Admissions and Transport Manager

JOB TITLE:                      Admissions & Transport Manager                    

RESPONSIBLE TO:          Head of School Services & Access                 

RESPONSIBLE FOR:           Providing an efficient and effective Admissions and Transport Service for Slough parents and schools    

Number of reports:

Direct reports: 3         

Indirect reports: 3       

Total Managed: 6     

Financial Responsibilities:

Allocation of hard to place funding to schools and monitoring of home to school transport budgets, which are around £2million in total.    

MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB:

·        To ensure that all admissions operations are completed in a timely and efficient manner in line with the Admissions Code 

·        To ensure that all admissions appeals work is completed on time and in line with the admissions appeals code

·        To ensure that vulnerable and hard to place pupils can access education

·        To ensure that transport applications are assessed in a timely manner and transport provided if eligible

·        To ensure that licensing applications are assessed and issued in a timely manner 

·        To performance manage the Admissions & Transport Team to achieve the above  

MAIN ACCOUNTABILITIES:

·        To ensure that all admissions operations run efficiently and accurately and meet statutory and local deadlines. This includes application processes for reception and year 7 and in-year application processes for primary and secondary schools.

·        To review and update all publicity material including application forms, online information and the annual admissions booklet. To maximise the use of online processes so that the use of paper based forms reduces.

·        To work with the Schools Access Officer to reduce exclusions and ensure excluded, hard to place pupils and looked after children receive education. This can involve negotiations with Heads and other agencies about appropriate support and funding.

·        To allocate fair access funding to schools and colleges in line with the fair access protocol.

·        To support the School Attendance & CME Officers. This will include nominating schools to be used in Attendance Orders and providing information on vacancies across Slough.   Advise and support Heads about admissions issues.

·        To ensure appeals statements are accurate and completed on time and to manage the presentation of cases.  

·        To ensure that transport applications are assessed in a timely manner and transport is provided if eligible and that the home to school transport operation is customer focussed and responsive.

·        To manage the Service Level Agreement (SLA) with Slough Borough Council's transport team and review each year and negotiate with contractors annually regarding the supply of travel passes.

·        To identify areas of risk and concern in transport operations and present solutions to resolve problems.

·        To ensure that licensing applications are assessed and issued in a timely manner and that queries from parents and agents are dealt with appropriately.  

·        To ensure requests for information from parents, councillors, MPs and other agencies are responded to in a timely way and that data provided is accurate and up to date.    

·        To performance manage the Admissions and Transport Team, including reviewing how staff are deployed and organised to meet deadlines during peak periods.

·        Consider the team's safeguarding responsibilities in undertaking the work above and take appropriate action when necessary

·        To review processes, systems and procedures for all the above to ensure the service provided is efficient, effective, fair and transparent.

·        Any other duties required by the Head of School Services and Access to Education