Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) Lead
St Christopher School
Hertfordshire
- Expired
- Salary:
- FTE £27,397 - £30,052 (Actual salary: £21,917 - £24,041)
- Job type:
- Part Time, Permanent
- Apply by:
- 5 March 2025
Job overview
Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) Lead
Location: St Christopher School, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire
Contract: 37 hours per week, Term Time (36 weeks per annum)
Salary: FTE £27,397 - £30,052 (Actual salary: £21,917 - £24,041)
Support Student Wellbeing and Mental Health
Are you passionate about mental health and wellbeing in education? St Christopher School is seeking a Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) Lead to play a key role in our specialist resource provision, Arunfield.
This role is ideal for someone with experience in SEMH support, pastoral care, and student wellbeing strategies. You will work closely with the Inclusion Strategy Lead and lead the Wellbeing Team, embedding a strong culture of mental health awareness and resilience across the school.
About the Role
As our SEMH Lead, you will:
- Oversee the development of a high-quality SEMH provision, ensuring best practices in line with government guidance.
- Implement early intervention and prevention strategies to support students' mental health and emotional resilience.
- Identify students at risk of SEMH challenges, working closely with the safeguarding team and external services to provide appropriate support.
- Line manage two SEMH Learning Support Assistants (LSAs) in the Senior and Junior Schools, ensuring effective wellbeing programmes.
- Develop and deliver targeted interventions for students, both one-to-one and in small groups, to help them engage with learning.
- Support parents and carers, offering guidance on mental health challenges and building resilience at home.
- Work closely with teachers, pastoral staff, and external agencies to ensure a holistic approach to student wellbeing.
- Embed mental health and wellbeing into the school’s policies, curriculum, and student support services.
- Provide training for staff to increase awareness and understanding of SEMH needs, neurodiversity, and effective support strategies.
- Promote positive self-esteem and independence, helping students develop skills for long-term emotional resilience.
- Evaluate and monitor the impact of interventions, ensuring continuous improvement in SEMH provision.
About You
We are looking for someone who:
- Holds GCSEs (Grade C/4 or above) in English and Maths (or equivalent).
- Has experience working with young people with SEMH challenges and/or challenging behaviour.
- Holds a Mental Health First Aid Certificate or other relevant SEMH or SEND qualifications (desirable).
- Has experience in pastoral support, behaviour intervention, or wellbeing programmes within a school setting.
- Is confident in line managing a team, providing guidance and support for staff working in SEMH roles.
- Has strong interpersonal skills, building positive relationships with students, staff, and external professionals.
- Is passionate about mental health advocacy, with the ability to develop policies and strategies for whole-school wellbeing.
- Is proactive, calm under pressure, and has excellent problem-solving skills.
Why Join St Chris?
- A supportive and inclusive school community, dedicated to student wellbeing.
- Competitive benefits, including free vegetarian lunches, a pension scheme (8% employer contribution), and access to a health plan.
- On-site facilities, including a gym and swimming pool.
- A progressive educational ethos, where student wellbeing is a core focus.
How to Apply
Application Deadline: 12:00pm, Wednesday 5 March 2025
Interview Date: Monday 17 March 2025
Interested? Apply via www.stchris.co.uk/vacancies. Please complete an application form (CVs not accepted) and submit it along with a covering letter to hr@stchris.co.uk.
For an informal conversation about the role, contact Alistair Phillips, Assistant Head Pastoral and DSL at 01462 650850.
Safeguarding Commitment
St Chris is dedicated to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All applicants will be subject to child protection screening, including references and an Enhanced DBS check.
We Welcome Diversity
We actively encourage applications from all backgrounds, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or age.
Join us and help create a school culture where every student feels supported, valued, and able to thrive.
Attached documents
About St Christopher School
🌟Hello, and welcome to St Chris 🌟
St Chris was founded in 1915 to transform the way children experience school. Since then, we've redefined the way children learn, grow, and thrive in a world that's ever-changing. The flame of our progressive heritage still burns brightly in our outstanding modern school and, when you visit, you'll find that St Chris is still something unmistakably different from the moment you arrive.🌍
🎓 The Power of an Informal Approach 🎓
Our commitment to human connections and an informal approach sets us apart: our unshakable emphasis on knowing and believing in each child for who they are. We believe that humanity, understanding, kindness and 'progress' must be the pillars on which education - and childhood - should stand. The importance of learning by doing, of working as a team, of critical thinking, and of lifelong learning. This is education with a difference. 💬
🌳 Freedom to Learn🌳
In our learning, we are willing to give children something of which they are often deprived - time. Children do not all progress at the same time or the same speed. The skill of the teacher is to create a space in which progress can and will happen. Our stunning 25-acre campus, nestled just a short train ride from the bustling cities of London and Cambridge, supports this and provides a place of peace and calm for our students. 🏞️
Unashamedly honest with each other
There is no falsity here. No pretending. No inauthenticity. When you visit St Chris you will see us for who we are - dressed comfortably and as befits who each one of us is; not all made 'uniform'. You will hear us for who are; unquestioningly respectful, but Rich, Aziz or Li not 'sir', 'miss' or 'you there'. There are no unnecessary barriers to being yourself at St Chris. These things may seem small - they may even seem unusual - but they matter for what they mean. We're in this together.
💡 The St Chris Difference 💡
✅ Holistic Learning: Our approach nurtures not just academic excellence, but the creativity, character, and individuality of each student.
✅ Embracing Diversity: Our diverse student body enriches the learning experience and prepares students for a globalized world.
✅ Impressive Facilities: From our indoor swimming pool to a ceramics studio and photography darkroom, we provide a platform for students to explore their passions, whatever they are.
👨🎓 Join Us in Shaping the Future 👩🎓
Are you interested in making a positive difference in the world of education?
- Non-selective independent education for girls and boys aged 3 to 18
- Nursery, Junior, Senior and Sixth Form
- Day, weekly boarding and full boarding
📚 Learn more about St Chris: www.stchris.co.uk
Join the St Chris community transforming education, one student at a time. 🚀
Please note that you are wholly responsible for fact checking in respect of the information provided by schools. Please also check for the latest visa and work permit requirements that may apply. Tes is not responsible for the content of advertisements or the policies adopted by advertising schools. Tes asks that all schools follow Tes' Fair Recruitment Policy.