Director of Pastoral Care
Downside School
Somerset
- Expired
- Job type:
- Full Time, Permanent
- Start date:
- January 2018
- Apply by:
- 21 June 2017
Job overview
Downside School is known for its strength in pastoral care and was referred to as “Best for Well-being” (UK) in The Week Magazine, Winter 2015/16 which also cited the following “the eight aspects of a Benedictine education … are a blueprint for pastoral care”.
For January 2018, we are looking to appoint an inspirational Director of Pastoral Care, who is passionate about delivering a high quality service to the School and its pupils. Consideration will be given to a candidate who is available to start in April 2018.
The successful candidate will be a member of the Senior Leadership Team and play an active part in leading the future development of the School. They will also act as Chairperson for the Pastoral Group who meet regularly and the Welfare Committee, which comprises of the House Masters and Mistresses, the Co-ordinating Chaplain and the Head of Nursing Care.
It is essential that the appointed person is an effective team member, who can help to promote pastoral care within the School and is willing to actively seek opportunities to develop both their own practice and that of the School. We expect all teachers to engage fully in extra-curricular activities and the boarding life of the school. In return, you can expect a generous salary and benefits package. Accommodation will also be provided as there is a requirement for the post holder to live in school accommodation.
Downside School – Vision and Aims
Downside School’s vision – as a leading Catholic School- is to be a bright light in the world of education, illuminating the lives of young people and inspiring service in the world through experience of Benedictine culture. It enables pupils and staff to develop their own identity through experience of a community with Christ as its centre.
Our aims:
- To guide pupils and staff to encounter Christ through experience of a Benedictine community of faith.
- To be uncompromising in the pursuit of academic excellence.
- To foster a culture of unselfish love, integrity, humility and leadership through service.
- To develop the character and confidence of young people through sport and extra-curricular opportunities.
- To develop the school community’s facilities and resources through strategic stewardship.
This is an important opportunity for the successful candidate to oversee the pastoral care of a Benedictine school that is always seeking to deepen its fidelity to the call of Christ and to build dedicated, supportive and united teams of House staff. We value our close links with the families who entrust their children to our care, often over the generations, and we remember that parents are the principal educators of their children. We encourage pupils to develop a sense of personal vocation, and this is best learnt from the witness of the members of a pastoral team who themselves have a profound sense of this as a calling to serve.
As a Catholic school we understand that our purpose is to work for the good of the whole person and of all people.
Working at Downside
Working at Downside is a truly rewarding experience. In keeping with our Benedictine ethos, Downside is a welcoming, caring community where each person is considered to be a valued member. Pupils are highly motivated, keen to learn and respectful of staff and their peers.
Closing date for applications: Thursday 22nd June, by 10am
Interviews will be held by the 30th June 2017
To Apply
To apply, please complete an application form which can be downloaded and submitted through an applicant tracking system on our ‘Working With Us' page: http://www.downside.co.uk/working-with-us/. Please contact the recruitment email address (recruitment@downside.co.uk) if you require further information after reading the application pack.
Downside School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening, including checks with past employers and the DBS. We are an equal opportunities employer. By car, we are within 40 minutes of Bristol, 30 minutes of Bath and 15 minutes of Wells. Registered Charity Number: 1158507
Attached documents
About Downside School
A clear and positive attitude to learning permeates the whole school, enabled by excellent relationships between staff and pupils’ and that our pupils are ‘enthusiastic and highly motivated learners, able to work independently’. Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI)
At Downside, we are committed to working in partnership with families and to providing an environment which nurtures young people of integrity who can think for themselves, stand up for their beliefs, and act to make a positive difference in the world.
Founded in 1606 and based just 25 minutes from the famous World Heritage City of Bath, we are a forward-thinking independent school and one of England's oldest and most distinguished Catholic schools. Our vision is to be a bright light in the world of education, illuminating the lives of young people and inspiring service in the world through experience of Benedictine culture. It enables pupils and staff to develop their own identity through experience of a community with Christ as its centre.
