Head of Pastoral

For every journey, let’s take first steps together.

At First Steps Together, we believe every child and young person deserves to feel safe, understood, included and able to succeed.

We are a growing group of specialist independent schools providing nurturing and aspirational education for children and young people with a range of additional needs. Across our schools, our teams work together to create environments where strong relationships, individualised support and high expectations enable our pupils to grow in confidence, develop independence and achieve their potential.

As our Education provision continues to grow, we are looking for an exceptional Head of Pastoral to join our core Education leadership team and shape the future of pastoral practice across First Steps Together.

This is much more than a pastoral leadership role in a single school.

Reporting directly to our Director of Education, you will work across our schools, alongside Executive Headteachers, Headteachers, safeguarding leaders and pastoral teams, providing strategic leadership and operational oversight of safeguarding, attendance, behaviour, inclusion and pupil wellbeing.

What you’ll be doing

You will lead the development of a consistent, ambitious approach to pastoral provision across First Steps Together Education ensuring that excellent practice is not confined to individual schools but embedded throughout the organisation.

You’ll provide strategic oversight and quality assurance of safeguarding, support and develop our DSLs and safeguarding teams, lead audits and reviews, and help colleagues navigate complex safeguarding matters and multi-agency working.

You’ll also lead our group-wide approach to attendance, helping schools improve engagement and reduce persistent absence, while developing consistent approaches to behaviour and inclusion grounded in relational, trauma-informed and therapeutic practice.

And because First Steps Together is growing, you’ll have a genuine opportunity to shape what comes next developing systems, building leadership capacity and helping new schools embed the culture and standards we expect from the outset.

Bring your difference

We’re looking for someone who understands specialist education and, most importantly, understands children.

You’ll already be an experienced leader within education, safeguarding or pastoral provision, with a strong command of KCSIE, safeguarding legislation, attendance and behaviour practice.

You’ll be confident leading across multiple settings, supporting senior leaders and DSLs, analysing data and quality-assuring practice while never losing sight of the individual child behind the systems, reports and numbers.

Experience within specialist or independent education would be particularly valuable, as would advanced safeguarding/DSL training and a relevant leadership qualification.

We’re looking for someone with integrity, resilience and excellent judgement; someone who can challenge when standards need to improve, support colleagues when situations are complex and bring people with them when change is needed.

Above all, you will share our commitment to creating safe, inclusive and inspiring environments for children and young people. That commitment is reflected across First Steps Together Education and its leadership and governance approach.

Why First Steps Together?

This is an opportunity to join First Steps Together at an exciting stage of our development.

You won’t simply inherit a pastoral function. You’ll help shape it.

You’ll work alongside an experienced core Education team and school leaders across a growing organisation, with the scope to influence strategy, develop people and establish consistently excellent pastoral practice across our schools.

If you are an ambitious pastoral or safeguarding leader who believes that every child deserves the right support, the right environment and people around them who refuse to give up on their potential, we’d love to hear from you.

Bring your difference. Take your next step with First Steps Together.

Safeguarding

First Steps Together is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Appointment to this role will be subject to appropriate safer recruitment and pre-employment checks, including an Enhanced DBS, satisfactory references, online checks and overseas police checks where required.