{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"JobPosting","title":"Lead School Nurse","description":"\n \n

Job title:Lead School Nurse
Job Type:Permanent, Term Time Only + 4 weeks
Salary:£39,461.53-£45,600 pro-rated salary (£44,950.63- £51,942.96 if full pension flex benefit is utilised) FTE £45,000-£52,000
Department:Wellbeing
Reporting to:Director of Pupil Wellbeing
Location:Highgate, North London
Start:2nd November 2026
Closing Date:21 August 2026 at 8:00 am

The role of the Lead School Nurse at Highgate is to support pupils’ health and wellbeing in order for pupils to fully participate in active school life. The Lead Nurse is instrumental in the coordination and implementation of the medical care across the foundation, and has the opportunity to have a significant positive impact on our pupils’ experience of school. They will work as part of a close-knit, supportive team, which sits within a passionate and proactive wider staff community.

The Lead Nurse will work with both staff and the pupils themselves to ensure that the pupils health needs are looked after, be it through the provision of care or dissemination of self-management strategies.

The Medical team is well established and the Lead School Nurse would be coming in to a well-run, confident team.

The Health and Wellbeing department is made up of qualified nurses, pupil wellbeing practitioners, counsellors, the Head of Pupil Health and Wellbeing and a Clinical Mental Health Lead. The medical facilities are well equipped in order to facilitate the immediate care, both medical and pastoral, of pupils and staff at Highgate School. There are three main sites where medical care is available – the Senior School Medical Centre on North Road, the Bishopswood Road Medical Centre and the Junior School Welfare Room which is staffed by a first aider. Two qualified nurses share the responsibility for the day-to-day medical provision across the whole school and may be required to cover either site.

Job Description

Main Responsibilities

Provision of medical care to pupils and staff on a daily basis:

Responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Mills Centre and Senior School Medical Centres and for providing support where required for the Junior School Medical Room:

Acting as Lead Nurse for the Nursing Team:

Coordinating immunisation programmes:

Liaison with appropriate teaching staff with regard to any medical problems concerning pupils:

Providing support to academic staff in pastoral care and liaison with wellbeing team:

Teaching of pupils and/or staff:

Involvement in Health and Safety issues:

Administration:

These duties and responsibilities are intended as a guide only. The Lead School Nurse will be expected to undertake any other reasonable task or responsibility as may be requested by their Line Manager, the Bursar or their designated Deputies.

Ensuring the best possible medical care is available to both pupils and staff on an immediate and an emergency care basis

Treating pupils and staff as appropriate with the aim of encouraging pupils to return to their normal timetable as soon as appropriate

Where necessary, arranging to get the pupil / person home safely or to alternative care, e.g. the individual’s GP or to hospital

Administering medication according to School policy

Performing necessary health checks to assist with diagnosis

Liaison with parents and staff in accordance with the School policies on medical and mental health

The School Nurses are required to attend buildings other than the Medical Centre and it is vital that they can be contacted at all times. The School will provide mobile phones

Ensuring that the Mills Centre and Senior School Medical Centres (and Junior School Medical Room where required) are appropriately staffed, stocked and equipped

Ensuring safe storage, usage and disposal of medical supplies and drugs

Provision of first aid kits around the school and replacement of supplies

Timely maintenance of pupil files, medical records and medical centre attendance records

Organisation of essential emergency medications in the Dining Hall and on sites other than the Medical Centre

Providing inductions and supervision of new nursing staff or agency nurses when needed

Providing oversight of workload for the nursing team (including the first aider in the Junior School), and allocating work across the team on a day-to-day basis

Overseeing the efficient and professional operations of Medical Centres

Forward planning of work hours out of term time where required

Reminding Medical Centre staff to record absence and illness on CIPHR

Liaising with local health authorities and key staff in school for the organisation of immunisation programmes

Arranging and managing communication with parents regarding consent

Development of health care plans where appropriate; giving support to relevant teaching staff in their dealings with pupils in the classroom and in extra-curricular activities

Regular meetings with senior pastoral staff (Principals, Deputy Heads, Assistant Heads, Heads of Year, Heads of House, etc.) to provide advice on effective pastoral care for particular pupils

As part of the nursing team, drafting, updating and sharing of allergy lists for the Senior and Junior Schools, and a full care list for the Pre Prep.

