Pastoral Officer in Bury St Edmunds

Newmarket Academy is excited about the future and is determined to keep building on its success, continuing to grow, strengthen and raise standards so that every child benefits from the very best education and opportunities. Our vision is simple and ambitious: Newmarket Academy will be an excellent school. We want to be the school of choice for our community—a school that families trust, students enjoy attending and the wider community feels proud to support.

We are ambitious for every member of our school community and believe that excellence should be evident in everything we do. At the heart of our approach is a strong no excuses culture, rooted in care and belief. We hold high expectations for behaviour, effort and achievement because we know our students are capable of great things. Every child is seen as an individual, and we are committed to providing the support, challenge and encouragement each one needs to thrive. We combine high standards with warmth, ensuring that our school is calm, orderly and welcoming—a place where students feel safe, valued and inspired to succeed.

Our core values—respectful, responsible, resilient—capture our approach and we are looking for a Pastoral Officer to join us who can model our values and support us on our journey. We are proud to have been appointed the first lead secondary school in the country for developing the CUSP curriculum (Curriculum Unity Schools Partnership) at secondary level. CUSP is guided by evidence‑led curriculum structures, such as retrieval, spaced retrieval practice and interleaving. It is underpinned by explicit vocabulary instruction and research‑focused pedagogy. Combining these has led to exceptional outcomes for young people, as a result of coherent curriculum design and instructional teaching.

Newmarket Academy is part of Unity Schools Partnership, a forward‑thinking academy trust of 40 schools. At Unity, we value our people, and we have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice. Unity Schools Partnership celebrates both professional development and career progression.

We are looking for a talented individual to help foster a caring and supportive learning environment for our young people. You will:

• Possess good English and maths skills (GCSE C or equivalent)
• Be determined to make a positive contribution towards the learning experience of our students
• Be flexible and open to change in order to meet the needs of our students
• Be pro‑active, and willing to use your own initiative, as appropriate
• Possess good interpersonal, organisational, communication and administrative skills
• Take a professional approach in your dealings with students, staff, parents/carers and external agencies
• Have the ability to remain calm and confident when under pressure
• Be a team‑player, open to advice, feedback and guidance from colleagues

In return we will offer:

• Support any CPD required to be able to fulfil the role
• A supportive and friendly working environment with well established “well‑being” programmes
• An excellent programme of induction into the Academy with supportive and dynamic staff
• 2 week October half term
• Well‑being day each Academic year

Prospective candidates are invited to visit the Academy and meet the team. Please contact Sian Newby, PA to the Headteacher for further information or to make an appointment at Sian.newby@newmarketacademy.co.uk.

Closing Date: 17th August 2026

Unity Schools Partnership is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils. All successful candidates will be subject to rigorous pre‑employment checks, including an enhanced DBS. We are also committed to equality, diversity and fair recruitment practices, and we oppose all forms of unlawful discrimination. We value inclusive working practices and diverse teams. If you wish to work part‑time or as a job‑share, we will accommodate this wherever possible. We particularly welcome applications from under‑represented groups.