School CounsellorApplication Pack

Station Road, Billingshurst, West Sussex RH14 9RY T: 01403 787200 e: office@theweald.org.uk www.theweald.org.uk

Headteacher: Sarah Edwards

May 2021 Dear Applicant Re: School Counsellor vacancy Thank you for your interest in the position of School Counsellor at our school. School Counsellors play a critical role in supporting students of all abilities with various issues. We are currently looking for someone to work part time (2 days a week) term time only, on a one year contract in the first instance. Further information about this post, including a job description and person specification, can be accessed via the school website www.theweald.org.uk / Join Us / Working Here / Vacancies. To apply for this post, please download and complete an application form from and return it to jobs@theweald.org.uk Please also send a covering letter outlining the experiences you have had to date that have prepared you for this post and describing the skills and strengths which you would bring to the school. The letter should be addressed to Mrs Sarah Edwards, Headteacher. The closing date for applications is 10am on Tuesday 8 June 2021 and interviews will be held shortly afterwards. Yours sincerely

Richard Brimacombe Assistant Headteacher With responsibility for the Pastoral Team

Station Road, Billingshurst, West Sussex RH14 9RY

T: 01403 787200 e: office@theweald.org.uk www.theweald.org.uk Headteacher: Sarah Edwards

JOB DESCRIPTION School Counsellor

Appointment grade: Grade 10 Hours of work: Term-time only, 2 days a week 1 year contract in the first instance Reporting to: Assistant Headteacher (Pastoral) Responsible for: Working actively with students, staff and external agencies to

promote the emotional and psychological well-being of students in the school. Line managing the volunteer counsellors.

Purpose To provide care for students by: • Working closely with the Assistant Headteacher, senior leaders, SENDCo, pastoral

leaders and colleagues in leading the spiritual, moral, physical and emotional well-being of all students. This is achieved through one to one counselling sessions, group-work, and to the appropriately qualified counsellor, supervision of a small team of volunteers

• Being a professional role model in dealing with students, staff, parents and other stakeholders

Pastoral Provision • Promote and maintain the development of an independent and confidential

counselling service to students at The Weald School, through individual sessions and group-work, responding to their personal, social, emotional and educations concern

• Promote a caring and supportive environment where such concerns may be explored, thereby promoting the mental and emotional health at the Weald

• Maintain an appropriate level of confidentiality (except in those circumstances, in line with BACP practice, where this should be breached)

• Uphold good practice as described by the BACP ethical guidelines • Liaise regularly with Pastoral Staff and other staff as relevant • Take responsibility for their own Professional Development maintenance and updating

knowledge and awareness through Continuing Professional Development • Make referrals where appropriate and, with students’ consent, to other agencies

Station Road, Billingshurst, West Sussex RH14 9RY

T: 01403 787200 e: office@theweald.org.uk www.theweald.org.uk Headteacher: Sarah Edwards

• Maintain appropriate records and to keep these secure • Liaise with school staff and other professionals as appropriate to ensure the effective

operation of the service • Play an active role in safeguarding students and adhere to the schools safeguarding

guidance • Ensure that as a counsellor they are properly and regularly supervised, as required

by the BACP • Work with a diverse range of issues in one to one sessions • Support a small team of volunteers General • To take on any extra responsibilities which might from time to time be determined • To uphold the school’s policies relating to safeguarding and child protection,

behaviour, Health & Safety and all other relevant policies • To promote and safeguard the welfare of all students for whom they are responsible

for and come into contact with • To ensure full compliance with all statutory regulations, in particular Keeping Children

Safe in Education, communicating concerns to the Designated Safeguarding Lead and other relevant staff

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject

to pre-employment checks including an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Station Road, Billingshurst, West Sussex RH14 9RY

T: 01403 787200 e: office@theweald.org.uk www.theweald.org.uk Headteacher: Sarah Edwards

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Key Skills ● Excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills with particular

reference to young people ● Significant experience of working with adolescents ● Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team ● Ability to work independently, manage own case-load and use initiative ● Knowledge of local mental health and CAMHS services ● Previous experience of working in a school educational environment ● Supervision qualification ● Experience of offering group supervision ● An empathy with the aims and ethos of The Weald School ● Ability to work under pressure with a range of conflicting priorities ● Good analytical, literacy and numeracy skills ● Ability to organise and prioritise work effectively, to plan action to meet deadlines

and to complete tasks independently ● Ability to provide effective leadership in a structured, positive and proactive

manner ● The capacity to learn new skills, take on the initiative and generate ideas ● Ability to instigate, review and manage change

Education and Qualifications

● Post-graduate Diploma or Masters level in Counselling or Psychotherapy ● BACP accreditation ● Further therapeutic training or qualification in the working with adolescents ● A degree of post qualification experience

Personal Attributes

• Reliability, honesty and a commitment to maintaining confidentiality • The ability to establish good working relationships with a wide range of students,

staff, parents and governors • An understanding and sympathy for the needs of students across different abilities,

age ranges and social backgrounds • The ability to handle sensitive matters with discretion and in confidence • Ability to take personal responsibility for organising and meeting targets • Self-motivated with the ability to enthuse and motivate others • Personal and confident manner • A professional approach to your own personal and career development • A commitment to continuous development and improvement, team working and

the highest possible professional standards

About The Weald School “This is an outstanding school” (Ofsted 2013) The Weald School is an 11-18 mixed comprehensive

with around 1,800 students. This includes a thriving

Sixth Form of about 350 students. Our students are

at the heart of all that we do. The Weald is a warm,

friendly and vibrant school at the centre of the

community with a wonderful family feel, where

each student is known and cared for. Pupils are well

behaved, have a very positive attitude and enjoy

coming to school. There are excellent relationships

between staff and students. We believe that all our

students have the potential for excellence. We work

towards this by having high expectations of students

and staff, by continually raising aspirations and by

promoting our students’ self-belief alongside strong

moral values.

