JOB DESCRIPTION
SCHOOLS OFFICER
REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS
This post reports to the Canon Librarian and is responsible for the Schools Department staff and
volunteers.
PURPOSE
The Schools Officer is responsible to the Dean and Chapter for providing a programme of education and
visits for school children from the UK and abroad. The Schools Department also liaises with schools to
provide tailored education programmes and site visits, and produces educational material linked to the key
stages in British schools.
The Schools Officer regularly liaises with institutions outside the Cathedral, such as Canterbury City
Council, the University of Kent at Canterbury and Christ Church University.
PRINCIPAL TASKS
To plan the work of the department by:  Producing long and short term plans within budgets for educational groups visiting the Cathedral.
 Developing and planning varied educational programmes, which develop the potential of the Cathedral
as a learning resource.
 To include national initiatives and celebrations within the remit of the Schools Department such as
hosting exhibitions with the British Library and the University of Sheffield and being part of National
Family Week and working with the BBC’s Hands on History project and UNESCO’s Youth Summit.
To manage the staff of the department by:  Assisting in the recruitment and selection of employed and volunteer staff for the Schools Department.
 As a Senior Manager and Head of Department to fully endorse, understand and exercise the roles and
responsibilities contained within the Dean and Chapter’s Health and Safety policy which is set out in the
Staff Handbook.
 Providing opportunities for training for staff and volunteers.
 Managing the daily work of the department.
 Managing the work and supervision of work experience students.
To manage resources by:  Overseeing the researching, designing and the production of relevant printed material for use by
visitors and keeping all existing materials up to date.
 Overseeing the planning and design of facilities and materials available in the project room.
 Advising on the educational input into Audio Visual presentations and exhibition material.
 Managing the budget for the department.
 Producing detailed future financial plans, as required, for the Gift and to support Heritage Lottery bids.
To manage school visits by:  Being responsible for the management of the booking system, and the information visitors receive prior
to a visit.
 Monitoring the evaluation of schools visits and incorporating any suggestions for improvement where
possible.
 Assisting in the planning and execution of the Diocesan Church Schools Days in the Cathedral.
 Following up any complaints and bringing them to a satisfactory conclusion.
 Conduction of guided tours, costume trails and Project Rooms when necessary.
Schools Officer June 2008
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Planning and running the biannual School Friends Service inviting a local bishop and 350 school
children to take part.
Planning and run the local schools mornings involving children from local primary schools.
Liaising with staff at the Archives and Library to encourage school visits to these departments and
running joint projects with them, such as the short story writing competition.
To liaise with other agencies by:  Establishing and maintaining contact with local teachers, education advisors and support staff and with
other groups and individuals involved with ‘education outside of the classroom’.
 Liaising with other Cathedral Education Officers through the Pilgrims Association and other informal
channels.
 Assisting in providing training days for teachers and others concerned with ‘education outside of the
classroom’.
 Working with lecturers from local Universities and Colleges to run regular sixth form conferences and
offer input to teaching undergraduate students.
 Liaising on a regular basis with the Diocesan Education Office to develop new teaching resources,
such as the Spirituality trail and host exhibitions such as the Celebrating RE project.
 Taking part in local heritage support groups, such as the Heritage Partnership Group, promoting the
city of Canterbury and the local museums.
 To support the work of Kent Children’s University by offering specific trails and challenges at the
Cathedral.
 To plan and run holiday activities for local and visiting children to engage them with the Cathedral.
 Work with staff at the other constituent parts of the Canterbury World Heritage Site, St Augustine’s
Abbey and St Martin’s Church to offer a quality experience to J2A groups.
 To carry out any reasonable task that may be requested by the Dean and Chapter.
HOURS
The position holder should be flexible in their approach to hours worked as these will be dictated by
operational needs and are not expected to be less than 37½ (excluding breaks) per week.
SALARY AND BENEFITS
Salary
up to £30k depending upon qualifications and experience
Pension
Employers contribution of 10% of salary
Life Assurance
Senior Staff in the pension scheme are insured against death in service 3 x annual
salary.
Holiday
The annual entitlement for full time Senior Staff positions is 30 days plus 8 public
holidays and 2 Dean and Chapter Days.
PRE EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS
A satisfactory disclosure from the Criminal Records Bureau will be required upon employment. This
position is exempt from the provision of Section 4(2) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 by virtue of
the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. The grounds on which it is exempt are
that in the normal course of your duties you will have access to persons under the age of 18, and that your
normal duties will be carried out wholly or partly on the same premises where the provision of training to
persons under 18 takes place. Applicants are therefore not entitled to withhold information about
convictions which for other purposes are “spent”. The CRB Code of Practice is available on request,
alternatively you can obtain it from the website www.direct.gov.uk/crb
Updated April 2012
This job description is provided to assist the post holder to know their principal duties. It may be amended
from time to time in consultation with you, by, or on behalf of, the Head of the Department, without change
to the level of responsibility appropriate to the grading of the post.
Schools Officer June 2008
APPLICATION PROCESS
A Dean and Chapter application form should be submitted to:
Human Resources Department
Cathedral House
The Precincts
Canterbury
Kent
CT1 2EH
Or to: recruitment@canterbury-cathedral.org
Closing date for receipt of completed applications Thursday 26th April 2012
Interviews are expected to be held on Wednesday 23rd May 2012
Schools Officer June 2008
PERSONAL SPECIFICATION
The personal specification below indicates the qualifications, experience, knowledge and skills required to
undertake the role effectively.
Essential
Professional qualifications:
Appropriate teaching qualification
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Academic qualifications:
Degree or equivalent
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Experience:
5 years teaching experience
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Articulate with excellent communication and inter
personal skills
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Excellent IT and administrative skills
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RE Teaching experience
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Desirable
History teaching experience
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Staff and/or volunteer management
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Knowledge:
Familiarity with the requirements of the National
Curriculum and KASRE
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Financial competency and experience of budget
management
Good understanding of the Anglican faith and ability to
show an empathy with the mission of the Cathedral.
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Memberships:
None required
Personal attributes:
Self motivating and able to work both independently and
collaboratively with internal and external contacts and
colleagues.
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Confident and willing to take responsibility and make
decisions
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Well presented, organised and self disciplined
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Able to work flexible and extended hours when
necessary
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Schools Officer June 2008