JOB DESCRIPTION Job Title: Housemistress (Scott) Department: Residential Responsible To: Director of Boarding Responsible For: Assistant Housemistress Graduate Assistant Summary of Role The role represents a fantastic opportunity to lead a team of dedicated professionals in nurturing our Year 10 and 11 Flexi and Weekly Boarders, delivering outstanding pastoral care, and ensuring a first-class boarding experience for our students. Following a re-structure for our Yr 10 and 11 Boarders this is a unique opportunity to create a vibrant and happy house dedicated to our boarders who stay with us during the week. In the adjacent house (Triffitt) our Yr 10 and 11 full boarders live under the care of their own boarding team. Whilst each team is responsible for their own house, the two houses work hand in hand during the week, often sharing staff, activities and registrations between them in order to create the best experience for the girls. The Housemistress leads in providing for the safety, progress and happiness of the students in her care, supported by an Assistant Housemistress who reports directly to her. The house is also assisted by a Graduate Assistant 3 evenings a week. This role is suited to a member of teaching or non-teaching staff (on reduced teaching hours). Non-teaching staff will be allocated additional duties during the day in line with experience, knowledge and the wider needs of the school and boarding community. Whilst Scott House itself is shut Friday evening to Sunday evening the Housemistress will still work weekends in line with all other houses. Their weekend duties will fall mainly within Triffitt House supporting their weekend programme of activities and study for the girls but will also likely include some time in other houses at various points as well. Scott House welcomes back a small number of weekly boarders on a Sunday night ready for the week ahead. Development of house Under the supervision of the Director of Boarding the Housemistress is responsible for the management of the boarding house and is an important part of the overall ethos and community. To this end, responsibilities include: • To be concerned for each girl’s development – academic, social, spiritual and personal welfare and take responsibility for the happiness, well‐being, health, safety and pastoral care of the girls. • To create an orderly house, by ensuring behaviour matches expectations and when it does not, implementing fair consequences. • To create a ‘home from home’ environment in the boarding house with an atmosphere that fosters kindness, inclusion, enthusiasm for learning and participation in school life • To build and maintain positive and respective relationships with pupils, in order to provide them with the best possible care and support. • To build and maintain strong relationships with parents and guardians. • To be the public ‘face’ of the boarding experience; working closely with External Relations team to promote the school to prospective families including undertaking tours, managing sleepover events, and attending school fairs. • To lead with the preparation of the House before the start of term and to assist with the clear‐up at the end of term. This will include attendance at the Residential and full Staff Conferences. • To be on hand to welcome families at the start of the academic year, welcome girls back from the holidays and oversee boarders’ departures at the end of each half term. • To manage the allocation of bedrooms to boarders, including the arrangements for flexi-boarding before the start of each term. • To promote and support retention and recruitment to the Sixth Form including helping to organise elements of the Year 10 and 11 retention programmes. • To write reports for the girls in Scott House in line with the school’s reporting schedule. • To manage the Assistant Housemistress and Residential Graduate working in your House, to include probation and appraisal. • To manage the staffing routines for your House, including arrangements for handovers and weekends. • To build and maintain a strong and cohesive staff team. Day-to-day responsibilities include: • To be on wake-up and breakfast duty on a weekday rota within the boarding team. • To support registration in the morning and afternoon. • Liaising with the Health Centre regarding any girls requiring treatment, including escorting students to medical/dental appointments as needed. • Administering medication as required and recording details in the medication log. • To be an active presence in the House before and after school, and at weekends. • Liaising with Domestic Services, Maintenance, Catering and Transport departments regarding requirements for the House and its students. • To support the External Relations team in selecting student tour guides for recruitment events. • Ordering the weekly grocery shopping • Ensuring good order, tidiness and maintenance of service rooms, bedroom/common room areas. • Ensuring effective and timely communication with Parents and Guardians via email/telephone. • To supervise students during the day and evening, including during silent study on weekday evenings. • Ensuring that lost property around the House is dealt with in an efficient manner. • Ensuring security of the year area including nightly ‘lock-up’. • To ensure the safety of girls and staff by maintaining accurate records, dealing appropriately with risks, and reporting any problems. • Maintaining individual student files including, as appropriate, individual care plans. • To monitor rewards and sanctions data and to intervene in line with policy • Ensuring exeat information is completed and authorised each week, that safe travel arrangements are in