House Parent in Oxford

The Role

SBC House Parents play a central role in providing pastoral care to students, taking responsibility for the daily management of a boarding house and ensuring the safety and well-being of all students within it. As leaders within the boarding house, House Parents are supported by a small team of staff and work together to create a welcoming, positive, and vibrant community where students feel comfortable and supported. House Parents must be highly responsive and adaptable, meeting both the individual and collective needs of students. This includes fostering a nurturing and inclusive environment where students can thrive socially, emotionally, and academically during their time at summer school. With students living away from home, House Parents play a vital part in ensuring a safe, structured, and enjoyable residential experience, helping students build confidence, form friendships, and make the most of their summer school journey.

The Site

Headington Oxford International Summer School is located in the leafy suburb of Headington in Oxford, yet it is only a mile from the very centre of the historic town. Year-round, Headington operates as an all-girls school educating around 1,000 students from 30 different nationalities. This international element means that the host school is perfectly geared toward providing a welcoming and exciting atmosphere for summer school students. The facilities are excellent, with newly decorated bright accommodation for students and staff. The school is for students aged 13-16 and the capacity is approximately 200 students a week.

Ways we support our House Parents:

• We will cover the full cost of a new DBS (if required) for your first contract working with SBC.
• Extensive, paid, on-site training prior to student arrival.
• Accommodation included.
• CPD and Appraisals.
• Staff Wellbeing Initiative.
• Access to Employee Assist Programme (EAP).
• Continual support for all staff from the Head Office Team, both on the ground and via phone/email.
• Online safeguarding and prevent training.
• Professional, fun and supportive environment.

Additional Role Specific Support

• Paid attendance of a certified First Aid Course.

Remuneration: The salary for the House Parent role is £815 per week (subject to tax and national insurance), paid weekly in arrears (for the avoidance of doubt this sum includes a holiday allowance at 12.07% of basic pay in the sum of £87.78), plus board and accommodation at the summer site.

Pastoral Duties:

• Oversee the day to day running of a boarding house, holding overall responsibility to build a house community and to support, supervise and account for all students within it.
• Create a welcoming and inclusive residential environment, in which all students can feel comfortable and cared for.
• Working with the wider House Team to oversee the residential daily routine to include wake-up, House Meetings, House Time and Lights out.
• Lead the daily house meeting and additional house briefings, developing communication, confidence and independent social skills within the boarding community.
• Supervise students in Boarding Houses, ensuring appropriate standards of student behaviour and ensuring a proactive approach regarding student wellbeing and ensuring a welcoming and positive atmosphere.
• Foster a strong house identity and ethos of equality, respect, and diversity.
• Ensure the supervision and care of sick students under the guidance of the Welfare Manager.
• Ensure the timely and safe movement of students to and from houses to other areas of the summer school site.
• Proactively interact, supervise and support students during meal and break times.
• Maintain accurate administrative records to include house registers, activity sign-up, risk assessments, first aid & prescribed medication records and accident and incident logs.
• Be on call/overnight duty as per contract for student medical, welfare issues, and emergencies.
• If required, complete First Aid Course and serve as school first aider.
• Lead regular morning briefings & evening debriefs with House Duty staff.
• Induct staff members to the workings of the boarding house.
• Attend daily House Parent meetings with managers.

Programme Duties:

• Acquaint yourself with the House Activity session plans, risk assessments, resources and equipment during the induction period.
• Work with the Activity Manager and wider Activity Team to support the preparation, planning and delivery of House Events.
• Plan, prepare and facilitate in house social activities during arrival days and House Time.
• Alongside the wider staff team, promote the social programme amongst the student body, supporting with sign-up, preparing students for activities and encouraging all students to participate.
• Support students to prepare for excursions including management of pocket money.
• Where required, lead a group of students on off-site excursions, following pre-planned itineraries and ensuring thorough supervision throughout.
• Ensure that the students are safe at all times during activities, events and excursions.
• Take a key role during arrival days to include preparing the house, welcoming, assisting and inducting students arriving at the boarding house.
• Take a key role in supporting student departures to include supporting students to pack, communicating logistics as directed by the Management Team, and ensuring smooth and timely departures.
• If applicable, establish in-house reward systems, house themes and competitions.

