Resident Assistant Housemistress – St Hugh’s School

Start Date – January 2024

Salary – according to experience

St Hugh’s School is seeking a full time resident Assistant Housemistress to join our boarding community. The role of Assistant Housemistress here at St Hugh’s is purely pastoral, underpinning the provision of outstanding welfare support for pupils in the House, and the successful candidate will work as assistant to the Houseparents in a busy flexi/weekly Preparatory boarding house. The key responsibilities of the role are as follows:

• Primarily, the Assistant Housemistress will provide direct support to pupils and staff, assisting with managing all aspects of the health, welfare and pastoral care of pupils, adhering to relevant school policies at all times;
• Secondly, the Assistant Housemistress will provide support for the Houseparents with a wide range of administrative duties relating to pupils and their parents;
• Thirdly, the Assistant Housemistress will work closely with the operational management team to ensure that the House catering, cleaning and laundry teams maintain standards, in accordance with School policy and operating specifications.

The duties of the role will be wide and varied, but it is essential for the Assistant Housemistress to be able to demonstrate an empathy with and understanding of young people, a sense of humour and a genuine concern for the pupils’ well-being and active involvement in their personal development. They will be required to positively encourage the pupils in their interests and activities, and to develop a professional and friendly relationship with them. The Assistant Housemistress will also provide support in the maintenance of morale, standards and the efficient operation of the Boarding House.

Our ideal candidate will have experience of working with children aged 6-13 years old and relevant qualifications in medical or welfare related roles would be desirable. Excellent interpersonal, problem solving and organisational skills are also essential, as is the ability to work flexibly, maintaining a focus on quality at all times.

While the role would suit a current Assistant Housemistress, we are keen to attract applicants whose experience will not, as yet, cover all aspects of the role. We will provide training and 1-1 mentoring to support the development of the skills needed.

Please note: this is a non-academic position and there is no teaching timetable available, or likely to become attached to this post.

We welcome female applicants only as this is a mixed’ boarding house and requires being on call through the night for both male and female pupils. This is a genuine occupational requirement in accordance with schedule 9, part 1 of the Equality Act.

Boarding at St Hugh’s is in excellent health with a mixture of weekly (Monday to Saturday am) and Flexi, UK based boarders filling the 65 beds in the house.

St Hugh’s is a highly regarded non-selective, co-educational day and boarding prep school with 350 pupils between the ages of 3 and 13. We are situated on a beautiful green campus of 40 acres in the South Oxfordshire countryside, only 25 minutes from Central Oxford.

We offer excellent benefits, including a competitive salary on our own salary scale with scope for progression, free accommodation in the Assistant Housemistress’ flat (double bedroom, ensuite, kitchen, lounge/diner), all meals when boarders are on site, an outstanding working environment in our beautiful estate with easy access to transport links and being part of our vibrant and supportive community.

Full details of our staff benefits and recruitment procedures, including an application form, can be found on our School recruitment page at https://www.st-hughs.co.uk/news/staff-vacancies

To apply, please complete and return the fully completed application form to recruitment@st-hughs.co.uk. This should include a supporting statement outlining the extent to which you meet our requirements as set out in the job description and person specification together, and details of two referees, one of which should be a current or most recent employer. References may be taken up before interview. Online social media checks will be completed on shortlisted candidates prior to interview as part of the KCSIE guidance.

Applications will be considered on receipt and should arrive no later than 10.00am on Monday 6th November 2023 and interviews will take place w/c 6th and 13th November 2023. We reserve the right to interview at any point during the recruitment process so early applications are encouraged.

The School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and all appointments are subject to a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check (including a check against the Children’s Barred List), and other pre-employment screening including a check on the Secretary of State list of prohibited staff.