Kidsgrove Secondary School is a vibrant and inclusive secondary school dedicated to nurturing the academic, emotional, and social development of our students. We are committed to creating a supportive environment where all students can thrive and reach their full potential.
We are seeking a dedicated Pastoral Support Officer to join our team. The successful candidate will play a key role in supporting the welfare and well-being of our students, ensuring they feel safe, valued, and supported in all aspects of school life.
Key Responsibilities:
- Provide one-on-one support to students dealing with emotional, social, or behavioural difficulties.
- Act as a point of contact for students needing guidance or advice, helping them overcome barriers to learning.
- Collaborate with teachers, senior leadership, and external agencies to provide holistic support to students.
- Monitor attendance and work with families to improve student engagement and participation.
- Support students with transitions, whether joining the school or moving on to further education or employment.
- Promote a positive and inclusive school culture by implementing school-wide pastoral initiatives.
- Keep accurate records of pastoral support and interventions.
What We’re Looking For:
- Experience working with young people in a pastoral, mentoring, or support role.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build positive relationships with students, staff, and parents.
- A good understanding of the challenges faced by secondary school students and the ability to offer appropriate support.
- Empathy, patience, and resilience in handling sensitive issues.
- Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage a varied workload.
- A commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people.
The sole ethos for the school community is ‘“if you do the small things right, big things can happen.” Whilst we are committed to ensuring that every student makes excellent progress, this concept stretches well beyond academic performance. We firmly believe that every aspect of school should equip learners to be successful in all areas of their lives, both now and for their future and we are passionate about the personal development of the student body. Indeed, every single decision or action taken improves the life chances of all our learners. This is underpinned by ensuring the school is a safe, nurturing and happy environment: put simply, The Kidsgrove Secondary School is a great place to learn and a great place to work with a family feel which provides a real strength of collective working and strong relationships.
The school is underpinned by a set of Core Values that underpins the whole school achievement culture, that has rewards and celebration at its heart. The school is underpinned by a set of Core Values that underpins the whole school achievement culture, that has rewards and celebration at its heart. The school has been recognised
nationally as the 10th most improved school for outcomes in 2024, which demonstrates the relentless drive and focus.
The school has an innovative digital strategy that sees all students and staff receive an iPad to support their learning. The Digital Strategy is fundamental to the school’s vision of achieving digital skills for life. The digital technology delivers to every classroom opportunity for cutting edge assessment for learning techniques and interactive lesson resources. This approach has reinvigorated learning and helps students to develop independence and enquiry skills. This combined with a technology hub that has the possibilities to bring the curriculum to life.
This ethos applies equally to the staff. We believe in empowering our staff to be aspirational and effective leaders of learning and provide a strong programme of CPD and induction to support those joining our vibrant community. This CPD includes being part of a large MAT, with its own Institute of Education (IoE) focused on the development of staff. The IoE provides access to wide range of network hubs, subject experts and access to best practice, as well as bespoke CPD opportunities. This is an exciting opportunity to join a highly professional and committed team of staff whilst also playing their part in the success and future development of our School.
All candidates are required to provide a supporting statement on the formal application forms which states clearly your reasons for applying, skills and experience for this position.
Join Shaw Education Trust – Support, Teach, Lead… Make the Remarkable Happen.
At Shaw Education Trust, we believe every role holds the power to transform a life. Whether you're supporting behind the scenes, inspiring in the classroom, or leading with vision, you’ll be part of something extraordinary.
We are a dynamic and growing family of Primary, Secondary, and Special Schools, proudly serving communities from Birmingham to Bury. Our mission is to unlock opportunity for every young person—whatever their background, ability, or starting point.
Our people are our greatest asset, and we are deeply committed to their growth. Through high-quality training, apprenticeships, talent acceleration, and research opportunities, we empower our staff to thrive as skilled, confident professionals and we champion wellbeing, value every voice, and create a culture where you feel supported, motivated, and inspired to make a real difference.
You will join a collaborative network of schools where shared expertise and professional community fuel success. Every academy in our Trust has an equal voice, and every colleague plays a vital part in shaping tailored learning experiences that raise aspirations and build brighter futures.
At the heart of our work is a deep respect for the children and young adults we serve—our “precious cargo.” We are proud to "exactly like nothing else” and bridge the gap between education and the wider world, preparing every student for further education, employment, or training in inclusive environments where integrity, equality, and opportunity thrive.
Support. Teach. Lead. Belong. Thrive.
Together, let’s make the remarkable happen.
Shaw Education Trust offer the following employee benefits with your Teaching or Support Staff employment:
- An excellent Local Government Pension Scheme (Support Staff) / Teachers Pension (Teaching Staff)
- Support Staff only based on working full time, all year - Generous holiday entitlement from your first day of employment (37 days holiday rising to 39 days after 5 years’ service including Bank Holidays)
- Access to Medicash Health & Wellbeing Plan: Enjoy health services designed to support your well-being.
- Free DiscountForTeachers Scheme for all staff (Support and Teaching), Exclusive discounts to save money with a wide selection of discounts and exclusive offers from hundreds of the biggest brands.
- Free Eye Tests
- Cycle to work scheme
- Access to our Institute of Education and fantastic opportunities to help you grow, contribute and flourish in your role and in the Trust.
We know our people are the key to our success and so we’re committed to ensuring the employment experience at Shaw Education Trust is a rewarding one.
Colleagues within the Trust benefit from: Access to a full range of courses both in-house and professionally accredited. These courses include a variety of the National Professional Qualifications and the Early Carer Teacher Programme delivered by Shaw Education Trust as a delivery partner for Ambition Institute.
- Experienced leadership and subject-specific support.
- Guidance from former HMIs and serving Ofsted Inspectors within the Trust.
- Access to the Trust’s Institute of Education and SCITT.
- Opportunities to work with different schools within the Trust as a Professional Advocate.
- Participating in peer reviews.
- Access to a suite of online courses.
- Placement projects within our family of schools.
Actual Salary: £21,272 - £21,950
Working hours: 37 hours per week, Term time only plus 5 Inset days (39 weeks)
Kidsgrove Secondary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment, click here to review Safeguarding and Pupil Protection Policy https://www.shaw-education.org.uk/our-trust/key-information
This position is subject to robust vetting procedures, including an online search for all shortlisted candidates, in line with our Trust’s commitment to safer recruitment.
An enhanced criminal record check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), formerly known as the CRB, is required. You will be asked to disclose all relevant unspent and, where applicable, unfiltered spent reprimands, formal warnings, cautions, and convictions.
Shaw Education Trust is an Equal Opportunities employer. We are fully committed to ensuring that our recruitment and selection processes promote equality, diversity, and inclusion at every stage.
In accordance with our safer recruitment policy CVs alone will not be accepted.
We reserve the right to appoint before the closing date as we review applications on an on-going basis and interviews may be arranged as suitable candidates are identified, therefore, we encourage early applications.
Successful candidates will be subject to a fully Enhanced DBS check along with other relevant employment checks.