The Pastoral Assistant plays a central role in ensuring that pupils are safe, supported, and able to make positive progress within a specialist independent school. Reporting directly to the Pastoral Manager, the post holder works closely with the Senior Leadership Team to ensure that safeguarding, attendance, and pastoral systems are effective, compliant, and consistently implemented in line with the Independent School Standards (ISS) and statutory guidance.
As the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), the Pastoral Assistant has lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection across the school, ensuring that arrangements meet the requirements of Keeping Children Safe in Educationand ISS Part 3 (Welfare, Health and Safety of Pupils). This includes overseeing safeguarding policies and procedures, ensuring concerns are identified and acted upon promptly, maintaining accurate and secure records, and working with external agencies to safeguard pupils at risk of harm.
The role has a specific focus on promoting positive attendance and engagement, contributing to compliance with ISS Part 8 (Quality of Leadership and Management) by ensuring that attendance systems are robust, monitored effectively, and used to identify pupils who may be at risk. The post holder works proactively with pupils, families, and staff to remove barriers to attendance and to support pupils' reintegration and ongoing engagement with education.
The Pastoral Assistant plays a key role in fostering strong home-school relationships, recognising the importance of effective communication with parents and carers in securing pupils' wellbeing and progress. This work supports ISS Part 2 (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development of Pupils) by promoting respectful relationships, emotional wellbeing, and positive behaviour.
Although not a member of the SEND Team, the Pastoral Assistant works closely with SEND colleagues to support pupils with additional or complex needs. This collaborative approach ensures that safeguarding, wellbeing, and attendance considerations are fully integrated into individual support plans and that pupils receive appropriate and timely intervention, supporting ISS Part 1 (Quality of Education Provided) and Part 3.
Working in close partnership with the Senior Leadership Team, the Pastoral Assistant contributes to whole-school leadership by supporting policy implementation, self-evaluation, and continuous improvement. The role supports ISS Part 8 by helping to ensure that safeguarding and pastoral responsibilities are clearly understood, effectively managed, and embedded across the school.
This role is critical in ensuring that safeguarding and pastoral care are at the heart of the school's practice, that statutory and inspection requirements are met, and that pupils experience a safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environment.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £24,800.00-£30,800.00 per year
Benefits:
* Company pension
* Free flu jabs
* Health & wellbeing programme
* Referral programme
Work Location: In person