Role Introduction

The Inspection Compliance Officer is responsible for overseeing all compliance related to Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) and National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools (NMS) across the school. The Inspection Compliance Officer will advise and support senior leaders to strengthen Eton’s whole school culture of excellence through ISI compliance, and work with other members of the school to enhance their knowledge of ISI compliance and relevant school regulations. They will have responsibility for proactively planning the logistics for ISI inspections. The role does not have any direct reports, however the post holder is expected to liaise with colleagues across the College, secure buy-in for changes, and support and oversee the work of individuals outside of their span of control in order to maintain and develop the school’s ISI compliance objectives. The Inspection Compliance Officer will also on occasion assist and help to coordinate investigations in relation to pupils. These investigations are overseen by the Lower Master’s Office, but the Inspection Compliance Officer will provide essential administrative support.

Due to the needs of the school and the department, we may interview suitable candidates before the closing date. This job may also close early if a large number of applications are received. You are advised to submit your application as early as possible to avoid missing your chance to apply.

Main Duties

• Ensuring that the school’s senior leaders and the Provost & Fellows are kept fully informed of all relevant changes in guidance, best practice and legislation in regulatory requirements affecting independent schools. 
• Maintaining the ISI related parts of the Compliance Framework, which outlines the College’s statutory and regulatory obligations on an ongoing basis and presenting this annually (or as necessary) to the Regulatory and Compliance Committee (RACC). 
• Coordinating the school’s policy review process, ensuring that all policies are up to date and in place on SharePoint and accessible to the correct parties (e.g. on SharePoint, the external website or the parent portal). This will include taking personal responsibility for updating certain policies and working with others within the College to review specified policies and procedures. 
• Promoting a compliance led culture among staff, including spreading awareness of policies and coordinating training programmes to promote the observation of regulatory guidelines via the school’s Learning Management System, Kallidus. 
• Working with the Boarding Team to produce boarding audits to each House Team to ensure that every House complies with relevant regulatory standards including National Minimum Standards (NMS) Boarding Standards alongside the ISI inspection criteria.  
• Identifying areas of compliance vulnerability and risk by actively maintaining the ISI related parts of the Compliance Risk Register; developing action plans with the relevant stakeholders to mitigate those risks; monitoring the implementation of mitigations; and, reporting and advising as to the effectiveness of the mitigations. 
• Periodically reporting on the School’s state of preparedness for inspection by any statutory or regulatory body, and, where necessary, coordinating inspection preparation activities. These may include (in addition to tasks undertaken in line with the Compliance Framework): 
• Working with relevant parties to ensure the Pre-Inspection Information Form (PIIF), Self Evaluation Form (SEF) and ISI’s Regulatory Compliance Audit (RCA) are up to date, regularly reviewed and reflective of current school practices. 
• Leading and coordinating any externally led practice inspections and delivering departmental and Boarding House mock inspections where required. 
• Ensuring that ‘Documents Required For Inspection’ are kept up to date so that the school is always ‘inspection ready’. 
• Preparing, organising and delivering inspection preparation training, where necessary, to those most likely to be involved with the inspection process. 
• Working with the HR Director to ensure that the Single Central Register is compliant and up to date, including performing regular audits and spot checks. 
• Keeping the Independent School Standards Regulations (ISSR) Checklist and NMS checklist up to date and ready for review by ISI inspectors. 
• Providing a termly inspection readiness report to the Lower Master to enable the Lower Master to oversee inspection preparation and compliance. 
• Reviewing and administering the Inspection page on SharePoint.  
• Confirming the ‘establishment details’ on the DfE website monthly and keeping the school’s entries on the ISI portal up to date (annually). 
• Completing the ISC and DfE census documents, coordinating and collating data from relevant departments and manually uploading to the online submission record. 
• Periodically attending various Committee meetings across the school to report on compliance and inspection preparedness. 
• Managing the School’s compliance budget, commissioning external audits/mock inspections where necessary. 
• Assisting with the School’s pupil investigation process as directed by the Lower Master and, where required, with staff investigations (taking notes, arranging meetings, redacting witness statements etc.). 
• Providing compliance support, where required, for those organising school trips and expeditions. 
• Assisting the Clerk & Legal Adviser to the Provost & Fellow with Data Subject Access Requests. 
• Undertaking any other tasks as reasonably requested to support the school to comply with its statutory and legal obligations, in particular, data protection related activities (including updating the Privacy Notice). 
• All employees of Eton College are also expected to:
  1. Develop a good understanding of safeguarding procedures, given all positions at Eton are classed as ‘regulated activity’;
  2. Demonstrate a commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. This includes but is not limited to completing safeguarding training as required, complying with all safeguarding procedures and ensuring any safeguarding updates issued by the College are read and understood.
  3. Understand and comply with procedures and legislation relating to confidentiality;
  4. Display a commitment to and promotion of equality, diversity and inclusion.

