’s policies and procedures for Immigration Compliance. • Ensuring that the Admissions function obtains and retains all necessary documents to ensure the School’s compliance with its responsibilities as an Approved Sponsor for Child Student visas. • Monitor number of CAS issued against the annual UKVI allocation.
• Liaising with the Finance Department as necessary regarding registration fees, deposits, bursary awards and changes in the School roll (joiners, leavers and changes of status).
• Providing input to discussion about future fee levels.
• Management of budget for Admissions function.
Other
• Ensure the safety and well-being of children at the School by adhering to and complying with the School’s Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy at all times. Horris Hill School is committed to safeguarding children and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment.
• Attend training and staff INSET sessions organised by the School.
• Adhere at all times to Health and Safety legislation, and all school policies and procedures, to ensure their own safety and that of colleagues as well as pupils and visitors.
Recruitment Pack 2022/23 www.horrishill.com · 01635 40594 · hr@horrishill.com
Person Specification
Qualifications
• Experience in a customer-facing or sales/business development role would be beneficial.
• Ideally educated to degree level.
• Experience in a professional environment.
• Management and operation of highly efficient administrative processes.
Skills & knowledge
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Effective customer relations and customer care skills.
Personal Attributes
• Good written and verbal communication skills, either in person or on the phone. • Strong organisational and time-management skills with ability to multi-task and to prioritise conflicting demands to meet deadlines.
• Positive about the benefits of an independent preparatory education and supportive of the School’s vision, ethos and values. Able to operate as an ambassador for the School. • Professional, confident and calm, with a warm and positive personality.
• Problem solving.
• Able to work under pressure when necessary.
• Confident handling, analysing and presenting data.
• Presentable and comfortable in a “front of house” role e.g. welcoming visitors. • Integrity, reliability and discretion; able to maintain confidentiality at all times. • Drive, energy and stamina; self-motivated and hard- working to achieve targets. • Shows initiative, including ability to manage own activities and to think ahead. • Contributes to continuous improvement by suggesting and implementing changes. • Able to foster good relations with all members of the School community, prospective parents, agents and outside organisations. • Able to mix easily with everyone of any culture or background; cultural sensitivity. • Customer mindset with a clear desire to consistently deliver high standards and a quality service. • Flexible and willing to ‘get stuck in’ and do whatever is necessary in a small, busy team, including administrative tasks. • Committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
• Proficient in use of Microsoft Office packages, especially Outlook, Word, Excel • Proficient in use of databases. Training on Engage and RS Admissions will be provided. • Able to design, implement and improve administrative processes. • Able to absorb new information and present knowledgeably about the workings of all aspects of the School. • Strong administrative skills with a high level of attention to detail. • Commercial acumen; able to understand the School as a business operating in a highly competitive environment.
• Team management and leadership.
Experience
• Experience of working in a school, in any role, would be desirable. Experience and knowledge of the independent school sector, including boarding, would also be an advantage.
Recruitment Pack 2022/23
The Recruitment Process
The school is being supported on this recruitment campaign by search consultancy The Management Recruitment Group (MRG). For an initial informal conversation or to view the candidate briefing document please contact our advisors Melanie Pye or Charlotte Turedi Melanie Pye T: 07530 734 568 / E: melanie.pye@mrgpeople.co.uk Charlotte Turedi T: 07852 131 794 / E: charlotte.turedi@mrgpeople.co.uk The closing date for applications is Sunday 3rd July. Applications should be sent directly to Melanie Pye and consist of a CV and Cover Letter. Please note shortlisted candidates will be required to complete an application form.
Conditions of Service:
You will be automatically enrolled in the school’s auto enrolment pension scheme. The School will contribute 5% of salary as an employer contribution to the pension scheme. Employees currently contribute 3.0% of net pay. A free lunch may be taken in the School dining hall when the Kitchen is in operation. There is also free car parking on site. Training and development will be provided.
The employment will be subject to a probationary period of 6 months during which time either the employee or the School may terminate the employment by giving not less than 2 months’ notice. Following the successful completion of the probationary period the notice period would be 3 months.
Appointments The School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and questions will be asked at interview to assess the suitability of candidates to work with our children. A copy of the school’s Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy is available to download from the School’s website. All appointments are subject to a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service check (including a check against the Children’s Barred List) and other pre-employment screening. This includes receipt of at least two references satisfactory to the School, medical fitness, qualifications check where relevant for the post, the right to work in the UK, an identity check and a self-declaration of childcare disqualification. Please see the enclosed Safer Recruitment Policy for further details. All appointments are made in accordance with our Equality policy and applicants should let us know of any special needs they may have.
Please visit www.horrishill.com for more information.
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