Are you a passionate, resilient, and dedicated professional looking to make a profound difference in the lives of vulnerable children and families?

Rockingham Junior and Infant School is seeking an exceptional Pastoral Lead to join our Extended Senior Leadership Team. In this vital role, you will provide strategic leadership for safeguarding and social care, ensuring our practices remain robust, proactive, and compliant.

You will work closely with our Inclusion Leader/SENDCOs to plan day-to-day pastoral interventions, removing social, emotional, and behavioral barriers to learning for our young children. Acting as a crucial bridge between our school, parents, and external agencies (such as Social Care and Early Help), you will help champion the needs of our most vulnerable pupils.

Key Responsibilities

Safeguarding Leadership: Act as the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL), serving as the primary point of contact for families, Social Care, and external agencies.

Triage & Crisis Support: Act as the main point of contact for staff and parents reporting child protection concerns , while ensuring a safe space and immediate support for pupils in crisis.

Strategic Collaboration: Team up with the SENDCO and Headteacher to identify trends in pupil behavior and welfare, extending inclusion practices beyond the standard curriculum.

Mental Health Leadership: Serve as our designated Senior Mental Health Lead, driving school-wide initiatives (like My Happy Mind and With Me In Mind) to promote wellbeing for both pupils and staff.

Multi-Agency Coordination: Lead and coordinate high-level multi-agency meetings, including Child Protection (CP) conferences, Child in Need (CiN) meetings, and Team Around the Family (TAF) sessions.

Staff Mentorship & Training: Lead, mentor, and evaluate our fantastic broader pastoral team , while overseeing safeguarding training to ensure absolute compliance with 'Keeping Children Safe in Education' (KCSIE).

The successful candidate will possess:

Substantial experience in a school, social care, or early help environment supporting vulnerable families.

A deep operational understanding of KCSIE, the Prevent Duty, and local authority thresholds.

The ability to maintain meticulous, confidential, and chronological records using digital tracking systems.

An empathetic, child-centered approach that places the wishes and feelings of the child at the center of all reporting and triage.

Experience in conducting home visits and working alongside attendance officers to tackle persistent absenteeism.

Superb communication skills, with the ability to build trusting relationships with parents and represent the school on external panels (such as the Rotherham Inclusion panel).

What We Offer

The opportunity to shape a strategic, senior leadership role within a highly supportive and collaborative academy environment.

A dedicated team of professionals who are deeply committed to absolute inclusion and student welfare.

Continuous professional development and training opportunities, including Senior Mental Health Lead training and specialist SEMH network support.

The profound reward of removing significant barriers to learning and watching our most vulnerable children thrive.

Closing date: 24.06.2026 (12pm)              

Interview date:  29.6.2026

Start date: 1st September 2026

Please remember to detail all your experience, the impact your appointment will make in terms of raising standards and why you are the ideal candidate.

Please note this position carries a probationary period.

Visits to the school are welcomed, please contact rockingham@willowtreeacademy.org to arrange a time.

For our Ofsted Report

Rockingham Junior and Infant School: https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/21/145740

To view our website please visit: https://rockinghamji.co.uk/

Willow Tree Academy Schools are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.