Pupil Support Worker - Preston Lodge High School - EAL12760

The salary advertised is full time (35 hours per week, 52 weeks per year). Part-time hours / sessional posts will be pro-rated accordingly. Hourly rate of pay: £16.70 - £17.84. Temporary until 31st March 2027. This is a 39-week sessional post i.e., working hours will be during school term time plus in-service days.

Days and Hours of Work: Monday - Friday, during core school pupil hours. Starting and finishing times are flexible. To start 10th August 2026.

Preston Lodge High School is a non-denominational secondary school serving the communities of Cockenzie, Port Seton, Longniddry, Blindwells and Prestonpans. Our roll is currently 1060, and the school is very easily commutable from Edinburgh. In our recent inspection, the strong relationships between staff and students, our calm learning culture and the pride students have in their school were all highlighted. However, a number of important improvement needs were identified, too, and we are now working hard to address them.

We are finalising and implementing new school improvement priorities, reviewing our approach to meeting the learning needs of all students, and addressing attainment in S3, and in national qualifications, to make existing improvements more significant and consistent. Our motivated staff, along with our students, parents, carers, and the community we serve, are working hard to further improve all aspects of our school, and staff love working at Preston Lodge. We are a happy school, and new staff report very positively on our school’s culture and ethos.

At a time of great uncertainty in education, we work together to provide the best education possible for all of our students. Our work is focused on continuously improving our approach to classroom practice, developing student and staff learning, improving our curriculum offer and improving attainment, with a keen focus on our equity gap.

Our Pupil Support team is a key part of our school culture, working in partnership with teaching staff and students. We are looking for a highly motivated, open minded and friendly person to join us and to help us secure positive futures for our young people. The post offers enormous opportunities to make a real difference.

This role is focused on supporting our work on improving attendance. As well as working directly with students and families, it involves a significant amount of administration, updating systems and producing reports. Key roles will include monitoring daily attendance, communicating with identified parents/carers by telephone regarding attendance issues and contacting emergency contacts or relevant agencies if no communication can be established. The role will also involve monitoring and improving late coming amongst students and working closely with guidance staff on their attendance improvement priorities.

It is very likely that the role will evolve as circumstances change, with the successful candidate playing a part in decision-making around how best to target our attendance work. This is a real opportunity for a new person to join our very focused and positive Pupil Support team.

As part of the Pupil Support Team, provide support to secondary aged pupils (including Pupil Support Base) with a range of social emotional and behavioural difficulties in accordance with agreed aims, objectives and standards.

You will need to refer to the Job Outline/Person Specification for the full range of tasks and duties associated with this job. You must ensure you meet every 'essential' criteria stated on the Person Specification to be considered for interview.

The ‘East Lothian Way’ – values and behaviours we expect our employees to demonstrate in their everyday work. Should you be invited to interview, you may be asked questions based on these behaviours.

Job Requirements:

• Relevant Qualifications: A minimum of SVQ1/Standard Grade General level English/Maths or National 4 English/Maths or Literacy/Numeracy or Intermediate 1 Communication/Numeracy and/or able to demonstrate equivalent knowledge, skills and competencies gained through relevant experience.
• PVG Membership: This post is considered as a Regulated Role with vulnerable children and/or protected adults, as specified in the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020. All preferred candidates for posts carrying out regulated work with these groups will be required to become a PVG Scheme member, or undergo a PVG Scheme update if they are already a member, prior to any formal offer of employment being made by East Lothian Council.

Please note: If you have spent more than 3 months working or living out with the UK in the last 5 years then you will be required to present a copy of an overseas criminal record check.

For additional East Lothian Council employment information please click on the following link: www.eastlothian.gov.uk/nonteachinginfo.

If you have any difficulties creating an account on MyJobScotland or applying for this post please contact the MyJobScotland support team via the provided link. If you require further information about this vacancy, please call 01620 827868, or email us on recruitment@eastlothian.gov.uk.

Please note: We do not accept CV's (either electronically or by mail). All our vacancies must be applied for by fully completing the online application form.