Chaplain

JOB ADVERT

Title: College Chaplain

School: Bacon’s College

Line manager: principal

Salary: £30,000 (£50,000fte)

term time only , 3 days a week (0.6fte) – we are flexible on this

Closing date- Monday 6th May 2024

Start: September 2024

We are seeking to appoint a passionate and highly motivated individual to the crucial post of Chaplain to Bacon’s College

Bacon’s College has long been an important part of the fabric of the local community in South East London and has served the community in its various forms for over three hundred years. We are proud of that history and determined to meet the needs of students today and tomorrow. The school joined the United Learning MAT in 2018 and has gone from strength to strength since. We are now oversubscribed with first-choice applicants and achieved a ‘Good’ OFSTED inspection and achieve well above national average results each year.

Bacon’s is a thriving Church of England community that is welcoming of students of all faiths and those of none. Staff and students value the distinctive nature of its Christian ethos to which every member of our community contributes. Our values are courage, compassion, respect, faith and integrity. The strength of our ethos was recognised during a SIAMS inspection in 2019 which graded the College as ‘Excellent’.

Part of our mission statement is that ‘students are exhorted to achieve academic and personal excellence’. We have the highest aspirations for our students, determined that anyone can achieve highly and overcome any barriers that may lie in their path.

Bacon’s achievements were recognised by Ofsted in June 2022 when we received a grading of ‘Good’ overall and in every area. In 2023 our GCSE outcomes were 64% of students achieving 5+ 9-4 grades inc. English and Maths. Our VI form results were excellent with 56% of grades at A*-B, an ALPS score of 3 (top 15% nationally) and an average grade of an A.

The Role

It is within this context that we wish to appoint a Chaplain to work alongside staff and students to maintain, support and enhance the College's distinctive Christian ethos. The Chaplain will be an ambassador for the Christian faith and exercise a ministry which is pastoral and offers spiritual leadership amongst students and staff of the school, working in close collaboration with the Principal and senior staff. The Chaplain will be comfortable with the rich heritage of the Anglican tradition and develop this within the school. 

They will seek to support and encourage the spiritual lives of those who attend and work at the College and also offer attractive opportunities for others to encounter and explore Christianity and issues of faith. The Chaplain will have a desire and ability to wrestle with the profound questions of life. Respecting those of other faiths and of none, the Chaplain will work closely with appropriate groups and individuals to ensure the effective pastoral care of all staff and students. The Chaplain will support the school in its outreach in the community, working with vulnerable families, organising the worship and charity events in College and maintaining links with the SDBE, local churches and other community networks.

This is an exciting time to join Bacon’s College; if you share our high expectations, are committed to quality pastoral care for all and are passionate about making a difference to the lives of our students and our community, then we look forward to receiving your application.

Diocese of Southwark

The chaplain will be licensed by the Bishop of Southwark and will be encouraged to play a part in the wider deanery (Bermondsey and Rotherhithe) and diocese and there will be opportunities to minister in local churches. The diocese is committed to developing links between our schools and churches in supporting the growth of Christian faith and discipleship. The chaplain will be supported by the local deanery and encouraged to participate as fully as (s)he wishes in the learning and developing opportunities of the diocese. 

United Learning

Bacon’s College joined United Learning as a new academy in Spring 2018. A large, and growing, group of schools, founded on Christian values, aiming to offer a life changing education to children and young people across England. 

As a Group, we can reward our staff better: with good career opportunities, better pay, benefits, and ultimately, the satisfaction of helping children to succeed. We invest in our staff wellbeing. Our academies each have at least eight INSET days per year (with three of those solely dedicated to planning), and an ongoing group-wide wellbeing programme. It's an ethos we call ‘the best in everyone’.

Bacon’s College is committed to Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all who work at the school to share this commitment. successful applicants will be subject to an enhanced disclosure through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)