Mental Health and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead at Highbury Fields School

Salary grade: Scale 5, £31,716-£33,204 (All Year Round)

Closing date for applications: 9am, Wednesday 15th January

Interviews: W/B 27th January

Start date: Ideally as soon as possible

Contract type: One year in the first instance, with the potential of a permanent position

Who are we?

‘The school focuses on the holistic child’ (OFSTED, September 2022)

‘Pupils respond extremely well to the challenge of becoming independent learners’ (OFSTED, September 2022)

Highbury Fields School is a community in which everyone enjoys academic and social success. The school actively celebrates and promotes equality, diversity and inclusion and aims to make everyone in our community feel welcome and wanted in school.

An 11 to 18 girls’ school, we are proud to serve a culturally rich, but often underprivileged, community and are fiercely determined that every child in our care will develop into a confident young adult, who is academically and socially accomplished.

The school’s consecutive ‘outstanding’ OFSTED reports of 2016 and 2022 and our consistently high progress 8 scores (0.82 in 2019; 0.6 in 2022, 0.82 in 2023) have established our students’ reputation for academic excellence and we are highly regarded in the local community for our calm, focused learning environment.

However, we are neither complacent nor satisfied. The school strives for excellence in all aspects of its work and over the last year we have completed revised our studied, pastoral and wider curricular to ensure we are meeting the needs of all our students in the current post-Covid context. Our intention is to take each student on an educational journey of memorable and stimulating learning experiences, that enables them to be academically and socially successful, both in school and beyond.

What is the role?

‘Leaders and staff have extremely high expectations for all aspects of school life’ (OFSTED, September 2022)

It is in this context that the school is seeking a highly skilled Mental Health and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead to contribute significantly to sustained success of our highly effective inclusion and safeguarding.

Thanks to the exceptional attitudes of school staff, safeguarding and support of all students, especially the most vulnerable, is exceptional at the school. However, as is the case nationally, our community is facing significant challenges in relation to mental health and contextual safeguarding. 

The successful candidate will be understand the context of vulnerable students within our school community and be able to develop strategies to ensure all such students are supported so that they can engage meaningfully with school through both term time and holiday intervention programmes. The school is determined to provide our students with the very best holistic education possible.

Interested applicants should apply by completing the application by the deadline of 9.00am on Wednesday 15th January.

What can we offer the appointed candidate?

‘Low-level disruption in class is very rare. Pupils come to lessons ready and eager to learn’ (OFSTED, September 2022)

Working at Highbury Fields School offers colleagues the following benefits:

·        An exceptional learning environment

·        A highly regarded research based internal learning and teaching development programme

·        Keeping well time every half term

·        A generous pension scheme

·        Reduced London wide gym membership

·        Cycle to work scheme

·        Interest free travel season ticket loans

·        Employee assistance programme

·        Computer purchase scheme

What are the safeguarding requirements of the role?

‘Pupils are proud of their school. They enjoy school and feel safe’ (OFSTED, September 2022)

Highbury Fields School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects that all staff will share and demonstrate this commitment.

The position is subject to a DBS enhanced disclosure check.

In line with ‘keeping children safe in education’ and safer recruitment practices, the school will conduct an online search for all shortlisted candidates. The online search is part of the school’s safeguarding procedures to determine from publicly available information whether they are suitable to work with children and young people. Shortlisted candidates will also be asked at interview about their online presence. 

Where should I look for further information?

‘Staff are proud to work at the school. Leaders engage with staff’ (OFSTED, September 2022) 

For further information about the school, please refer to the school’s curriculum booklet and latest OFSTED report.

To arrange a conversation about the role, please email the Headteacher’s PA, Karen Bolden, HR@highburyfields.islington.sch.uk