Deputy Head of Boarding

St Paul’s Cathedral School is pleased to announce an opportunity for a Deputy Head of Boarding, from April 2025 or September 2025, to support the Head of Boarding, our Choristers, Probationers and the wider boarding team.

The Deputy Head of Boarding will play a key role in ensuring the happy, safe and smooth running of the Boarding House, supporting the Head of Boarding in all aspects of the leadership and management of Boarding, and deputising for the Head of Boarding in his absence.

St Paul’s Cathedral School is a co-educational independent preparatory school (Reception to Y8). The majority of our 285 pupils are Day Pupils. We educate the Choristers of St Paul’s Cathedral who are boarders at the school, accommodated in a purpose-designed boarding house. The Choristers follow an extended term programme, enabling them to play a central role in Cathedral worship at Christmas and Easter.

Until September 2023, all Choristers were boys; we have recruited our first girl Probationers who are currently Day Pupils. From September 2025 girl Choristers will take up boarding places, following a major refurbishment of what is now staff accommodation and will become a second boarding house.

By September 2025, our co-educational boarding (Year 3 to Year 8) will have the capacity for 60 students and this major expansion has led to the requirement for a Deputy Head of Boarding. 

The Deputy Head of Boarding is a newly created role, line managed by the Head of Boarding, and represents an exceptional opportunity for a keen boarding practitioner to experience all aspects of pastoral leadership and management in this outstanding setting.

Our Choristers are well supported by an experienced pastoral team, including our Deputy Head who is the Designated Safeguarding Lead, section heads and form tutors, our Chaplain, School Nurse and Mental Health Lead and a part-time School Counsellor.

Responsibilities and Tasks:

The Deputy Head of Boarding will support the Head of Boarding in all aspects of the daily life and development of our boarding provision, with a focus on actively promoting wellbeing.

The wellbeing of our boarders encompasses their physical and mental health, their emotional wellbeing, their education and recreation, their social and economic wellbeing and contribution to society.

 The Deputy Head of Boarding responsibilities include:

·        understanding and supporting the unique needs of the Chorister programme, in which a world-class level of achievement is rooted in holistic wellbeing

·        contributing to the supervision of pupils while in the Boarding House, on a rota basis

·        ensuring that the boarding provision meets and wherever possible exceeds the National Minimum Standards

·        serving as a Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead in our team of deputies, supporting the DSL (Level 3 training will be provided)

·        liaising with:

o  the Cathedral Music Department to ensure the smooth and successful running of the Chorister programme

o  the medical team and parents to promote and support physical and mental health for individual pupils

o  form teachers to ensure seamless support for academic development and pastoral care

·        ensuring that the standard of behaviour of Boarders is of the highest possible standard, and meets community expectations, consistent with the school’s rules and ethos

• ensuring that routines, expectations and arrangements (e.g. for music practice, prep and bedtimes) are understood and consistently followed by Boarders and staff
• attending Cathedral services and external engagements in support of the Choristers as required

·        playing a role in the wider life of the school; this could include:

o  teaching on a very reduced teaching timetable – equivalent to no more than one full teaching day

o  taking a significant extra-curricular role

o  taking a whole school responsibility

·        designing and taking a lead on a programme of relaxation and leisure activities, including off-site trips, particularly during weekends and the extended terms for Choristers at Christmas and Easter

·        supporting with the induction of new boarding staff and with the training and appraisal of the boarding team

·        showing a commitment to continuing professional development and contributing to the sharing of best practice within the school

·        promoting positive partnerships with parents

o  ensuring that information is available to parents of new Choristers

o  liaising with parents over leave and visiting arrangements

o  ensuring that parents receive frequent and useful updates of information

o  attending social events to build home-school partnership

·        deputising as required for the Head of Boarding at meetings (e.g. with the Head, Bursar, the Cathedral’s Director of Music or Governors)

·        supporting the Head of Boarding with the preparation of documents and records to ensure that the Boarding House meets all statutory requirements

·        contributing to the development of our excellent provision through innovation and improvement of existing systems and practices

·        such other duties reasonably requested by the Head

Additional information:

Our current expectation is that the Deputy Head of Boarding will work on a five-day rota pattern (including one weekend day weekly), contributing to all boarding supervision duties (including wake up, breakfast, morning and after school routines, evening supervision and night-time routines) – as well as contributing to the rota of overnight supervision. Two consecutive full days without duties (in boarding or day school) will be scheduled weekly. 

Following induction to the role and appropriate training, the Deputy Head of Boarding will, on at least two days a week, take lead responsibility for day-to-day operation of the boarding house supported by the wider residential team, while the Head of Boarding is off duty.

The salary will be competitive, and a 2/3-bedroom family accommodation flat (utilities and council tax inclusive) is provided.

Applications must be made using the school application forms, available on our website or on enquiry from tkeller@spcs.london.sch.uk. To arrange an informal discussion about this role, please contact our Head of Boarding, Joe Gorman on JGorman@spcs.london.sch.uk

The closing date for the post is Monday 11th November 2024. Interviews will take place in the week commencing Monday 25th November.

For further information please see the attached documents including the Job Description, School Application Form, Letter from the Head, and our Safeguarding Policy.