Director of Safeguarding

Dates: Monday 31 January at 8.00am. Applications will be considered on receipt and we reserve the right to close an advert early if we find a suitable candidate.

Location: Highgate, North London          

To apply: Applications should be made via Highgate’s website https://www.highgateschool.org.uk/work-with-us/

THE ROLE

In a period of unprecedented challenge for schools and young people following the ‘Everyone’s Invited’ movement, Highgate School has engaged with its many stakeholder groups, including statutory agencies and an Independent Review commissioned by Governors and led by The Rt Hon Dame Anne Rafferty DBE PC, a former Lady Justice of Appeal. One significant response to these challenges is the School’s commitment to increasing its provision in the area of safeguarding and child protection, the creation of a new role, a Director of Safeguarding. Hitherto the Deputy Head (Pastoral) has had lead responsibility for safeguarding; the new post-holder will assume these safeguarding responsibilities, including those of the Designated Safeguarding Lead, and will answer for these responsibilities to the Deputy Head (Pastoral) and, through her, to the Head and to Governors. The appointment to the new role has been prepared for: Mr Graeme Robertson, the previous Deputy Head (Pastoral) is acting as Deputy Head (Safeguarding) for the Lent Term 2022, alongside the newly-appointed Deputy Head (Pastoral), Rebecca Baxter. It is hoped that the new Director of Safeguarding will be able to take their role in April 2022 on Mr Robertson’s departure.

The successful candidate will be responsible for the safeguarding of all pupils in the School, will be the Lead Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and have overall accountability in any matters relating to safeguarding. The appointee will be required to continue to develop the strategy relating to safeguarding and ensure its delivery to help create a safe environment for our pupils and that all stakeholders are able to and feel comfortable to raise any concerns.

This is an excellent opportunity to join the senior team within an award-winning charity.  If you are interested in being part of one of this country's top independent school where kindness is at the heart of what we do, then this is an ideal opportunity for you.  

We would be interested to receive applications from those either with a background in primary or secondary education and/or with recent, relevant experience within social, health or child protection services. It is anticipated that the successful candidate will have had significant safeguarding responsibility in a previous role. The London Borough of Haringey will be supporting Highgate School in making this appointment.

THE SCHOOL

A culture of community, kindness and belonging

Highgate is a different kind of independent school. We are a school whose charitable ethos is an inextricable part of both staff and pupil DNA. Highgate doesn’t exist in a bubble, but is connected to, and part of, a community. We have partnerships with over 60 state schools across 7 London boroughs, and, in 2017, Highgate co-founded the free sixth form school, The London Academy of Excellence Tottenham (LAET), with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club as principal business sponsor.

From the Pre-Prep right up to the Sixth Form, we are actively seeking to embed a real sense of belonging at Highgate. Everyone who works and studies with us deserves to feel they are part of an environment that:

• welcomes them
• enables them to be themselves
• understands them
• encourages questioning, self-knowledge, and self-expression
• helps them not just to manage, but to thrive, to discover and pursue their passions, and to develop as individuals and members of a community.

To do this, we are evaluating diversity in our professional, curricular and co-curricular life, exploring how to attract pupils and staff from all backgrounds to work and learn at Highgate and providing opportunities to share our own experiences as well as learning from alternative perspectives. Our work on inclusion at Highgate involves pupils, staff, alumni, parents and carers.

Award-winning success

Founded over 450 years ago in 1565 by Sir Roger Cholmeley, Highgate is one of the UK’s leading co-educational independent schools for pupils aged 4-18. There are currently in the region of 1,900 pupils split across our Pre-Preparatory School, Junior School and Senior School sites, in conjunction with approximately 600 teaching and support staff. We are proud to be able to claim some of the top academic results across the UK, as well as titles of Independent School of the Year 2019 and Independent School of the Year for Social Mobility 2019. Highgate has recently been named the Sunday Times London Independent School of the Decade by Parent Power, The Sunday Times Schools Guide. “Ranking in the top 25 independent schools in the UK for its results in the examination hall, Highgate achieves well for its children. But it also makes a difference for many more children beyond its own gates.” Alistair McCall, The Sunday Times.

Highgate School supports anonymous recruitment. This means we hide your personal, identifying information to remove bias from the hiring process. We encourage applications from candidates who experience barriers and inequity due to their ethnicity, gender identity, physical or mental health, sexuality, and/or socio-economic background.

Highgate is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of children. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to this post, including checks with past employers, overseas police check if necessary and the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Please note that this role is ‘exempt’ from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore, you are required to declare any convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings that are not ‘protected’ (i.e. filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). Shortlisted candidates will be asked to provide details of all unspent convictions and those that would not be filtered, prior to the date of the interview.