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We are seeking to appoint Head of House for our boarding accommodation to join us in September 2023. This is an exciting opportunity to join our boarding team at a time of growth and development.

Role overview

Heads of House (previously referred to as Houseparents) are responsible, in a pastoral and practical sense, for all aspects of the running of their House. They are responsible for its smooth and orderly running and for the welfare and wellbeing of the students within it.

In conjunction with colleagues in the Boarding Team, Heads of House are also responsible for overseeing the domestic and health & safety arrangements in the House and for ensuring that students are supervised effectively and appropriately and that the House rules are observed by everyone in the House.

The same ethos and approach prevail in the boarding context as do in all other aspects of life at d’Overbroeck’s.

Our boarding environment is marked with the same relative informality, boundaries that are clear but not overbearing, and an atmosphere which is homely, welcoming, flexible and supportive. Heads of House clearly have a critical part to play in creating and maintaining such an atmosphere in the boarding houses. They are, therefore, an integral part of the school’s pastoral team.

Heads of house (and other house staff) report to the Head of Boarding.

Principle duties and responsibilities

By their nature, the responsibilities of this role are fairly open-ended. Please note, therefore, that this job description can only give an indicative outline of the main duties and responsibilities of the role. It should not be read as an exhaustive statement.

Heads of House at d’Overbroeck’s are expected to:

Running the House

• Create and maintain a happy, safe, warm and homely environment which is conducive to the students feeling at ease and being able to live and work happily in the House;
• Lead in the creation of suitable standards of behaviour for the students in their care;
• Be responsible for the smooth, orderly and effective running of the House and for the welfare, safety and wellbeing of the boarders in it;
• Make sure that students (boarders and visitors) are appropriately and effectively supervised.
• Foster a sense of House identity and spirit by encouraging students to participate actively in-House activities and by supporting such events as a figurehead for the House;
• Ensure that the House rules are being followed at all times and address any infringements that may occur. Also ensure that students are always back in the House by the prescribed time;
• Ensure that students treat the belongings of others and the fabric and furnishings of the House appropriately and with respect;
• Foster a positive atmosphere in the House and aim always to be fair and consistent in daily interactions with students, not least in the way that school and House rules are applied and any infringements dealt with;
• Be open to sensible requests and suggestions from students for ways in which the running of, and the provision in, the House may be improved, and discuss these with the Head of Boarding;
• Meet prospective students and parents and show them around the House as and when asked to do so by the Head of Boarding or another senior member of staff.
• Maintain regular contact with the colleagues in the Boarding Team and with other teaching and admin colleagues as appropriate.
• Conduct weekly House meetings.
• Organise and run weekend activities for students in the House that complement the school programme;
• Build and maintain open, cordial and constructive relationships with the parents and guardians of boarders and respond promptly and helpfully to any communications and requests from them;
• Be sensitive to, and promote good relations with, neighbours and other members of the local community;
• Be responsible for mentoring the Boarding Assistant and overseeing the boarding-related aspects of their work; and
• Respond promptly and deal with any emergencies or unexpected situations that may occur at any time.

Pastoral

• Build and maintain positive and constructive relationships with the students, get to know each of them individually and be aware of their particular circumstances, needs, strengths and possible vulnerabilities, and provide them with the best possible care and support at all times;
• Be alert to any signs of unhappiness or indications that a student may be experiencing difficulties; be available to listen, talk and support students with any emotional or social issues they may have; and liaise with other relevant staff (such as the School’s Designated Safeguarding Lead, the student’s DoS or Form Teacher, the School Counsellor, the Head of Boarding) as appropriate;
• Be alert to any tensions or signs of bullying, including cyberbullying, and, in the event that these issues should arise, deal with them promptly in line with the school’s anti-bullying and behaviour policies;
• Facilitate contact between students and their parents/guardian where requested, including allowing privacy where requested;
• As a member of staff with pastoral responsibilities, attend meetings with other staff and as necessary also with parents / guardians as well as attending training events, both in and out of school, as appropriate

Administration and Record Keeping

• Keep accurate and up-to-date records of the students’ welfare, health, emotional wellbeing, achievements and behaviour, as well as any concerns and/or disciplinary issues and sanctions;
• Report issues or concerns of any kind that may arise to the appropriate colleague(s) as quickly as possible;
• Be responsible for general administration of the House and liaise with the appropriate staff in matters concerning maintenance, services, including IT, health & safety, the upkeep and improvement of the fabric of the House and of its equipment, furniture and fittings, budgets and expenditure, etc.

Daily routines and Supervision of students

• Be familiar with and, where necessary, assist students in meeting their daily schedules;
• Oversee and ensure the effectiveness of arrangements for students getting up in the mornings and going to bed at night, including make sure that the House is quiet when it needs to be.

Regulations, Safeguarding and Compliance

• Be aware of the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools (NMS) and fulfil obligations to ensure they are met, reporting to the Head of Boarding in respect of any areas of concern;
• Be aware of all relevant school policies, including in particular the school’s policy for Safeguarding and Promoting the Welfare of students;
• Be aware of, and familiar with, the provisions of the most up to date version of the DfE document Keeping Children Safe in Education;
• Keep abreast of periodic updates in these policies and regulations, undertake training as necessary and ensure compliance with them at all times in the way that the House is run.

H&S and medical issues

• Take responsibility for Health & Safety within the House including running routine fire drills (some to be run during the hours of darkness), health & safety in the kitchen, etc;
• Ensure the safety of students and staff by maintaining accurate records, dealing appropriately with hazards and reporting any issues or problems promptly;
• Comply with school policies and procedures in respect of security of the House and its occupants;
• Look after students who are unwell, including responding to emergencies by, for instance, contacting the Head of Boarding immediately and being prepared to accompany a student to hospital where necessary. In such instances, the Head of House must make sure that the House is adequately supervised in their absence;
• Ensure that any medical or dietary requirements that students may have are well understood and properly catered for in the House;
• Where necessary, store securely and dispense medication to students in strict adherence to instructions contained in a written plan that has been put in place by senior staff and agreed with parents and the student concerned in advance and retain records of such administration.
  

