Deputy Head - Pastoral Care

Job Title: Deputy Head Pastoral Care

Job Type: Full-time, Permanent

Location: Chengdu, China

Start Date: September 2024

The successful candidate will be a teacher of exceptional intellectual quality, vision and energy, who will have responsibility for many aspects of the day-to-day running of the school and play a major role in the school’s development with particular responsibility for safeguarding, pastoral care and recruitment.

QUALIFICATIONS

Essential: Minimum Bachelor’s Degree with PGCE/QTS or Bachelor of Education Degree with QTS

EXPERIENCE

The candidate should have:

Minimum two years’ teaching experience at a UK or international school

Demonstrable experience of working in safeguarding at an advanced level

Experience of responsibility at a senior management level would be a distinct advantage

Experience of safeguarding in a UK context

Experience of leading training sessions for staff members

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

Essential: the successful candidate should have:

Good understanding of the UK regulatory framework around safeguarding

Good communication skills

Good teamwork and collaborative skills

Resilience and a good sense of humour

Fairness, kindness and warmth

Interest in wider issues relating to student wellbeing

Understanding of how UK safeguarding principles operate in a Chinese context

Interest in wider educational research and practice

PROFESSIONAL ATTITUDE AND CONDUCT

Job description

The Deputy Head Pastoral Care is the School Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and has primary responsibility for the provision of pastoral care across the whole school, including line management responsibility for Heads of Key Stage, Heads of House and the medical and counselling staff. It is anticipated that the successful candidate will teach a reduced timetable in their specialist subject.

Pastoral care

Acting as the Senior school Designated Safeguarding Lead, leading and managing all aspects of safeguarding

Overseeing the provision of pastoral care within the Senior school, promoting early intervention

Supporting the well-being of all students and staff, including gathering and sharing qualitative data across the school

Line managing the pastoral team in the senior school, including the Heads of House, medical and counselling staff

Chairing a fortnightly meeting with the school counsellor to ensure relevant information is shared

Liaising with the Senior and Junior School Heads, the Senior and Junior School Board Advisors and the External Safeguarding Consultant about safeguarding and pastoral care.

Developing and overseeing the whole school House system

Developing and overseeing the Senior School tutor system, providing guidance and training for tutors on their roles and responsibilities, allocating tutors to student groups and overseeing tutor development

Chairing pastoral meetings of Heads of Key Stage and Heads of House and the whole school Pastoral Sub-Committee

Managing the quality and delivery of pastoral and safeguarding INSET across the school

Overseeing all staff pastoral training and development including engagement in research opportunities with outside organisations

Keeping up to date with safeguarding legislation and best practice and keeping the school SMT informed accordingly

Updating relevant school policies and procedures

Delivering/managing the delivery of safeguarding training

Supporting Heads of Key Stage and tutors during parent consultation evenings

Managing an agreed budget

Communicating with and meeting parents as necessary

Coordinating all student pastoral initiatives, including peer supporters, peer educators and wellbeing week

Coordinating the buddy programme which sees regular student meetings across year groups

Developing and overseeing the Senior school PHSE programme

Discipline and conduct

Overseeing standards of students’ personal conduct throughout the school

Working closely with the Senior and Junior School Heads to implement and monitor whole school approaches to promoting positive behaviour and relationships

Managing any serious disciplinary cases involving pupils

Managing and updating codes of conduct and discipline and their related policies

Managing sanctions and rewards

Staff Well-being

Liaising with and supporting all staff with regard to wellbeing, including gathering and sharing qualitative data across the school

Leading and managing a programme of well-being for members of staff across the school

Leading the peer support system for new members of staff on arrival

Putting in place individual staff support plans where a member of staff is struggling emotionally

Devising and implementing staff risk assessments as necessary and appropriate where a member of staff has health or disability needs that require support or adjustments

Leading the whole school elements of staff training, to include safeguarding and access to the latest educational research that is of relevance to all teaching staff

Other management and liaison

Leading a parents’ association (PTA) across the Senior school

Attending Senior school PTA meetings

Supporting the staff induction process across the Senior School

Carrying out student induction across the Senior School

Develop and maintain an effective Student School Council across the whole school

Support and maintain an overview of the Education Visits Co-ordinator (EVC) on a regular basis

Line manage the Head of Co-curricular and oversee the whole-school co-curricular programme

