Receptionist

“Pupils and staff enjoy belonging to a vibrant school community where caring, respectful relationships are the norm” - Ofsted (January 2024)

We are looking to appoint two enthusiastic, organised and welcoming Receptionists to join the team at King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy.

Our reception is at the heart of academy life. It is often the first point of contact for pupils, families, visitors and colleagues, and we are looking for people who will provide a professional, friendly and efficient service while helping our busy academy run smoothly.

This is a varied role where no two days are quite the same. Alongside providing an excellent front-of-house service, our Receptionists will support the day-to-day administration of the academy and play an important role in supporting pupils who require first aid or medical assistance. Both successful candidates will therefore be required to administer first aid as part of their role. An existing first aid qualification would be welcomed, although training will be provided where required.

We are looking for people who reflect our academy values in the way they work every day:

Bold - You will be confident and composed when dealing with a wide range of situations, using sound judgement and taking responsibility when required.

Ambitious - You will have high standards for yourself and the service you provide, always looking for ways to contribute positively to academy life.

Collaborative - You will be a reliable team player who builds positive relationships with colleagues, pupils, families and visitors and is willing to support others when needed.

Kind - You will provide a warm and welcoming first impression of our academy, treating everyone with patience, professionalism, respect and care.

Previous experience of working within a busy office, reception or customer-service environment would be advantageous. You will need to be highly organised, able to prioritise competing demands and remain calm and professional when working under pressure.

Most importantly, you will be joining a supportive community of Senior Leadership, Teaching and Support staff where “staff feel valued and appreciate how their workload and wellbeing are considered by leaders at all levels”, as recognised by Ofsted. King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy is a dynamic and forward-thinking school, recognised as the most improved school in the West Midlands and the fifth most-improved school in the country by the Fairer Schools Index in January 2025. We are also proud to be the first Birmingham City Academy School in conjunction with Birmingham City Football Club, creating further opportunities and experiences for our pupils.

We are incredibly proud of the journey our academy is on and are looking for two like-minded professionals who share our commitment to achieving the very best outcomes for our young people. Our pupils “know staff have high expectations of them and want them to be successful”, while both staff and pupils are “rightly proud of how much Balaam Wood has improved over recent years”. At Balaam Wood, daily life reflects our values of being bold, ambitious, collaborative and kind, and we are looking forward to welcoming two new colleagues who will help us continue that journey. Who will you be joining? King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy is located in South West Birmingham. The academy continues to benefit from being part of King Edward VI Academy Trust Birmingham, including investment across the academy and access to cutting-edge technology. King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy is proud to be part of The Schools of King Edward VI Birmingham, which supports its schools, faculties, departments and individual staff to work collaboratively. The successful candidates will benefit from a wide range of professional development opportunities, including opportunities to work with colleagues across the Foundation, share expertise and resources, and pursue professional qualifications. Our expectations and aspirations King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy has the highest aspirations and expectations for all members of its community. As a member of staff, you will be valued, challenged and supported in making a difference to the lives of our young people. We expect the same of our pupils and promote courtesy, endeavour and resilience throughout academy life. We are exceptionally proud of our academy and our young people and would encourage interested applicants to come and spend some time with the leadership team, learn more about our shared vision, have a look around and experience what life is like as part of our community.

About the Academy Trust

The King Edward VI Foundation, Birmingham, is a progressive charitable organisation which has supported excellence in education across the city since 1552. Our schools are diverse in nature but have a common purpose and commitment to achieving our mission of “making Birmingham the best place to be educated in the UK”. Our Academy Trust currently consists of two independent schools, six selective, and five non-selective academies. Our recent expansion into a wider diversity of local communities is enabling us to accelerate our strategies for improving the life chances of young people in Birmingham, whatever their background. The King Edward VI Academy Trust Birmingham (“the Academy Trust”) was established in 2017 and is made up of the academies outlined above. The academies receive back office central support services including governance, from the Foundation Office (a central support services function), with several staff being seconded from the Foundation to deliver support services to the Academy Trust and the academies themselves. Our highly focused five-year strategy aims to build on our existing strengths and heritage and deliver our ambitious growth strategy which aims to bring in a further five academies over the next five years.