Deputy Pastoral Manager - Personal Development Tutor in Stockport

Highfields College is an Alternative Education Provider and Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) for young people aged 11 – 16 years with an additional facility for post-16s who have NEET status. We are an award‑winning provider of education with a national School of Character Quality Mark and IQM Flagship School Status. Through a relational, trauma‑informed approach, we focus on removing social‑emotional barriers to learning to help vulnerable students build the self‑awareness, character, and academic foundations needed for successful futures.

To drive this, we are seeking an empathetic, creative, and reliable Personal Development Tutor to join our team. The Personal Development Tutor (Deputy Pastoral Manager) works across Highfields College alongside qualified teachers and mentors to support with behaviour and engagement in learning. They work specifically alongside teaching staff to deliver programmes of study, mentoring and other activities to the holistic growth and academic progression of our students.

They are required, alongside supporting the smooth running of the college, to deliver 1-to-1 and small group sessions around specific personal development goals – often utilising avenues such as sports, creative arts, academic booster/catch up sessions, ICT and multimedia and/or outdoor education as a vehicle to build student self‑awareness, problem solving skills, communication skills, emotional self‑regulation and overall resilience. This in turn supports their return to mainstream school or eventual transition to post-16.

Whilst not limited to graduates, this role represents an ideal opportunity for graduates who are looking to gain invaluable, hands‑on experience before transitioning into an eventual career in teaching, social work, youth justice, educational psychology, or other people‑oriented services. The role might also appeal to proven professionals in other fields who wish to change environments and develop others, such as people with trades.

Selection and Assessment Process

At Highfields College, we want to ensure that our candidates have the right blend of passion, reliability, and relational skill to thrive in our setting. Strong applicants will be shortlisted and invited to participate in a three‑part selection process:

• Practical Session Observation: You will be asked to plan and deliver a short personal development activity or interactive session with a small group of our students (equivalent to a lesson observation). This is your opportunity to showcase your specific specialism; whether that is sport, creative arts, ICT, academic catch‑up, or outdoor learning, and demonstrate how you naturally build rapport, manage boundaries, and engage young people.
• The Student Panel: Our students are at the heart of everything we do. You will spend time with a representative panel of our young people, who will ask you their own questions about how you would support them as a Key Adult.
• Formal Interview: You will undertake a structured interview with members of the college’s Leadership Team. This discussion will focus on your values, your previous track record of reliability, and your long‑term career aspirations within education or social work.

This school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful applicant’s appointment will be subject to satisfactory pre‑employment clearances including a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Stockport Council is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive workforce culture - a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and communities to join our workforce. We want our employees to have a good work life balance and in many job roles we can offer a range of flexible/hybrid working arrangements. We also have inclusive employment policies and staff engagement forums to support our diverse workforce. We will listen to, learn from, and develop our workforce.