Community Partnerships Officer
- Job title: Community Partnerships Officer
- Job Type: Permanent, Full time
- Salary: £31,800
- Department: Community Partnerships
- Reporting to: Community Partnerships Director
- Location: Highgate, North London, Senior School
- Start: August/September 2023
- Closing Date: 7 July 2023 at 9:00 am
Are you interested in working in partnership with a network of local state schools, community groups, and charitable organisations delivering exciting projects, events, and initiatives? If so join the Chrysalis and Community department at Highgate school to make meaningful change
The Department
Highgate’s Community Partnerships department is the home of the pupil-led charitable engagement and giving, community engagement and pupil volunteering, our partnership with London Academy of Excellence Tottenham and the Chrysalis programme of partnership teaching and summer school for pupils from local schools.
Our department is the home of connection with local community organisations, local schools and a range of charitable causes and organisations. There is a rich variety of community initiatives that the Community Partnerships Officer works on oncluding, pupil community volunteering days, charitable donation and fundraising drives, partnership events with LAET, and awareness-raising activities that make this department an engaging place to work and an important part of Highgate’s fabric.
The Community Partnerships Officer role is a great opportunity to work in a team that offers the best blend of charitable working in an education setting. You will work across the department, and lead on projects including the school-wide annual Food Bank donation drive, the Accelerator programme for children in care and with a social worker, and a pupil volunteering initiative with a local wellness initiative. The officer role also holds an exciting and important comms function through our school and community newsletters.
The Community Partnerships Officer [CPO] is an integral role in the Community Partnerships team at Highgate. This role works closely with the Community Partnerships Director offering administrative support to this post and portfolio. The officer will also work in a portfolio divided between Chrysalis partnership teaching projects and community and charity engagement projects.
The successful candidate will be supporting the development, delivery, communication, and coordination of both community and charity projects, and our Chrysalis partnership team so excellent organisational skills and team working is essential, alongside a keen interest in working with partner schools, community organisations, and students. This role will offer you the opportunity to develop your project management and communication skills to help you build a career within a section of the education sector which continues to expand.
Some key activities of the CPO include delivering community engagement projects i.e. supporting sixth form pupils who volunteer at a community wellness initiative, liaising with key colleagues across the department to provide administrative support and collate case studies and good news stories for reports and newsletters, leading the school-wide annual Food Bank donation drive and other exciting projects such as our Accelerator programme for looked after children and those with a social worker.
This is an excellent opportunity to join an award-winning charity; working closely with an ambitious and caring team who support children across London with their education and development. If you are interested in being part of one of the country’s top independent schools where kindness is at the heart of what we do, then this is an ideal opportunity for you.
Project Management and Administration
- Help with the co-ordination and administration of Community and Chrysalis partnership teaching and community projects and events
- Assist with the collection and analysis of assessment data for projects
- Report to the Director of Community Partnerships and through her to the Head and Governors on the impact of the partnership teaching projects the school has undertaken
Communication and Marketing
- Assist with devising and developing communication material to promote partnership teaching and community activities and evaluate the success of this material
- Create, independently and in collaboration with the School’s Communications department to develop insightful and innovative digital content to communicate the impact of what we do.
- Communication internally about the work of the department through a regular newsletter
- Communication to key external audiences (I.e., partner school colleagues, and community leaders) via mail merges and periodic newsletters
Community Partnerships
- Collaborate with the Community team to run the School’s community-facing programmes and events, such as the Year 10 Environmental Day of Action.
- Be a key point of contact with key community groups, forums, and members
- Liaise with charities to keep department connected to our charity partners and other local and aligned causes.
- Liaise with staff and pupils responsible for carrying out the school’s charitable objectives and report on such charitable activity.
- Criteria
- How will these be tested or verified?
- Qualifications/Experience
Essential:
- Previous administration skills
- Project project delivery experience
- Previous experience communicating with varied audiences
Desirable:
- Project management experience
- Experience of voluntary work.