Add appropriate information onto the pupil recording systems (CPOMS) to communicate about pupils medical/wellbeing information to staff as appropriate

Providing general advice and training for staff for initial care of pupils with particular medical needs

The School Nurse works closely with the Designated Safeguarding Leads and the Pastoral Management Teams, across senior school, junior school and pre-prep, but at all times exercises judgment regarding confidentiality in the context of the primacy of prioritising the safeguarding and welfare of children

The School Nurse liaises with the Wellbeing team as appropriate regarding the mental health needs or pupils

When requested and appropriate, coordination and provision of first aid updates for members of staff, particularly Sport and Exercise staff or those regularly involved in residential trips

When requested, contributing to topics within PSHE schemes of work and / or other assemblies

When requested, create and deliver presentations on medical updates to staff during INSET programme

As appropriate, raising awareness of medical and health issues to pupils and staff throughout the School – this may be by distributing appropriate material via pastoral staff, or updating health issues notice boards

Liaising with Pupils’ medical teams to arrange training for School Staff where necessary.

Working with staff to ensure the timely completion of accident reports and following School policy in the submission of RIDDOR reports

Medical representation on the School Health and Safety Committee

Support the School in a consulting capacity in their management of medical issues relating to a medical crisis, such as the Covid-19 Pandemic

Lead the School Allergy Awareness Group – communicate with members of the group across the school for updates twice across the academic year, including parents and pupils, to ensure Allergy Awareness is continually updated

Ensuring medical questionnaires and all relevant parental consent forms to administer or carry medicine etc. on entry to school and at agreed stages of school career are obtained and retained, with support from Admissions Department.

Assisting with the implementation and regular updating of pupil health care plans

Maintaining electronic records of daily visits to Medical Centres or accidents treated and reported, including the nature of problem, treatment or advice. Updating as necessary to ensure accurate and rapid retrieval of information

Gathering information, preparing reports and working with other appropriate staff to prepare for regular policy audits by the Governing Body

Writing new medical policies as necessary, in collaboration with key staff members in school.

Responsible for the archiving of medical records in line with Government regulations and the School’s policies.

Person Specification

\n Criteria\n
\n How will these be tested or verified?\n
Qualifications
\n
Essential
\n
- RSCN, RN–child, or RGN with relevant experience (i.e. A&E, School nursing, Practice nursing)
\n
Desirable
\n
- Paediatric intermediate life support training
- Training in young people’s sexual health
- Training in mental health, such as Mental Health First Aid, or training with young people’s mental health
- Evidence of commitment to professional development
\n
Experience
\n
Essential
\n
- Experience in either school nursing experience; A&E experience; paediatric nursing experience, or experience in adolescent health
- Minimum 3yrs post registration
- Working with children and families
- Working with a range of agencies
\n
Desirable
\n
- To have worked in a school environment
- Dealing with safeguarding concerns
- Experience of infection control
\n
Knowledge and Skills
\n
Essential
\n
- Comprehensive knowledge of first aid procedures and management of medical procedures in a school or similar setting
- Good knowledge of mental health issues and support programmes
- Knowledge of safeguarding procedures and legislation (Keeping Children Safe in Education)
- Knowledge of medical confidentiality
- Awareness of current public health services and legislation
- Ability to work independently without medical back up on site
- Computer literate
- The ability to demonstrate an understanding of school protocols and policies and a full acceptance of the need for compliance
- Excellent written & verbal communication skills
- Ability to work in collaboration with other professionals both in and outside of school
- Ability to work alone, unsupervised and with proven initiative and to be part of a busy and focussed team
- Able to work under pressure
- Able to prioritise tasks successfully and to plan ahead and to anticipate requirements
\n
Personal Attributes
\n
Essential
\n
- Confident and calm when dealing with a range of medical issues
- Medically fit and able to cope with a physically demanding site
- Excellent organisational skills
- Good time management skills
\n

Location | Highgate Village, adjacent to Hampstead Heath, with quaint shops and easy connections across London.

Pension | AVIVA workplace pension scheme offered with a generous 26% employer contribution, with the ability to flex up to 16% of this as additional non-pensionable salary, employees contribute a minimum of 5%.

Personal development | Comprehensive induction support for new staff. Focus on continued professional development for all employees.

Leisure facilities | Free access, at stipulated times, to our sports facilities, including a fitness suite and swimming pool (recently refurbished).

Lunch | A complimentary lunch.

Help with sustainable travel | Access to the Cycle to Work Scheme and a Season Ticket Loan scheme for public transport.

Family-friendly policies | Highgate appreciates that employees sometimes have family commitments so we try to be as supportive as possible, for example with enhanced maternity pay (8 weeks’ full pay, then 10 weeks’ half pay) and paid dependant leave.

