Communication Skills for Frontline Admin & Support Staff

Reception and office staff deal with the parent in a hurry, the one who's upset, the colleague who needs something now and the pupil who looks like something's wrong. How those conversations go shapes how people feel about the whole school.

It's worth rethinking the phone rules you were given, like "be brief, be firm, be gone", and asking when they help and when they get in the way. You'll pick up active listening, why a misunderstanding usually isn't personal, and the value of taking 30 seconds to find the right answer rather than a quick wrong one. One habit worth copying: if you promised someone a call back by four o'clock, follow up afterwards to check it happened.

It's presented by a former headteacher. There's also advice for the pupil who seems worried: ask twice if they're all right, and know when to pass it on.