Deputy Headteacher (Pastoral & Safeguarding)

Overview

We are delighted to invite applications for the role of Deputy Headteacher (Pastoral & Safeguarding), a key position within the Senior Leadership Team providing the opportunity to lead and shape the pastoral vision of the school with a focus on ensuring that every student is known, valued, supported and able to thrive.
As the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), you will lead and oversee all aspects of safeguarding, ensuring the highest standards of care, support and statutory compliance. You will promote a culture where safeguarding and wellbeing are at the heart of school life, whilst leading and developing the safeguarding and pastoral team to ensure students and families receive the support they need.
In addition to safeguarding, you will provide strategic and operational leadership for pastoral care, behaviour, attendance, personal development and student wellbeing. Working closely with Heads of Year, pastoral leaders and colleagues across the Senior Leadership Team, you will ensure consistent, high-quality systems and interventions that enable students to flourish both academically and personally.

Core Responsibilties

Pastoral Systems

Lead the strategic oversight of pastoral care and student wellbeing across the school.
Take responsibility for the smooth day-to-day pastoral operation of the school.
Lead and line-manage Heads of Year and other pastoral leaders, ensuring high-quality pastoral support for all students.
Lead and develop the tutor system to ensure students are well supported and concerns are identified at an early stage.
Ensure consistent approaches to student support, intervention planning, recording, monitoring and evaluation across the school.
Develop and maintain strong partnerships with external agencies, ensuring students and families access the highest level of support.
Work closely with students, parents, carers, staff and external professionals to secure the best possible outcomes for young people.
Analyse school data to identify patterns and trends relating to wellbeing and student outcomes, ensuring appropriate interventions are implemented.
Foster positive relationships with governors, staff and stakeholders to ensure effective communication and implementation of pastoral and safeguarding priorities.

Safeguarding

Serve as the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), ensuring full compliance with statutory safeguarding requirements and best practice.
Lead and promote a culture where safeguarding and wellbeing are at the heart of every aspect of school life.
Review, develop and implement safeguarding systems, policies and procedures to ensure the highest standards of practice across the school.
Ensure effective safeguarding practice across all school activities and educational provision.
Oversee safeguarding record-keeping systems, including the effective use of CPOMS, ensuring all records are accurate, secure and compliant.
Oversee the Single Central Record and associated safer recruitment documentation, ensuring ongoing compliance.
Develop and deliver high-quality safeguarding training and updates for all staff, ensuring they understand and fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities.
Analyse school data to identify patterns and trends relating to safeguarding, ensuring appropriate interventions are implemented.
Lead preparations for Ofsted inspections, safeguarding reviews, audits and other external quality assurance activities within the remit of the role.

Behaviour

Lead the strategic oversight of behaviour across the school.
Work collaboratively with colleagues across the Senior Leadership Team to ensure behaviour management is aligned with the school’s strategic priorities.
Analyse school data to identify patterns and trends relating to behaviour, ensuring appropriate interventions are implemented.
Identify barriers to learning and engagement coordinating appropriate interventions and evaluating their impact.

Attendance

Lead the attendance strategy and implement plans to improve attendance, reduce persistent absence and address internal truancy.
Identify barriers to attendance, coordinating appropriate interventions and evaluating their impact.
Analyse school data to identify patterns and trends relating to attendance, ensuring appropriate interventions are implemented.
Work collaboratively with colleagues across the Senior Leadership Team to ensure attendance management is aligned with the school’s strategic priorities.

Personal Development

Lead the strategic oversight of personal development across the school.
Work with the Deputy Headteacher (Academic) and other senior leaders to ensure the Personal Development curriculum meets statutory requirements, reflects the school’s values and contributes to the school’s vision and strategic priorities.
Lead strategic planning for initiatives that support the school’s ambition to be outward-facing, socially responsible and inclusive.
Coordinate and champion student voice, ensuring student feedback informs school improvement and development priorities.
Lead and promote a culture where safeguarding, wellbeing and inclusion are at the heart of every aspect of school life.

Leadership and Strategic Responsibilities

Develop a culture of continuous improvement through robust self-evaluation and evidence-informed decision making.
Provide highly effective leadership, modelling the school’s values and upholding the highest professional standards.
Line manage designated members of the Senior Leadership Team, middle leaders and support staff as directed by the Headteacher.
Work with the Headteacher, governors and staff to create a culture of accountability, inclusion and continuous improvement.

SLT Responsibilities

Sustain, model and espouse the vision and values of the school, maintaining high expectations and ambition.
Engage with evolving priorities as a proactive member of the senior leadership Team.
Monitor the quality of provision: contributing to lesson observations, self-evaluation and team review.
Challenge existing processes and act as a critical friend to other team members.
As part of the SLT, collaborate with the Board of Governors to shape the strategic planning and construction of the SDP, attending Governing Body meetings when appropriate.
Provide general support and guidance to all stakeholders in the school.
Participate in the procedures for recruiting and appointing staff.
Support the school’s professional development programme, to include research opportunities for staff.
Support special days, events and formal occasions, including concerts and productions.
Being available as an emergency point of contact when trips operate out of normal hours.
Teach timetabled lessons commensurate with a Deputy Headteacher contact ratio.
Take on responsibilities within the remit of a Deputy Headteacher as designated by the Headteacher, understanding that your role and responsibilities may change but will be commensurate with the level of a Deputy headteacher.

Salary & Benefits

L19 – L23
Salary from £83,478 to £92,065 per annum

Location

Pate's Grammar School
Princess Elizabeth Way
Cheltenham
Gloucestershire
GL51 0HG

Supporting documents

Deadline and how to apply

Closing date for applications: Tuesday 24 November 2026 (midday)

Please complete the Application Form, along with your completed application form, please provide a Letter of Application indicating how your values, previous
or current responsibilities and/or experience are particularly relevant to this post, and indicating what you can offer to Pate’s Grammar School. Please review the Job Description and ensure you highlight how your skills and experience meet these expectations.

Please email your completed Application Form and Letter of Application to jobs@patesgs.org