Head of Year 9

Head of Year 9

37 hours per week | Term time plus two weeks for INSET and to attend relevant school events

NJC Support Staff Grade 8, SCP 25–30 (actual salary £33,433 - £37,491)

Are you passionate about making a real difference to the lives of young people? Do you have the experience, resilience and relationship-building skills to support students through the challenges of secondary school and help them thrive?

We are looking for an experienced and committed Head of Year 9 to provide outstanding pastoral leadership for our students.

This is a key role within the school's pastoral team, with responsibility for ensuring that students within the year group feel safe, supported and included, and are able to succeed both academically and personally. You will take a leading role in behaviour, attendance, safeguarding, welfare and inclusion, while helping to create a positive year-group culture with high expectations for all.

You will work proactively with students, families, colleagues and external agencies to identify and remove barriers to learning and improve outcomes. A particularly important part of the role will be ensuring that vulnerable and disadvantaged students, and those with SEND and SEMH needs, receive the support and advocacy they need to achieve their potential.

A day in your role could see you:

1. Building positive, supportive relationships with students and helping them overcome barriers to learning.
2. Leading the pastoral care of Year 9 and creating a strong sense of belonging, inclusion and community.
3. Monitoring behaviour and attendance and putting effective, targeted interventions in place.
4. Working closely with families to support students experiencing difficulties or additional needs.
5. Supporting vulnerable students, including those with SEND, SEMH needs, social care involvement and other additional needs.
6. Working alongside the safeguarding, SEND, attendance and behaviour teams to provide coordinated support.
7. Liaising with external professionals and contributing to Early Help, Team Around the Family and other multi-agency work.
8. Leading and supporting the year group's Form Tutors to provide consistent, high-quality pastoral support.
9. Using attendance, behaviour, safeguarding and achievement information to identify priorities and monitor the impact of interventions.
10. Celebrating students' achievements and encouraging positive behaviour, attendance and engagement with school life.

What we're looking for

You'll already have proven experience of supporting students in a pastoral role within an educational setting, including experience of working with students with SEND, SEMH needs and other vulnerable groups.

You'll bring a good knowledge of current SEND and safeguarding practice, experience of multi-agency working and supporting families, and a genuine commitment to inclusive practice. You'll be confident building strong relationships with young people, parents and carers, colleagues and external professionals, while having the leadership, organisation and communication skills needed to manage a busy and varied role.

Most importantly, we're looking for someone who genuinely believes in young people and understands the difference that excellent pastoral support can make.

If you're an experienced pastoral professional who is ready to take the next step and lead a year group, we'd love to hear from you!

Please note, previous applicants need not apply.

Closing date: Monday 2nd November 2026 8am

Interviews: Week commencing the 9th November 2026

Our commitment to a safe and respectful environment

We are an equal opportunities employer committed to a diverse and inclusive community. We do not tolerate discrimination and welcome applications from all backgrounds. We provide equal access, services, and care regardless of age, disability, gender, gender identity/expression/trans status, race, religion/belief, or sexual orientation.

We are committed to fostering a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for everyone. This includes a zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment of any kind. We believe that all individuals deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and we are dedicated to creating a workplace and online community free from harassment, intimidation, and discrimination. We encourage open communication, provide clear reporting mechanisms for misconduct, and conduct thorough investigations. We expect everyone interacting with us to uphold these standards.

All staff will be carefully selected using recruitment and selection procedures designed to emphasise the schools commitment to safeguarding. All posts, including volunteers, are subject to enhanced DBS clearance. All shortlisted applicants will be asked to complete a self-declaration of any criminal record or information that will make them unsuitable to work with children. Any offer of employment may be withdrawn should any information come to light that has not been included in the self-declaration. It is an offence to apply for a role if you are barred from regulated activity relevant to children, anyone caught doing so will be reported to the police immediately. Please note that we reserve the right to review your online presence in line with keeping children safe in education guidance.

Think of your application as a chance to show off and shout about your experience! Below is a list of all the skills we're looking for, so don't be shy, make sure you highlight how you've used them. You'll find a breakdown of what's important for this role in the job description, so give it a good look and make sure your application shines!