Start date: 23rd April 2025, there may be flexibility on start date for the right candidate.
37 hours per week, Term time plus 3 weeks in the school holidays.
Salary: Full Time Equivalent £40,000 - £46,000 per annum, actual salary £33,400-£38,400 per annum
About Bedford Girls’ School
Bedford Girls’ School is an independent, all-girls school committed to the highest standards of academic excellence and student well-being. We foster a nurturing, empowering environment for our students to thrive both academically and personally. The school values a strong culture of safeguarding, ensuring that the safety and mental health of every student is at the forefront of all that we do.
About the Role:
As Director of Safeguarding, you will be responsible for maintaining and enhancing the school’s safeguarding culture, ensuring that policies, practices, and training are in place to meet the highest standards of child protection. You will lead safeguarding initiatives across the school, ensuring that the voices of children are central to safeguarding actions and decisions, and that all staff and volunteers are well-equipped to respond effectively to safeguarding concerns.
You will have oversight of both safeguarding and mental health strategies, ensuring that the school’s approach is comprehensive and aligned with the best practices in the sector. You will also work closely with pastoral teams, external agencies, and the senior leadership team to provide excellent support to vulnerable students and ensure that safeguarding and mental health concerns are proactively addressed.
Key Responsibilities:
Safeguarding Culture and Procedures:
* Maintain an excellent safeguarding culture throughout the school, including providing regular safeguarding training and guidance for staff, students, and parents.
* Ensure the school’s safeguarding policy is reviewed annually, reflecting best practice and compliance with relevant legislation.
Mental Health and Wellbeing:
* Lead strategies to promote positive mental health and wellbeing, including reviewing and implementing the school’s policies on student mental health.
Student Support:
* Oversee the management of vulnerable students, working closely with the pastoral team to provide tailored support for those with complex needs.
* Engage with parents to provide guidance on safeguarding and mental health concerns, ensuring that the school’s information for parents is up to date and accessible.
School Leadership:
* Report termly to the school’s governors and annually to the Harpur Trust on safeguarding data and developments.
* Collaborate with the senior leadership team to implement wider school strategies, including attendance policies and procedures.
Why Join Us?
Be part of an outstanding forward-looking school who have an ambitious vision to develop the next generation of creative thinkers, change-makers and problem-solvers. Become a member of a friendly inclusive community which values its employees, offering opportunities for professional development and growth. We offer a wide range of benefits including, excellent pension scheme, life insurance, hospital surgical treatment insurance, and a cash plan scheme that includes a variety of wellbeing benefits.
Closing date: 13th February 2025
Interview Date: 25th February 2025
Applicants are encouraged to apply early as immediate interviews are available for exceptional candidates. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early should we receive sufficient applications.
Our Application Portal can be accessed via our website:
Any internal candidates must apply through Employee Self Service.
At Bedford Girls’ School, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive working environment. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. We believe that a diverse team enriches our school community and helps us better meet the needs of our students.
The School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Applicants will be required to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). The School may carry out online searches on shortlisted applicants.
The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The School is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions on a self-declaration form in advance of attending an interview (including those which are "spent" unless they are "protected" under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children.