Pastoral Support Officer – Secondary School – Leeds

Start Date: As soon as possible
Contract: Full-time, Permanent
Salary: Paid to scale

A well-established secondary school in Leeds is looking to appoint a committed and approachable Pastoral Support Officer to join its dedicated pastoral team. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who is passionate about supporting young people and helping students overcome barriers to learning, attendance, behaviour and personal development.

The successful candidate will work closely with students, teaching staff, pastoral leaders, families and other professionals to provide practical and consistent support. The role will involve building positive relationships with students, identifying concerns at an early stage and ensuring that appropriate support is put in place.

This position would suit someone who is calm, patient and confident when working with young people. You will need to be able to establish trust while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries and expectations. The school is looking for someone who can combine empathy with consistency and who understands the importance of helping students take responsibility for their choices and progress.

School Information

This is a well-established secondary school in Leeds with a strong focus on academic achievement, personal development and student wellbeing. The school serves a diverse community and is committed to ensuring that every student receives the guidance and support needed to make positive progress.

The school recognises that successful education involves much more than academic attainment. Its pastoral provision plays an important role in helping students develop confidence, resilience, independence and positive relationships with others.

Staff work collaboratively to identify students who may require additional support and to ensure that concerns are dealt with promptly. The successful Pastoral Support Officer will therefore become an important member of a wider team that includes pastoral leaders, teachers, senior leaders and other support professionals.

The school promotes clear expectations around attendance, behaviour and engagement while ensuring that students are treated fairly and with respect. The successful candidate will be expected to reinforce these expectations consistently while helping students understand the support available to them.

Pastoral Team

The pastoral team provides a central point of support for students experiencing difficulties that may affect their education or wellbeing. The successful candidate will work proactively rather than waiting for concerns to escalate.

A significant part of the role will involve developing positive relationships with students and becoming a trusted adult within the school. You will support students in identifying challenges, developing practical strategies and engaging positively with school.

You will also work closely with colleagues to ensure that information is shared appropriately and that students receive consistent support across the school.

Key Responsibilities

• Providing day-to-day pastoral support to students.

• Building positive and professional relationships with students.

• Identifying students who may require additional pastoral support.

• Supporting students experiencing difficulties with behaviour, attendance, engagement or learning.

• Working closely with pastoral leaders and teaching staff to monitor student progress.

• Supporting students to develop confidence, resilience and independence.

• Holding regular check-ins with identified students.

• Providing appropriate one-to-one support where required.

• Encouraging students to take responsibility for their choices and behaviour.

• Supporting the implementation of individual support plans.

• Maintaining accurate records of pastoral interventions and student concerns.

• Monitoring patterns of behaviour, attendance and engagement.

• Communicating relevant concerns to appropriate members of staff.

• Working constructively with parents and carers.

• Supporting meetings with students, families and school staff.

• Liaising with external professionals where appropriate and under school procedures.

• Supporting students during periods of transition.

• Helping students manage changes in routines, expectations or circumstances.

• Supporting students returning to school following periods of absence.

• Contributing to behaviour and attendance strategies.

• Supporting restorative conversations where appropriate.

• Encouraging positive relationships between students and staff.

• Helping students access appropriate school-based support.

• Contributing to safeguarding procedures by reporting concerns promptly.

• Maintaining confidentiality and handling sensitive information professionally.

• Supporting school events and wider pastoral initiatives when required.

• Following school policies and procedures consistently.

Experience and Requirements

The successful candidate will ideally have previous experience working with children or young people in a pastoral, education, youth work, community or support setting. Experience within a secondary school would be particularly beneficial.

The school is looking for someone who genuinely enjoys working with young people and understands the importance of creating positive relationships. You should be confident communicating with students who may present challenging behaviour or require additional support.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• Previous experience working with children or young people.

• Experience in a pastoral, education or support role.

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

• A calm and consistent approach.

• Excellent listening skills.

• Ability to establish appropriate professional relationships.

• Confidence managing challenging conversations.

• Ability to maintain professional boundaries.

• Strong organisational and record-keeping skills.

• Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues.

• Good judgement when dealing with sensitive information.

• A proactive and solution-focused approach.

• Resilience and patience.

• Commitment to inclusion and student wellbeing.

• Understanding of the importance of safeguarding.

• Ability to maintain high expectations while providing appropriate support.

Safeguarding

The school places safeguarding at the heart of its work. The successful candidate will be expected to follow all safeguarding procedures and report concerns through the appropriate channels.

An enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references will be required before employment begins, alongside the school's standard pre-employment checks.

Application

This is an excellent opportunity for a caring, resilient and organised pastoral professional who wants to make a genuine difference to young people's school experience.

To apply, please send your CV as soon as possible. Applications will be considered promptly for an as soon as possible start.