Pastoral Manager

Salary: Grade Lpro rata (per annum actual salary - pay award pending)

Hours of work: 37 hours per week Full time / Term Time (including TD days) plus 3 weeks

Contract: Permanent

A bit about us:

Downland School is a co-educational maintained community special school for pupils aged between 10 and 16 who have an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

Our pupils have varying aptitudes and abilities; we are extremely proud of all their achievements and progress. Our pupils have a range of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) including: Autism (ASC); attachment disorders and Social Emotional Mental Health (SEMH) difficulties. We seek to ensure that by the time they leave us our pupils emerge as self-confident individuals able to manage their own learning; equipped with the skills and competencies to successfully take the next steps in their lives.

We are a friendly happy and caring school providing a positive inclusive and enriching educational experience for our young people. We view each of our pupils as unique and shape our provision to meet their individual needs and accelerate their progress in a variety of areas e.g. personal social academic and well-being. Our commitment to supporting the whole child and their development is underpinned by our strong pastoral systems and our committed and trained staff. At Downland we promote inclusion and equality and celebrate diversity.
Our mission statement is Aspire Achieve and Thrive.

All about the role:

We are now looking to recruit a pastoral manager to join who is an excellent practitioner with a proven track record. You should possess the vision and passion to work in partnership with our senior leaders teachers and support team utilising your strong management skills to provide excellent leadership support development within behaviour and other pastoral matters and achieve the best possible outcomes for our pupils.

You will be responsible for the effective leadership of all aspects of behavioural and pastoral care within the school. You will lead develop and monitor behaviour management strategies across the school and ensure that every pupil regardless of the complexity of their needs is provided with a carefully planned programme to enable them to access learning within a classroom and school setting.

You will be responsible for monitoring progress and evaluating the effects of positive behaviour management strategies through the collection and analysis of data specifically in relation to all aspects of pupil behaviour - including daily interventions engagement and rewards.

You will devise and develop systems and procedures to maximise pupil engagement and monitor behaviour within the school. You will act as a member of the middle leadership team within the school and will support the development of staff as practitioners.

Develop and promote an atmosphere in which all pupils can be supported stimulated and provided with opportunities to achieve their full potential.

To be successful in this key role you should:

Have experience of working with pupils to manage their behaviour including skills in de-escalation.
Be resilient and creative.
Be calm under pressure.
Be an effective communicator with a wide variety of contacts both written and spoken.
Have the ability to develop positive relationships with staff pupils and other stakeholders.

In return we will offer you:

a forward thinking school
a friendly and supportive community
an inclusive and caring ethos
good professional development opportunities
a well equipped working environment

You will be expected to actively demonstrate the schools core values at all times.

Find out more and apply:

To apply you should submit a letter addressed to Mrs Keily-Theobald (Headteacher) of no more than 2 sides of A4 with your application form addressing the requirements of the post as outlined in the Job Description and the Person Specification provided. We are particularly interested in how you would undertake this role at Downland School and about your relevant skills qualities and experience to date. Applications received without a supporting letter will not be considered and CVs will not be accepted.

We welcome visits to the school. Please contact Tanya Rhodes if you would like to arrange a visit in advance of applying:

To apply please download the application form and click apply now below to upload your completed application form and covering letter online.
CVs will not be considered.

Closing date (and time): 9.00am Monday 06 July 2026

Interview date: w/b Monday 13 July 2026

Commencement date: 01 September 2026

Downland School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Please note that this appointment is subject to enhanced DBS medical and reference checks before appointment is confirmed.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Applicants must disclose all spent and unspent convictions cautions reprimands and warnings that are not protected under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013 & 2020). An enhanced DBS check will be required for the successful applicant.

Job Description
Person Specification
Privacy Notice
E&D Monitoring Form