IT Support Apprentice - QA LIMITED

Employer description: 

Eton College, which was founded by Henry VI in 1440 for 70 scholars, has over the years become a boarding school catering for 1300 boys. It is the largest boarding school for boys in the UK. Eton’s academic results are very good by any standard, often near the top of the examination league tables. A very wide range of sports, activities and societies is offered and the demand for places at the School is strong.

A total of about 880 people work at Eton, and in addition to the teachers there are staff working in the 25 Boarding Houses, central dining facility, grounds, security, buildings and others work as swimming pool attendants, technicians and administrative staff.

The School and its immediate grounds and playing fields extend over 400 acres from the north end of Eton High Street to the M4 by Slough. There are some 400 school buildings including staff accommodation and a 2,000 metre rowing lake at Dorney.

The IT Department:

The IT Department provides all of the Eton College’s information and communications technology services for more than 2,000 users, both inside and outside of the classroom. 

The IT services provided for staff and pupils are in many ways exceptional for a school, with gigabit internet speeds and Wi-Fi services throughout. The IT team work hard to keep them running and to continually improve upon them. Professional solutions are used throughout, the very same as used in more corporate environments. 

Job Role: 

There is an ambitious IT project roadmap in addition to the usual workloads, with the opportunity to learn about and work with the very latest technologies. 

Main responsibilities: 

• Front line IT Helpdesk support providing ICT help to Eton staff and boys.


• Hardware and software support of school devices including Microsoft and Apple computers, printers, telephones and network equipment.


• Fault diagnosis and repairs to a wide range of end-user devices.


• User support for standard software packages and bespoke systems.


• Use of computerised Helpdesk facility and management of calls from inception to conclusion.


• Call management of own calls and cover if required for other calls.


• Routing calls to the right person to complete the task.


• Escalating appropriate calls to the right person to resolve a problematic issue. 

Person specification: 

• Excellent customer service skills and a friendly and helpful manner.


• A demonstrable aptitude and enthusiasm for information and communications technology.


• Confident and willingness to learn.


• Good communication skills and ability to work well in a team environment.


• Ability to organise and prioritise workloads. 

Desired Qualifications: 

• A minimum of 5 GCSE’s (grade C and above) or equivalent. 


• Maths and English are a must. 

Start date:  

As soon as possible. 

Salaries are paid on 25th of each month. 

Working week: 

35 hours per week, worked Monday to Friday on a rolling fortnightly shift pattern of 8.00am – 4.00pm or 10.30am – 6.30pm. 

• Pension scheme: 

Employees will be enrolled into the College’s Group Personal Pension Plan and can choose either to contribute 4.9% of their salary and the College will contribute 11% or to join the auto-enrolment category where they will currently pay 1% and the College pays 1%. These auto-enrolment amounts will increase gradually over the next few years in line with Government requirements.  

• Death in service benefits: 

This is currently 4 x basic salary. 

• Sports and Leisure Facilities: 

Employees at the College enjoy free use of the College Gym, swimming pool and tennis courts with subsidised use of other sport facilities, together with free use of the School Library, and free entry to College theatre and concert productions. 

• Provision of meals: 

You will be entitled to a subsidised lunch on working days in Bekynton, the College’s central dining facility.  

• Childcare Vouchers: 

The College’s Childcare Voucher Scheme is supplied by Edenred. More details are available from the HR Department. 

• Employee Assistance Programme: 

All employees have access to counselling services provided by Health Assured. More information is available from the HR Department. 

• Give as You Earn: 

The College is registered with Give as You Earn. This payroll deduction scheme enables employees to make regular deductions directly from their salary in support of their chosen charity or good cause. 

Important Information: 

QA’s apprenticeships are funded by the Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), an executive agency of the Department for Education. 

To be eligible for a Government funded apprenticeship you must have lived in the UK or European Economic Area (EEA) for the last 3 consecutive years.