Designated Safeguarding Lead
Bristol Metropolitan Academy, Bristol, Bristol, BS16 2HD19 days remaining to apply
Job start date
3 September 2026
Closing date
31 May 2026 at 11:59pm
Date listed
12 May 2026
Job details
Job role
- Other leadership roles
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- £33,951 - £36,222
Designated Safeguarding Lead job summary
Job Title: Designated Safeguarding Lead
Actual Annual Salary: £33,951 - £36,222 (based on hours and weeks worked)
Full Time Equivalent Salary: £39,649 - £42,301 (CLF Grade F). Based on 37 hours per week, all year round
Contract Type: Permanent
Hours: Full Time, 37 hours per week, Term Time Only Plus INSETS
Provisional Start Date: September 2026 (Subject to completion of pre employment checks)
Make a meaningful difference by leading safeguarding and championing the wellbeing and protection of every child
The Designated Safeguarding Lead will act as the main point of contact within the academy for all safeguarding and child protection matters, taking operational responsibility in line with statutory requirements. The role is pivotal in embedding a strong safeguarding culture, ensuring that policies, procedures and training are robust, compliant and consistently applied across the academy.
Bristol MET is a diverse Academy that celebrates students’ individuality and culture. Within this role, you will be working closely with staff, students and the wider community to ensure every learner feels safe, supported and able to thrive.
This role will lead on safeguarding strategy and practice: ensuring compliance with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) and local authority requirements, managing referrals and multi-agency work, and maintaining accurate records of all safeguarding concerns. The postholder will support vulnerable students and families, coordinate interventions, and work closely with internal teams and external agencies to secure positive outcomes and prevent harm.
The Designated Safeguarding Lead will also play a key role in building a culture of vigilance and support; delivering training, advising staff, monitoring safeguarding trends, and ensuring that the voice of the child is central to all decision making.
About you:
You will:
- Have in-depth knowledge of safeguarding legislation, statutory guidance and current national and local priorities, including KCSIE and child protection procedures.
- Be trained to an advanced level in safeguarding and child protection, with significant experience of working with children and young people.
- Have demonstrable experience of multi-agency working, building effective relationships with external partners such as social care, local authorities and safeguarding boards.
- Be confident in providing professional advice, guidance and training to staff, acting as a key source of expertise within the academy.
- Have excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to manage sensitive and complex information with professionalism and discretion.
- Be highly organised, able to prioritise a demanding workload, manage safeguarding cases effectively, and maintain accurate and detailed records.
- Demonstrate strong analytical and decision-making skills, with the ability to assess risk, resolve issues and coordinate appropriate safeguarding responses.
- Be committed to working collaboratively with students, families, staff and the wider community to promote safeguarding and improve outcomes for all children.
- Show resilience, professionalism and a clear commitment to safeguarding, inclusion and improving the life chances of all students.
Applicants are advised to refer to the full requirements of the role in the attached job description and person specification, prior to submitting an application.
About Bristol Metropolitan Academy:
Bristol Metropolitan Academy (Bristol Met) is an over-subscribed secondary school based in Fishponds, Bristol. It is characterised by energy, enthusiasm and a strong sense of community. The years at school are few and precious, and it is important that students at Bristol Met have a strong sense of belonging and a belief in their right and their ability to achieve highly.
Our students are excited to learn and are real ambassadors for our diverse community. 60% of our students come from global majority groups. We have more than 40 identified primary languages in our student and staff community with over 35% of our students coming from having English as an additional language backgrounds. A higher-than-average number of our students are supported with overcoming barriers due to a special educational need.
We believe we enable all students to achieve their very best through our approach to inclusion coupled with our Metropolitan Way; High Standards, High Aspirations and High Expectations working in harmony with our PROUD values of being ResPectful, Resilient, CompassiOnate, AmbitioUs and UnifieD.
Why work at CLF?
We are a diverse and inclusive community of 36 academies across five cluster regions in the South West that is committed to excellence and making a positive impact. Our people bring unique perspectives, but we’re all driven by a shared moral purpose and a passion for making a positive impact, whether in a teaching, leadership or support role. We’re proud to foster a culture where everyone can thrive, feel valued, and make a meaningful difference to the lives of others.
We are an equal opportunity employer and proud to serve a diverse student population and our communities. We strongly believe that representation matters. Over 52% of the students who attend Bristol Metropolitan Academy are from global majority groups, so we particularly encourage applicants from those groups in order to represent the students we serve, as well as wider underrepresented groups including gender, transgender, age disability, sexual orientation or religion.
We aim to remove any barriers to employment, ensuring everyone can compete on equal terms. Job share, part-time and flexible working opportunities will be considered.
What we can offer you:
- Access to a generous pension through the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
- Generous annual leave.
- A comprehensive induction and ongoing commitment to wellbeing and career progression, through a range of training, apprenticeships and in-role/wider-trust development opportunities.
- Well-being support through an Employee Assistance Programme.
- Health benefits, including wellness sessions, gym discounts, and flu jabs.
- A range of generous family leave options, including above industry average occupational maternity pay.
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Additional benefits like cycle to work scheme, on-site parking plus many more!
Recruitment timeline:
- Closing Date: 31 May 2026 @11.59pm
- Shortlisting: 02 June 2026
- Interviews: 17 June 2026
We welcome visits from potential candidates. If you would like to arrange a school visit prior to the closing date, please contact the academy/site directly to arrange a suitable appointment.
As part of our commitment to Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), we do not accept CVs – a full education and employment history must be provided through our application form.
Please note we are not able to offer visa sponsorship for this role.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, should we receive a high level of interest in the role. Therefore, candidates are advised to apply at their earliest convenience to avoid missing out.
As a Disability Confident Committed Employer, we are dedicated to equity and inclusion and commit to interviewing applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria. We aim to provide an inclusive and accessible recruitment process, and support employees throughout their employment. If you have a disability, are neurodivergent, or require any adjustments to support you through the application or interview process please let us know how we can assist.
Further information about the job
Commitment to safeguarding
Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.
Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.
Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
childcare disqualification
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
medical
online and social media
prohibition from teaching
right to work
satisfactory references
suitability to work with children
You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.
Applying for the job
This school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.
CVs will not be accepted for this application.
View advert on external website (opens in new tab)About Bristol Metropolitan Academy
- School type
- Academies, ages 11 to 19
- Education phase
- Secondary school
- School size
- 1096 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 19
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- Bristol Metropolitan Academy website
Bristol Metropolitan Academy is part of the Cabot Learning Federation (CLF). Bristol Metropolitan Academy is an oversubscribed forward thinking Academy based in Fishponds, Bristol, rated “Good” with Outstanding features by Ofsted in 2017.
In Summer 2019 the Academy secured attainment that exceeded national average for the first time, with the best results the Academy has ever had. We also secured our best ever Progress 8 score at over +0.5. This followed a trend of continued improvement and one we believe we have seen continued to see against a backdrop of the pandemic and no national benchmarks across the last two summers.
The students are excited to learn and are real ambassadors for our diverse community. 60% of our students come from minority ethnic backgrounds. We have over 40 identified primary languages in our student and staff community with over 35% of our students coming from having English as an additional language backgrounds. A higher than average number of our students are supported with overcoming any barriers due to a special educational need. Overall we believe we enable all students to achieve their very best through our approach to inclusion coupled with our Metropolitan Way; High Standards, High Aspirations and High Expectations.
We welcome applications from anyone excited to work in a fast paced, exciting yet challenging environment. We particularly welcome applications from those who believe they can contribute to our diverse and inclusive community.
School location
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