Course Officer
Department: Registry
Reports to: Quality and Course Manager
Working pattern: Full-time: Permanent
Hours: 40 hours per week
Salary: £32,000 p/a
Context
ArtsEd originated from two schools, one founded in 1919 by Grace Cone and one founded in 1922 by Olive Ripman. These two educational pioneers believed passionately in the value of combining a general academic education with specialised training in dance, drama, music and art. They were committed to preparing young people for professional careers in or related to the theatre. In 1939, Grace and Olive joined forces to create the Cone Ripman School, subsequently named the Arts Educational Schools.
Dame Alicia Markova and Sir Anton Dolin drew almost exclusively on ArtsEd students to help them create their revolutionary company London Festival Ballet, which eventually became the English National Ballet. Ballerina Dame Beryl Grey became Director of the Schools in the 1960s. ArtsEd continued to innovate, introducing both professional acting and musical theatre courses and in I986 moved to its present home in Chiswick. In 2007, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber became President, heralding an auspicious new era for ArtsEd.
The School of Musical Theatre and School of Acting offer full-time BA and MA courses. Our Musical Theatre course is recognised as the best in the UK, while the Acting course is praised for its innovative 50:50 split between stage and screen acting. Our outstanding record of graduate success sees nearly every one of our Musical Theatre graduates and over three-quarters of our Acting graduates make their professional debuts within six months of graduating.
Purpose of the role
The Course Officer is a key point of contact for Higher Education students, offering front line information, guidance and pastoral support. The Course Officer also provides administrative support for students and staff in the School of Acting and School of Musical Theatre, ensuring that programmes run smoothly and that students have an excellent experience while at ArtsEd. Working under the direction of the Quality and Course Manager, the post-holder will also provide support for the operation and enhancement of ArtsEd’s quality assurance processes.
The post-holder will have the ability to work independently and effectively across multiple teams. They will work in a busy, student-facing office and be able to balance their routine administrative tasks with responding to unexpected student requests. They will possess a high level of attention to detail particularly with repetitive tasks, and be skilled at prioritising work to ensure that competing deadlines are met.
This is an exciting time to join ArtsEd as we launch a new strategy which will create opportunities to explore new ideas and enhance processes.
Please note that the working hours will normally be 8am – 4pm, Monday to Friday, on-site.
Key responsibilities
Course Administration and Student Experience:
* Ensures students have a dedicated first point of contact for support, and that they receive accurate and timely information about their course and related procedures, maintaining a high standard of communication and service.
* Oversees the management of student enquiries through Registry channels, ensuring responses are efficient, informative, and appropriately escalated when required.
* Manages timetabling, room bookings, and scheduling processes to provide clear and consistent information to staff and students.
* Oversees accurate systems for monitoring student attendance and engagement in line with institutional policies.
* Coordinates student representation and feedback initiatives, creating effective mechanisms for student voice and contributing to continuous improvement.
* Maintains up-to-date and accurate programme information and Student Handbooks.
* Acts as the primary contact for Trinity College London in the delivery of Professional Performing Arts Diplomas, ensuring all administrative and quality processes run smoothly.
* Supports the Quality and Course Manager in ensuring fair, transparent, and compliant management of student disciplinary, complaints and appeals processes.
* Ensures a professional and welcoming experience for applicants by coordinating administrative arrangements for auditions, and leading activities on the day such as escorting applicants and providing tours of the building.
Quality Assurance and Assessment:
* Ensures all assessment and quality processes are compliant with institutional policy, external regulations, and partner requirements.
* Oversees the administration of assessment marks, feedback, and records within agreed timeframes, maintaining accuracy and confidentiality.
* Prepares and clerks Assessment Boards, ensuring outcomes are correctly recorded and communicated.
* Produces academic records, including transcripts, certificates, and Diplomas, maintaining GDPR requirements.
* Contributes to the enhancement and review of policies and procedures, identifying opportunities for improved efficiency and effectiveness.
* Coordinates the collection and reporting of student and course data to meet internal planning and external reporting obligations (e.g. DfE, OfS, City St George’s, University of London).
Committee Servicing:
* Provides high-quality administrative support to academic committees and meetings, including the preparation of agendas, collation of papers, accurate minute-taking, and tracking of follow-up actions.
* Represents the Registry at weekly School of Acting and School of Musical Theatre Executive meetings, ensuring effective communication and implementation of decisions.
* Acts as Secretary to the Boards of Studies, supporting sound academic governance and quality assurance.
Other Responsibilities:
* Contributes to key institutional events such as Welcome Week, graduation and other Registry-led initiatives, demonstrating collaboration across teams.
* Undertakes additional duties as required to support the effective operation of the Registry and the wider organisation.