Administration Apprentice (Business & Finance)

ST PETERS CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

WIGAN (WN5 8NU)

Closes in 14 days (Friday 17 October 2025 at 11:59pm)

Posted on 2 October 2025

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Summary

Join St Peter’s as an Admin Apprentice! Gain hands-on experience in school admin and finance while working toward a qualification. Support staff, pupils, and parents in a caring Catholic community. Opportunity for growth and a permanent role after completion. DBS check required.

• Wage:

  £11,778 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age

  National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

  Check minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

• Training course: Business administrator (level 3)
• Hours: Term-time only. Working times are flexible, but generally 8:30am -3:30pm Mondays to Thursdays and 8:30am-3:00pm on Fridays with a 30-minute unpaid lunch. Working from home is allowable for some of this time, but it must meet the needs of the school.

  30 hours a week

• Start date:

  Saturday 1 November 2025

• Duration:

  1 year 6 months

• Positions available:

  1

Work

Most of your apprenticeship is spent working. You’ll learn on the job by getting hands-on experience.

What you'll do at work

General Administration

• Provide general administrative support to staff and departments across the school.
•  Act as a point of contact for staff, students, parents, and visitors, dealing with enquiries professionally both in person and by phone or email.
• Support reception and front office duties, including signing in visitors (ensuring safeguarding processes are followed), answering phones, and handling mail.
• Prepare and distribute letters, reports, forms, and newsletters using Microsoft Office or Google Workspace.
• Maintain and update school records (manual and digital), including student data, attendance records, and filing systems.
• Help with data entry and maintaining the school’s management information system (MIS).
• Assist with attendance monitoring and reporting.
• Assist with the organisation of meetings and school events, including booking rooms and taking minutes.
• Liaise with teaching and support staff to ensure accurate and timely communication and record-keeping.

Finance & Business Support

• Assist in processing purchase orders, invoices, and payment requests through the school’s finance system.
• Liaise with external suppliers and service providers regarding orders, deliveries, and queries.
• Help monitor income and expenditure for school trips, events, and departmental budgets.
• Support with petty cash handling, logging of receipts, and basic financial reporting.
• Assist in maintaining accurate records for stock control and asset management.

Liaison & Communication

• Liaise with parents and carers regarding school payments, trips, and general enquiries.
• Work with external organisations such as suppliers, contractors, and local authorities, ensuring timely and accurate communication.
• Collaborate with internal departments (e.g. pastoral, curriculum, site staff) to support administrative and operational needs.

Compliance & Policies

• Ensure compliance with school policies, particularly in relation to data protection, confidentiality, safeguarding, and health and safety.
• Handle sensitive information appropriately and in line with GDPR regulation
• Work co-operatively with, and in support of everyone at the school (including the work of other team members) by undertaking such additional duties as are reasonably commensurate with the post and level of responsibility.
• Review and develop own professional practice, undertaking training as required
• Develop good working relations with other colleagues and promote a positive impression of the support services in all circumstances, identifying areas for improvement.
• Help foster a positive culture by upholding the vision and aims of the school.
• Have due regard for data protection, confidentiality, child protection and health and safety policies.
• Work with pupils and staff in a courteous, caring and responsible manner.
• Work with visitors in such a way that it enhances the reputation of the school.
• Support the school in helping to prepare for external inspections (e.g. OFSTED).   
• Help protect the school environment by making sure working areas (including shared areas, stockrooms and workstations) are tidy, clutter free and safe to use.
• As a user of the school’s network, you must comply with the school’s IT policy and social media policy and understand that the school may monitor your emails and internet activity.
• Requests to take time in lieu during term time will be treated on an individual basis and must fit with the needs of the school.

