Vacancies

Pastoral Support Assistant

Job Introduction

Pastoral Support Assistant

Term time only

Salary Range: Support Staff Pay Scale Grade C (£23,115 - £24,140 FTE)

32.5 hours a week- term time only

Testbourne Community School: where culture and ethos matter

Are you a passionate person who believes in the power of relationships, high expectations, and a calm, purposeful atmosphere? At Testbourne Community School, we don’t just teach – we shape futures. Our culture is built on a legacy of over 100 years of education, rooted in kindness, respect, honesty, integrity, ambition, and leadership.

We are looking to appoint an enthusiastic, highly motivated and well organised person to join a committed and highly successful Pastoral Team. This team plays a vital role in the school, ensuring that students are well supported to enable them to engage fully in their learning. This involves supporting students with their attendance, their physical and emotional wellbeing and safeguarding. This can be richly rewarding and, as well as working with school colleagues, will involve engaging with families and other external agencies and support.

This role would suit someone with a keen interest in pastoral care, who enjoys working with children and their families and who has strong interpersonal skills. It can also provide excellent development for anyone who would want to further their career in this area. Previous experience of working within a similar environment is desirable but not essential. Key responsibilities will involve supporting across Year 7 to 11 in the delivery of our high-quality pastoral care. Applicants must be committed to working directly with young people. Training will be provided where required.

We are proud to be a school where:

Learning is our top priority – when we make any decision we always ask “How does this help our students to learn more effectively?”
Students are supported to become independent, resilient and responsible young people prepared for their future.
Recognition is meaningful: we celebrate effort, character and contribution, not with material rewards but with genuine appreciation to build intrinsic motivation.
Staff are valued and supported with intelligent accountability, professional trust and a culture of openness, transparency and compassion.

Why work with us at Testbourne Community School?

Comprehensive induction and CPD: from day one, you’ll receive a thorough induction and access to a rich programme of professional development with time provided for you to process, discuss and learn new ideas.
Workload consideration: we actively manage workload and seek staff feedback to make meaningful adjustments. Your time is respected. We use published research to determine the most effective use of staff time.
Family-friendly and flexible: we understand that life happens. Our leaders are compassionate and empathic, supporting staff through personal and professional challenges.
Career development: opportunities to grow, lead, and innovate are built into our culture. Staff are encouraged to take on new roles and responsibilities.
A supportive team: you’ll join a collaborative, friendly, and dedicated team. Staff describe Testbourne as a place where “everyone is in it together.”
Strong Leadership: our senior leaders are visible, approachable, and lead by example – sharing duties and supporting staff every step of the way.
A school that lives its values: we don’t just talk about culture – we live it. From trauma-informed practice to recognition, our ethos is embedded in everything we do.
Beautiful Location: located in the charming town of Whitchurch, Hampshire, surrounded by countryside and landmarks like Watership Down, the River Test and the Whitchurch Silk Mill.

Key Responsibilities will include:

to assist with daily administrative tasks e.g., gathering and collation of student information as required, contacting home or external agencies.
to assist in ensuring an ethos and culture of high expectation in terms of academic progress, behaviour, attitudes, and personal development.
to assist in ensuring consistency of approach and expectation across year groups.
to assist in ensuring high standards of behaviour.
to assist in the promotion of the highest levels of student achievement.
to liaise effectively with parents and families, communicating positively and effectively on behalf of the school.

The successful candidate will:

be smartly presented and have a professional attitude to employment;
be punctual and reliable;
flexible and hard-working;
enjoy working with young people;
have a firm but sympathetic manner, with a good sense of humour;
have a compassionate and caring nature;
have an enthusiastic and positive personality;
have the ability to deliver and support students’ learning;
have effective report writing skills;
have a good standard of education and sound literacy and numeracy skills;
be willing to undertake training and develop their skills.

In return:

we offer professional development and expertise to enable staff to achieve excellence;
we provide a highly supportive environment with opportunities to develop;
we provide a highly professional and collaborative working environment focused on developing a love of learning;
we offer first rate personal career development to assist you in the fulfilment of your ambitions.

Find out more by visiting: Working with Us - Testbourne Community School

Closing Date for Applications: Monday 13 October 2025 at noon

We reserve the right to interview and appoint candidates before the closing date or scheduled interviews where applicable.

Application forms and further details are available from the school website www.testbourne.school or alternatively contact recruitment@testbourne.school

This post is a regulated activity. The safeguarding responsibilities of the post are outlined in the person specification.

The MOJ’s guidance on the https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-guidance-on-the-rehabilitation-of-offenders-act-1974 provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications.

Testbourne Community School is committed to safeguarding children and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. All successful candidates will be subject to Disclosure Barring Service checks, along with other relevant employment checks.

Testbourne Community School is an equal opportunities employer, and no candidate will be disadvantaged because of race, gender, sexuality, disability or any other protected characteristic.  All shortlisting exercises are completed by evaluating a candidate’s suitability in terms of the person specification and job description for the role in question.

Safer Recruitment

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. All successful candidates will be subject to Disclosure and Barring Service checks along with other relevant employment checks.