The School is set in 500 acres of beautiful English countryside with extensive facilities including an indoor swimming pool, a Mac Suite dedicated to music, a 24/7 Health Centre, and a Performing Arts Centre housing a 400-seat Theatre, a Recording Studio, a print screen room and a Mac suite for art.
We are uncompromising in the pursuit of academic excellence. We aim for the highest standards in our extensive and exciting co-curricular programme with over 100 activities, and we provide plentiful and varied opportunities for service and leadership.
The School endeavours, in addition, to provide our pupils with what may be referred to as a sense of ‘the poetry of life’, a sense of its beauty, form, mystery and joy. Everyone who comes here remarks on the happy atmosphere. It is truly a remarkable, inspiring place.
Please visit our website to find out more about our School: www.downside.co.uk/working-with-us
TEACHING AT DOWNSIDE
We are committed to high academic standards and constant development of the quality of teaching and learning. We have a Quality Assurance cycle, which allows us to monitor the quality of teaching and learning through lesson observations, learning walks and pupil feedback. Our tracking and monitoring systems are rigorous so that all pupils are supported in their learning, and colleagues are supported in their teaching.
Working at Downside is a truly rewarding experience. In keeping with our Benedictine ethos, Downside is a welcoming, caring community where each person is valued. Pupils are highly motivated, keen to learn and respectful of staff and their peers.
Our Induction Programme is comprehensive and fully supportive of all new staff, including the provision of training, where necessary. We are keen to support ambitious teachers, and CPD opportunities for individuals are identified in Faculty Development Plans and prioritised. Downside School is a member of the Canford Group, which includes most of the main independent schools in the South West. We are also closely linked with the other Benedictine Schools in England and Ireland. We expect all teachers to engage fully in co-curricular activities and the boarding life of the school.
At Downside, staff enjoy teaching polite and well-educated pupils, unique surroundings, and benefit from a generous salary scale, complimentary lunch and extended School holidays. Although it is difficult to quantify the hours which any individual Teacher may devote to their work in order to carry out their professional duties in a boarding school, the following guidance may be helpful:
The School timetable is taught Monday-Friday, and two periods on a Saturday morning, plus a 35 minute period of SMSC, followed by matches and activities in the afternoon. Games and activities, tutor periods, and hymn practice are incorporated into the weekly timetable. Department meetings can occur at the discretion of the Head of Faculty.
Academic timetable allocation:
Full time Teacher 15 double periods
Head of Faculty 13 double periods
Pastoral responsibilities: to provide support and guidance for a tutor group (typically 12 pupils), including one period (35 minutes) of PSHEE (Physical, Social, Health and Economic Education) and three tutor sessions, PSHEE has a specific programme and is treated the same as an academic lesson. All tutors attend Hymn Practice on Friday at 16.00 and School Mass on special occasions during the working week. Tutor periods are normally 12.35pm – 12.40pm Monday to Saturday and two afternoons a week, on Monday from 5.00pm to 5.35pm and Friday from 3.30-3.55.
6th Form Tutors deliver their PSHEE on Wednesday P5 rather than Monday 5pm. There is an additional tutor period on a Saturday from 11.25am -12.00pm. Tutors are also required to undertake one evening duty a week in House from 7.00pm – 9.00pm. There may be a requirement for flexibility around tutor timings to meet the needs of the school and timings are reviewed annually in line with timetabling. Tutors also have house duties such as managing the refectory on one day a week, as agreed with the HsM.
Co-curricular responsibilities: As a full time Teacher, there is a requirement to be involved in two co-curricular activities a week during term time e.g. CCF, service activities, games, music and academic societies. Additionally, you will participate in supporting the Saturday afternoon games programme. This may include activities and/or sport, and Teachers may be asked to support a specialist coach in games lessons and be responsible for the team when they play matches.
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