Deputy Head (Pastoral)

Location: Hillingdon

School Type: Independent Secondary School (Co-educational)

A prestigious, forward-thinking independent secondary school situated in the London Borough of Hillingdon is seeking an empathetic, visionary, and accomplished senior leader to join their executive team as Deputy Head (Pastoral). This is a paramount leadership opportunity for an outstanding educator with a deep commitment to student wellbeing, positive mental health, and holistic personal development.

About the Role

As the Deputy Head (Pastoral), you will serve as the strategic lead for student welfare, safeguarding, and personal development across the entire secondary school. Working in close collaboration with the Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team (SLT), you will shape a nurturing, inclusive, and high-trust pastoral landscape where every student feels valued, resilient, and empowered to achieve their potential.

• Start Date: Immediate or upcoming term

• Environment: A premier independent school known for its idyllic grounds, traditional values paired with modern innovation, and commitment to the whole child

• Culture: A warm, values-driven, and highly collaborative workplace supported by a dedicated pastoral team, housemasters/housemistresses, and clinical specialists

Key Responsibilities

• Pastoral Strategy & Leadership: Define and execute the strategic vision for pastoral care, mental health provision, and pupil wellbeing across all year groups.

• Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL): Act as the lead DSL (or oversee the DSL team), ensuring rigorous compliance with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), child protection policies, and multi-agency working.

• Behaviour & Character Education: Cultivate an ethos of mutual respect, good citizenship, and positive conduct, overseeing modern restorative behaviour frameworks.

• Team Management & Development: Line-manage and mentor Pastoral Heads of Year, House Leaders, Counselors, and Medical staff, driving continuous professional development in pastoral practices.

• Parental & Community Engagement: Build strong, trust-based partnerships with parents and carers, providing transparent communication and supportive interventions during complex pastoral matters.

• Boarding & Co-Curricular Wellbeing: Oversee pastoral oversight within co-curricular and (where applicable) residential/boarding structures to maintain a 24/7 culture of care.

Requirements

• Senior leadership experience (e.g., Assistant Head, Head of Pastoral, Senior DSL) within an independent or high-performing secondary setting.

• Deep knowledge of statutory safeguarding guidelines, child protection procedures, and current mental health frameworks in education.

• Proven track record of designing, implementing, and evaluating impactful pastoral and wellbeing initiatives.

• Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, with the emotional intelligence to navigate sensitive situations with tact, warmth, and firm authority.

• Strong strategic thinking, operational management, and administrative capability.

• Degree-level qualification alongside QTS or equivalent teaching status.

Salary & Benefits

• Pay Scale: Highly competitive senior leadership salary (L-Scale equivalent), commensurate with experience and independent school leadership benchmarks.

• Generous fee remission for dependents, enhanced pension scheme, private healthcare coverage, and dedicated executive leadership CPD.

How to Apply

If you are an ambitious, compassionate, and inspiring senior leader looking to shape the pastoral vision of a leading Hillingdon independent school, we would love to receive your application. Please submit your CV and a tailored supporting statement detailing your pastoral philosophy and leadership impact.