Personal Assistant to the Senior Leadership Team

Role overview

Maiden Erlegh School is seeking a Personal Assistant to support the Senior Leadership Team with a wide range of administrative, organisational and personal tasks. The role is designed to help senior leaders stay focused on school priorities by ensuring diaries, meetings, communication and documentation are handled efficiently. It also supports wider school and Trust activity through responsive and accurate administration.

Key details

This is a permanent part-time position based at Maiden Erlegh School in Lower Earley, Reading. The role is 30 hours per week, spread over 5 days, and is term-time only plus 2 additional weeks. The salary is £22,655 per year, actual pay, at Grade 6 SCP 18-24. The planned start date is September 2026. There is 1 vacancy. Interviews are to be confirmed. The closing date is midnight on Monday 13 July 2026.

What you will do

• Provide dependable administrative and personal support to senior leaders.
• Keep diaries, meetings, visits, correspondence and delegated actions organised and up to date.
• Draft, gather and manage reports, meeting papers, minutes and action logs to support decision-making.
• Arrange internal and external meetings, including preparation and follow-up.
• Serve as a main contact for queries for the Senior Leadership Team, including those from students, parents and carers, and outside agencies.
• Handle confidential material, correspondence and sensitive matters carefully and professionally.
• Assist with complaints handling and Subject Access Request administration.
• Support administration for policies, Handbook Hub, the website, marketing, databases, filing, expenses, travel, accommodation and events.
• Maintain productive working relationships with colleagues, students, parents and carers, suppliers, external agencies and Trust stakeholders.
• Contribute to school and Trust priorities through accurate, timely and flexible support.

What the school is looking for

• Strong administrative, organisational and communication skills.
• The ability to manage several priorities, deadlines and detailed information accurately.
• A professional, discreet and trustworthy approach, especially when dealing with confidential matters.
• Confidence in anticipating needs, solving problems and suggesting practical solutions.
• Good interpersonal skills for working with senior leaders, staff, families, students, external agencies and suppliers.
• The ability to prepare documents, coordinate meetings and monitor actions effectively.
• Independent working when needed, while remaining a positive team contributor.
• A commitment to safeguarding, equality and the welfare of children and young people.

School and trust context

Maiden Erlegh School is a successful comprehensive school for students aged 11 to 18 in Lower Earley near Reading. Relationships between staff and students are positive, and pupils are described as curious, respectful and ambitious. The school’s academic performance continues to improve, and it has a strong sixth form. Staff are committed professionals who support students to do their best, and new colleagues can expect a welcoming environment and good professional development.

Maiden Erlegh Trust is a growing group of schools across Berkshire and Oxfordshire, serving about 800 staff and 5,000 students across nine schools, including primary, secondary, special and alternative provision. Its values are to Aim High, Be Inclusive and Work Together. The Trust offers learning and development through the Maiden Erlegh Institute, mentoring, leadership opportunities and an annual staff conference.

Benefits

Working for the Trust includes a wide range of staff benefits, such as pension contributions through either the Teachers’ Pension Scheme or Local Government Pension Scheme, annual leave that increases with service, one additional day of leave each year for a significant personal event, access to professional development, eligible hybrid working, Perkbox discounts and wellbeing resources, free flu vaccinations and eye tests where eligible, an Employee Assistance Programme with 24/7 support and discount schemes, Mental Health First Aid support, recognition of achievements across #TeamMET, and an employee referral scheme.

Additional information

The Trust welcomes informal discussions from candidates who feel they could thrive in the role. Applications are encouraged as early as possible because the advert may close and interviews may take place before the stated deadline. The successful candidate will need an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references. The Trust is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

Application questions

Candidates are asked to address specific personal statement prompts, including confirming consent for their personal email to be used for onboarding paperwork, to be uploaded to National College for induction training, and to be used for processing a DBS check if they are successful.

Documents and contact

Related documents include the Recruitment and Selection Policy, the job description and the person specification. Contact for recruitment queries is available via J Henderson at the provided trust email address.