place, and taking follow-up action as appropriate. • Ensuring that the ‘handover’ logbook, discipline, medication, sanctions and other centralised records are kept up to date. • Maintaining records of all communications/contacts with parents and guardians. • Carrying out other reasonable requests, in line with the broad responsibilities of the role, for both boarding and the wider school. Please note this list is not exhaustive, but indicative of a typical day as a Housemistress. These responsibilities will be shared with the Assistant Housemistress, who deputises for the Housemistress when on sole duty. Residential Team Management • Fostering, by example and encouragement, religious observances including Mass and ‘Night Prayers’. • Supervising meals and undertaking other weekend /evening duties as organised by the Director of Boarding. • Organising Socials with other schools • To ensure your house is compliant with the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools, School policies and procedures, House aims and objectives and reporting any issues as they arise in a timely manner. • To undertake ongoing professional development by attending INSET sessions in or out of School. • To keep abreast of developments in boarding and to liaise with the Head of Boarding to advise on any strategic opportunities for improvement to the boarding experience. The Housemistress will also attend fortnightly meetings with the Director of Boarding as well as a weekly Residential Team meeting. The Housemistress will also be expected to attend half-termly whole school Staff Meetings and Staff Conferences at the beginning of each term. On Duty Hours • The full time on-duty hours for the Housemistress typically includes 3 nights on duty as well as the usual wake up rotations, agreed on a rota by the Director of Boarding. • Every other weekend as agreed with the Director of Boarding Off Duty Hours • The off-duty hours for the Housemistress typically includes at least one 24-hour period each week, agreed on a rota by the Director of Boarding. • One additional evening a week as agreed with the Director of Boarding • Every other weekend as agreed with the Director of Boarding Residential Requirements This is a residential post. Private accommodation attached to the boarding house, is provided. Accommodation is free although a small tax liability may be incurred. All meals can be taken in the school dining room during term time. Please note that the accommodation provided is within a non-smoking area of the school. Pets may be accommodated in the property in discussion with the Director of Finance and Operations. During term time, house staff are expected to reside on site when on duty and will be required to do overnight call; you should be available to the girls for unexpected illness or other such situations which may arise. You will be on a rota for fire officer duty in case evacuation of the building is required due to the fire alarm sounding. All House Staff are expected to be in residence before the start of term to attend staff meetings and to prepare Year areas before return of Boarders. They are also expected to manage clearing and lock‐down of year areas after departure of Boarders at the end of term and to remain on-call until the last boarders’ flight has departed. • • • • • • • Start Date: January 2026 Salary: Competitive Accommodation: This role comes with a 2-bedroom property located within the boarding house. Pension: The Housemistress will be auto enrolled into the appropriate pension scheme, which includes life assurance. Lunch: A free lunch is available in the dining room each working day when the kitchens are open, and other meals when on boarding duty. Parking: There is free parking on site. Gym and Pool: There are staff sessions for use of these facilities. • School fees: Subject to Governors’ discretion, remission for dependants of the job holder attending the school may be available. If not already at the school, any child would have to meet the normal entrance requirements. PERSON SPECIFICATION Essential Desirable • BSA advanced certificate. • Experience of working with Yr 10 and 11 students. • A clean driving licence. • Experience of using Reach and iSAMS. Operational Excellence • A candidate with experience of working with young people, with or without teaching experience. • A person who is fair and consistent when managing girls’ behaviour. • A person who enjoys the company of young people and is passionate about student well-being, ensuring that every pupil has the support and guidance they need to reach their full potential. • Excellent organisational, administrative and ICT skills. • Experience as a Housemistress, Assistant Housemistress, or other relevant boarding/pastoral role. • Knowledge of National Minimum Standards for boarding Personal Behaviours • A person who does not seek to be overly judgemental but is kind and broad-minded. • An effective communicator with good interpersonal skills. • A flexible and positive attitude is essential. • Ability to work both in a team and independently. • A sympathetic person, who is patient, even- tempered and calm when under pressure. • An energetic person with considerable stamina and resilience who is able to cope with the long hours of work that this post demands. Ethos and Whole School Values • Able to operate at the heart of the school community • Committed to the Sacred Heart Values • Commitment to Woldingham as a school with high academic standing providing a holistic education and outstanding pastoral care Safeguarding and Pastoral • Committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. • A satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure from the DBS.