Safeguarding Responsibilities:

• Be committed to the safeguarding and welfare of students in your care.
• Complete online safeguarding training and attend on-site safeguarding training during induction week.
• To read and understand SBC’s Safeguarding Policy, Staff Handbook, Operations Policy Handbook and Part 1 of Keeping Children Safe in Education (including annexes A & B).
• To be alert to the signs of abuse and neglect, and report any concerns to the DSO immediately (including low level concerns).
• To know what to do if a student tells a member of staff they are being abused, exploited or neglected.
• To help students understand how to keep themselves safe and manage risk; earning their trust while maintaining professional boundaries.

About You

SBC PERSON SPECIFICATION

All members of staff employed by SBC will be expected to bring certain key qualities to the operation. There must be a professional interest in working with young people and particularly international children. Safety and welfare of the students is of paramount importance at SBC and a practical enforcing of this belief should be a quality exhibited by all staff. We look for staff who are:

• Approachable & empathic to the needs of students.
• Enthusiastic & engaging.
• Diplomatic, responsible & motivated.
• Flexible within the summer school environment.

We expect all SBC staff to be able to communicate effectively with our students, using an appropriate level of language to suit the group. SBC staff must demonstrate patience, empathy and an emotional awareness towards students both individually and in within a group setting. We expect all staff to take control of students and to manage discipline and behavioural issues in a firm, positive and constructive manner.

Essential

• Experience working with children in a professional & residential capacity.
• Experience of, and genuine enjoyment of working with children.
• Strong communication skills, ability to work under pressure, flexibility.
• A strong knowledge of safeguarding legislation and processes in practice.
• The ability to work collaboratively with students and taking a strengths based approach to help students develop their self esteem, confidence and resilience.
• Strong organisational skills.

Desirable

• Experience of residential international summer schools.
• Experience of the UK boarding environment.
• Experience of working within the education sector.

About Us

Founded in 2008, Summer Boarding Courses have united students from around the world through education. Delivering award-winning, future-focused courses that strike the perfect balance between academic and social enrichment. Our courses unlock potential and ignite a spark for long-term success. Our residential summer courses take place at some of the UK’s top boarding schools and university college campuses, including Eton College, Oxford University Colleges and Headington School. We carefully select our campuses to ensure that they provide the perfect environment for our students to live and study. Over 15,800 students from 152 nationalities have been welcomed to study with us to date. Whether it’s preparing for future studies, developing 21st–century skills or building confidence, the knowledge gained on an SBC course allows students to go forward and apply what they have learnt to other areas of their education and beyond; giving them the necessary skills to achieve their future goals. The EL Gazette publishes a league table based on British Council inspections, and SBC have been ranked Number 1 from 2018 to 2023. We are very proud of this achievement and will continue to grow and develop our courses to offer students extraordinary experiences. SBC is the only multi-campus summer school provider in the UK to have achieved a perfect 15/15 areas of strength by the British Council. A true hallmark of educational quality.

TO APPLY

We want to make sure we do all we can to set candidates up for success in this process. If you require any adjustments to help you at interview and/or you have any questions at all, please contact us at: [email protected]

Please note, as this post involves direct contact with vulnerable children, it is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. However, amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975 (2013 and 2020) provide that certain spent convictions and cautions are 'protected'. These are not subject to disclosure to employers and cannot be taken into account.

SHOULD YOU BE SUCCESSFUL

• Any gaps in your CV will be enquired about and must be explained satisfactorily.
• You will have to prove your Right to Work in the UK.
• You will provide the details of two recent and relevant referees who we will contact and specifically ask about your suitability to work with children and any concerns.
• You will be required to undergo a Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS), and equivalent if you live, or have lived, outside of the UK.
• You will be asked to state that you have no known reason why you cannot work with children.
• Official identification and certificates will be required for our records.

Please be aware that SBC may conduct online searches for shortlisted candidates as part of our legal duty to meet out safeguarding duties.

SBC SAFEGUARDING STATEMENT

Summer Boarding Courses is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We have a comprehensive Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy and procedures in place which all employees, volunteers and contractors are expected to adhere to.

SBC EQUALITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSIVITY STATEMENT

We operate a policy of equal opportunities and welcome applications from candidates irrespective of sex, marital status, race, colour, nationality, ethnic origin or disability.