Job Introduction

The post is suited to a qualified and/or experienced Librarian with experience working in an academic Library. There will be ample scope for the appointee to try out new ideas and to develop the successful ones to their conclusion. It is also possible, but in no way obligatory, to take some part in wider school life. The overall aim is to provide an inspiring and engaging space for pupils and to encourage their studies.

During term time longer than average hours (to be discussed at interview) will be required and the Deputy Librarian would be expected to cover for every second Saturday morning (08.00 – 13.00). The school is in session for c.35 weeks/year. The Deputy Librarian will be entitled to half terms off and the discretionary school ‘stand down’ at Christmas. During the school holidays the Deputy Librarian will be expected to work for one week during the Easter and Christmas holidays and for three weeks during the Summer holidays. Lunch is available each day during term time (there is no charge) and other meals can be taken when needed.

The Library

In addition to the School Librarian who is full time, there is a part-time Library Assistant and a part-time Graduate Trainee Librarian.

Role Responsibility

The holder of this post is responsible to the School Librarian.

General Library duties:

• Assist with the general management of the Library stock
• Assist at the issue desk and in developing ideas for best practice when dealing with enquiries
• Assist in the planning of, the control of, and utilisation of, the Library’s information resources
• Assist in the design, evaluation and integration of the Library’s information systems.
• Assist in organising the running of the Library’s data systems
• Introduce and encourage staff and pupils to the Library’s resources and services
• Teach information literacy to groups and individuals who use the Library
• Ensure a safe and harmonious working environment for study and research
• Provide support to pupils and staff in the use of Library resources and IT
• Create promotional book displays in the Library and on social media
• Provide teaching staff with materials for their professional reading
• Attend meetings and professional development courses, as necessary
• From time to time visit other libraries, as necessary

Responsibilities

• Deputise for the School Librarian in their absence
• Assist with the organisation and delivery of inductions and information skills to pupils and staff as required
• Assist in the development and maintenance of the Library ethos and brand
• Assist with raising and maintaining the profile of the Library in the school and wider community
• Stock selection ordering and processing, for example book requests from departments and individuals
• Cataloguing and classifying new acquisitions and ensuring resources are appropriately shelved
• Stock control and maintenance (reading lists, weeding, dispersal, stocktaking)
• Promote reading for enjoyment and learning on the School’s social media
• Assist with the supervision and training of Library staff
• Participate in any arrangements that might be made for appraisal/professional development

Hours of work

During term time:

Monday to Friday 08:30am – 05:30pm or 09.30am to 06.30pm, with an hour for lunch, and 12 Saturdays being worked during the school year from 08:00am – 01:00pm when the school is in session.

Some flexibility will be required due to shift changes in Library hours between 08:00am and 06:30pm.

During the School holidays:

Monday to Friday 9.30am to 4.30pm, with an hour for lunch, for the following periods:

• Easter School holiday:

One week from the end of the Lent term in March and for one week at the end of the Easter holiday leading up to the Election term in April.

• Christmas School holiday:

One week from the end of the Play term in December and for one week at the end of Christmas holiday leading up to the Lent term in January.

• Summer holidays:

Three weeks during the School's summer holiday.  This will be either for one week from the end of the Election term in July and two weeks at the end of August, or for two weeks from the end of the Election term in July and one week at the end of August. This to be agreed in advance each year by the Line Manager.

The Library is staffed by Librarians from 8.00am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday and from 8.00am to 1.00pm on Saturdays. Saturdays are worked on a rota basis. Although the Library opens to the School Community from 8.30am one of the Library team sets up for the day from 8.00am

In addition the Library is kept open for Prep from 6.30pm - 9.00pm, but the Librarians are not expected to cover this.

The Ideal Candidate

Please refer to the below (attached) person specification.

Equal Opportunities

We are an equal opportunities employer. We therefore encourage candidates to apply irrespective of age, disability, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion and belief, gender identity, sex or sexual orientation.

Safeguarding and Child Protection

Westminster School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Package Description

Required for: 29th August 2024.

Location: Deans Yard - Westminster School

Contract: full-time, permanent

Salary: £41,389 per annum

The deadline for this role is 09:00 on Friday 14th June 2024. Interviews will take place w/c 17th June 2024.

About the School

Working at Westminster

Westminster School is a busy, purposeful and vibrant place to be and an excellent workplace. The community is made up of 750 pupils, 120 teaching staff and 108 support staff.

Westminster School is friendly and welcoming, and all newcomers quickly become part of the rhythm of life here.

There is a real sense of community here as, being a boarding school many members of staff and pupils live on site and the School’s premises are very much treated as a home away from home. School life starts before breakfast and continues way beyond the working day; as a result, there is always a lively atmosphere in and around School and always someone to share a tea and biscuit with in the Common Room. Support staff as much as teaching staff are encouraged to embrace the School’s day-to-day activities, whether that be attending an evening concert or a morning service in the Abbey.

At Westminster we will always select the best candidate for every position. We do know, however, that we can only truly choose the best person on every occasion if a broad and diverse pool of candidates see the job advertised and are encouraged to apply.

As such, we continue to work on how our job roles are encountered, and particularly welcome applications from groups who have traditionally been underrepresented here.

Westminster School is for everyone, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation or any other protected characteristic. We hope you are encouraged to apply.

The School

Westminster School is a selective day and boarding school for boys aged 13 to 18 and girls aged 16 to 18. There are approximately 360 boys in the Lower School (Years 9 to 11) and 400 boys and girls in the Upper School (Years 12 and 13). One quarter of the pupils board, and the School is structured and run as a boarding school, with an extended day and week and a strong House-based system of pastoral welfare, for boarding and day pupils alike.

Westminster is an ancient school, whose origins can be traced to a charity school established by the Benedictine monks of Westminster Abbey. Its continuous existence is certain from the early 14th century. Henry VIII personally ensured the School’s survival by statute and Elizabeth I, who confirmed royal patronage in 1560, is celebrated as the School’s foundress. Westminster is rare amongst long-established schools in remaining on its original site in the centre of London. Its proximity to Parliament and Westminster Abbey, and the use of the Abbey for its chapel, together with the stimulating diversity of the South Bank and West End, account in part for its special atmosphere and outlook.

The School is one of the foremost centres of academic excellence both in this country and internationally. Central to its academic ethos is the dialogue between teachers and their pupils, whether in the classroom or in tutorials, inspiring enjoyment of intellectual enquiry, debate and search for explanation and the development of skills of rational, independent thought well beyond any standard examination syllabus. The desired environment is happy, busy and purposeful; the pupils are intellectually, socially, ethically and politically engaged, with plenty of opportunities to develop initiatives and to articulate and defend their views, in line with the enduring values of the liberal tradition reflected in the School’s Charter. That tradition is fully committed also to the nurture of each pupil’s spiritual, moral, emotional and physical development and wellbeing – with a particular emphasis on drawing out individual talent wherever it lies - and to the preparation of young people for fulfilled private and public lives beyond School.

Westminster School