School Nurse - Full Time from December 2026

The Independent Schools Council; Thatcham; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous pension scheme

Free meals on duty

Life insurance

Critical illness cover

Discounted school fees

Induction programme

Gym and swimming facilities

Social events

Job summary

Downe House, in Cold Ash, Berkshire, seeks a School Nurse to join a busy Health Centre serving boarders and day pupils aged 11–18. You will work shifts across early, late, night and weekends during term time.

Applicants must hold an NMC PIN, be registered, and have nursing experience with young people; newly qualified nurses are discouraged. The post includes CPD support and opportunities within a caring school community.

Qualifications

• Must be a Registered Nurse with current NMC pin.
• Experience working with 11–18-year-olds is beneficial.
• Not suitable for newly qualified nurses.

Responsibilities

• Provide medical care for up to 550 boarding and day pupils.
• Work across regular doctor surgeries and wide shift patterns.
• Participate in community health and wellbeing initiatives.

Skills

NMC registration

Pediatric/adolescent care

Teamwork

CPD oriented

Education

NMC PIN

Experience with young people (11-18)

Job description

Required full time 40 hours per week from December 2026, term time only.

Basic salary for 40 hours a week, term time only = £30,460.32, plus 30% enhanced rate of £24.99 per hour for working from 8pm, overnight and weekend shifts.

Downe House is a leading independent boarding and day school for girls aged 11-18, based in Cold Ash, Berkshire. Our aim is to provide pupils with a wealth of academic, pastoral and co-curricular opportunities to allow them to grow into confident young women prepared to take on the world.

We have an exciting opportunity for a School Nurse to join our nursing team. We are fortunate to have a purpose-built Health Centre on site which operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week during term time. In this role you will work as part of a friendly, professional team looking after the medical needs of up to 550 boarding and day pupils, aged 11 - 18. Shift patterns will include ‘earlies’ (7.00am – 2.30pm), ‘lates’ (2.00pm – 9.30pm), night shifts (9.15pm – 7.15am) and weekends. Usually, you will work 1 weekend shift (day or night) every other weekend.

To be successful in this role, you will need to be a Registered professional and hold a current NMC pin. We require an individual who has previous nursing experience, and experience of working with young people aged 11 -18 would be beneficial. The post would not be suitable for a newly qualified nurse. We are looking for someone who will be happy to get fully involved with the community of our busy boarding school.

As well as working on our regular doctor surgeries, this post offers an interesting opportunity for you to get involved in a specialist area relating to the health and wellbeing of girls/young women. The school is committed to staff CPD, and the department will offer additional training as required.

Benefits Include

• Generous pension scheme, with employer contributions at 9%
• Delicious free meals while on duty
• Life insurance & critical illness cover
• Discounted school fees
• A supportive induction programme
• Beautiful working environment in a semi-rural location
• Modern gym and swimming pool facilities, for staff use at set times
• A variety of social occasions throughout the year

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK. Own transport is essential as the school is in a rural location with no public transport links.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and any offer of employment is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure Check (DBS), satisfactory references, and social media checks. At Downe House we promote equality of opportunity for all pupils and staff, both current and prospective, and we actively support an environment and culture that values diversity and inclusion.