Pastoral Officer – Further Education College

Senploy; South Yorkshire; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 21,000; Full time

Job summary

Senploy is assisting a Further Education College in South Yorkshire to recruit a dedicated Pastoral Officer. The role involves providing one-to-one and small-group pastoral support to students, addressing attendance and engagement barriers, and building positive relationships.

You will work with young people who may present with challenging behaviour or SEMH needs, collaborating with staff and external professionals to create a safe, inclusive environment.

Qualifications

• Experience within alternative provision, FE, SEMH, behaviour support or a similar environment.
• Strong behaviour-management and de-escalation skills.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• A calm and consistent approach under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Provide one-to-one and small-group pastoral support.
• Build positive and consistent relationships with students.
• Identify barriers affecting attendance, behaviour and engagement.
• Use effective behaviour-management and de-escalation strategies.
• Support students following incidents or difficult situations.
• Encourage improved attendance, participation and positive choices.
• Help young people develop confidence, resilience and independence.
• Work closely with teaching staff and the wider pastoral team.
• Liaise with senior colleagues and external professionals where appropriate.
• Contribute to a safe, structured and inclusive college environment.

Job description

Pastoral Officer – Further Education College

Pay: £13-£15 per hour, depending on experience

Hours: Full-Time or Part-Time

Contract: Temporary-to-Permanent

Sometimes the biggest barrier to completing a course isn't academic ability.

A student may be struggling with their behaviour, attendance, emotional wellbeing, relationships or circumstances outside college.

They may be disengaging from lessons, finding it difficult to manage expectations or reaching the point where their education is at risk of breaking down altogether.

A Further Education College in South Yorkshire is looking for an experienced and resilient Pastoral Officer to provide targeted support to students who need additional help to remain engaged and move forward.

This is a temporary-to-permanent opportunity, with both full-time and part-time hours available.

You'll work with young people who may present with challenging behaviour, SEMH needs, disengagement or complex social and emotional needs.

Your role will combine relationship-building with clear expectations and professional boundaries.

You'll:

• Provide one-to-one and small-group pastoral support.
• Build positive and consistent relationships with students.
• Identify barriers affecting attendance, behaviour and engagement.
• Use effective behaviour-management and de-escalation strategies.
• Support students following incidents or difficult situations.
• Encourage improved attendance, participation and positive choices.
• Help young people develop confidence, resilience and independence.
• Work closely with teaching staff and the wider pastoral team.
• Liaise with senior colleagues and external professionals where appropriate.
• Contribute to a safe, structured and inclusive college environment.

We're particularly interested in candidates with previous alternative provision experience and a strong track record of supporting young people whose behaviour can challenge.

You'll need to understand that building a good relationship doesn't mean lowering expectations.

The right candidate will be able to listen and understand while still maintaining clear boundaries and encouraging young people to take responsibility for their choices.

You'll ideally bring:

• Experience within alternative provision, FE, SEMH, behaviour support or a similar environment.
• Strong behaviour-management and de-escalation skills.
• Confidence working with young people with complex needs.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• A calm and consistent approach under pressure.
• Resilience and strong professional boundaries.
• A practical, solution-focused attitude.

For the right student, effective pastoral support can be the difference between disengaging completely and finding a way to continue.

This role offers £13-£15 per hour, flexible full-time or part-time opportunities and the potential to move into a permanent position following the temporary period.

Sheffield and Surrounding areas, South Yorkshire