Email for Application Form: ruby.bowyer@claremontschool.co.uk (P.A. to the Director of Boarding)
Role context
The Boarding House Lead is of central importance to Claremont Boarding. They manage the day-to-day life of our British and international boarders, ensure their safety, provide outstanding pastoral care and promote students’ well-being, whilst encouraging a purposeful and positive ethos in the House for which they are responsible.
This role is crucial to maintaining our current “outstanding” Ofsted ranking and promoting Claremont Boarding as the destination of choice in the local area.
The Boarding House Lead reports directly to the Director of Boarding and manages a team of Boarding House Parents within their House. They work closely with the Senior school to enable the students under their care to thrive in their educational experience as well as in boarding life. The Boarding House Lead has regular dealings with the services teams to make sure the house is safe and homely. The post holder will also be expected to build a close working relationship with parents and guardians. Each boarding house is managed by two House Leads: one resident and one non-resident, both working separate shifts of 48 hours a week, over 44 weeks a year.
Key Responsibilities
- Regulatory compliance
- Be aware of the implications of the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools and be guided by the Claremont Boarding Management handbook in the day-to-day running of the House.
- Act as the Fire Safety and Health & Safety officer in the House. Manage the 360 platform to ensure that the boarding house is a safe environment for both students and staff.
- Be compliant with the UKVI requirements as guided by the Director of Boarding and the School UKVI authorising officer.
- Ensure the House is compliant with our Boarding health policies.
- Ensure the School and boarding safeguarding procedures are followed by the House team. This includes matters such as the appropriate use of MyConcern, regular staff training in safeguarding and e-safety awareness.
- Operational management of the boarding house
- Communicate with the maintenance team and contractors to ensure the House is safe.
- Supervise the housekeeping team to ensure the House is clean and tidy.
- Manage the laundry routine of the House through a well thought-out rota.
- Work collaboratively with the catering team so that boarders follow a healthy and balanced diet.
- Oversee all boarders’ induction and departures as well as safe travel arrangements during term time.
- Liaise with Claremont Transport to organise boarders’ movement to school and other destinations.
- Liaise with the school finance team to organise the House petty cash and other financial matters.
- Liaise with the boarding administrative staff for orders and purchases as well as recharges.
- Update the school office with regard to students’ daily attendance and leaves of absence.
- Work collaboratively with the school nurse, the local GP practice and parents/guardians to keep the boarders healthy, and provide care when necessary.
- Manage staff rota to ensure that adequate adult supervision is in place at all times when students are in residence, and that staff are fairly and efficiently deployed.
- Line-manage the House team of House Parents and hold weekly staff meetings.
- Conduct induction of new staff and manage performance.
- Efficiently manage the resources of the House.
- Be responsible for reporting any issues directly to the Director of Boarding.
- Hold the emergency phone on a rota basis within the Boarding House Lead team.
- Manage the boarding house during one-week half term breaks on a rotational basis.
- Be involved in October, April and potentially summer camps.
- Attend weekly Boarding Management meetings and termly insets.
3- Pastoral care and well-being
- Develop a “home from home” culture in boarding.
- Uphold high standards of discipline in the House, in line with the Boarding Behaviour Policy and the Boarding Management Handbook.
- Encourage a positive culture by praising students when they do well and by being fair. .
- Maintain all records and manage the House drive so that it is an up-to-date and useful record of boarding life.
- Allocate rooms with the well-being and safeguarding of students in mind.
- Develop welfare plans to best support boarders and share the relevant information with the House team so that every individual receives the most appropriate care.
- Run regular Voice Meetings so that boarders have a say in the life of the House.
- Liaise as necessary with Tutors, Heads of House, Safeguarding Leads, parents and guardians on matters of welfare.
- Encourage boarders to take responsibilities within the House and support their growing independence.
- Support the smooth running of the House by having a visible presence and getting to know the students under your care.
- Develop stimulating weekly activities and week-end trip programmes and facilitate shared experiences in the House.
- Promote a culture of tolerance, kindness and mutual respect within the House international community.
- Report any problems in the residence to the Director of Boarding.
Other Responsibilities
- Undertake such other reasonable responsibilities and tasks that may be assigned by the Principal and Director of Boarding.
Candidate Profile
- Person specification
- Cultural sensitivity and awareness
- Mature interpersonal skills
- Flexibility and patience
- Creativity and enthusiasm
- Excellent organisation skills
- Good proficiency in IT
- Competencies
- Ability to multi-task
- Prioritises tasks and organises own time effectively
- Maintain all records
- Ability to deliver practical solutions to problems
- Being able to lead a team
- Qualifications
Professional qualifications or relevant work-related experience
- Experience
A minimum of 2 years’ experience working in Boarding.
About Claremont School
Claremont School is an independent day and boarding school. The Nursery and the Prep School are based in St Leonards on Sea, and the Senior School is located in Bodiam, East Sussex. The school is non selective and welcomes children and young people from a large catchment area spanning 25 miles. In addition, one third of the students in the Senior School are international boarders. Our two off-site boarding facilities are respectively located in Battle and St Leonards. They accommodate students from over twenty different nationalities.
Children join Claremont aged 1, and the school offers a British curriculum throughout with GCSEs and iGCSEs at KS4, and A Level and BTechs at KS5. In addition, the school delivers outstanding programmes in Performing Arts (winning an award for outstanding School for Performing Arts in 2021) and in football where students can join the Football academy and look to become professional players.
Results and Value-Added at Claremont are outstanding, with Senior School results beating national averages year on year, as well as more local independent selective schools. We believe that successful schools are the ones that put learning at the heart of everything they do, always aiming to create rounded individuals that can forge successful careers and lives, in a rapidly changing world. Claremont aims to be the School of Choice for the local area, and supports its young people to excel in all that they do in a safe and inspiring environment.
Claremont School is also part of the International Schools Partnership (ISP) group, comprising committed colleagues in financially responsible schools around the world, where learning is at the heart of everything we do for our students, colleagues, and parents. We are committed to getting better, all the time.
ISP was founded by an experienced team of committed educationalists and operators who have worked together over many years. ISP’s growing group of private schools are located in the UK, the USA, Canada, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Costa Rica, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, educating children and students from 2–18 years of age. ISP has expanded to 63 schools that employ over 8,000 staff and deliver multiple curricula to over 56,000 students located across the globe.
Claremont Boarding
The ethos of boarding at Claremont is to provide a home-from-home feel and that of a large extended family. With that in mind, our boarding houses are situated off-site to allow boarders to enjoy the benefit of returning to a home environment after their school day. Every boarder is encouraged to develop their full potential in all areas of life, with the support of a dedicated team of boarding House Parents under the management of two House Leads in each accommodation.
The post holder will take responsibility for the students at Clyde House. This is where the senior boys (y9 to Y13) live. The girls are accommodated in our second boarding house, Pyke House.
The House Lead holds a middle management responsibility within Claremont boarding; and this is reflected by their highly competitive salary. The successful candidate will have a passion for boarding, and education as a whole. They will therefore be well-qualified with managerial and pastoral experience to lead a team of staff who are committed to the well-being of the sixty five 13-18 year old students in their care. They will demonstrate flexibility, compassion, resilience, dynamism and a good sense of humour.
Safeguarding & Safer Recruitment
Claremont School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All post holders are subject to appropriate vetting procedures and satisfactory Criminal Background Checks or equivalent covering the previous 10 years employment history.
