Head of House and Year
Wycombe High School, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP11 1TB11 days remaining to apply
Job start date
1 September 2026
Closing date
17 July 2026 at 11:59pm
Date listed
6 July 2026
Job details
Job role
- Pastoral, health and welfare
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Part time, full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- £37,772.00 - £41,272.00 Annually (FTE) Additional generous additional responsibility allowance ontop of salary
Head of House and Year job summary
The Head of House / Year (HoHY) will lead, develop, hold accountable and support a team of tutors and other staff to ensure the achievement, wellbeing and development of students in their Year Group and House. The HoHY will hold an additional responsibility for attendance across Years 7-11, working closely with the Inclusion Officer and other Heads of Year to ensure that barriers to attending school are identified early on and the provision for individual students is clearly mapped.
The successful candidate will be a highly effective and inspirational leader, with the ability to build positive relationships with students, parents, carers, teaching staff and external partners. This role is central to the pastoral leadership of the school, supporting students to achieve high standards of behaviour, attendance, wellbeing and academic success.
The HoHY will lead and develop a strong House ethos, promoting a culture of aspiration, inclusion and achievement.
They will work closely with tutors, support staff and fellow Heads of House to ensure that every student is supported and challenged to reach their full potential, both within and beyond the classroom. The successful candidate will provide outstanding guidance and support to students, working collaboratively with families, subject leaders and pastoral colleagues.
They will monitor student progress, attendance and behaviour, implementing effective intervention strategies where required and ensuring that students have full access to the curriculum and wider school opportunities.
The HoHY will contribute to the strategic development of the school through the creation, implementation and evaluation of House Development Plans and self-evaluation processes. They will lead tutor teams, oversee tutor time provision, deliver assemblies and House events, and support the development of student leadership opportunities across the school community.
The successful candidate will contribute to staff development, mentoring and professional review processes, ensuring consistently high standards of pastoral care and student experience.
We are an ambitious and supportive school community, where staff contribute enthusiastically to all aspects of school life. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced and motivated professional to make a significant impact on student outcomes and wellbeing while working as part of a dedicated and collaborative leadership team.
We are looking for the right person to fill this vacancy; you are looking for the right school to work in. The characteristics we are looking for include:
- Understanding of effective pastoral care and the factors that influence student wellbeing, attendance, behaviour and achievement.
- Experience of working with young people and supporting their personal, social and academic development.
- Able to establish high expectations and promote high standards of behaviour, attendance, engagement and conduct.
- Excellent organisational and administrative skills, with the ability to prioritise workload and manage competing demands effectively.
- The ability to work calmly under pressure and make sound professional judgements in a busy school environment.
- Strong interpersonal skills and the confidence to build positive and productive relationships with students, parents, carers, staff and external agencies.
- Effective communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to engage constructively with a wide range of stakeholders.
- Experience of monitoring student progress, attendance and wellbeing, and implementing appropriate support and intervention strategies.
- The ability to lead, motivate and support tutor teams and student leaders, fostering a positive and inclusive culture.
- A commitment to promoting student leadership, personal development and participation in the wider life of the school.
- Able to analyse information and use data to identify trends, monitor outcomes and support decision-making.
- Able to work collaboratively as part of a pastoral leadership team and contribute positively to whole-school improvement.
- Experience of working in a school, college or youth-focused setting is desirable.
- A high level of confidence and competence in the use of ICT and relevant software systems.
- The ability to work in a changing environment and respond positively to new challenges and initiatives.
- Committed to the ethos, vision and values of Wycombe High School.
Wycombe High School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All staff are required, before taking up post, to undertake a criminal record check through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). HR will carry out an online search on shortlisted applicants.
Candidates for teaching and support staff posts will be assessed at interview for their suitability to work with children. Appointment is conditional upon at least two satisfactory references which include specific comments on working with children and young people.
All staff at the school have a responsibility to promote and safeguard the welfare of students at the school.
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 Wycombe High School
- School type
- Academy, ages 11 to 18
- Education phase
- Secondary school
- School size
- 1371 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 18
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- Wycombe High School website
Wycombe High School is a girls’ selective state academy school with 1304 students on roll, of whom around 400 are in the Sixth Form. Each year 192 girls are admitted into Year 7. All students are assigned to a vertical tutor group consisting of about 21 students; usually three students from each year. group There are six houses with 10 tutor groups in each house. Our school is part of the Wycombe High School Academies Trust.
The school has educated girls of High Wycombe for over a hundred years and is very highly regarded in the local and wider community. There is a strong and shared sense of community and collective pride, built on core values. Parental support is strong. We have excellent links with other local schools, colleges and universities. We have a knowledgeable and supportive Governing Body fully involved with all aspects of school life, and an enthusiastic and active Parents and Friends Association.
Our staff are professional, forward-looking and committed to extending the horizons of our students, encouraging them to aim high, to take on leadership roles and to become independent learners. We have an ambitious development plan, with a focus on improving the quality of teaching and learning, both within and beyond the classroom.
We are a National Support School, a Teaching School and one of 35 Mathematics Hubs nationally. We are delighted to have been recently designated as a National Mathematics and Physics SCITT in 2017 and have strong community partnerships. We have invested substantially in IT systems and training. We also have an outstanding reputation for the performing and visual arts. Numerous educational visits take place each year and for every age group, at home and abroad.
Our school motto summarises our ethos and sense of community. All those who study, work at, or send their children to our school are part of this community and are role models for our ethos.
Fortiter, Fideliter, Feliciter
(Courageously, Faithfully, Joyfully)
Courageously:
Each student is encouraged to embrace our core values of honesty, respect and hard work. She is encouraged to speak out against injustice, supported to take risks, and is not afraid of failure. She learns new subjects and skills. She pushes herself to her personal limits and beyond. She is encouraged to listen to the opinions of others, as well as to voice her own. She accepts responsibility for herself and other students. She leads the school in partnership with staff and the governing body. She is independent and innovative in thought and action.
Faithfully:
Every student is expected to uphold our school rules and traditions. She acts with integrity and is truthful and honest in all she does. She keeps promises and is reliable. She works hard to achieve her full potential. Above all she is a good friend, a good neighbour and a good citizen. She contributes positively to school life and society.
Joyfully:
All our students contribute to making our school the happy and joyful place it is. Each student demonstrates mutual respect and empathy for all and is proud of her own achievements and those of others. She shows commitment to a fair and peaceful community and embraces diversity. Our students are happy and positive in approach, and support others to be the same.
As an immediate adopter of the Early Career Framework, any NQT applying will be guaranteed two years on a reduced timetable, a dedicated mentor and access to an exceptional career development programme.
School location
Similar jobs nearby
Get a job alert when similar jobs are listed
Find more school jobs in High Wycombe and Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes