Senior Manager - Pastoral - Aldar Education

Job Description

Aldar Education are currently seeking an outstanding Senior Manager - Pastoral to join our HQ office in Abu Dhabi.

Since its inception in 2007 with just 250 students, Aldar Education has grown into a highly sought-after education provider, with more than 25 owned and managed premium and super-premium schools and academies- in partnership with some of the world’s most prestigious institutions including Rugby School, King’s College Wimbledon, and Cranleigh. The Group now serves over 38,000 students through 5,000 educators from more than 100 nationalities to deliver world-class education across a broad range of curricula and learning pathways from nursery through to K12.

At Aldar Education, our impact goes far beyond the classroom: we are proud to contribute to the UAE’s vision for a sustainable, knowledge-based economy through premium education. With this in mind, we hire educators and insustry professionals who not only embody our values and cultural ethos but also bring a genuine passion for education—qualities central to our mission of shaping the leaders of tomorrow.

If you are passionate about excellence and ready to make a meaningful impact, we invite you to apply and be part of our journey.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the highly successful Aldar family of schools and to help shape the future of Abu Dhabi’s leading school group.

The purpose of this role is to ensure the effective pro-active work and case management of Pastoral Services across Aldar Education schools through leading on case management, training and development, CPOMS data analysis, external stakeholder management, safeguarding processes, curriculum development, student voice and participation and parental engagement. Aldar Education are fully committed to safeguarding the welfare of all children and young people.

This role will also prioritise driving measurable improvements in student behaviour, attendance, and safeguarding outcomes across the group. It will ensure consistent implementation of pastoral strategies aligned to Aldar Education’s improvement priorities, including Irtiqaa Performance Standards, supporting SIR visits, and delivering excellence in counselling and wellbeing provision.

Responsibilities

Main Duties:

Leadership & Strategy

• Develop and implement a comprehensive pastoral care strategy aligned with institutional goals.
• Support and manage pastoral support team, including but not limited to counsellors, wellbeing officers, and support staff.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of support services, using data (CPOMS, attendance, behaviour records) to inform continuous improvement.
• Lead the design, implementation and monitoring of a group-wide pastoral and behaviourstrategy, ensuring consistency and high expectations across all schools.
• Drive attendance improvement initiatives, including early intervention and targeted support for persistent absence.
• Actively contribute to raising Irtiqaa inspection ratings by aligning pastoral provision with key Performance Standards.
• Support schools in preparation for SIR visits, ensuring evidence and practice demonstrate high-quality safeguarding, behaviour, and student wellbeing provision.
• Provide leadership of networks across the group, ensuring sharing of best practice and alignment with Aldar Education strategy.
• Leading wellbeing & Sustainability initiatives through the Aldar Center of Excellence, with a focus on measuring their impact on students.
• Leading and delivering excellence in alignment with the ADEK Wellbeing Mark framework.
• Support schools in ensuring comlpaince with external and internal requirements.
  
  
  

Specific Duties:

Student Support

• Input and drive the provision of physical, emotional, social, and behavioural support for students.
• Respond to complex student welfare cases, ensuring appropriate intervention and safeguarding.
• Oversee the effectiveness of school counselling services, ensuring access, quality, and impact are monitored and improved.
• Introduce and monitor proactive strategies (peer mentoring, parent workshops, wellbeing campaigns) to reduce behavioural issues and support emotional regulation.
• Coordinate crisis response and referrals to external support services where needed.
  
  
  

Staff Collaboration & Training

• Work closely with School Improvement Partners, School and HQ Leadership teams, Student Services and Operations teams to ensure a joined-up approach to student care.
• Provide guidance, training, and professional development opportunities for staff on pastoral issues, medical care, mental health awareness, and safeguarding protocols.
• Deliver professional development and coaching for school leaders and pastoral teams on behaviour management, safeguarding, and attendance strategies.
• Work with Principals to embed group-wide pastoral action plans and School Development Plans (SDPs), ensuring measurable outcomes are achieved
  
  
  

Policy & Compliance

• Develop and implement policies and procedures related to wellbeing, safeguarding, and mental health.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant legislation, including child protection, equality, and data protection.
• Establish a group-wide attendance policy framework, ensuring compliance with ADEK regulations and alignment with Aldar expectations.
• Ensure safeguarding is not only compliant but exemplary, positioning Aldar Charter Schools as a benchmark of best practice in the UAE.
  
