Head of Pastoral and Well-Being

The College

Oxford International College Brighton is an international day and boarding school opening in Ovingdean, Brighton in September 2023. For the right candidate, this is an exciting and highly rewarding opportunity to lead and develop a new College, shaping its academic trajectory within Nord Anglia’s world-class international network of schools. The College’s curriculum will be based on the proven success of Oxford International College’s three-pronged curriculum model which has led to outstanding academic outcomes; OIC Brighton intends to join OIC Oxford at the top of the UK league tables, preparing our leavers for the most competitive courses at the world’s best universities. The successful candidate will play a crucial role in shaping the College’s opening phase and strategic direction, both in terms of increasing pupil numbers and developing a world-class curriculum.

The Role

The Head of Pastoral and Well-Being will sit on the College’s Senior Leadership Team, and will direct the College’s vision of pastoral care to our students and ensure its effective implementation. They will be responsible for the pastoral care for all students and ensuring that the appropriate systems, process and resources are in place in order that students’ pastoral needs are met.

As a member of the College’s Senior Leadership Team, they will be expected to be involved in, and to make a pro-active contribution to, all aspects of the life of the College, supporting and where appropriate representing the Principal in all aspects of school leadership. The includes crucial contributions to the College’s leadership and strategic development, identifying and taking every possible opportunity to improve, enhance and further the College’s educational, pastoral, boarding and super curricular provision.

More specifically, they will be the College’s Designated Safeguarding Lead, and as such will have responsibilities with regards to safeguarding and child protection. This will involve College-wide responsibility for:

• Supporting the wellbeing for our students;
• Issues relating to behaviour and discipline;
• Safeguarding and child protection (as Designated Safeguarding Lead);
• Overseeing and contributing to the development of the College’s boarding provision; and
• Leading on boarding and pastoral regulatory compliance.

Pastoral and Well-Being

• Leading the College's pastoral staff;
• Guiding strategy and decision-making in the area of Pastoral and Well-Being, and ensuring consistency across the College;
• Regularly evaluating the quality and delivery of the College's pastoral provision in all its forms, and support initiatives aimed at developing and enhancing this provision;
• Contributing to the development of the College’s provision in the area of student welfare and well-being; and
• Line-managing and overseeing the work of the pastoral team and College counsellors.

Behaviour and Discipline

• Support senior colleagues across the College and guide decision-making with regard to issues of behaviour, including in a boarding context; helping to agree on a course of action and on appropriate sanctions where necessary;
• Ensure that the approach to such issues is always in line with the College's ethos and consistent across the College;
• Lead on serious behavioural incidents and recommend appropriate courses of action to the Chief Education Officer and Principal; and
• Lead and develop a comprehensive programme of support and infrastructure for Mental Health and Well-Being across the College.

Safeguarding and Child Protection

• Assume the role of Designated Safeguarding Lead, with all the attendant responsibilities required of this role, in line with the College’s policies, the requirements set out in KCSIE, or any other government regulations or guidance that may take its place in the future;
• Work closely with other staff with designated responsibility for safeguarding and child protection in College and take the lead in dealing with any actual or potential safeguarding or child-protection issues;
• Stay fully abreast of national and local regulations and guidelines relating to safeguarding and ensuring that the College’s policy and practice in this area are fully compliant at all times;
• Liaise with the LADO, local Children's Services and with the College’s Nominated Safeguarding Governor where necessary;
• Keep abreast of e-safety issues and coordinating the dissemination of information and advice on these issues to parents;
• Monitor the effectiveness of the College’s systems for filtering and monitoring of students' use of the internet on the College system, and dealing with any issues that may arise in this area;
• Report to the College’s board, Principal and Chief Education Officer on all matters related to Pastoral Care at the College;
• Oversee and monitor the operation of CPOMS, the College’s central pastoral recording system;
• Take the lead responsibility for keeping up with all relevant regulations and guidance, reviewing and updating existing College policies as often as is necessary and generating new ones when required;
• Ensure the College’s Single Central Register (SCR) is maintained and ensure full compliance of the SCR with regulatory requirements;
• Ensure the College’s policies and practices are fully compliant with all relevant regulatory requirements, in particular but not limited to, the ISSRs and NMS;
• Take the lead in ensuring the College is ready for inspection; and
• Oversee the appropriate safeguarding training and annual updates of the SLT, all teaching and support staff, maintaining rigorous records of these processes, including their own Level 3 Safeguarding training.

Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or higher.
• Strong academic and intellectual credentials.
• Excellent record as a teacher and middle or senior leader, with evidence of ability to manage staff and whole school strategic priorities.
• Evidence of understanding the commercial realities of leading an international school in a competitive setting.
• Up-to-date knowledge and training in Safeguarding (Level 3).
• NPQH or Masters in Education is desirable.

Start date:  April 2023 (preferred)