Primary School Counsellor

Description

Primary School Counsellor

Purpose of Role

The school counsellor’s priority is to support the academic and social welfare of pupils by initiating and maintaining a positive relationship with pupils, staff and families in order to enhance the school’s academic mission of providing amazing learning. They are also responsible for engaging the community in building cooperative partnerships for the sake of a pupil’s success. They are expected to develop a healthy, safe and productive environment in which pupils can achieve their potential and are required to counsel and support pupils on personal development issues or when dealing with complex and sensitive issues.

ISP Principles

Begin with our children and students.Our children and students are at the heart of what we do. Simply, their success is our success. Wellbeing and safety are both essential for learners and learning. Therefore, we are consistent in identifying potential safeguarding and Health & Safety issues and acting and following up on all concerns appropriately.

Treat everyone with care and respect.We look after one another, embrace similarities and differences and promote the well-being of self and others.

Operate effectively.We focus relentlessly on the things that are most important and will make the most difference. We apply school policies and procedures and embody the shared ideas of our community.

Are financially responsible.We make financial choices carefully based on the needs of the children, students and our schools.

Learn continuously.Getting better is what drives us. We positively engage with personal and professional development and school improvement.

About The School

The Aquila School opened in September 2018, initially with only primary children, growing to become a mixed 3-18 through school in future years. The school is located in a residential area of Dubailand and focuses on providing children with amazing learning.

Teachers should be skilled at ensuring that children are actively learning throughout each lesson and ensuring that children make as much progress as possible and love coming to school.

Children and families love our school due to our focus on amazing learning and developing a sense of community and school connectedness. Teachers enjoy working here because they are genuinely empowered to teach the children what they need to learn right now.

The Aquila School is the first new build school designed and managed by The International Schools Partnerships (ISP) a comparatively new and rapidly growing organisation with schools in Europe, the Middle East, Mexico and the USA.

For all staff in school we share a responsibility to ensure that children are safe and properly supervised at all times. Our school vision statement is ‘amazing learning’- providing enjoyable and meaningful learning experiences for our pupils. All staff are expected to adhere to The Aquila Professional Code of Conduct and commit to promoting the 4 C’s – courtesy, consideration, co-operation and common sense across the school community.

Job Brief

This is a very varied role. We are looking for a professional school counsellor to ensure our children are safe and happy in school so they can focus on amazing learning. This will involve working with groups and individuals informally helping children manage issues and feelings including as time to talk, as well as providing formal counselling with parental consent and working closely with staff and families

Key Responsibilities

• Helping children manage their feelings and deal with a range of incidents
• Providing group and individual support on an ad hoc and planned time to talk basis
• Managing playground games, buddies and other systems within the school
• Monitoring and managing pupil attendance and punctuality
• Providing formal counselling with consent of the family
• Supporting staff in managing incidents and behaviour
• Supporting families – individuals, support groups and larger groups eg through workshops
• Working with staff to analyse in school assessments such as PASS
• Working with the inclusion team, medical and safeguarding staff to provide the very best pastoral care for children
• Take responsibility for personal professional development, keeping up-to-date with research and developments which may lead to improvements in the counselling service provided, arranging and delivering relevant training for staff as and when needs are identified.
• Meeting the requirements of the local regulatory body
• Contributing to the safe and smooth day to day running of the school
  
  

Skills, Qualifications And Experience

• Proven working experience in school counselling with children aged 3 up
• Integrity and professionalism
• Kind, considerate and welcoming
• Ability to respond effectively to the needs of a diverse community
• Working knowledge of various counselling models, practices and resources
• Engaging interpersonal skills and excellent communication skills
• Sound judgement and emotional intelligence
• Ability to work and support children, staff and families
  
  

ISP Leadership Competencies

You consistently demonstrate and role-model the ISP Leadership Competencies in all that you do.

• Collaboration.Takes an active part in leading their school or region; is cooperative and a genuine team player, developing positive, supportive relationships with colleagues to solve problems and maximise opportunities.
• Learning & Getting Better.Continually demonstrates personal commitment and passion for learning and getting better using evidence and feedback; supporting others in their continual learning, development and growth.
• Innovation Leadership.Is good at creating an environment where ideas for learning initiatives and services are generated and is able to motivate and inspire others through the process of creation through to completion.
• Outcome driven.Can be counted on to find solutions. Is consistently looking to exceed goals and is focused on KPIs.
• Resilience.Can deal with setbacks and challenges calmly and effectively.
• Community Focus.Is committed to meeting and exceeding the needs and expectations of our students and their families.
• Integrity & Ethical Management.Has the ability to work ethically and with integrity; helps others feel valued; upholds and models the ISP Vision, Purpose and Principles.
• Leading & Inspiring Others.Supports, encourages and inspires students, colleagues and teams so that they give their best.
• Understanding People.Is a very good judge of talent, can objectively articulate the strengths and motivations of people inside or outside the organisation.
• Influencing & Communication.Consistently informs, influences and inspires students, parents and colleagues through timely and effective communication.
• Agile.Responds and adapts to changing circumstances; manages and solves problems by providing solutions in a climate of ambiguity.
• Strategic, Commercial & Financial Awareness.Has the ability to apply understanding of the business and industry to improve effectiveness and profitability.
• Planning & Decision Making.Makes decisions on the best course of action and then plans, organises, prioritises and balances resources to achieve the desired outcome.
• Diversity & Equity.Has the sensitivity, awareness and skill to understand the values, behaviours, attitudes and practices across cultures that supports all children and adults to learn and work effectively.
  
  

ISP Commitment to Safeguarding Principles

ISP is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

All post holders are subject to appropriate vetting procedures, including an online due diligence search, references and satisfactory Criminal Background Checks or equivalent covering the previous 10 years’ employment history.

ISP Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

ISP is committed to strengthening our inclusive culture by identifying, hiring, developing, and retaining high-performing teammates regardless of gender, age, disability status, neurodivergence, socio-economic background or other demographic characteristics. Candidates who share our vision and principles and are interested in contributing to the success of ISP through this role are strongly encouraged to apply.

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