Afternoon Receptionist
Job description
Original text imported from Reed
Part-time, term-time only · Dulwich, London · From 3 September 2026
Alleyn's Oakfield is looking for a warm, welcoming Afternoon Receptionist to be the friendly face of our school during the afternoon. You'll be the calm, organised presence at the heart of school life, welcoming visitors, supporting parents and pupils, and keeping things running smoothly.
The Afternoon Receptionist bring both administrative confidence and a genuine warmth to a role that is as varied as it is rewarding.
What we're looking for:
- Previous experience in a receptionist, administrative, or customer-facing role, ideally within a school or similar environment is desirable.
- Strong communication skills and a warm, professional manner.
- A positive, flexible approach and a genuine commitment to delivering an excellent experience for everyone who visits or contacts the school.
Hours: Mon to Fri, 2:30pm – 6:30pm
Why join us?
- Be part of a welcoming, close-knit school community with a strong team ethos.
- Access to excellent facilities including a swimming pool, gym, and library.
- Generous benefits including lunches and refreshments, employee assistance programme, and private healthcare options.
- Cycle-to-work scheme, tech scheme, and local business discounts.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss the role before applying, please get in touch with the HR team. We'd be happy to help. ().
Alleyn's Oakfield is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All staff and volunteers are expected to share this commitment. The successful applicant will be subject to an enhanced DBS check.
Alleyn's is an Equal Opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all candidates who meet the requirements for the position and are especially keen to hear from those in minority groups currently underrepresented at the school. We celebrate diversity and the many benefits it brings to our community.
Key skills
AI-extracted from the job advert
Application advice
5 AI-generated recommendations to maximise your chances.
⭐ Open your Personal Statement by naming your experience in a school or public-facing reception role, as the advert specifically flags a school or similar environment as desirable.
📊 Quantify your reception experience: for example, "Managed front-desk operations for a 300-pupil primary school, handling 50+ visitor sign-ins daily" to demonstrate scale.
🎯 Explicitly reference your DBS check status (enhanced, if held) near the top of your CV — Alleyn's Oakfield requires this for all staff and it signals immediate suitability.
🤝 Highlight any safeguarding training or awareness (e.g. Safeguarding Level 1 certificate) as the advert places strong emphasis on commitment to child welfare.
🌐 Tailor your skills section to include both administrative confidence and interpersonal warmth — the advert uses both phrases and ATS systems will scan for these exact themes.
Suggested CV bullets
3 bullets our AI drafted for this specific advert, mirroring its ATS keywords.
Add these 3 bullets under your most recent experience:
- •Managed front-desk reception for a 450-pupil independent school, processing 60+ visitor sign-ins per day and coordinating late-collection records across 5 year groups.
- •Handled all incoming parent telephone enquiries during afternoon hours, resolving 95% of queries at first contact and escalating safeguarding concerns to the DSL within 10 minutes of identification.
- •Maintained GDPR-compliant visitor logs and administered enhanced DBS verification paperwork for 12 new volunteers across one academic year.
Free to copy — tailoring requires a 30-sec CV upload.
Your cover letter is ready
We've drafted a cover letter for The Guardian. Preview the opening, then unlock the full personalised version.
Letter preview — tailored to The Guardian
Dear Hiring Manager,
Alleyn's Oakfield's commitment to creating a warm, safeguarding-first school environment is precisely the kind of setting where I thrive. I am applying for the Afternoon Receptionist position, bringing proven front-desk administration skills and direct experience in customer-facing roles where professionalism and genuine warmth are equally essential.
My background in reception and administrative support includes managing high volumes of visitor sign-ins, liaising with parents and staff under time pressure, and maintaining accurate records in line with GDPR and safeguarding protocols. I hold an enhanced DBS certificate and have completed Safeguarding Level 1 training, meaning I can contribute to child welfare responsibilities from day one.
Free signup, no card needed. Export to PDF/Word requires a £1.99 trial (14 days).
Interview questions
10 questions generated from this advert.
Technical
- ›Which reception or school management software have you used to log visitor arrivals and manage sign-in records?
- ›How do you manage a busy phone line and in-person visitors simultaneously during peak afternoon hours?
- ›What steps do you take to ensure visitor data is handled in line with GDPR when recording details at reception?
- ›Describe your experience using email and calendar tools to communicate with parents and staff efficiently.
- ›How have you used administrative systems to track late collections or pupil whereabouts at end of school day?
Behavioural
- ›Tell me about a time you dealt with a distressed parent or visitor and how you resolved the situation calmly.
- ›Describe a situation where you had to manage several competing priorities at the front desk — what did you do?
- ›Give an example of when you identified a safeguarding concern and explain the steps you took.
- ›Tell me about a time you had to adapt quickly to an unexpected change in your working day.
- ›Describe how you have contributed to a positive team environment in a previous administrative or reception role.
STAR answer examples
Model answers using the Situation-Task-Action-Result framework. Adapt to your own experience.
Tell me about a time you dealt with a distressed parent or visitor and how you resolved the situation calmly.
Describe a situation where you had to manage several competing priorities at the front desk — what did you do?
Similar jobs
View allSchool Receptionist
Remedy Recruitment Group · South East London
Receptionist
Australasian Recruitment Company · London
School SEN Administration
Randstad Education · Cambridgeshire
Reception Host and Office Administrator
Australasian Recruitment Company · London