Trust Designated Safeguarding Lead

Cottenham Village College, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB24 8UA

14 days remaining to apply

• Closing date

  7 April 2026 at 12:59am

• Date listed

  13 March 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Pastoral, health and welfare
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: £43,421.00 - £51,334.00 Annually (Actual)

Trust Designated Safeguarding Lead job summary

Trust Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

37 hours per week | Permanent Contract
Salary: SCP32-39 £43,421 - £51,334
Closing Date: 6 April 2026

Do you have the expertise, resilience and compassion to lead safeguarding practice across a thriving secondary school? Have you successfully supported vulnerable children and influenced whole‑school safeguarding culture?

Astrea Academy Trust is a forward-thinking, values-driven family of schools committed to delivering an exceptional education for every child. With a strong emphasis on inclusion, high expectations and collaboration, the Trust provides extensive professional development, clear systems, and a supportive network of safeguarding professionals working to protect and empower young people across all academies.

Cottenham Village College is a high‑performing, inclusive secondary school with a warm community ethos and a strong commitment to ensuring every student feels safe, supported, and able to thrive. Our staff team is dedicated, skilled, and passionate about providing exceptional education and pastoral care.

This role will be based initially at Cottenham Village College, but the successful postholder will also be required to support and visit our other academies across Cambridge as needed, ensuring consistent and robust safeguarding practice across the wider Astrea network.

The Role

We are seeking an experienced, knowledgeable and proactive Trust Designated Safeguarding Lead to take a strategic and operational lead in safeguarding, child protection and early help across the school and our other academies. The DSL will ensure that effective systems, policies and practices are in place to safeguard all students and will work closely with the senior leadership team, Trust safeguarding leads, external agencies and families.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage all safeguarding and child protection arrangements in line with statutory guidance and Trust policy.
• Oversee and coordinate referrals, risk assessments and multi‑agency work, ensuring timely, accurate and thorough documentation.
• Provide expert advice, support and training to staff, strengthening the safeguarding culture across the school.
• Monitor, review and evaluate safeguarding processes to ensure continuous improvement and compliance.
• Liaise with external agencies, including social care, police, health professionals and safeguarding partners.
• Ensure safeguarding provision is consistently strong across other Astrea academies in Cambridge through regular visits, support and professional collaboration.

What We’re Looking For

• A highly skilled safeguarding professional with substantial experience working with vulnerable children and leading safeguarding practice in an educational or similar setting.
• Someone with strong knowledge of statutory guidance, including Keeping Children Safe in Education, and a clear understanding of safeguarding risks and contextual challenges.
• A reflective, calm and resilient individual who can make sound decisions, act decisively, and manage sensitive situations with integrity and empathy.
• A collaborative leader who can communicate effectively with students, colleagues, parents and external agencies.
• A committed professional who is passionate about improving outcomes for young people and driving a strong safeguarding culture.

Interested in Applying?

If you are passionate about education, looking for a fresh opportunity, or simply want to make a positive impact, we would love to hear from you. Take a look at the job description and candidate pack to find out more about the role and how to apply or contact our recruitment team at recruitment@astreaacademytrust.org.

Commitment to Safeguarding and EDI:

Astrea Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All appointments are subject to satisfactory background checks, including references and an enhanced DBS check. We value diversity and welcome applications from underrepresented groups. As a Disability Confident employer, we provide reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process to ensure all candidates can fully demonstrate their abilities.

In line with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 and the statutory Code of Practice, the Trust requires all public-facing post holders to demonstrate fluent English. Within a school setting, this applies to all roles that involve direct or indirect interaction with pupils, parents, or members of the public.

Flexible Interview Dates:

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, so don't miss out on this exciting opportunity. Please note that interview dates are flexible, and the academy reserves the right to interview shortlisted candidates during the application window.

Ready to Make a Difference?

If you're ready to take the next step in your career and contribute to our dynamic and forward-thinking team, apply today and be a part of our mission to create a positive impact!

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

Visas cannot be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

Commitment to safeguarding

Astrea Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and staff. Every child should feel safe and should be protected from any form of child abuse. We have robust policies and procedures that support our commitment to Safeguarding, this includes our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy. The in-house Safeguarding teams at each Academy work in partnership with families and safeguarding partners to ensure the safety of children is paramount. We are committed to ensuring that all staff access regular, contextual safeguarding training to meet the needs of the local community.

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.

About Cottenham Village College

• School type: Academy, ages 11 to 16
• Education phase: Secondary school
• School size: 877 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 11 to 16
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: Cottenham Village College website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/cottenham-village-college-cambridge

Welcome to Cottenham Village College, part of the Astrea Academy Trust, a highly-successful 11-16 mixed academy situated close to the beautiful city of Cambridge; here you will find hard-working, well-behaved students and friendly, dedicated staff who are committed to a fully inclusive, comprehensive education.

The college was established in 1963, one of several village colleges in the region that were the inspiration of educational pioneer Henry Morris, who believed that the school should be at the heart of its community and that education should be a lifelong process. This vision of a school that serves and involves its whole community, that fosters high aspirations and inspires a love of learning is as central to our ethos today as it was when it opened.

Through a highly-ambitious curriculum at CVC, we aim to foster students’ curiosity, unlock their potential and raise their aspirations, as well as ensure that students achieve high levels of attainment that will open doors for their future. A stimulating and broad curriculum also places students in a strong position to question and debate the world around them, making them intellectually resilient and prepares them for citizenship in a democratic society. We believe this is a right of all students and one which is liberating and empowering.

We are equally proud of the wider curricular provision at CVC, both in formal lessons and outside the classroom. Our extensive range of extra-curricular activities, including sports, music, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award programme and residential trips, help to give all students a fully-rounded education and creates opportunity for their personal, as well as their academic, growth.

Cottenham Village College is a friendly, positive and exciting place to work and to learn and we take great pride in the high standards our students consistently achieve. We have very high expectations of all members of the College community and provide an inclusive, friendly and supportive environment in which everyone can thrive and achieve. Students leave as happy, well-qualified and well-motivated individuals who go on to excel in local sixth forms, colleges, universities and the wider world.

I hope you find the information on the school’s website useful. If there is anything you cannot find, please do not hesitate to contact us. If you wish to visit the school to see it for yourself, please contact the school and we would be delighted to show you around.

Zoe Andrews, Principal

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