Attending the academic, pastoral and health and safety committees or any other internal or external meetings as necessary

Attending the School Governing Board’s Education and Pastoral Committee, providing papers as required

Any other duties as required by the Senior School Head and Co-Principals

The main responsibilities of the DSL

To be the Designated Safeguarding Lead for the whole school, leading and managing all aspects of safeguarding

To be the first point of contact for parents, pupils, teaching and non-teaching staff and

external agencies in all matters of child protection across the school

To act as a source of support, advice and expertise to all staff on matters of safety and safeguarding and when deciding whether to make a referral by liaising with the Head of Senior School, together with the head of Junior School and when appropriate, the External Safeguarding Consultant and relevant agencies

To develop and build relationships with local Chinese child protection officers

To refer all cases of suspected abuse, following discussion with the Head of the Senior School, together with the Head of the Junior School when a JS students is involved, consulting the External Safeguarding Consultant and/or CEO, and local authorities as appropriate

To co-ordinate the child protection procedures across the school

To maintain an ongoing training programme for all school employees, governors, volunteers and other individuals working at the school, including induction training for all such individuals, and annual updates

To manage the system of electronic record keeping relating to all safeguarding concerns (My Concern), in both senior and junior schools, ensuring the highest levels of confidentiality

To ensure that notification of further record keeping is marked on the pupil records

To liaise with the school’s External Safeguarding Consultant on a regular basis, and otherwise when appropriate, about safeguarding and other pastoral developments

to keep parents informed of action to be taken in relation to their child in accordance with the safeguarding (child protection) policy

To keep the CEO, the Senior and Junior School Heads, and the Junior and Senior School Board Advisors updated on all issues relating to child protection and safeguarding issues, including any referrals outside school.

To develop specific plans to promote the well-being of individual students when necessary, working closely with families as far as possible

To maintain and monitor the records of pupils in the school on such a plan to ensure that they are up to date and accurate.

To liaise with other professionals to ensure that the school contributes to inter-agency working in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2022), where it is possible and appropriate

To identify and build positive working relationships with additional voluntary agencies who can act as sources of support for children and families at SPGSI Chengdu.

To advise and act on all suspicions, concerns and/or evidence of the need for children to receive additional support, or of children who have suffered or are likely to suffer abuse and/or neglect, that is reported to the DSL

Where appropriate, to take part in child protection conferences or reviews

To share information as appropriate with any future school to which a student moves

To keep and maintain records of staff training on child protection and safer recruitment procedures

To notify the appropriate organisation if the school ceases to use the services of a member of staff (or a governor or volunteer) because they are unsuitable to work with children and:

To report to the Board as required on matters relating to safeguarding

To chair weekly safeguarding meetings in school

To review the school’s safeguarding practice on an ongoing basis and keep an up to date action plan of improvements and changes required

Safer Recruitment

To lead on the safeguarding aspect of the school’s safer recruitment polices, practices and procedures

To ensure that the safeguarding aspect of recruitment policies and procedures are fully implemented and followed

To ensure that HR is fully aware of any safeguarding issues arising from references, application forms and accompanying letters, obtained for recruitment needs

To liaise with the Head of Senior/Junior School about recruitment and developments

To lead on safeguarding interviews in the recruitment and appointment process

To report regularly to the Board on Safer Recruitment developments

General

The Director of Pastoral Care will also play an important day-to-day and strategic role, working as part of the Senior Management Team (SMT) on all matters involving the running of the school and the development of its strategic vision:

Being a strong and visible presence and figure of authority within the school community

Supporting the work of staff and students through attendance at a wide range of events

Where appropriate attending/chairing key decision making forums

Participating in the appointment of staff

Deputising, with other members of SMT, for the Co-Principals

The successful candidate is likely to have had some managerial responsibility before, either as a Deputy Head elsewhere or as a Head of Department or Head of Year.

This job description may be amended from time to time in consultation with the role holder.

About Chengdu, China

Chengdu is home to the adorable Giant Panda and is the transport hub for the Sichuan region, which is famous not only for its many heritage sites but also for its astonishing natural landscape. Chengdu is the capital of the Sichuan province and is becoming more and more significant at an international level.

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Complete the attached questionnaire and upload your CV and Cover Letter. Or email us at teachers@byronrecruitment.com

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