About this role
General duties
Adhere to all school policies and procedures, particularly those in relation to equality of opportunity, health and safety, data protection and safeguarding.
Attend home visits as appropriate.
Maintain and record all relevant pupil information in line with the school’s Records Management Policy, ensuring that appropriate data protection procedures are followed.
Work with school staff, parents regarding pupil progress, behaviour and attendance.
Support pupils and parents during transition periods.
Promote the school’s vision and ethos, encouraging the inclusion and acceptance of all pupils.
Ensure that appropriate policies and procedures are implemented to allow effective learning to take place, including child protection procedures and behaviour management processes.
Attend relevant training and undertake appropriate CPD activities.
Act as a role model for pupils, setting high expectations and acting in a professional manner.
Pastoral care
Demonstrate a commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils, ensuring that pupil wellbeing is the focus of all actions undertaken in the role.
Assist with the pastoral care of pupils, ensuring that the school meets all pupils’ personal and social needs.
Provide one-to-one pastoral support to pupils, where necessary.
Work with staff members and parents in order to remove practical, social and emotional barriers to learning.
Follow up concerns and provide individual support for pupils.
Ensure that any concerns are appropriately recorded and reported to DSL, including those in relation to attendance, academic performance and pupil wellbeing.
Plan and implement any specific arrangements for individual pupils, such as intervention programmes, ensuring that relevant staff members are aware of any measures in place.
Discuss individual pupils’ needs with relevant members of staff and parents.
Monitor and assess the implementation of interventions and support programmes, reviewing these and making informed changes where necessary.
Maintain accurate records regarding the implementation of intervention programmes, including any referrals that are made.
Continuously motivate and challenge pupils, whilst promoting and reinforcing self-esteem.
Place a strong focus on pupils’ social, mental and emotional health (SMEH) needs, and contribute to the creation of the school’s SMEH Policy.
Promote independence, recognising and rewarding self-reliance.
Supporting staff
Act as a point of contact for staff members regarding the wellbeing of pupils and provide the necessary support.
Liaise with staff members to ensure the wellbeing of pupils and their full participation in school life.
Make necessary staff members aware of individual pupils’ specific needs.
Provide staff members with advice regarding pupil support strategies to ensure pupils’ academic, social and emotional needs are met.
Assist with implementing individual pupils’ learning plans, pastoral support plans and acceptable behaviour contracts.
Liaise with staff members to plan, assess and adapt learning activities to meet pupils’ needs.
Advise staff members on how to effectively support pupils’ SMEH and meet their individual needs.
Ensure resources are suitable for learning activities and effectively support the needs of pupils.
Safeguarding support
Ensure all safeguarding records are up to date for pupils with attendance concerns.
Work closely with parents to support their children.
Support with home visits, welfare checks and pupil collection when necessary.
Attendance and exclusions
Encourage attendance and punctuality at school.
Monitor and review pupil attendance, identifying and reporting concerns to the DSL.
Maintain an up-to-date record of absence, identifying patterns and trends in pupil attendance.
Advise staff members on strategies to promote the regular and punctual attendance of all pupils and assist in the implementation of these strategies.
Liaise with the attendance officer on attendance issues, facilitating the planning and delivery of appropriate interventions, in order to improve pupil attendance and punctuality.
Liaise with parents of absent pupils, ensuring that appropriate interventions are being implemented at school and at home.
Work closely with the attendance officer in order to set appropriate attendance targets, including whole-school, year group and individual pupil targets.
Liaise with parents and the LA regarding exclusions.
Produce reports regarding pupil attendance and exclusions for each phase lead and the headteacher.
Facilitate the reintegration of pupils who have been excluded, ensuring that they are appropriately supported and necessary interventions are implemented.
Communication
Establish positive, productive and constructive relationships with pupils, parents and colleagues to assist home-school communication and facilitate the support provided.
Develop innovative methods of engaging with parents and families, encouraging increased parental participation in pupils’ education.
Liaise with the school nurse and SENDCO, to ensure that pupils’ needs are effectively met and appropriate support is provided.
Pastoral Lead person specification
Qualifications and training
Essential
Desirable
GCSEs or equivalent qualification in at least English and maths.
Safeguarding training
Behaviour management training.
Degree in a relevant subject.
Valid DBS check.
Skills and experience
Essential
Desirable
Experience of developing and delivering individual and group-based support to pupils.
Experience of working with pupils with behavioural issues.
Experience of supporting pupils’ SMEH needs.
Experience of implementing behaviour management strategies.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Have an ability to motivate colleagues.
Be able to work as part of a team, as well as independently.
Be able to adapt activities to ensure they are inclusive.
Be able to effectively delegate tasks and responsibilities.
Be able to manage projects and lead a group.
Be able to collate and summarise information and data.
Be proactive in the protection of children in reference to safeguarding procedures and protocols.
Be able to effectively liaise with external agencies.
Be able to develop and implement effective support strategies.
Be able to identify triggers of poor behaviour and barriers to learning.
Be able to assess pupils and their families, and identify their needs to ensure effective support is provided.
Be able to maintain accurate and up-to-date records.
Experience of creating individual intervention programmes for pupils.
Experience of handling child protection and welfare cases.
Knowledge
Essential
Desirable
Knowledge of statutory requirements regarding the education sector and pupil wellbeing.
Knowledge of legislation regarding pupil attendance, safeguarding and data protection.
Knowledge of common pastoral issues and how to respond to the different situations which may arise.
Knowledge of local and national support services that are available to pupils and schools.
Proven awareness and respect for the highly sensitive status of information and its confidentiality.
Knowledge of child protection and safeguarding procedures.
Knowledge of intervention strategies, including those in relation to behaviour and attendance.
Have a good understanding of child development, learning processes and barriers to learning.
Personal traits
The successful candidate will be
Able to build positive and productive relationships with staff members, pupils and parents.
Able to consistently promote good behaviour throughout the school.
Able to effectively motivate and encourage pupils.
Able to work flexibly, attending and meetings and training outside of their specified work hours.
Able to commit to contributing to the wider school and its community.
Additional requirements
The successful candidate will have
Excellent communications skills.
Good time management and the ability to prioritise tasks effectively.
A well-developed sense of empathy.
A good attendance and punctuality record.
High expectations of self and professional standards.
The ability to maintain successful working relationships with other colleagues.
A willingness to work outside of the timetabled day, where necessary.
High levels of drive, energy and integrity.