Wellbeing Practitioner

• Job title:Wellbeing Practitioner
• Job Type:Part Time, 3 days per week, 8am-4:30pm (with an unpaid 30 minutes for lunch), Term Time only
• Salary:£14,400 - £16,320 (FTE £30,000 + £34,000), £16,402 - £18,588 if full pension flex benefit is utilised
• Department:Pupil Health and Wellbeing
• Reporting to:Head of Pupil Health and Wellbeing
• Location:Senior School, Highgate
• Start:25th August 2026
• Closing Date:29 June 2026 at 5:00 pm

We are seeking a compassionate, skilled Pupil Wellbeing Practitioner to join the dedicated wellbeing team in our co-educational Senior School.

The Pupil Wellbeing Practitioner will provide one‑to‑one wellbeing support to students in our Senior School (Years 7–13), and occasionally the Junior School, helping them navigate challenges and develop positive coping strategies. They will be required to keep confidential, accurate records and work closely with a multidisciplinary team, including the Head of Pupil Health and Wellbeing, Clinical Mental Health Lead, School Counsellors, School Nurses, and pastoral staff.

As a key member of our pastoral provision, you will play an important part in fostering a safe, nurturing environment where every young person receives the highest standards of care. The Pupil Wellbeing Practitioner plays an important role in supporting pupils with their difficulties and in communicating and liaising with relevant school staff in the best interest of the pupil.

The Health and Wellbeing department comprises qualified nurses, pupil wellbeing practitioners, an art therapist, counsellors, the Head of Pupil Health and Wellbeing and a Clinical Mental Health Lead. The department has its own centre in the school, slightly separated from the classrooms, to allow a private and calm atmosphere for pupils. The Health and Wellbeing team work closely together, supporting pupils on an individual basis and also working with pastoral staff to promote our medical and wellbeing messages to the wider school community. Each therapist and wellbeing practitioner has their own office. There is some requirement to work in the Junior School and Pre-Prep on a case-by-case basis. These sites are a ten-minute walk away, on Bishopswood Road.

Job Description

Main Responsibilities:

• To assess pupils and deliver outcome-driven interventions to children and young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health difficulties, predominantly in the Senior School but occasionally in the Junior School.
• To promote a supportive, safe, and inclusive environment that nurtures and allows pupil concerns to be explored.
• To operate a drop-in service before and after school, and during break and lunchtime, in collaboration with members of the team.
• To think and work creatively to raise the profile of mental health support in our school and engage young people to optimise their capacity to learn and thrive.
• To work closely with Head of Pupil Health and Wellbeing to promote positive wellbeing and mental health in the School.
• To maintain confidentiality (except in those circumstances in line with the School’s safeguarding practice and policies).
• To maintain appropriate records including monitoring attendance to sessions and keep these secure, in line with the School’s data protection obligations
• To maintain appropriate links with the pastoral team, safeguarding team, Clinical Mental Health Lead and Head of Pupil Health and Wellbeing to discuss matters related to wellbeing provision
• To liaise with other members of staff responsible for the health and wellbeing and pastoral care of pupils as required
• To work closely with parents and families to help support pupil emotional wellbeing and identify with them, any barriers to this.
• To be alert to trends and patterns of behaviour among young people at School and communicate them to relevant staff. To identify ways in which the School community could respond to address such issues or problems
• To support the School’s initiatives to promote the wellbeing, health, pastoral care and personal development of pupils.
• To meet regularly with the Wellbeing, Medical and Safeguarding teams to review current cases, reflect on practice and contribute to whole school wellbeing practices.
• Through case management and regular, scheduled supervision with the Clinical Mental Health Lead, to escalate cases where the level of need becomes beyond scope or more severe, supporting the young person and family to access more appropriate services to meet need.
• To provide a range of information and support for evidence-based psychological interventions, via workshops, assemblies and presentations.
• To plan and deliver group sessions on agreed topics relating to the promotiong of wellbeing and positive mental health
• To ensure comprehensive familiarity and understanding of relevant safeguarding legislation, guidance and best practice in relation to children and young people’s mental health.
• To work closely with members of the safeguarding team to support the work of the DSLs in ensuring that all children are kept safe and protected. This occasionally includes working and liaising with external agencies, including but not limited to Social Services and CAMHS.
• To build up knowledge and understanding of local resources and community and statutory services, including Mental Health Teams, CAMHS and voluntary services, and communicate effectively with them in the best interests of the child and family. To signpost as required.
• To operate from an inclusive values base, which recognises and respects diversity and promotes a sense of belonging for all.
• To work closely with our Inclusion department where pupils under our care may possess special educational needs or diagnoses and to tailor the work in view of these.
• To work in a way that is sensitive and acknowledging of different backgrounds and cultural considerations which might affect our pupils and the way we support them.

The Pupil Wellbeing Practitioner may also be required by the Head of Pupil Health and Wellbeing to undertake any other appropriate duties, which may be needed from time to time.  These duties and responsibilities are intended as a guide and they are not exhaustive. 

Person Specification

• Criteria
• How will these be tested or verified?
• Qualifications

• Essential:

  • Appropriate training/ Postgraduate Certificate/ Diploma in Child and Young Persons Psychological Wellbeing Practice from an accredited provider.
  • Psychology or other health /social care/youth related undergraduate degree .

  Desirable:

  • Training in nursing, social work, occupational therapy, counselling or within a specific psychological therapy.
• Experience / Knowledge

• Essential:

  • Experience of working with children and young people as a Child Wellbeing Practitioner/Mentor or Mental Health Practitioner in health or education settings.
  • Experience delivering short-medium term interventions to young people.
  • Capacity to deal sensitively with difficulties raised by pupils, in line with Highgate policies, working in partnership with Highgate’s designated staff in charge of safeguarding and pastoral care.
  • Demonstrable experience of working inclusively with the intersections of an individual’s identity such as gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and race.
  • Working knowledge of Safeguarding and Child Protection issues and good practice, particularly relating to safeguarding obligations for schools (KCSIE).

  Desirable:

  • Experience working in a school setting.
  • Experience working with neurodiversity.
  • Experience in providing CBT based interventions for children and young people experiencing, mild to moderate anxiety, low mood and behavioural difficulties.
• Personal Attributes

• Essential:

  • Confident, calm and emotionally resilient when dealing with a range of stressful situations involving pupils, parents and staff.
  • An open, inclusive, and curious approach to pupils and their presenting needs.
  • Ability to work creatively and use a range of creative tools in engaging young people to explore their emotions.
  • Ability to work independently and manage caseload.
  • Friendly, sympathetic, sensitivity, discreet and supportive personality.
  • Ability to communicate verbally and in writing in a way that is succinct and accurate

  Desirable:

  • Willing to make a full contribution to the life of a busy co-educational independent day school.
  • An exemplary attendance record in his/her present and previous employment.

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:29th June 2026
• 1st Interview:2nd July 2026

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 KCSE 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 Policies

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.