Therapeutic Pastoral Lead

Location: Halifax, West Yorkshire

Salary: Up to £34,000 per annum (Depending on Experience)

Department: Education Services / Therapeutic Services

Closing Date: 24th July 2026

Interview Date: Week Commencing 27th July 2026

Are you a Life Changer?

Do you want to lean in and truly transform the life of a child?

At Compass Community Schools, we put children first through our therapeutic, innovative approach. Integrity, Courage, and Care shape how we work. We listen deeply, challenge each other, and fix what needs fixing—together. This is profound, impactful work. And we want you to shape it.

Who We Are

Our children come from a wide range of backgrounds, but all have Social, Emotional, and Mental Health needs (SEMH). Many also have other Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) such as Autism, ADHD, and communication difficulties.

As a trauma- and attachment-informed organisation, we use a closely triangulated approach. We place the child at the centre of decision-making, ensuring education and therapy professionals, families, local authorities, and students work beautifully together to secure outstanding outcomes.

The Role: What You’ll Do

As a therapeutic school, we believe in a healing approach to supporting and modifying challenging behaviour. As the Therapeutic Pastoral Lead, you will embody, lead, and facilitate this ethos holistically.

Sitting within our school leadership group, you will be co-managed by Regional SENCOs and the Therapeutic Development Manager. You will be a calm, sensitive anchor during moments of student dysregulation, utilizing your deep practical knowledge of de-escalation frameworks.

Your strategic and day-to-day responsibilities will include:

Holistic Development: Leading the pastoral care, SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social, and Cultural), socio-emotional resilience, and personal development of our students.
Therapeutic Interventions: Running meaningful intervention groups and role-modeling therapeutic best practices for the wider education staff.
Assessment & Reporting: Monitoring, assessing, and reporting upon the holistic progress of students.
School Leadership: Contributing to the annual School Improvement Plan (SIP) and School Evaluation Form (SEF), while ensuring strict adherence to the Independent School Standards and Ofsted inspection framework.
Safeguarding: Holding paramount responsibility for safeguarding, ensuring all policies are robustly met.

What We Are Looking For

An experienced practitioner with a proven track record in emotional de-escalation and therapeutic interventions.
A deep understanding of trauma- and attachment-informed frameworks.
The leadership capacity to collaborate effectively within a multi-disciplinary management team.
Excellent communication, sensitivity, and clinical grounding under pressure.

💡 Advanced Training Provided: The successful applicant will receive fully-funded Continued Professional Development (CPD) training in our bespoke Assessing and Healing Childhood Trauma (AHCT) approach.

Benefits & Rewards

We believe in taking care of the people who take care of our children. You will join a passionate team and enjoy an exceptional rewards package:

Generous Time Off: 8 weeks of annual leave to ensure excellent work-life balance.
Clinical & Peer Support: Regular peer group therapeutic/clinical supervision, alongside weekly GRACE (Group and Regional Ambassadors Committed to Equality) reflective meetings.
Professional Development: Abundant free training and therapeutic workshops, plus two national Engagement Conferences per year (with luxury accommodation and dinner, bed & breakfast provided).
Health & Wellbeing: Access to the MediCash plan (cashback for dental, optical, physio, etc.) and private therapeutic wellbeing sessions.
Financial Incentives:
- Monthly REACH Awards and Therapeutic Services vouchers (up to £150).
- Length of service bonuses up to £600, plus up to £500 special recognition awards.

Safeguarding & Inclusivity

Please Note: Compass Community Schools are deeply committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All staff must hold or be willing to obtain an Enhanced DBS check (or Enhanced check for Regulated Activity) and undergo social media due diligence checks.

We are an equal-opportunity employer that thrives on diversity, culture, and unique perspectives.