The school has done well in recent years and has achieved record results. In our October

2013 Ofsted inspection, we were delighted that the school was judged to be “Outstanding”

in all categories.

In 2020, student performance at GCSE was again strong, with 75% of students achieving both

English and maths GCSEs at a 4 or above. Students’ performance on the Progress 8 scale,

which measures progress from KS2 to KS4, has been very positive in recent years with a

rolling three year average of +0.4 grades. This means that students made on average +0.4 of

a grade more progress in each GCSE than students in the rest of the UK. This puts us in the

top 20% of schools nationally for progress. In 2020, Weald students also achieved another

excellent set of A Level results: 75% of grades were at A*-C and 48% at A*-B. 26% of students

achieved grades at A* and A. Results across the ability range were again very good. 100% of

our students who applied to University gained places.

Our long term results place The Weald as one of the highest performing non-selective Sixth

Forms in West Sussex and the South of England.

Central to our belief is the support of students of all abilities. We are keen that every

student makes the progress they are capable of, irrespective of ability. We are keen to use

the themes of creativity, innovation, student leadership and teamwork to develop students

both personally and academically.

Our curriculum is broad and

balanced and offers many

exciting opportunities for all

students, both in school and out.

Students study Key Stage 4 over

three years. This presents real

opportunities for creativity and

varied approaches to learning

through both GCSE and BTEC

vocational qualifications. There

are tremendous extra-curricular

opportunities at The Weald

through sport, performing arts, Radio Weald, Weald TV, on-going links with our partner

schools in Europe, Africa and China, the Duke of Edinburgh award, as well as a number of

other trips. In short, we believe there is something for everyone at the school.

We believe achievement is not just about qualifications. Personal development is key to

what we do. Ofsted noted, “The wide range of enrichment and extra-curricular

opportunities available to support students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural

development is impressive”. We have a very active School Council and a strong student voice

within the school. We also have a close and effective partnership with our parents and

carers. We listen to their views and use them to inform the work of the school. Attendance

at school events is high, and an effective governing body has a full representation of parents.

I genuinely feel it is an honour and privilege for me to be able to lead and develop further

the education of the children at The Weald. Our students are a joy to work with. Ofsted

described them as, “Polite, courteous and respectful” and that they, “Thrive in the school’s

culture of high expectations and mutual respect”. The school is a fantastic place both to

study as a student, and to work as a member of staff.

About the School The Weald School serves the local community from a pleasant 25-acre site on the edge of Billingshurst. Our size offers us many advantages. We have excellent facilities, allowing us to offer a wide and varied range of academic and vocational courses at all levels. The Weald campus has been steadily improved in recent years.

The Learning Resource Centre and Music block were built in the late 1990s, followed by the

floodlit all-weather astro-turf pitch. An £11m expansion programme completed in 2017

funded a new teaching block for maths and art and a 400 seat dining facility. Additional

improvements include new science laboratories, media room and TV studio, changing rooms,

drama suite, music block and a pastoral provision area. There is also a swimming pool and

fitness centre (adjoining the school site and run by DC Leisure / Horsham District Council),

and two multi-use games areas.

The Weald School offers all students:

• A well-planned, broad and balanced curriculum

• A record of excellent examination results

• Well qualified specialist staff combining innovative and traditional methods in the

classroom

• A secure, supportive, encouraging and happy environment

• A wide range of extra-curricular and residential activities.

Our "Wildly Important Goals"

1. An innovative, challenging and personalised curriculum leading to exceptional

progress for all

2. Inspiring, creative and dynamic teaching and learning experiences

3. A culture of positive engagement, mutual respect, collaboration, compassion and

independence

4. A wider experience that builds self-esteem, resilience and personal growth

Our "Wildly Important Beliefs"

1. Every individual matters and is unique

2. With the right attitude and mind set we can achieve more

3. Focused hard work and persistent attention to detail leads to success

4. We are all accountable for the responsibilities we hold

What our students think about the school:

• “Lessons are fun and the school has a good atmosphere” – Year 7 pupil

• “The teachers have a good attitude to learning and we are encouraged and can hold

our own opinions” – Year 10 pupil

• “We are able to talk to our teachers about issues and they make a real difference

in our lives” – Year 9 pupil

• "I love the opportunities we get to work with younger students - it's great fun and

really rewarding to support them with different aspects of their work." - Year 12

pupil

• "There is fantastic support with researching progression options for when we move

on from the Sixth Form. The Sixth Form staff are always there to help with the

UCAS process." - Year 13 pupil

Sarah Edwards

Headteacher

January 2021