Pastoral Support Officer

Tradewind Recruitment; St Albans; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 22,000; Full time

Job summary

Tradewind Recruitment is seeking a Pastoral Support Officer in St Albans for an immediate start at a specialist alternative provision serving KS3–KS4. The role focuses on keeping pupils settled, supported and ready to engage with learning.

You will reinforce behaviour management, support attendance and provide one-to-one or small-group assistance. A strong relationship-builder with safeguarding commitment will thrive here.

Qualifications

• Experience as a TA/HLTA or pastoral support role.
• Strong behaviour management and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to support pupils with SEMH needs and challenging behaviour.

Responsibilities

• Welcome pupils and help them settle at the start of the day.
• Support pupils as they transition into lessons and activities.
• Encourage attendance, engagement and positive participation.
• Provide one-to-one and small-group support.
• Help pupils manage emotions and regulate behaviour.
• Use de-escalation techniques to maintain a calm learning environment.
• Build positive relationships while maintaining clear boundaries.
• Communicate with parents/carers when required.
• Support safeguarding procedures and pupil welfare.

Skills

Behaviour management

Relationship building

Communication skills

Patience

Team player

Job description

Pastoral Support Officer - Immediate Start

St Albans, Hertfordshire | £95-£120 per day | Full-Time | Monday-Friday, 8:00am-3:30pm

Are you an experienced Teaching Assistant, HLTA, Behaviour Mentor or support professional looking for a new challenge where you can make a genuine difference to young people?

Tradewind Recruitment is currently looking for a Pastoral Support Officer to join a supportive school setting in St Albans. This is an excellent opportunity for someone with strong behaviour management skills who enjoys building positive relationships with young people and helping them overcome barriers to learning.

The successful candidate will become a key member of the team, providing consistency, encouragement and practical support throughout the school day.

The Role

Your role will be focused on helping pupils feel settled, supported and ready to engage with their education.

You will:

• Welcome pupils at the start of the school day and help them settle.
• Support pupils as they transition into lessons and activities.
• Encourage attendance, engagement and positive participation.
• Provide one-to-one and small-group support where required.
• Help pupils manage their emotions and regulate their behaviour.
• Respond confidently and calmly to challenging behaviour.
• Use appropriate de-escalation and behaviour management strategies.
• Build positive, trusting relationships while maintaining clear boundaries.
• Identify barriers that may be preventing pupils from engaging with learning.
• Monitor pupil behaviour, engagement and wellbeing.
• Work closely with teachers and colleagues to provide consistent support.
• Communicate appropriately with parents/carers when required.
• Support safeguarding procedures and promote the welfare of pupils.

Who Would Suit This Role?

This position would suit an experienced TA, HLTA, Behaviour Mentor, Learning Support Assistant or pastoral professional who is confident working with young people and managing challenging situations.

You will ideally be:

• Calm, patient and resilient.
• Confident managing challenging behaviour.
• Naturally approachable and able to build rapport quickly.
• Consistent in maintaining boundaries and expectations.
• Able to motivate pupils who may be reluctant to engage.
• Proactive and capable of using your own initiative.
• A strong communicator and team player.
• Passionate about helping young people develop confidence and achieve their potential.

Experience supporting SEMH, SEND, challenging behaviour or pupils with additional needs would be highly desirable.

Could This Be Your Next Step?

You don't necessarily need extensive secondary-school experience to be successful.

We would particularly welcome applications from experienced primary TAs and HLTAs who have strong behaviour management and relationship-building skills. Many of the young people require support with their engagement, confidence and behaviour, so experience of adapting your approach to individual needs is more important than simply having worked within a secondary setting.

About the Setting

The role is based within a specialist alternative provision in St Albans, supporting pupils aged 11-16 across KS3 and KS4.

The setting works with young people who have found mainstream education challenging. Pupils may have SEMH needs, challenging behaviour, difficulties with attendance or other barriers to learning.

Class sizes are small, allowing staff to develop strong individual relationships with pupils and provide a much more personalised level of support.

For the right person, this can be an extremely rewarding environment in which to use your existing skills while developing further experience in pastoral and specialist education.

Key Details

• Position: Pastoral Support Officer
• Location: St Albans, Hertfordshire
• Age Range: 11-16
• Contract: Full-Time
• Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-3:30pm
• Start Date: Immediate
• Pay: £95-£120 per day, depending on experience
• Recruitment Agency: Tradewind Recruitment

Committed to safeguarding.

Proud to be an Equal Opportunities Employer.

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