School Counsellor

About the role: The Halley Academy has a rare and exciting opportunity, seeking an experienced School Counsellor to join their team from September 2022.

For this role, candidates need membership to the BACP, UKCP registered or BPC and hold a Postgraduate Diploma or a Masters in Counselling/Psychotherapy.  You will have experience of working with children and young people ideally in a school/college setting. You will be aware of national policies, codes of practice and ethics and maintain relevant career professional development. You will also be willing to work as part of a committed team, working to the very high standards of the academy. In return you will enjoy a rewarding role in which you can have a significant impact on the mental well-being of all pupils, especially those with additional needs, and staff.

Previous experience in an educational environment is essential as you will work in a secondary academy to offer one to one support and therapy sessions with pupils, and join a strong community of pupils and staff. Your role will also include providing mental well-being clubs, and intervention sessions to support pupils in developing their emotional resilience. An ability to provide a range of creative therapy sessions is desirable, in order to develop pupils’ emotional language and ability to express themselves. You will provide a high-quality counselling service to pupils experiencing a complex and wide range of emotional difficulties. You will also provide support, guidance and advice to parents/carers and other staff members within the academy. You will contribute to the safeguarding and promotion of the welfare, and personal care of pupils.

This role is offered on a full time, fixed term basis until 21st July 2023. The salary offered is commensurate with experience, ranging between £22,195 - £23,416 per annum (£25,577 - £26,984 full time equivalent).

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Working with us at The Halley Academy: The Halley Academy has a long and illustrious heritage being the first purpose-built comprehensive in the UK in the 1950s. We became part of Leigh Academies Trust in March 2018, a highly successful multi-academy trust offering a wealth of opportunities to all of its staff and students to collaborate, develop and grow.

The Halley is a dynamic academy and our curriculum delivers an education of excellence for all. The Halley Academy has been an International Baccalaureate World School since 2019 and students enjoy both the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme at Key Stage 3 and the International Baccalaureate Career- related Programme at Key Stage 5. Our STEM provision develops critical thinking skills, creativity and innovation across the curriculum and we are in a privileged position to be registered to deliver the T Level programme at Key Stage 5 from 2023 in a brand new Engineering and Design Centre. As part of our Digital Strategy, each student has their own Chromebook which is used as a tool for learning and to prepare them to participate in the ever-evolving technological world.

We are a diverse community where everyone is valued, respected and trusted and where we all work together to achieve and celebrate success. Our students are at the centre of the academy community and thrive within a culture of high aspiration, with no cap on ambition, so that they gain the knowledge, qualification and skills to afford successful, fulfilling and happy adult lives.

Staff are reflective and committed practitioners who believe in collaboration and self-improvement. We have weekly ring-fenced time on Wednesday afternoons for our comprehensive CPD programme, tailored to the aspirations and interests of the individual, and have extensive expertise both within the Academy and across the Trust to support in its delivery.

The wellbeing of our students and staff lies at the heart of our work: we know that when our school community is happy and fulfilled, they achieve their best. Our dedicated staff are the most important factor in transforming lives and delivering the best outcomes for every student. The academy has a space dedicated to staff wellbeing and relaxation and offers a range of exercise and participation opportunities for our staff team.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Being part of Leigh Academies Trust: As of 1st September 2021, our Trust comprises 31 geographically organised academies (15 secondaries, 14 primaries and 2 special) educating 20,000 students, and employing over 2,500 talented staff. The Trust is establishing four ‘clusters’ of academies: North West Kent; Central Kent; South East London; Medway. In addition, the Trust is responsible for one of the region’s biggest initial teaching training organisations, a large teaching school hub and is an accredited apprenticeship provider. Click here to view our future plans in our Vision 2025 document.  

As part of Leigh Academies Trust you will have ample opportunity to collaborate with your peers both within the academy and across the whole Trust. This is an important part of our vision as we know through experience that we perform better when we work together. You are supported to undertake regular self-development to continue your professional development and hopefully progress further within the organisation.

Click here to view the range of benefits available to all LAT staff.  

Our commitment to safeguarding: Leigh Academies Trust and all of our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We adopt a fair, robust and consistent recruitment process across all academies and business units. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check.  

Our commitment to equality and diversity: As a Trust we are passionate about diversity and recognise that as individuals, we all bring something unique to the role regardless of any protected characteristics which is why we treat all of our people equally, without compromise. We are committed to providing equality and fairness throughout our recruitment and employment practices and not to discriminate on any grounds.

Based on the quality and quantity of applications received, Leigh Academies Trust reserves the right to close this vacancy sooner than the specified closing date. Applicants will be notified of this where possible. Therefore, early applications are encouraged.