Domestic arrangements

• Oversee the cleaners, and ensure that the House is kept clean, tidy and in good order at all times;
• Maintain all necessary records such as daily fridge temperatures, food probing temperatures where appropriate, records of any medication dispensed to students as per the previous section, etc;
• Ensure the House is prepared before the start of term and to ensure that it is left in order after the end of term;
• Help with catering arrangements – see below.

Meal arrangements

All meals are served in the teaching building.

Snacks are available in the boarding house for students to help themselves.

Duties in regards to meal arrangements

• Order food supplies as required for snacks in house; and
• Some basic food preparation and heating up of weekend dinners may be required
  

Other

• While the role is based primarily within the boarding house, Heads of Houses are expected to be actively involved in the wider life of the school. The exact nature of such involvement will depend to a large extent on the skills and experience that each Houseparent brings.
• Other duties as may be reasonably requested from time to time by the Head of Boarding, the Principal or the Vice Principal(s).
• Heads of Houses are effectively in loco parentis and so must at all times while on the premises be ready to deal with any significant distress, difficulty or emergency whether or not they are technically on duty.

Person Specification

Relevant experience of working in a comparable role or of having held comparable responsibilities in a different context would be highly desirable.

In addition, and given the nature and responsibilities associated with the role, candidates will need to demonstrate the following:

• A caring and cheerful personality and a manifest interest in young people and in being in their company;
• A demonstrable ability to relate to students, parents and colleagues with empathy and sensitivity;
• Well-developed EQ (emotional intelligence) and a mature, responsible, patient and resilient attitude to life and work;
• A commitment to promoting safeguarding of children and to continued professional development in this respect;
• The ability to work as a member of a team with a commitment to high standards of pastoral care;
• An ability to be firm while doing so in a friendly, engaging and respectful manner;
• Very well-developed communication skills, both in person and in writing;
• Good, reliable and balanced judgement;
• The ability to handle pressure where necessary;
• The ability to think clearly and rationally in an emergency;
• The ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team;
• Fluent and confident IT skills;
• Good practical and administrative skills;
  … and, not least
• A sense of humour.
  

Hours of Work

The hours of work will be set out in the contract of employment. The Head of House will be required to work such hours as are necessary to fulfil all their duties and responsibilities, including pastoral commitments commensurate with their position and role. Please note that the successful candidate will be asked to opt out of the 48-hour working week.

Non-Smoking Policy

As a school, we have a strict no-smoking and no-vaping policy (this is intended to cover all forms of e-cigarettes) in all parts of the school, including gardens and grounds. It is part of the Head of House’s role to ensure that this policy is enforced. It is therefore preferable that applicants to this role are non-smokers, to help lead by example.

Accommodation

For the proper performance of their duties, it is essential that Heads of House occupy the self-contained accommodation, in the form of a flat within the boarding house. The successful candidate will be required to sign a Licence to Occupy before taking up residence. This reflects the position that occupation is granted by way of licence, and that the Head of House does not gain any tenancy rights.

In any case, no adults or other children may live in the accommodation without the prior written consent of the school Principal, and this would only be given subject to child protection considerations and checks. Please note that any adult or child over the age of 16 who is living in the accommodation must enter into a written agreement with the school and undergo an enhanced DBS and barred list check.

Notice

The notice period for this post is a full school term, to end at the end of the term after notice has been given.

Holidays

Heads of House are entitled to the statutory minimum holiday entitlement under the Working Time Regulations 1998, to be taken during the school’s holidays. In addition, and subject always to the requirement to fulfil the obligations of the role, Heads of House will not normally be required to work during the majority of our normal school holidays.

However, please note that Heads of House will need to be available for work for two days after the end of each term (including half-terms) and before the start of the next (including half-terms). At the start of the academic year, they should be available for the week before term starts in order to prepare the house and attend Staff Inset sessions

Further information

If you would like any further information at this stage, please feel free to email Hannah Mungall, Head of Boarding, at [email protected]

Salary

We expect the salary to be between £23,000 and £26,000 depending on the size of the boarding house.

Staff at d’Overbroeck’s also benefit from

• free cooked lunches during term-time
• access to ‘We Care’ medical and counselling services
• discounted membership rates for a nearby sports and leisure club
• participation in the ‘Cycle to Work’ scheme
• fee discounts for children of staff attending d’Overbroeck’s School

Applications

Applicants should complete the Form entitled Application for a Non-Teaching Post which can be downloaded from https://www.doverbroecks.com/about/careers/

The Application Form, full Curriculum Vitae and a covering letter should be emailed to [email protected] and a signed copy sent to:

HR

d'Overbroeck's

333 Banbury Road

Oxford

OX2 7PL

The final date for submission of applications is Monday 19 June 2023.

Please apply as soon as possible. All applications will be processed on receipt.

Short-listed applicants will be notified of the interview arrangements as soon as possible after short-listing. Please note, however, that we reserve the right to shortlist and invite suitable candidates in for interview prior to this date, as we are looking to make a new appointment as quickly as possible.

Nord Anglia Education

In early 2021 d’Overbroeck’s was acquired by Nord Anglia Education, a leading premium international schools organisation. At the start of the 2022-23 academic year, NAE comprised 81 school in 32 countries, employing over 15,000 and teaching over 70,000 students.

You can find out more on their website: nordangliaeducation.com