- Degree or equivalent
- Experience in a charity or school
- Knowledge/Skills
Essential:
- High level of IT skills including Microsoft Office, MS Teams and Zoom.
- Experience of managing diverse workload within deadlines.
- Excellent written skills and good attention to accuracy and detail.
- Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively with pupils, staff and the wider school community. This requires an open, friendly approach in person and via telephone.
Desirable:
- Understanding of the education sector including state and independent schools.
- Social media skills.
- Understanding the importance of charitable and community work in society.
- In Design (or similar software) skills
- Personal Attributes
Essential:
- Organised, with an ability to prioritise workloads.
- Confident and personable with a positive and energetic ‘can-do’ attitude.
- Vision and drive to build on and sustain the success of existing projects.
- Capacity for industry and initiative in both independent work and as part of a team and good judgment when faced with professional decisions
- Flexibility and enthusiasm about working in a fast-moving and evolving environment.
- Ability and desire to learn quickly and to reflect constructively on work undertaken.
- Patience and thoughtfulness to see any issues that may arise with colleagues from a variety of perspectives.
- Willingness and enthusiasm for the work that underpins Highgate’s ethos to be part of a reflective community.
Desirable:
- A willingness to be involved in the wider life of the School.
- Strong sense of social responsibility.
Benefits
CHILD PROTECTION
This role will not normally involve unsupervised contact with pupils; however in the context of his/her employment the member of staff will frequently be in the presence of children and will therefore have to have appropriate levels of training in child protection.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
The terms and conditions below do not form part of a contract and are for information only. Should you be offered and accept employment with Highgate School you will receive a contract setting out in full your terms and conditions. All offers of employment are subject to the receipt of references satisfactory to us, proof of eligibility to work in the UK and DBS checks.
Hours of Work
Full time, permanent role based on a 40 hour contract (one hour unpaid lunch in addition to this). There is a need to be flexible about hours in order to carry out these duties and responsibilities effectively and no additional payment is made in this respect.
Probationary Period
This appointment will be subject to the completion of a probationary period of six months to the satisfaction of the Governors.
Lunch Period
The lunch break is unpaid and does not form part of your working hours. A complimentary lunch is available when the Dining Hall is in operation.
Holidays
The salary for this role includes an element of holiday pay in respect of statutory annual holiday.
Pension The School currently offers participation in the Pension Trust’s Independent Schools’ Pension Scheme (“the Pension Scheme”). The School will be offering membership of the APTIS Pension Scheme from 1 December 2022.
Leisure Facilities
Subject always to the needs of pupils and School’s operations, staff are offered free access at stipulated times to the School’s sports facilities.
Confidentiality
The need for absolute confidentiality and discretion, both within Highgate and the wider community, must be understood.
Dress Code
Teachers and support staff are expected to set an example to pupils and should dress appropriately at all times.
Smoking
Smoking, including vaping, is not allowed on or immediately outside any School premises (the footprint of the buildings and the grounds) or in areas where smoking might be seen by parents or pupils during working hours.
Health and Safety
Highgate takes its obligations under the Health & Safety at Work Act seriously and the postholder will be required to comply with all aspects of Highgate’s Health and Safety Policy, particularly in relation to safe working practices. All staff must keep up to date with Highgate’s Health and Safety Policies which are regularly updated and posted on the Staff Intranet.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Highgate is strongly committed to inclusion and is an equal opportunities employer. We aim to create a welcoming, respectful and safe environment for all members of our community, from every ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, ability/disability, religion and background. We know that more diverse teams are stronger teams, and that the more inclusive we are, the more our staff and pupils will feel a sense of belonging and will thrive. To enable us to make any reasonable adjustments, please let us know what you would require when you submit your application.
Data Protection
Highgate staff are expected to adhere to the Data Protection legislation at all times. Our Privacy Notice is available on the recruitment portal
Working at Highgate
A culture of community, kindness and belonging
Highgate is a caring, open-minded community, where we promote kindness, empathy and friendship. Everyone who works and studies with us deserves to feel they are part of a welcoming environment that enables them to be themselves and to thrive as individuals.
