Pupil Support Officer in Dewsbury

What skills and experience we're looking for

Teaching and Learning

• Identify pupils or groups of pupils who are facing learning difficulties, and put initiatives in place to address the barriers to learning they are experiencing.
• Deliver structured, relationship-based support to individual pupils and small groups who require a calm, therapeutic environment to develop emotional regulation and readiness to learn.
• Develop individual and group mentoring programmes, creating space for pupils to receive academic and personal support from staff and peers.
• Plan and deliver workshops, parent events and drop-in sessions — such as coffee mornings — to support families with pastoral, wellbeing and parenting matters, helping to build a strong partnership between home and school.
• Support pupils’ successful transition to the next phases of education.
• Where appropriate, visit pupils at home to discuss issues and plan next steps.

Behaviour and Student Support

• Work with parents/carers, pupils and staff to create open discussions about pupils’ needs, the school’s expectations and what appropriate support looks like.
• Work with pupils to demonstrate and encourage good behaviour in line with the school’s behaviour policy.
• Support the physical and emotional wellbeing of pupils, encouraging confidence and self-esteem through listening to them, and through individual and group support.
• Follow the school attendance response protocols set out in the Attendance Policy.
• Contact parents about attendance issues; including phone calls and meetings. Reporting outcomes and advising parents.
• Take supportive/remedial action in respect of individual absentees to secure their regular attendance at school.
• Home visits to support pupils and families and accompany pupils to school where necessary.
• Deal with students who are vulnerable and have social and emotional difficulties. Support intervention and assist in the development of strategies to enable a swift response to absenteeism in school.
• Monitor attendance and punctuality across the school, proactively meeting with parents and carers to discuss concerns, agree targets and put support plans in place to improve attendance, recognising the strong link between regular attendance and pupils’ wellbeing and progress.
• Report to the headteacher and senior leadership team on attendance patterns and pastoral concerns, contributing to whole-school strategies to improve outcomes.

Safeguarding

• Understand and fulfil responsibilities in line with the school’s safeguarding and child protection policies, ensuring all concerns are identified, recorded and acted upon promptly.
• Work closely with the SLT supporting the management and escalation of safeguarding concerns and ensuring the school meets its statutory duties under Keeping Children Safe in Education.
• Liaise and work collaboratively with external agencies including social workers, Early Help teams, CAMHS, Educational Psychologists, and other professionals supporting vulnerable pupils and their families.
• Attend and actively contribute to multi-agency meetings, Child Protection case conferences, Children in Need reviews, and Team Around the Family (TAF) meetings as required.
• Follow all relevant legislation, guidance and procedures regarding child protection, safeguarding, and health and safety, and ensure practice remains up to date with current statutory guidance.
• Maintain accurate, timely and confidential records of safeguarding concerns, actions taken and outcomes, in line with school policy and information-sharing protocols.

Curriculum and Leadership

• Demonstrate enthusiasm for learning and improving skills, and model this to all pupils.
• Engage with staff and school leadership to put whole-school strategies in place to support the learning and wellbeing of all pupils.
• Liaise with families and develop good relationships with parents/carers, becoming a recognisable and approachable first point of contact within the school for attendance, pastoral and wellbeing matters.
• Take part in line management within school, and set goals for continuing professional development.

Other duties commensurate with the grade of the post as directed by the Headteacher.

What the school offers its staff

Commitment to safeguarding. All employees of the school have a responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young people. An online check will be completed for all shortlisted candidates. The following employment checks are required for those positions which are based in a school or working with vulnerable young people:

• Evidence of a satisfactory safeguarding check e.g. Enhanced DBS Disclosure.
• Signed Disqualification Declaration.