Highgate is a caring, open-minded community, where we promote kindness, empathy and friendship. Everyone who works and studies with us deserves to feel they are part of a welcoming environment that enables them to be themselves and to thrive as individuals.

Our community extends beyond the school, through partnerships, charity work and our commitment to equality, inclusion and sustainability. All members of our school community are encouraged to look outwards and play an active role.

Following a visit from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) in September 2024 to assess Highgate’s regulatory compliance and school standards, we are pleased to share the inspection findings, which reports compliance in all five areas and a ‘significant strength’ in our teaching expertise.

Highgate is committed to staff wellbeing, which we promote by encouraging a strong work-life balance; trying our best to support flexible working requests; providing a nutritious complimentary lunch in the dining hall; and offering access to sporting facilities including our recently renovated swimming pool.

The Staff Wellbeing Committee, with representatives across the School, meets regularly to drive forward initiatives, and a selection of staff have been trained as Mental-Health First Aiders.

We encourage an open culture throughout our school, with regular staff surveys, action committees and opportunities to feedback. We strive for continual learning and improvement, and staff training and development is paramount. There are opportunities to participate in the wider life of our school, such as taking part in trips or societies and getting involved in partnership projects.

More details about working at Highgate can be found here:

As an independent school, we want to use our position as a charity effectively: to make high-quality education accessible to as many children as possible – through our bursary programme at Highgate and through our work with local state schools. We have partnerships with over 60 state schools across 7 London boroughs, and we are the principal educational sponsor for London Academy of Excellence, Tottenham – an academically-selective state sixth form in a community where such opportunities are lacking.

Alongside this, our staff and pupils undertake charitable activities throughout the year. These range from staff giving up their time to neighbourhood schools and charitable organisations, focused fundraising campaigns, to pupils undertaking community work in the local area or further afield.

As a school, we have a central role to play in educating our pupils, staff and parents about the importance of environmental sustainability. We are taking positive action to adapt our operational performance to tackle the negative effects of climate change. We encourage all our staff to reflect upon their personal and professional practices, to support our environmental agenda and to make positive changes wherever possible.

Closing Date:21st August 2026
Timing of interviews:w/c 25th August

Contact: Recruitment Team are happy to answer any questions about this post.

Early Application: Applications will be considered ‘as and when’ received and we may close the vacancy if we appoint before the closing date.

We know that more diverse teams are stronger teams, and that the more inclusive we are, the more our staff and pupils will feel a sense of belonging and will thrive. To enable us to make reasonable adjustments, please let us know of any disabilities (including neuro-divergence) when you submit your application.

As this role will have regular unsupervised contact with children you must, if appointed, comply with Highgate’s Safeguarding Policy and Staff Code of Conduct. If in the course of carrying out the duties of the post the post holder becomes aware of any actual or potential risks to the safety and welfare of our pupils, these concerns must be reported immediately in accordance with the Safeguarding Policy. If whilst in the post, Highgate becomes aware of any safeguarding concerns to staff, pupils or the community; these will need to be followed up in line with the safeguarding policy and code of conduct which is underpinned by KCSIE and other legislation. These concerns may need to be shared with other agencies. A copy of these policies will accompany all offers of employment. Training will also be provided to all staff to support Safeguarding practice.

Highgate is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to this post, including checks with past employers, the Disclosure and Barring Service and overseas police check if necessary. Candidates from overseas must provide information about their past conduct, for example, by providing documents issued by overseas teaching authorities. DBS Privacy Policy

Please note that this role is ‘exempt’ from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore, you are required to declare any convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings that are not ‘protected’ (i.e. filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013). Shortlisted candidates will be asked to provide details of all unspent convictions and those that would not be filtered, prior to the date of the interview. DBS Code of Practice

In accordance with the latest guidance from KCSIE, we shall be conducting online searches on any candidates who are shortlisted.

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Main Responsibilities

Provision of medical care to pupils and staff on a daily basis:

Responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Mills Centre and Senior School Medical Centres and for providing support where required for the Junior School Medical Room:

Acting as Lead Nurse for the Nursing Team:

Coordinating immunisation programmes:

Liaison with appropriate teaching staff with regard to any medical problems concerning pupils:

Providing support to academic staff in pastoral care and liaison with wellbeing team:

Teaching of pupils and/or staff:

Involvement in Health and Safety issues:

Administration:

These duties and responsibilities are intended as a guide only. The Lead School Nurse will be expected to undertake any other reasonable task or responsibility as may be requested by their Line Manager, the Bursar or their designated Deputies.

Essential

Desirable

Essential

Desirable

Essential

Essential

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