Our community extends beyond the school, through partnerships, charity work and our commitment to equality, inclusion and sustainability. All members of our school community are encouraged to look outwards and play an active role.
In a recent ISI inspection (Dec 2021), it was noted that “Pupils show exceptional respect for, and appreciate diversity within the school and wider community, and their own and other cultures, demonstrating sensitivity and tolerance to those from different backgrounds and traditions.”
Staff wellbeing
Highgate is committed to staff wellbeing, which we promote by encouraging a strong work-life balance; trying our best to support flexible working requests; providing a nutritious complimentary lunch in the dining hall; and offering access to sporting facilities including our recently renovated swimming pool.
The Staff Wellbeing Committee, with representatives across the School, meets regularly to drive forward initiatives, and a selection of staff have been trained as Mental-Health First Aiders.
We encourage an open culture throughout our school, with regular staff surveys, action committees and opportunities to feedback. We strive for continual learning and improvement, and staff training and development is paramount. There are opportunities to participate in the wider life of our school, such as taking part in trips or societies and getting involved in partnership projects.
More details about working at Highgate can be found here:
Charitable work and sustainability
As an independent school, we want to use our position as a charity effectively: to make high-quality education accessible to as many children as possible – through our bursary programme at Highgate and through our work with local state schools. We have partnerships with over 60 state schools across 7 London boroughs, and we are the principal educational sponsor for London Academy of Excellence, Tottenham – an academically-selective state sixth form in a community where such opportunities are lacking.
Alongside this, our staff and pupils undertake charitable activities throughout the year. These range from staff giving up their time to neighbourhood schools and charitable organisations, focused fundraising campaigns, to pupils undertaking community work in the local area or further afield.
As a school, we have a central role to play in educating our pupils, staff and parents about the importance of environmental sustainability. We are taking positive action to adapt our operational performance to tackle the negative effects of climate change. We encourage all our staff to reflect upon their personal and professional practices, to support our environmental agenda and to make positive changes wherever possible.
Application procedure
- Closing Date: 7th July 2023
- Timing of interviews: w/c 26th June, 2023
Contact: Recruitment Team are happy to answer any questions about this post.
Early Application: Applications will be considered ‘as and when’ received and we may close the vacancy if we appoint before the closing date.
Apply hereInclusion
We know that more diverse teams are stronger teams, and that the more inclusive we are, the more our staff and pupils will feel a sense of belonging and will thrive. To enable us to make reasonable adjustments, please let us know of any disabilities (including neuro-divergence) when you submit your application.
Safeguarding
As this role will have regular unsupervised contact with children you must, if appointed, comply with Highgate’s Safeguarding Policy and Staff Code of Conduct. If in the course of carrying out the duties of the post the post holder becomes aware of any actual or potential risks to the safety and welfare of our pupils, these concerns must be reported immediately in accordance with the Safeguarding Policy. If whilst in the post, Highgate becomes aware of any safeguarding concerns to staff, pupils or the community; these will need to be followed up in line with the safeguarding policy and code of conduct which is underpinned by KCSE and other legislation. These concerns may need to be shared with other agencies. A copy of these policies will accompany all offers of employment. Training will also be provided to all staff to support Safeguarding practice.
Please read before you apply
Highgate is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to this post, including checks with past employers, the Disclosure and Barring Service and overseas police check if necessary. Candidates from overseas must provide information about their past conduct, for example, by providing documents issued by overseas teaching authorities.
Please note that this role is ‘exempt’ from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore, you are required to declare any convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings that are not ‘protected’ (i.e. filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). Shortlisted candidates will be asked to provide details of all unspent convictions and those that would not be filtered, prior to the date of the interview.
In accordance with the latest guidance from KCSIE, we shall be conducting online searches on any candidates who are shortlisted.