The Ideal Candidate

To be successful in this role, you will need:  

• Extensive experience working in a compliance role within a school environment; 
• The proven ability to build credible relationships with key stakeholders; 
• To be proficient in Excel, Word and SharePoint; 
• The ability to write compelling, detailed and accurate reports, and deliver presentations to key stakeholders;
• Experience of supporting on investigations within schools is desirable (although not essential);
• The proven ability to successfully manage a variety of competing priorities whilst ensuring that nothing ‘slips through the cracks’.

You may enjoy this role if:

• You’re a great communicator – you enjoy engaging with a variety of different people and you are able to flex your style depending on who you are working with;
• You are able to be assertive and direct, challenging behaviour where required, whilst maintaining a positive working relationship with key stakeholders; 
• You have the ability to work independently as well as with colleagues; 
• You have a ‘can-do’ attitude – you love getting stuck in and you’re not phased by a heavy volume of work and fast changing priorities;
• You continually look for ways to improve systems and processes.

Working Pattern

• The working hours for this role will be 40 hours per week, working 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday with one hour unpaid for lunch each day. 
• The post holder will be required to work during Eton College term time (32 weeks) plus 7 weeks outside of term, meaning they will work for a total of 39 weeks per year. How the 7 weeks outside of term time are worked will be set by mutual agreement with the Lower Master on an annual basis. 
• The post holder is entitled to 6.27 weeks of paid holiday each holiday year (with the holiday year being from September to August). This paid annual leave must be taken during the first arising non-working periods. The annual salary for the post will be paid over 12 equal monthly instalments

Benefits

Eton College offers a wide range of benefits, including an 11% employer contribution to your pension (with 4.9% employee contribution), Employee Assistance Programme, enhanced Maternity / Paternity scheme, a cycle to work scheme, subsidised lunches during term time, free or heavily discounted access to the College’s sport and leisure facilities and discounts at local retailers and businesses.

About the College

We are an equal opportunities employer and are seeking applications from suitable candidates from all backgrounds. We are dedicated to creating and sustaining an environment that values individuality and difference and celebrates the diversity of both staff and pupils by fostering perseverance, tolerance and integrity. We believe in equal opportunity for everyone, irrespective of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation or socio-economic background.

If you have any queries about the application process or any problem with submitting your application online, the Recruitment Team will be happy to help. Should you require any reasonable adjustments to be made or facilities provided to enable you to apply online, please do not hesitate to contact us on recruitment@etoncollege.org.uk so we can make adjustments accordingly. 

DISCLOSURE CHECKS

Eton College 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, but not limited to, reference checks with past employers, an Enhanced Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (including Barred List information), an online search and, where applicable, Prohibition checks. If you are successful in your application, you will be required to complete a DBS Disclosure Application Form.  Any information disclosed will be handled in accordance with any guidance and/or Code of Practice published by the DBS. The College is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore all convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings (including those which would normally be considered as “spent” under the Act) must be declared, subject to the DBS filtering rules. It is a criminal offence for any person who is barred from working with children to attempt to apply for a position at the College.

Eton College