Chichester Free School
West Sussex
Salary:
Pay Range: SCP 8-13 £25,992 - £28,163fte (Actual starting salary £20, £22,469.90)
Job type:
Full Time, Maternity Cover
Start date:
20 October 2025
Apply by:
13 October 2025
Job overview
Primary Pastoral Officer (Maternity Cover)
Pay Range: SCP 8-13 £25,992 - £28,163fte (Actual starting salary £20, £22,469.90)
37.5hrs per week: Monday – Friday, term time plus two inset days
Start Date: September 2025
Deadline: 8am Monday 13th October 2025
The Governors and Principal are seeking an exceptional Primary Pastoral Officer to join the all through pastoral team at CFS. This is a temporary post (until February) as maternity cover for a September start, or as soon as possible thereafter.
Ideally, the successful candidate will have previous school experience and will be someone committed to our values and ideals, where the co-curricular offer is as vital as the rigour of the taught curriculum.
CFS follows national pay scales and the starting point will be agreed depending upon experience.
The School
CFS is a non-profit making, state-funded school, established in response to real demand within the local area for a greater variety of schools. We have been open since 2013, and are now fully established in our state of the art facilities on the Carmelite Convent Site on the Hunston Road in the south of Chichester. We are full in all year groups from Years R to 11, with waiting lists in most phases of the School. Our PAN is 60 in primary, and 120 in secondary.
For more information on our ethos and values, prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to look at our website:
The Team
Consisting of two classes per year group from EYFS to Year 6, the Primary team are a close, passionate, talented and fun-loving group. They have developed an exciting integrated curriculum, with strong foundations in English and Maths. Our collaborative approach to planning, and our supportive staff team lead to strong outcomes and high aspirations for every child. The successful candidate will be joining a forward thinking, highly effective and happy Primary team.
The Role
CFS is looking to appoint a new member of the all through pastoral team, to address the needs of all pupils, especially those Primary pupils who need help with behaviour management or need to access the Nurture provision in order to overcome barriers to learning. The successful candidate will offer both reactive and proactive support to help maintain high standards of behaviour, and support with pastoral needs throughout the Primary phase. They will establish productive working relationships with pupils and acting as a role model and oversee the use of CPOMS and SIMS (behaviour monitoring) in the Primary phase, working directly with the School's DSLs.
Key accountabilities include:
Be a consistent presence in the Primary phase, supporting class teachers and the Senior Leadership Team with any pastoral or behavioural matters.
Develop and implement targeted behaviour plans to support pupils in their learning and encourage positive attitudes and behaviours
Assist staff with the development and implementation of individual Education/ Behavioural/ Support/ Mentoring plans and behaviour management strategies
Work with individuals, groups of children and parents where necessary, to implement actions or recommendations from TAC process and school leaders
Mentor and support vulnerable pupils or those who are struggling to access the full curriculum, working with other staff (e.g. ELSA, LSA and 1:1 team) to find alternative ways for pupils to engage with their learning (including the use of Tree House)
Ensure the smooth transition for pupils into Key Stage 3 and embrace whole school strategies and cross phase working to help further develop our 'All Through' approach
Develop friendly but professional relationships with parents and carers
Support the School admin team with matters relating to attendance and inclusion to ensure an efficient service to everyone in our school community
Regularly share praise information with all primary staff, and action praise communication with parents.
Complete miscellaneous duties with regard to Primary events and functions, including sending out invitations, tickets
Support the main office in liaising with the primary phase (including collecting/returning pupils and/or passing on messages)
Support the use of CPOMS and SIMs to log/monitor behaviour and pastoral concerns.
CFS is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. In accordance with our Child Protection Policy we are unable to process applications without a fully completed application form. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. All convictions, cautions and bind-overs, including those regarded as 'spent' must be declared when applying. The applicant may post such a declaration in an envelope marked 'Private & confidential for the Principal'. The successful applicant must obtain List 99 clearance and DBS clearance at enhanced level.
The Recruitment Process
An application form and further information can be found on our website
For further information and informal discussion about this post, please do not hesitate to contact the School's Principal, Louise New, on
Candidates should complete an application form and supporting statement addressing the criteria presented in the role description and person specification. Completed applications should be sent to by 8:00am on 13th October 2025. We reserve the right to interview before the closing date, and early applications are encouraged.