  
  

Stakeholder Engagement

• Liaise with senior leaders, parents, guardians, external agencies, and community partners to support student welfare.
• Lead group-wide parent workshops and engagement programmes to strengthen home–school partnerships around behaviour and wellbeing.
• Represent the institution at relevant external forums, networks, and policy consultations.
• Undertake any other duties as specified and/or directed by line manager which are not listed above.
  
  
  

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelors Degree in Education. Masters Degree is Desirable
• QTS or extensive experience of safeguarding in an educational or social context.
• Knowledge of supervision and standards framework.
  
  
  

Minimum Experience:

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in pastoral care, student support, or welfare services, with at least 3 years in a leadership role.
• Experience of leading school-level or community safeguarding, including case management, either as Designated Safeguarding Lead/Deputy or Pastoral Lead.
• Supervision qualification to support staff in schools (Social and Emotional context)
• Familiarity with the UAE context and a proven track record of effective school leadership.
• Demonstrable proven track record of effectively leading diverse teams and maintaining positive, productive relationships with stakeholders.
• Experience of working in a Primary and/or Secondary school environment, or similar and using data to improve practice.
• A thorough understanding of related educational safeguarding matters: eg safer recruitment, online safety, physical, sexual and emotional abuse, neglect, bullying etc.
• Be able to develop operational practice to achieve strategic goals.
• Ability to influence others through leadership that reflects our core values and ensures compliance with all aspects of safeguarding policy and practice.
• Ability to work effectively within a team and on own initiative
• Develop and sustain good working relationship with partner organisations.
• Shape policy, improve practice and deliver positive outcomes for children
  
  
  

Job Specific Knowledge & Skills:

• Strategic thinking and leadership.
• Empathy and emotional intelligence.
• Team management and development.
• Conflict resolution and mediation.
• Commitment to diversity and inclusion.
• Strong organizational and analytical skills.
• Deep understanding of inspection frameworks (Irtiqaa, SIR, NEASC) and ability to translate them into practical pastoral strategies.
• Proven ability to design, monitor and evaluate large-scale pastoral action plans and SDPs.
  
  
  

Key Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to manage difficult conversations with professionalism
• Excellent administrative skills to maintain accurate and detailed records/reports.
• Excellent administrative skills to further develop and maintain the Aldar Education safeguarding platforms
• Excellent time management skills and be able to maintain high levels of speed and accuracy whilst managing competing priorities to challenging deadlines.
• Ability to analyse child safeguarding information and determine an appropriate course of action to improve outcomes for children.
• Demonstrate the professional competency to support and challenge key stakeholders
• Recognise and challenge inappropriate or poor practice (at all levels within the organisation)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, matched with strong child-centric practice.
  
  
  

Personal attributes:

• Ability to manage difficult conversations with professionalism.
• Excellent administrative skills to maintain accurate and detailed records/reports.
• Excellent administrative skills to further develop and maintain the Aldar Education safeguarding platforms.
• Excellent time management skills and ability to maintain high levels of speed and accuracy whilst managing competing priorities to challenging deadlines.
• Ability to analyse child safeguarding information and determine an appropriate course of action to improve outcomes for children.
• Demonstrate the professional competency to support and challenge key stakeholders.
• Recognise and challenge inappropriate or poor practice (at all levels within the organisation).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, matched with strong child-centric practice.
  
  
  

WHAT WE OFFER:

Aldar Education is a family of world-class, child-centered, and innovative schools based in the UAE. We educate over 34,000 students across our group of owned and managed schools, and as we grow, so does our need for highly skilled, inspirational, and dedicated school leaders. We offer an attractive remuneration package including medical cover, flights, housing, and free child school places. Our future-focused learning model includes both students and staff, so we place a special emphasis on professional development, coaching and training.

Successful candidates will have access to a wide network of professionals and opportunities to both lead and contribute to training others as well as developing themselves.

Aldar Education is keen to hear from like-minded, forward thinking school leaders who would welcome the challenges and opportunities that we have to offer.

This job description is not all inclusive. Aldar Education reserves the right to amend this job description at any time. We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment. We are also mindful of our national development strategy and encourage UAE Nationals in their application at our company.

Aldar Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. Offers of appointment are subject to satisfactory references and police clearance.

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