Vice Principal - Safeguarding and Attendance

Stantonbury School; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A progressive educational institution in Milton Keynes is seeking a dedicated professional to lead safeguarding and ensure the highest standards of education for all students. The role focuses on developing policies, enhancing student attendance, and nurturing a culture of safety and support. Candidates should hold relevant qualifications and possess strong leadership and communication skills. This position offers the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the school's continued transformation and helps foster an enriching environment for students and staff alike.

Benefits

On-site leisure center and pool

Employee rewards scheme

Comprehensive employee assistance programme

Free parking

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a leadership role within an educational environment.
• In-depth knowledge of safeguarding policies and child protection procedures.
• Strong commitment to student welfare and community engagement.

Responsibilities

• Lead and implement safeguarding practices across the school.
• Enhance attendance and engagement strategies with parents and families.
• Model professional standards and maintain a visible presence around the school.

Skills

Leadership skills

Safeguarding expertise

Communication skills

Relationship-building

Education

Qualified teacher status

Relevant safeguarding qualifications

Job description

Thank you for your interest in this important post. Stantonbury School has undergone a rapid transformation since it joined Tove Learning Trust in September 2021 and we are at a crucial and exciting time in our development. The predecessor school was judged as inadequate with serious weaknesses in 2021 and in a little over two years we have developed a strong collaborative culture and effective practices that have been recognised positively by Ofsted when they inspected the school in January 2024. We are in a really strong position to continue our improvement journey and we are looking for talented and committed people like you to join us.

Working in any school is always a rewarding experience but by joining the team at Stantonbury School you are going to make a genuine difference to the lives of our students and to help in growing a stronger sense of pride in our school and community. Many staff members make a long‑term commitment to the school because they love working with our amazing students and enjoy forming strong bonds with colleagues as they grow professionally together. We are proud of our broad and ambitious curriculum and we invest heavily in staff training and development to ensure that our practice in and out of the classroom is strong, helping our students to reach their aspirations and become effective citizens. We provide lots of support for our staff team, including an effective induction programme and bespoke ongoing CPD, and we prioritise staff wellbeing by managing workload and recognising when support might be needed. Being part of Tove Learning Trust is very important to us and Stantonbury School is well supported by the highly effective central team.

There are some tangible benefits of working at Stantonbury School:

• On‑site leisure centre, pool and gym with highly reduced membership rates for staff
• Employee rewards scheme with a range of discounts in a wide range of stores
• Comprehensive employee assistance programme, including individual advice and counselling
• Free parking

But most importantly we have a diverse student and staff community which makes working at Stantonbury School an enriching experience where everyone is valued and welcome – we hope you will want to join us too.

Job Context

To enable all students to make as much progress as possible, and to develop them as confident, well‑educated and happy young people:

• Ensure high levels of punctuality and attendance so they benefit from the education and experiences the school offers
• Maintain an effective whole‑school approach to safeguarding where students’ interests are put first so they thrive

Purpose of the Role

To provide professional vision and leadership for Stantonbury School, securing its success and improvement, ensuring high quality education for all students and improved standards of learning and achievement. This role has a specific focus on safeguarding, attendance and the care of students.

Responsibilities

• Act as the school's Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), ensuring full compliance with statutory safeguarding and child protection responsibilities
• Maintain and develop safeguarding policies and procedures, ensuring that all staff are well‑trained and confident in their responsibilities
• Enhance and guard a safeguarding culture where early identification of concerns is embedded, and intervention strategies are seamlessly integrated across pastoral and academic structures
• Act as the primary contact for all safeguarding matters, liaising with external agencies such as social services, CAMHS and the local authority
• Lead safeguarding training for staff and governors, ensuring regular updates and refresher sessions are conducted
• Hold the highest expectations for student attendance, working with the attendance team to develop strategic systems so that strong relationships between school and home are forged and families are thoroughly supported to meet these expectations
• Develop meaningful parent engagement strategies that equip families with the tools to support student wellbeing at home, including digital wellbeing guidance and adolescent mental health education
• Have line‑management responsibilities for Assistant Principal(s), Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead(s) and/or other support professionals, medical and counselling teams as appropriate

General Leadership Team responsibilities

• Provide clear strategic vision and leadership for the school which achieves the highest quality educational provision
• Model the highest professional standards to staff and students in all aspects of the role, maintaining a visible presence around the school and leading by example
• Work in a cohesive, supportive and forward‑thinking team of leadership colleagues which share an ambitious vision to transform education at Stantonbury School
• Deputise for the Associate Principal in their absence
• Account for the standards in your key areas of responsibility to the Associate Principal, Governors and external agencies
• Contribute to the formulation and implementation of key sections of the school Self‑Evaluation and Strategic Plan as designated by the Associate Principal
• Be prepared to work flexibly, actively supporting the work of other leaders, in order to achieve organisational objectives
• Respond to unplanned situations which arise in the daily running of the academy
• Promote good student discipline and support staff, especially in dealing with sudden crises and emergencies
• Contribute to school activities including assemblies, break and lunch supervision
• Undertake effective line management
• Ensure a safe and healthy environment is maintained within the school, referring any areas of concern to the Associate Principal and site team where required
• Attend Leadership Team meetings and other management meetings including governor meetings as required
• Meet the professional duties of all teachers (School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document)

Thank you for your interest in this important post. Stantonbury School has undergone a rapid transformation since it joined Tove Learning Trust in September 2021 and we are at a crucial and exciting time in our development. We look forward to hearing from you.

Ben Wilson, Associate Principal