Recruiter contact:
Email us
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About Chichester Free School
Chichester Free School
Hunston Road, Chichester
West Sussex
PO20 1NP
United Kingdom
ABOUT CFS
Chichester Free School (CFS) is a state-funded, all-through school, established in response to real demand within the local area for a greater variety of schools. It is part of Sussex Learning Trust, with the key objective to establish, maintain, manage and develop a broad and balanced education. The Trust is absolutely committed to providing young people with the best possible chance to succeed.
CFS is now entering its second decade and is fully established in our state-of-the-art facilities on the Carmelite Convent Site on the Hunston Road in the south of Chichester. Our PAN is 60 in primary, and 120 in Secondary, but in most year groups we are oversubscribed with waiting lists.
As a Free School, we are the same as any other academy; we are both held and hold ourselves to the same exacting and rigorous standards as all state-funded schools. We follow the national curriculum, and are proud of our ambitious, inclusive and varied curriculum offer. Our pupils engage with SATs and GCSE assessments. Since 2013, CFS has achieved two 'Good' Ofsted Inspections. As a school we are now striving for excellence in all areas, and to achieve above average outcomes in both phases.
CFS is a member of Sussex Learning Trust, a family of like minded schools that put children at the forefront of everything we do. For more information on the Trust, please see
the link here.
CFS is open to pupils of all abilities. We do not have a catchment area, thus ensuring the School is fair and inclusive. We take part in the West Sussex County Council (WSCC) admissions process for our Reception and Year 7 intake and so parents apply for places for their child in the same way as any other local state school for those year groups. However, we manage our own in year admissions for all other year groups and applications should be made directly to CFS.
At CFS we strive for excellence in all that we do. Whilst proud of being a relatively small school in our Secondary phase where every child is truly known as an individual, our ambition is uncompromising. We aim for all pupils to achieve their full potential, and exceptional progress sits proudly as our most important pupil outcome measure. We are a school where the happiness and safety of our pupils and staff is just as important as academic achievement.
WE BELIEVE IN NUTURING, CHALLENGING AND INSPIRING ALL OF OUR LEARNERS.
We aim to nurture, challenge and inspire in everything we do at CFS, in and outside the classroom. Our practice is rooted in engaging and inspiring lessons, where academic rigour is achieved by building on pupils' prior learning. We encourage our pupils to show resilience in lessons, challenge them to achieve the best that they can and inspire them through creative approaches which fire a desire to learn. Our intention is to ensure pupils make outstanding progress and that our inclusive and adaptive curriculum removes any potential barriers to learning and prepares our young people for the outside world. For more information about the intent, implementation and impact of our curriculum please do have a look at our curriculum
page here
.
WE BELIEVE IN AN ALL-THROUGH EDUCATION.
We provide a seamless education from ages four to 16. We aim to inspire curiosity and engage learners in common approaches throughout Primary and Secondary. Sharing practice across both phases is common place, and this approach allows us to reduce the negative effects often associated with transition.
WE BELIEVE IN A VARIED CURRICULUM.
Throughout the School we maintain rigorous standards of the core subjects, whilst also providing a varied, high quality and broad curriculum. As evidenced by our state of the art facilities, we are committed to STEM and creative subjects. Our creative, inclusive and flexible offer for all pupils is never compromised, despite the ever increasing emphasis on accountability results.
WE BELIEVE IN COMMUNITY AND FAMILY.
Our House system permeates school life on a daily basis, providing all stakeholders with an engaging sense of community and healthy competition.
WE BELIEVE THAT A STRONG EDUCATION IS NOT JUST ABOUT QUALIFICATIONS.
We know that personal skills such as respect, good speaking and listening skills, common sense, a resilient and hardworking attitude, and ambition are key skills for young people. Our curriculum focuses on these qualities and ensures that every child is ready and equipped for their future. We also work hard to provide experiences that ensure pupils leave us as truly global citizens, with the outlook, empathy, respect and motivation to thrive.
WE BELIEVE THAT THE QUALITY OF OUR TEACHERS IS FUNDAMENTAL TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR SCHOOL.
We recruit proven individuals who we regard as being absolutely the best people to teach. Through a robust process of performance management, our staff receive guidance and support to ensure they continue to do their very best. We hope all staff will feel honoured to be part of CFS.
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