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The Role

The primary role of the Associate Chaplain is to be a vicar to the pupils and staff at Dean Close Preparatory and Dean Close Pre-preparatory Schools, to provide an example of Christ’s love in action through services, group activities and pastoral support, and to ensure that the distinctive Christian culture of Dean Close is preserved, strengthened and maintained into the future. The role reports to the Senior Chaplain, who is primarily based at Dean Close School but who oversees the work of the Chaplaincy across the Foundation.

The Associate Chaplain plays an important role, alongside other staff with pastoral responsibilities, in the care and promotion of pupils’ well-being. Developing a close relationship with the pastoral lead in each school, as well as with Health Centre staff, is therefore important.

The Team

The Senior Chaplain has overall leadership of the chaplaincy team and reports to the Warden. He/she is Chaplain to Dean Close School (13-18) and provides chaplaincy support for Dean Close St John’s School (3-13) and the Little Trees nurseries on an ad-hoc basis. The Chaplain will be resident on the Dean Close School site in Cheltenham.

The Associate Chaplain (first appointment September 2023) is Chaplain to Dean Close Prep School and Pre-Prep School, and provides support for Dean Close Airthrie School on an ad-hoc basis. The role is part-time (0.65 FTE) and non-resident. The Associate Chaplain reports to the Senior Chaplain and is responsible for the programme of Christian worship and voluntary activities at DCPS and DCPPS, as well as for pastoral support for the staff and pupils of these schools.

The Chaplaincy Co-ordinator provides logistical support to the chaplaincy team, supporting the Chaplains in the organisation, administration and co-ordination of chaplaincy activities across the schools.

Chaplaincy Assistants: These are short-term (1-2 years) appointments of young people, usually recent graduates, who are often exploring the possibility of working in schools or full-time Christian ministry. They are resident pastoral staff, and have a range of duties across the Dean Close Cheltenham schools, to include boarding duties, sports coaching and other activities according to their gifts and abilities, as well as contributing to the chapel programme as speakers, leaders and administrators.

Chaplaincy Team members: These are members of the teaching staff who are given a time allowance to be members of the Chaplaincy Team, supporting the chapel programme, activity programme and pastoral support for staff in each school.

The duties listed below rely on the Associate Chaplain maintaining his/her own personal devotional life, and this requires a commitment to be a praying person who models the Christian life by investing time in his/her own spiritual development and refreshment.

Duties

Corporate Worship

• Develop and maintain the calendar of Christian worship at Dean Close Preparatory School and Dean Close Pre-Preparatory School,working with the Senior Chaplain to ensure this dovetails with the programme at Dean Close School.
• Work with key school leaders on major school events such as Commem, Speech Day services, Remembrance Sunday and Carol Services
• Lead, speak and facilitate a significant proportion of these services personally; arrange for internal and external speakers and contributors
• Collaborate with the Director of Music and with those responsible for Calendar planning
• Support Christian worship at Dean Close Airthrie School by visiting to lead assemblies and speak in services as agreed with the Head

Voluntary Christian Activities

• Organise the programme of voluntary Christian Unions, Bible Study and other activities at DCPS and DCPPS.
• Promote and support the development of voluntary Christian activities at DCAS
• Offer hospitality and support to staff involved in the chapel or voluntary activities programmes, organise staff prayer meetings and occasional staff services

Team building

• Line manage the Chaplaincy Assistant for DCPS
• Offer support to the Senior Chaplain and play an active role in the Foundation chaplaincy team

Meetings

• Meet regularly with key staff, including the Heads of DCPS and DCPPS
• The Associate Chaplain is generally kept free from the routine organisational meetings that occupy the time of senior leaders, but will attend meetings as required, for example for calendar planning, major event planning
  

Relationship-building and pastoral

• Be a visible presence at DCPS, particularly during breaks, lunches and other ‘free time’
• Support school events such as plays, concerts, matches and parent gatherings
• Collaborate with Deputy Head Pastoral and with Houseparents and Health Centre staff to support pupils with specific pastoral issues
• Offer pastoral support to staff facing particular difficulties such as sickness or bereavement

Please see the attached job description for further details.