Residential Assistant Housemistress

The primary role of all Assistant Housemistresses is to provide outstanding pastoral care for the girls in the school Under the leadership of a Housemistress and the Deputy Head (Pastoral) you will help to provide a relaxed, warm and caring environment in which the girls are happy to call ‘home’. The Assistant Housemistress supports the Housemistress, sharing the day-to-day concerns of caring for the girls and all aspects of running the boarding house. The duties and responsibilities of the assistant will depend not only on the age and therefore the needs of the girls in the house, but also on what is agreed with the Housemistress, the Deputy Head (Pastoral), the Senior Deputy Head and the Head bearing in mind the appointee’s individual skills and other commitments within QM from time to time.

The Assistant Housemistress’s duties will include:

• supporting the Housemistress in providing pastoral care for the girls; taking an interest in their concerns and discussing and resolving issues that are worrying to the girls 
• working with the rest of the residential team to provide a safe, healthy and happy environment for girls to enjoy
• being aware of the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools and of the school’s policies in place to ensure that it is compliant with those standards, especially those dealing with Safeguarding, Countering Bullying, Promoting Good Behaviour, Fire Safety and Health and Safety
• reporting any concerns over the safeguarding of a girl’s personal wellbeing to the Designated Safeguarding Lead or her Deputy
• assisting the Housemistress with disciplinary matters; following the discipline policy and keeping accurate records of events, which must be forwarded to the Deputy Head and Head
• being aware of the school’s Plan of Day, term dates and calendar entries, as detailed on the school website and on iSAMs Referring to the regular updates and being aware of the implications of these for girls in her house.
• ensuring the girls are in bed and at breakfast on time, checking their uniforms, ensuring bedrooms and workrooms are kept in a good state of tidiness etc.
• assisting in the organisation and delivery of weekend and special House activities and events reporting any urgent in-house damage or repairs required to the Estate Department and following up on completion of the work required
• assisting with laundry procedures relevant to the year group including mending clothing and sorting out lost property
• maintaining boarding house routines including checking that girls are tidy and the house is suitably presented to parents and friends
• liaising with the Health and Wellbeing Centre in ensuring that appropriate care is given to girls who are ill including the correct dispensation of the required medication
• ensuring that the school’s policies in connection with the storage and administration of medication are complied with
• keeping a log of girls’ pocket money
• collecting provisions for the boarding house so girls have access to fresh food during evenings and weekends
• attending all relevant training and professional development including INSET days as required by the Director of Boarding and or the school’s Health & Safety Officer
• assisting with general duties around the school, e.g. tuck shop, dining room duties, as required
• attending all school functions including concerts, House events and competitions, assemblies and chapel services with the girls and other members of the boarding house, appropriately dressed and punctual for each occasion
• ensuring that girls are correctly dressed in tidy school uniforms or suitable mufti, as appropriate promoting good behaviour and respect amongst the girls in the boarding house
• liaising with the catering staff about any special dietary requirements for the girls maintaining comprehensive and clear records (in line with school generic documentation) about the girls in her care, as directed by the Housemistress
• being available at all times (whilst on duty) to the girls in her care and their parents/guardians
• accompany boarders to medical appointments/IELTS exams etc.
• accompany teaching staff on school trips/activities
• assist outside of term time with the task of meeting girls arriving for the start of term at UK airports and escorting them back to school
• liaising with and acting under the direction of the Admissions department in the delivery of successful taster visits and other exercises to market the school

All applicants must complete the school’s official application form (this is available on the school

website under the heading “Careers” and can be completed electronically or by hand), providing a full career history and names and contact details for two referees and sent to the Head’s PA Louise Capponi at lcapponi@queenmargarets.com. This should be accompanied by a letter of application addressed to the Head. 

The closing date for applications to reach the school is 09:00 on Monday 18th July 2022 and interviews will take place during the course of that week.