Deputy Head Pastoral (including Head of Boarding)
Ipswich School
Suffolk
- New
- Job type:
- Full Time, Permanent
- Apply by:
- 10 January 2025
Job overview
Permanent, full time
Required from September 2025
Ipswich School has been listed as one of the top 100 schools in the country and is certainly one of the foremost independent schools in East Anglia. We were established prior to 1399, and moved to our present site in 1852.
As our most recent report by ISI Inspectors confirmed, Ipswich School has a fine record of academic success, which is placed within the context of an extensive range of activities outside the classroom. There are representative sports on Saturdays. Games, CCF, Community Service and a variety of other activities take place on Thursday afternoons.
We are a co-educational school with just over 1000 pupils aged between 3 months and 18 years. The School comprises a Senior School with around 820 pupils aged from 11 to 18, and a Prep School with over 200 pupils aged from 5 to 11 years, and the Lodge Day Nursery.
Our Boarding capacity is set to increase from 80 to close to 120 by September 2025, with separate facilities for Boys (Year 7 upwards) at Westwood and Girls (Year 7 upwards) at Anglesea Heights, as well as a co-ed Sixth Form House which is also part of the Anglesea Heights development.
We have multiple sites in central Ipswich, close to Christchurch Park, our Boarding Houses are located on Constitution Hill and Anglesea Heights and our Sports facilities are based on Henley Road and at Rushmere St Andrew.
About the Role
The Deputy Head Pastoral plays a key role in fostering a culture of exceptional pastoral care, safeguarding, and wellbeing throughout the school community. As Head of Boarding, you will lead our Boarding houses, which provide a home-from-home environment for pupils.
Key Responsibilities:
- Leadership: Develop and implement a strategic vision for pastoral care and Boarding.
- Safeguarding: Act as the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) for the whole School, ensuring the highest standards of child protection and welfare.
- Pupil Wellbeing: Oversee pastoral systems, manage pupil behaviour, and deliver wellbeing initiatives.
- Boarding Leadership: Ensure an outstanding, nurturing environment for all pupils in our Boarding houses.
- Governance & Compliance: Ensure compliance with ISI regulations and Boarding standards, working closely with governors and external inspectors.
About You
We are looking for a dynamic, empathetic, and proactive individual who can lead with vision, integrity, and resilience.
Essential Skills and Experience:
- Qualified teacher with a proven leadership track record in pastoral care (e.g., Assistant Head, Head of House/Year).
- Strong understanding of safeguarding, pastoral systems, and Boarding provision.
- Experience working with teenage pupils and a commitment to their holistic development.
- Exceptional communication, organisational, and interpersonal skills.
Highly Desirable:
- Leadership experience in a Boarding environment
- Current DSL training and experience.
- Postgraduate qualifications in leadership or management.
Hours of work, salary and benefits
This is a full-time, permanent post, subject to the satisfactory completion of a 12-month probationary period. Due to the senior nature of this role, and the range of responsibilities involved (particularly in Boarding), flexibility with working hours is essential.
The starting salary for this role will be competitive and will depend on your skills and experience. Remuneration terms will be discussed with shortlisted candidates at interview. Generous fee remission is also available.
As our Head of Boarding you will be required to live onsite in staff accommodation at our Westwood Boarding House (https://www.ipswich.school/boarding/) under a service occupancy agreement. Further information about the accommodation arrangements will be discussed with shortlisted candidates at interview.
Closing date and interview arrangements
Completed application forms should be returned by noon on Friday 10 January 2025 to: Nick Gregory, Head, Ipswich School, 25 Henley Road, Ipswich, IP1 3SG or email hr@ipswich.school
Longlist interviews are scheduled to take place on Monday 20 January 2025, with final-round interviews on Monday 27 January 2025.
PLEASE NOTE
- Ipswich School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. Employees must be willing to undergo child protection screening, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service. Having a criminal record will not necessarily be a bar to obtaining the position. The Ipswich School Policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders and the Code of Practice relating to the Disclosure and Barring Service are available on request
- Ipswich School’s employees are responsible for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young people they are responsible for, or come into contact with. The postholder must adhere to and ensure compliance with the School’s Safeguarding ChildrenPolicy at all times. If, in the course of carrying out his/her duties the post holder becomes aware of any actual or potential risks to the safety or welfare of children in the School she/he must report any concerns to the School’s Safeguarding Children Officer (the Prep Deputy Head for Prep pupils, the Senior Deputy Head [Pastoral] for Senior School pupils and the Nursery Manager for The Lodge Day Nursery).
- All Ipswich School employees are expected to attend training in safeguarding children as directed.
Attached documents
About Ipswich School
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Ipswich School is one of the leading independent schools in the area. It has a long history dating back to at least 1399 and is known for its academic success, without being an educational ‘hot house’, its extensive sport, drama and music activities and its commitment to the local community.
Pupils at the school come from a really broad range of backgrounds, and this makes the school different to many others in the independent sector. The atmosphere is very positive and pupils really do get on well with each other and with teachers. Behaviour in lessons is first class and teachers are able to focus fully on their teaching and pupils’ learning without having to spend time and effort keeping everyone in order.
Those applying for teaching posts in the Senior School will find that class sizes are generally smaller than in the maintained sector, with Lower School classes typically being around 20, Middle School can be a little larger or smaller depending on subjects – but are never larger than 24. A Level classes in the Sixth Form are typically have around 10 – 12 students, with 15 students being the upper limit.
Teachers are well supported by Heads of Department and there is a first-class CPD programme in place which not only provides the latest on class room practice, but also involves a range of optional social events. Additional training is also available for all teachers.
For those looking at Prep School posts they will find wonderful purpose-built classrooms in a state-of-the-art Prep School building, small class sizes – typically around 15 in the Lower Prep and between 18 and 25 in the Upper Prep. They will also find parents are very supportive and keen to develop the potential in their children.
Those applying for support staff posts will feel themselves very much part of a community alongside teaching staff. There is a well-refined CPD programme for, great opportunities for development and a fantastic range of benefits.
There are regular opportunities for all staff to get together socially. Recently staff events include drawing sessions, gin and wine tasting, wreath making at Christmas and a summer BBQ.
Facilities throughout the school are excellent with a brand new Music School, the extensive Ipswich School Sports Centre at nearby Rushmere, a specially-built Prep School and a day nursery – The Lodge.
There is free car parking on site for teachers and support staff (though this can be a little tight at times in the Senior School) and a range of other benefits.
Supporting the community is one of the school’s core values. The school has a significant community programme with pupils visiting local care homes giving music and drama performances, pupils growing vegetables and giving them to a local charity, local primary schools taking part in our annual Festival of Music and a large pupil-led termly fundraising programme.
Please have a look at our current vacancies listed here.
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