Head of ; Non Teaching

Job . ECC Position Type:
Teaching/Child Support Pay Range:
Scale 7-8

Position

Start Date:

Immediate Contract Type:
Part-time Contract Term:
Permanent

Application Close: 16/03/2026 Midnight Date of Interviews: TBC

At Thurstable School, we are dedicated to fostering both character and knowledge in our students, empowering them to excel academically and personally. Following a successful Ofsted inspection in May 2025, where we received a "Good" rating across all areas, we are looking for a committed Head of Year to enhance our pastoral support and contribute to student success.

As a vital leadership figure, the Head of Year will ensure effective pastoral support, helping every student reach their full potential. You will lead and coordinate a year team, serving as a professional advocate for the school and promoting our core values:
Aspire, Respect, and Endeavour.

Key Responsibilities:

• Accountability: Ensure both pastoral and academic performance for your year group.
• Data Analysis: Review student tracking data to identify underperformance and plan targeted interventions.
• Support Management: Address the needs of students facing barriers to learning.
• Attendance Monitoring: Track attendance and punctuality, making follow-up calls to parents and developing action plans for at-risk students.
• Behaviour Oversight
  :
  Maintain a positive learning environment by monitoring behaviour and creating action plans for high-risk students.
• Philosophy Support: Uphold the school's "warm/strict" approach and engage in corridor presence to facilitate timely transitions between lessons.

We are looking for candidates with experience in working with young people and providing pastoral support in an educational setting. Strong communication skills, personal resilience, and a passionate commitment to student character development are essential.

We prioritise staff wellbeing through innovative initiatives. Our restructured school day includes 70 minutes of continuous professional development (CPD) every Friday, integrated into working hours. Our workload-sensitive approach features live marking instead of traditional written reports, and we utilise Yondr phone pouches to create a focused, distraction-free environment.

Additionally, our staff enjoy a two-week October half-term, access to the Employee Assistance Programme with trained counselors, and opportunities for life coaching. We also provide access to discount platforms and the ability to apply for a Blue Light Card, along with participation in the local government pension scheme.

Thurstable School is committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our pupils, and we expect all our people and volunteers to share this commitment. We adopt a fair and consistent recruitment process which is inline with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. This includes online checks for shortlisted candidates. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, references, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check.

Context and Characteristics - Traditional Values, Innovative Practice

Based outside of Colchester, we are a semi-rural 11-16 school which serves Tiptree and its surrounding villages. We are an Ofsted rated good in all areas (May, 2025) stand alone academy which allies traditional values with highly innovative practices e.g. a two week October half term break, CPD within the school day on a Friday with teaching completed by lunchtime and a Yondr pouch system that means we are a genuinely mobile phone free school.

Above all though we pride ourselves on being a school that is kind and has heart.

Our Mission and Values

Thurstable School has a clear mission of building knowledge and growing character. Underpinning these are our strong values of aspire, respect and endeavour. They are part of our DNA and inform all of our interactions and decisions at the school from our reward system to our shared language.

Building Knowledge

We very much believe in gimmick free teaching and learning and we place the teacher as the expert in the classroom. Sustainable academic achievement comes from students developing…