School Lay Chaplain

School Lay Chaplain

35 hours per week, Term Time Only + 5 Inset Days

H7:19-23 Fringe (FTE £25,927 - £28,226 + £637) (Pro Rata £21,366 - £23,215)

Required from September 2022

Would you like to start, or develop you career further as a School Lay Chaplain in an excellent school? We are looking for a well-qualified, energetic and enthusiastic School Lay Chaplain to join our school community. 

The candidate may also have the opportunity throughout the year to make links with the local parish of St Joseph and the English Martyrs in Bishops Stortford. St Joseph's can hold 400 people (with average pre-pandemic attendance of around 950) and its live stream attracts very large numbers from across the globe. So far, just for this year alone we have had 50, 899 (January 2022 until July 2022).

Rated ‘Outstanding’ in all eleven categories on our Section 48 Inspection (January 2018), you will be joining our thriving and vibrant school community to further develop our successful School Chaplaincy and support the leadership of the Catholic Life of the School. The role would include supporting the planning and delivery of key liturgical celebrations, leading/supporting the school’s fundraising and charity work. You will be responsible for coordinating and leading the student led chaplaincy team in prayer, spiritual growth and witness of their faith. The role requires you to provide spiritual and pastoral support at the students and staff of the school further enhancing its distinctive Catholic nature. 

The post is looking for a candidate who is well organised, self-motivated, enthusiastic and emotionally resilient. The role will be suited to someone with a strong, meaningful Catholic faith, committed to putting faith into action and inspiring the students and staff to grow in their faith journey. Candidates should be practicing Catholics with a sound knowledge of the liturgy and experience of working with young people.

Working at St. Mary’s is an extraordinary opportunity. We are passionately committed to developing staff and managing workload to ensure that colleagues enjoy their work and recognise St. Mary’s as an almost-uniquely positive place to teach and enjoy their careers. Students are keen to learn, colleagues are supportive, and there is a strong sense of inclusion and belonging where our Catholic ethos pervades all aspects of school life.

Added to this, the school is also at an extremely exciting juncture in its future. We are a founding member in the St Francis of Assisi Catholic Academy Trust formed on 1st September 2021. Demand is high, and owing to intense oversubscription, we will be 5 years through expansion to 6FE, with an extra-ordinary 7FE in Sept 2021. We have also won over £7.5m in capital bids in the last 4 years and are enjoying brand new cutting edge facilities as a result. The school faces an extremely strong and positive financial future.

Visits to the school are warmly encouraged. Please email recruitment@stmarys.net or call 01279 654901 x235 to arrange a visit.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. A DBS disclosure is required for all successful applicants. St Mary’s is committed to the equality of opportunity for all applicants, and we reserve the right to interview on a rolling basis, therefore an early application is advisable.  

Closing date: 12th September 2022 Interviews: Shortly thereafter

Apply in writing using the forms available on our website www.stmarys.net: Support Staff Application Form, Consent to Obtain References Form, Rehabilitation of Offenders Form & Recruitment Monitoring Form.  Applicants are reminded that they should read the Notes to Applicants before completing an application. Please note only applications on St Mary’s forms will be accepted. Please contact Recruitment@stmarys.net to submit an application or for more information.