Deputy Principal Pastoral

The Junior School

Highgate School was established in 1565 by a Royal Charter of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the First.

Sir Roger Cholmeley, our Founder, was granted Letters Patent to found ‘a grammar school…for good education and instruction’. Today Highgate is a flourishing coeducational independent school which includes the Senior School for pupils aged 11-18; the Junior School for pupils aged 7-11 and the Pre-Preparatory School for pupils aged 3-7. There are currently in the region of 1,850 pupils at Highgate and the School employs approximately 600 full-time or part-time teaching and support staff.

The School is situated in one of the most attractive and sought after areas of North London, only a short journey from Central London and adjacent to Hampstead Heath. The hilltop site in Highgate Village is the historic site of the Senior School. A few hundred yards along Hampstead Lane in Bishopswood Road lie the Junior and Pre-Preparatory Schools and the extensive playing fields, adjacent to the open spaces of Kenwood and Hampstead Heath. The Northern Line underground station is a short walk away and it is four miles to Central London.

Working at Highgate offers the opportunity to be part of a vibrant and welcoming community, committed to academic excellence and the highest standards of pastoral care for its pupils. The Governors consider the development of excellence in the education offered to the pupils to be the underlying purpose of activities undertaken by all staff.

Highgate is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to this post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Deputy Principal Pastoral

An inspiring, creative, flexible and versatile professional is required for this successful and thriving Junior School from September 2022. The successful candidate will have overall responsibility for pastoral care in the Junior School and be a key member of the Senior Leadership Team. Applicants are welcome from teachers with experience of primary, independent and senior schools.

The Deputy Principal Pastoral is a member of the Senior Leadership Team of the Junior School which consists of the Principal, the Deputy Principal, the Director of Studies and two Assistant Principals. He/she will be answerable to the Principal for the oversight of key strategic matters outlined below. There may also be occasions when the post holder will deputize for the Principal in absentia.

The Deputy Principal Pastoral is responsible for:

Providing vision, direction and leadership for the Junior School as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, including teaching as required and setting an example of excellent teaching
Overall responsibility for Safeguarding in the Junior School.
Oversight, management and vision for Pupil’s Personal Development (including co-curricular activities, House System, Sustainability, Eco Council and Charity initiatives)
Oversight, management and vision for Pupil’s Pastoral Care (including the line management of the JS Counsellor and Pastoral Lead responsible for PSHEE, OWL and Character Education)
Overall responsibility for pastoral liaison with the Pre-Prep and Senior School senior managers. Ensuring that there are appropriate and effective transition arrangements.
Managing, developing and reviewing rewards and sanctions systems
Managing key operational aspects of Junior School life, as directed by the Principal

Specific Duties

The Designated Safeguarding Lead for the Junior School and ensuring that all policies, procedures and processes are in line with all KCSIE policy and updates
Leading, managing, developing and initiating the programmes and systems of the school that aid pupil’s personal development and pastoral care
Liaising with the Director of Wellbeing to ensure that the wellbeing needs of Junior School pupils are being met effectively
Management of parent presentations and workshops across the Junior School that relate to all pastoral matters
Liaising with Assistant Principals in their areas of responsibility
Developing and overseeing those areas of the learning platform (JUNO) which relate to pupil personal development and pastoral care
Managing the pupil reflection journals and ensuring that they are effectively used and fit for purpose
Taking responsibility for staff appraisals and professional development as directed by the Principal and Director of Studies
Operational aspects of Junior School life, as directed by the Principal
Keeping up to date with use of SIMS and CPOMs, taking sufficient training in order to be able to use key digital data in order to inform and instruct school improvement in pastoral care and pupil personal development
Leading the Year 6 Residential Trip (working with Head of Y6 to prepare, plan and attend the trip)

Beyond these core responsibilities, the Deputy Principal’s flexible portfolio will include some key operational duties which are shared across the Senior Team. A 60% teaching timetable of any subject taught in the Junior School is envisaged.

Join a leadership team of 5 in the Junior School

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Work in the beautiful Junior School building

Person Specification

Qualifications	Degree or equivalent
Experience of	Working successfully in a school at middle management pastoral level of responsibility Management and development of a small team Working in a fast-paced environment with tight deadlines Managing extensive and diverse workload Developing and working towards strategic priorities, while managing the day to day
Ability / skills	Excellent written and verbal communication skills Organised with an ability to self-plan and prioritise own and others’ workloads and schedules Credibility to work with and advise senior members of staff Ability to get quickly to the nub of complex and conflicting issues, and the confidence to propose solutions Ability and confidence to innovate Attention to detail Ability to move seamlessly from one part of the role to another Resilience and imagination to cope when things change at the last minute, necessitating rapid alterations to plans
Personal Attributes	High levels of emotional intelligence Tact, discretion and diplomacy Self-confidence, including in unfamiliar settings Interpersonal skills, including an ability to relate to and to work with adults from a wide range of professional backgrounds Stamina, flexibility and versatility Independence where needed, team worker where required Good humour

Application procedure

Closing date: 8:00am on 28 January 2022 but applications will be considered as they are received.

Click here to complete the on-line application form

Mr Mark James, Principal of the Junior School, is happy to answer any questions on jsoffice@highgateschool.org.uk

Please read before you apply

We know that more diverse teams are stronger teams, and that the more inclusive we are, the more our staff and pupils will feel a sense of belonging and will thrive. To enable us to make any reasonable adjustments, please let us know when you submit your application whether you have any special requirements.

As this role will have regular unsupervised contact with children you must, if appointed, comply with Highgate’s Safeguarding & Welfare Policy. If in the course of carrying out the duties of the post the post holder becomes aware of any actual or potential risks to the safety and welfare of our pupils, these concerns must be reported immediately in accordance with the Policy. A copy of this Policy will accompany all offers of employment.

Highgate is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to this post, including checks with past employers, the Disclosure and Barring Service and overseas police check if necessary. Candidates from overseas must provide information about their past conduct, for example, by providing documents issued by overseas teaching authorities.

Please note that this role is ‘exempt’ from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore, you are required to declare any convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings that are not ‘protected’ (i.e. filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). Shortlisted candidates will be asked to provide details of all unspent convictions and those that would not be filtered, prior to the date of the interview.

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