Head of Year (Non-Teaching)

Rochdale Council; Rochdale; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Kingsway Park High School, part of Altus Education Partnership, is seeking a committed Head of Year to lead pastoral care and raise student achievement. You will shape the year group experience, foster a culture of belonging, and work with families and staff to ensure high standards.

You will build relationships, support attendance, wellbeing and safety, and drive interventions to help every student reach their potential in a busy secondary school environment in Rochdale.

Qualifications

• Experience of working with young people.
• Excellent communication and organisational skills.
• Resilience to respond positively to the challenges of a busy secondary school environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire a year group with a positive culture of belonging, responsibility and high expectations.
• Build meaningful relationships with students and families, providing support and guidance.
• Drive improvements in attendance, behaviour and engagement through proactive pastoral leadership.
• Support students facing barriers to learning, ensuring appropriate interventions are in place.
• Collaborate with Form Tutors, teaching colleagues and safeguarding teams to secure positive outcomes.

Skills

Communication

Relationship Building

Job description

Be the person who makes a difference. Lead with purpose. Inspire success.

Every student deserves someone who believes in them, challenges them and helps them succeed. Could that person be you?

Kingsway Park High School is seeking an enthusiastic, committed and resilient Head of Year to provide outstanding pastoral leadership and make a positive difference to the lives of our students.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who understands that great pastoral care goes beyond managing behaviour. It's about building relationships, raising aspirations, removing barriers and creating an environment where every student feels they belong and has the opportunity to thrive.

As Head of Year, you'll play a central role in shaping the experience of your year group, promoting high standards of attendance, behaviour, wellbeing and achievement. You'll work closely with students, families, Form Tutors and colleagues to provide consistent support, celebrate success and ensure that every student is encouraged to reach their potential.

The opportunity

You’ll have the opportunity to:

• Lead and inspire a year group, creating a positive culture of belonging, responsibility and high expectations.


• Build meaningful relationships with students and families, providing support, guidance and challenge when it matters most.


• Drive improvements in attendance, behaviour and engagement through proactive and effective pastoral leadership.


• Support students facing barriers to learning, ensuring their individual needs are understood and appropriate interventions are in place.


• Work collaboratively with Form Tutors, teaching colleagues and the wider pastoral and safeguarding teams to secure positive outcomes.


• Celebrate student achievement and help young people develop the confidence, resilience and skills they need to succeed.

Who we're looking for

We're looking for someone who is approachable, compassionate and confident, with the ability to balance care and understanding with clear expectations and professional judgement.

You'll bring experience of working with young people, strong communication and organisational skills, and the resilience to respond positively to the challenges of a busy secondary school environment.

You don't necessarily need to have been a Head of Year before. What matters is your ability to lead, build positive relationships, make sound decisions and inspire the very best in young people.

Why Kingsway Park?

Kingsway Park High School is a vibrant, inclusive and diverse school at the heart of Rochdale. We are proud of our strong sense of community and our commitment to ensuring that every student feels valued, supported and able to succeed.

As part of Altus Education Partnership, we are equally committed to the development and wellbeing of our staff, offering a supportive professional environment, high-quality development opportunities and the chance to make a meaningful contribution to school life.

We Belong. We Co-operate. We Succeed.

Our values reflect everything we want for our school community:

If you believe in young people, lead with compassion and have the determination to make a lasting difference, we'd love to hear from you.

Join us and help make every school day count.

Closing Date: Friday 06 November 2026

Interviews: Friday 13 November 2026

Altus Education Partnership is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to appropriate safer recruitment checks, including an Enhanced DBS check and relevant barred list checks. Online searches will be undertaken for shortlisted candidates.

Applicants are informed that if appointed to this post their contract of employment will be with the school governing board who is the employer, and not Rochdale Council.