School Admissions Officer

Job Introduction We are committed to the development of our workforce. This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all. This permanent role has a starting salary of £34,660 per annum, based on a 36-hour working week. We are excited to be hiring a new Admissions officer to join our School Admissions Team, which would offer a great opportunity for someone looking to further their career at Surrey County Council. If you have experience in this area, we would be very interested to hear from you. We support hybrid working with the right balance. We currently come together in person for 2 days per week on average (40% of the working week) and support working from home the rest of the time. Our Offer to You 26 days’ holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years’ service Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave A generous local government salary related pension Up to 5 days of carer’s leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year Paternity, adoption and dependents leave An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents. About The Role The School Admissions Team sits within the Education, Access, Quality & Improvement service in the Children, Families & Lifelong Learning Directorate. We are a well-established team that will offer full induction and training, as well as the support of experienced staff and managers, to help you to reach your full potential. The School Admissions team has responsibility for: delivering the mainstream school admissions service for all schools coordinating normal round admissions managing the in-year admissions service arranging the placement of challenging and vulnerable children under the Fair Access Protocol tracking and monitoring applications up to the date children start school identifying and referring children who might be missing education These are complex areas of work which are heavily regulated. The admissions process has statutory application and offer dates which must be met, creating a highly pressurised environment. Relevant statutory guidance is issued by the Department for Education including: the School Admissions Code; the School Admissions Appeals Code; guidance on the admission of summer born children; guidance on applications for overseas children; guidance on Fair Access Protocols; Home to School Travel and Transport Guidance; and Children Missing Education guidance. You must have the ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders in writing and by telephone. This includes parents, Headteachers and other school staff, other internal Surrey teams and other local authorities. In addition, you must have the ability to provide comprehensive advice on individual school applications, and to give accurate information and advice on Surrey’s school admission policies and the current availability of school places, having regard to admissions and transport legislation and Surrey’s policies and processes. The main duties of the role are: processing in year school applications and following up outcomes, ensuring children go on roll working collaboratively with other professionals to ensure more complex cases can be resolved successfully being involved in the annual new round process for allocating school places working closely with the other School Admissions officers to ensure that weekly tasks are completed and statutory deadlines are met communicating with parents and schools by email, letter and by telephone preparing the written case for school appeals, particularly in the summer term The successful candidate will contribute to Surrey County Council's wider strategic objectives by supporting educational access, promoting inclusion, safeguarding vulnerable children, and helping to ensure that no child is left without appropriate educational provision. Your Application In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours We are Inclusive, Ambitious, Dynamic and Collaborative familiarity with the principles of safeguarding and data protection practical knowledge and experience of working within the service area of school admissions understanding of relevant legislation, processes and procedures governing admissions and appeals a proven ability to manage and prioritise your workload and of working under pressure to meet statutory deadlines the ability to show understanding in difficult and complex situations effective written, verbal communication and interpersonal skills that have been honed to deal with a diverse range of customers and partners competent IT skills, including Word, Excel and database management systems the ability to work effectively and flexibly as part of a team To apply, we request that you submit a CV, and in addition please answer the following 3 questions: Tell us about a situation where you had to communicate a difficult message to a parent, carer, or school professional. How did you approach the conversation, and what was the outcome? How have you used education legislation or statutory guidance in your work to support children and families? Please give an example that shows your ability to interpret and apply this knowledge in practice. What experience do you have of using computer systems, databases and data sets to manage and process work? Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description & Our Life at Surrey handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey. A basic DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) will be required for this role. The job advert closes at 23:59 on 1st November 2026 with interviews planned to follow. We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit. Contact Us Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. Please contact the Hiring Manager by email at Nuala.flew@surreycc.gov.uk . Local Government Organisation (LGR) Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to new unitary councils in April 2027. Your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of these new councils, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities. Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents! Please see more information here: Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council . Our Commitment We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview. Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we’re committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.