Executive Assistant to the High Mistress

The Role

We are looking for highly motivated and personable individual with an ability to work collaboratively with staff across the School whilst providing exceptional support to the High Mistress.

This is an exciting opportunity for an individual with outstanding communication skills, discretion and the ability to manage a diverse and fast paced workload with professionalism and efficiency. With excellent written and oral communication, strong attention to detail and a solutions focused approach, the successful candidate will handle matters with sensitivity and discretion and build networks across the School to ensure the smooth delivery of the High Mistress's priorities.

The Executive Assistant reports to the High Mistress, works closely with a number of administrators and support staff across the school, and plays an important and visible role in the wider School community.

This role is offered on a full time (52 weeks) and permanent basis. Working hours are 08:00 - 17:00, Monday to Friday and the role is based on site. A degree of flexibility with working hours is required owing to the nature of the role.

Key Responsibilities

The Executive Assistant (EA) will provide high level administrative and organisational support to the High Mistress, ensuring the efficient management of her priorities, communications, and strategic initiatives. The EA acts as a trusted partner to the High Mistress, enabling her to focus on leadership and vision while ensuring operational excellence across the school.

The EA is expected to uphold the highest standards of confidentiality, integrity, and professional judgment while representing the High Mistress and the School. Occasional evening or weekend work may be required to support school events.

Providing Executive Support

• Proactively manage the High Mistress's diary, prioritising commitments and anticipating needs accordingly
• Act as the first point of contact for all communications to/from the High Mistress, ensuring professionalism and discretion at all times
• General office management including the design and implementation of processes to ensure the smooth running of the High Mistress' study
• Prepare agendas, briefing papers, reports, and presentations for internal and external meetings
• Minute meetings as required, including Senior Leadership Team (SLT) meetings, and track actions to ensure timely follow up
• Maintain electronic filing systems and confidential records relating to governance, safeguarding, and compliance
• Organise all travel arrangements for the High Mistress, including complex itineraries for both national and international trips, ensuring the High Mistress is appropriately prepared for meetings and events
• Support preparation for inspections, audits, and policy reviews
• Coordinate documentation for governors' meetings and maintain statutory records

Cross-departmental Liaison

• Act as the High Mistress's representative and liaison point across key departments (including Development, Admissions, HR, Marketing & Communications and International) to ensure alignment with the School's strategic vision
• Work closely with a range of teams to coordinate the High Mistress's involvement in relevant events and initiatives
• Be a leader within the office support network, fostering positive relationships across the school community that reflect the school's ethos and values
• Coordinate communication between the High Mistress and senior staff ensuring clarity and consistency
• Work closely with HR and administrative teams to support staff recruitment processes where required
• Work closely with the Front Office and Reception teams, providing cover where required

Communications and Events

• Draft and quality assure correspondence and newsletters from the High Mistress
• Work with the marketing and admissions teams to support promotional activities and events
• Plan and deliver key school events e.g. Apposition Dinner, Valediction, Presentation Assemblies, Friday Lectures

External Liaison

• Represent the High Mistress in communications with parents, governors, professional bodies, and partner institutions
• Coordinate the High Mistress's attendance at external conferences and networking events
• Act as the main point of contact for The Mercers, organising visits and events as required

The postholder will also be required to undertake any other duties as reasonable required by the High Mistress.

The school

St Paul's Girls' School is one of the country's leading independent schools for girls aged 11-18, with approximately 840 students. It is an extraordinary school, offering a classical yet forward-thinking education, rooted in a love of academic discovery and enriched by a broad co-curricular programme, nurturing wellbeing provision and a strong commitment to partnerships and community initiatives. Aspirations and achievements go well beyond what one would normally expect from a school, making St Paul's Girls' School an exciting, lively, and stimulating place in which to work.

Students want to make a difference, and many go on to roles tackling some of the greatest challenges facing people and planet. Respect for environmental sustainability is expected of all staff, both in terms of minimising use of resources in daily operations and supporting the school's aim of preparing students fully for life and work in the mid-21st century.

Full details of the school, including our curriculum and public exam results, are available on our website.

Further information about the role and to apply can be found on our website.

Please submit your applications before the closing date. Applications will not be considered without a completed application form. Please use your own words when writing your supporting statement. While we are a digitally forward-looking school, we are mindful of the importance of authenticity in education and would far prefer to hear your unique voice through any application you may choose to make.

We recommend that candidates apply as soon as possible since applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews arranged on a rolling basis.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and overseas police checks

St Paul's Girls' School is a "registered body" under the Police Act 1997 because employment here involves access to children under the age of 18. This post will require an enhanced DBS check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly Criminal Records Bureau) before we can confirm an offer of employment. Unless you are a member of the DBS Update Service you will need to apply for a new disclosure, even if you already hold one. Former members of staff who are not on the Update Service who re-join us also require fresh disclosures, unless less than three months have passed between their leaving and their re-employment date. If you have lived or worked abroad for a period of 3 months or more during the past 10 years you will also need to provide appropriate paperwork, such as a police certificate of good conduct, from the countries you have lived in.

Safeguarding guidelines

St Paul's Girls' School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). We expect all staff to share this commitment.

St Paul's Girls' School welcomes applications from all sectors of the community as we aspire to attract staff that match the social and cultural diversity of our pupil intake. We seek to offer fair and inclusive employment policies, interview and arrangements that avoid bias and support all applicants and staff equally.

Closing date: 25 th January 2026.