Position Available: Head of Pastoral
La Garenne International School is seeking to appoint a Head of Pastoral. The Head of Pastoral will be responsible for ensuring a coherent, safe, and high-quality student experience across the full 24-hour school cycle. This role bridges academic life, boarding, and co-curricular provision for students aged 4-18.
The Head of Pastoral operates at the same leadership level as the Head of Primary & Middle School and the Head of Secondary. Reporting directly to the School Principal, this position works collaboratively to support the school’s mission through a consistent and integrated pastoral approach. The individual in this role will provide strategic oversight rather than operational management of existing systems, ensuring alignment among academic, boarding, and co-curricular teams while maintaining continuity of care across all aspects of school life, including evenings and weekends.
Working Hours
The nature of this role necessitates that working hours are largely concentrated in the evenings and weekends. While the post-holder is not required to live on campus, close proximity will be essential. Working hours will be defined in consultation with the School Principal to ensure effective Senior Leadership Team (SLT) coverage throughout the entire school cycle.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership & Collaboration:
- Collaborate effectively with the General Director, School Principal, Head of Primary & Middle School, and Head of Secondary to ensure alignment across academic, pastoral, and boarding provision.
- Lead the strategic development and implementation of whole-school pastoral systems, ensuring consistency across Primary, Middle, and High School.
- Act as one of the school’s Designated Safeguarding Leads (DSL) during key times, ensuring 24/7 coverage and compliance with Swiss and international safeguarding standards.
- Facilitate effective communication and collaboration between academic staff, boarding teams, and co-curricular/activity coordinators.
- Develop systems that ensure the efficient sharing of student information across all contexts (academic, boarding, and co-curricular).
- Provide strategic oversight of all boarding houses (Primary, Middle, and High School), ensuring a high-quality and consistent student experience.
- Work closely with Heads of Section to align boarding with academic provision, including behavior, routines, and student support.
- Support Heads of Section in managing complex pastoral and safeguarding cases for a cohesive whole-school approach.
Development and Implementation:
- Develop and implement evening, weekend, and co-curricular provisions while collaborating with coordinators and service providers to align with student wellbeing aims.
- Lead and contribute to staff training in safeguarding, pastoral care, and boarding practices.
- Support staff wellbeing alongside the General Director and School Principal.
- Build strong relationships with students, parents, and boarding families, ensuring clear communication regarding student wellbeing.
- Act as a key member of the Senior Leadership Team, contributing to whole-school strategy and development.
Organization & Administration:
- Oversee pastoral systems within school platforms (e.g., iSAMS), ensuring accurate and up-to-date records related to safeguarding, behavior, and student wellbeing.
- Develop and monitor systems for tracking student wellbeing, behavior, and engagement across academic, boarding, and co-curricular contexts.
- Ensure effective communication structures between boarding and academic teams on a daily and weekly basis.
- Contribute to the planning and coordination of the school calendar, particularly concerning boarding, activities, and student wellbeing initiatives.
- Support admissions processes where pastoral insights are essential.
- Contribute to accreditation and inspection processes related to safeguarding, boarding, and student welfare.
- Monitor the quality and consistency of boarding and co-curricular provision, identifying areas for development.
General Duties:
- Uphold and promote the school’s mission statement and IB philosophy.
- Maintain a visible leadership presence across the school, including evenings, weekends, and school events.
- Support conflict resolution and mediation related to students and staff.
- Contribute to assemblies, student events, and wider school life.
- Work with SLT to foster continuous school improvement.
- Make recommendations to enhance the overall student experience across academic, boarding, and co-curricular provision.
Please note that while the key responsibilities outlined here are significant, this role is not limited to these activities and may vary based on the evolving needs of the school as directed by the School Principal.
To express your interest in this position, apply online using the form below. Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.