Where you'll work

HOWARDS LANE
ORRELL
WIGAN
WN5 8NU

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training provider

WIGAN AND LEIGH COLLEGE

Training course

Business administrator (level 3)

Understanding apprenticeship levels (opens in new tab)

What you'll learn

Course contents

• Skilled in the use of multiple IT packages and systems relevant to the organisation in order to: write letters or emails, create proposals, perform financial processes, record and analyse data. Examples include MS Office or equivalent packages. Able to choose the most appropriate IT solution to suit the business problem. Able to update and review databases, record information and produce data analysis where required.
• Produces accurate records and documents including: emails, letters, files, payments, reports and proposals. Makes recommendations for improvements and present solutions to management. Drafts correspondence, writes reports and able to review others' work. Maintains records and files, handles confidential information in compliance with the organisation's procedures. Coaches others in the processes required to complete these tasks.
• Exercises proactivity and good judgement. Makes effective decisions based on sound reasoning and is able to deal with challenges in a mature way. Seeks advice of more experienced team members when appropriate.
• Builds and maintains positive relationships within their own team and across the organisation. Demonstrates ability to influence and challenge appropriately. Becomes a role model to peers and team members, developing coaching skills as they gain area knowledge.
• Demonstrates good communication skills, whether face-to-face, on the telephone, in writing or on digital platforms. Uses the most appropriate channels to communicate effectively. Demonstrates agility and confidence in communications, carrying authority appropriately. Understands and applies social media solutions appropriately. Answers questions from inside and outside of the organisation, representing the organisation or department.
• Completes tasks to a high standard. Demonstrates the necessary level of expertise required to complete tasks and applies themself to continuously improve their work. Is able to review processes autonomously and make suggestions for improvements. Shares administrative best-practice across the organisation e.g. coaches others to perform tasks correctly. Applies problem-solving skills to resolve challenging or complex complaints and is a key point of contact for addressing issues.
• Takes responsibility for initiating and completing tasks, manages priorities and time in order to successfully meet deadlines. Positively manages the expectations of colleagues at all levels and sets a positive example for others in the workplace. Makes suggestions for improvements to working practice, showing understanding of implications beyond the immediate environment (e.g. impact on clients, suppliers, other parts of the organisation). Manages resources e.g. equipment or facilities. Organises meetings and events, takes minutes during meetings and creates action logs as appropriate. Takes responsibility for logistics e.g. travel and accommodation.
• Uses relevant project management principles and tools to scope, plan, monitor and report. Plans required resources to successfully deliver projects. Undertakes and leads projects as and when required.

Training schedule

• Level 3 Business Administrator Apprenticeship Standard St Peter’s Catholic High School.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE in:

• English (grade 4)
• Math (grade 4)

Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.

Skills

• Communication skills
• IT skills
• Attention to detail
• Organisation skills
• Customer care skills
• Problem solving skills
• Administrative skills
• Number skills
• Team working
• Non judgemental
• Patience
• Respect for the Catholic Ethos
• Character and Personal Conduct
• Adaptability

About this employer

St. Peter’s is a successful and oversubscribed 11-16 Catholic Secondary School of approximately 1040 pupils. We primarily serve the children of our partner parishes across a wide area in Wigan, Lancashire and St. Helens. We pride ourselves on living out our mission statement to be a ‘Learning and serving community enriched through friendship and Christian faith.’ We are committed to both high standards of learning and personal conduct and to being a warm inclusive school where every child can succeed.   The vast majority of our pupils achieve expected or above expected standards at the end of KS2 and this leads to challenging targets at GCSE level. Through our clear expectations and nurturing environment, we create a calm focused learning environment where teachers can teach and the needs of all of our pupils can be met.  The curriculum offer at St. Peter’s is a wide and varied one with a very strong academic core and a diverse offer of Arts, Technical and practical courses. I would encourage you to explore this offer on the school website.    Our staff team is a strong mix of very experienced and more recently qualified colleagues and they are very well supported at all levels by our Professional Development Programme. Staff wellbeing is at the heart of our philosophy and we have embraced a number of strategies to promote this including staff wellbeing cafes, wellbeing buddies and the opportunity to work from home where practicable. Staff Development is supported

After this apprenticeship

Permanent Role: If you perform well and there’s a vacancy, you may be offered a full-time admin assistant or finance/admin officer role.

Further Training: You could move on to a Level 3 or 4 apprenticeship in:

• Business Administration
• School Business Management
• Finance or Accounting (e.g. AAT)

Transferable Experience: Even if there’s no role at the school, you’ll have gained:

• Valuable admin experience
• A recognised qualification

Strong references to help you apply elsewhere

Ask a question

The contact for this apprenticeship is:

WIGAN AND LEIGH COLLEGE

Gabriella

g.may@wigan-leigh.ac.uk

The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC1000344756.

Apply now

Closes in 14 days (Friday 17 October 2025 at 11:59pm)

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