Pastoral Support Advisor (with Learning Support)

Link to apply - https://www.shrewsbury.ac.th/recruitment/vacancies/

Position: Pastoral Support Advisor (with Learning Support)

Department: Learning Support / Junior School Wellbeing

Salary: This is a Local Hire Position, and salary would be dependent on experience

Key Responsibilities:

The Pastoral Support Advisor (with Learning Support) will be responsible to the SEN Lead for Junior School.

The successful candidate will:

• Promote high standards of behaviour, wellbeing and inclusion, responding to concerns in line with school policies and procedures.

• Develop effective and trusting professional relationships with students, colleagues and parents.

• Work collaboratively with teachers and pastoral colleagues as part of a Team Around the Child approach.

• Support the early identification of children who may have additional learning, developmental, social, emotional or communication needs.

• Monitor students' social, emotional and mental health needs and escalate concerns where appropriate.

• Maintain accurate and confidential records relating to students and their support.

• Contribute to the development of an inclusive culture in which student strengths are recognised and celebrated.

• Maintain professional knowledge and understanding through reflection, professional dialogue and relevant professional development.

• Uphold the School's expectations regarding attendance, professional conduct, confidentiality, safeguarding and student relationships.

Key Tasks:

Early Years Learning Support (approximately 50% of time)

The successful candidate will:

Early identification and assessment

• Work alongside Early Years teachers to identify children who may require additional support with their learning, development, communication, social interaction, emotional regulation or behaviour.

• Observe children in their natural learning environments and contribute to the identification of emerging needs.

• Support teachers in understanding individual children's strengths, needs and barriers to learning.

• Contribute to appropriate assessment and monitoring of children's development and progress.

• Use professional judgement and evidence from observation, assessment and teacher/parent feedback to identify appropriate next steps.

Supporting teachers

• Work alongside Early Years teachers to develop practical strategies and classroom approaches that support individual children.

• Suggest appropriate adaptations to the environment, resources, routines, activities and adult-child interactions.

• Model strategies and approaches for teachers and teaching assistants where appropriate.

• Support teachers in developing individual support strategies and, where required, Individual Student Support Plans / IEPs.

• Provide advice and practical support to staff working with children who have emerging or identified additional needs.

Direct student support

• Provide targeted individual and small-group interventions for children where appropriate.

• Support development in areas such as:

  • Communication and language

  • Social interaction

  • Emotional regulation

  • Self-management and independence

  • Attention and engagement

  • Positive behaviour and relationships

  • Confidence and participation

• Monitor children's engagement and progress and adjust interventions in collaboration with the Learning Support team.

Parents

• Establish positive and supportive relationships with parents and carers.

• Meet with parents, where appropriate, to discuss children's development, strengths, emerging concerns and strategies for support.

• Contribute to parent meetings alongside class teachers and Learning Support colleagues.

• Ensure that communication with parents is sensitive, professional, solution-focused and centred on the child's wellbeing and development.

Wellbeing support (approximately 50% of time)

Working as part of the Junior School Wellbeing team, the successful candidate will provide targeted support for students who may be experiencing social, emotional, behavioural or relational difficulties.

The successful candidate will:

Individual and small-group support

• Provide targeted 1:1 and small-group support for vulnerable students.

• Develop and deliver appropriate interventions based on identified student needs.

• Support students experiencing difficulties with friendships, relationships, confidence, emotional regulation or social communication.

• Work with students to develop strategies for managing challenges and becoming increasingly independent.

• Monitor student progress and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions.

Social and emotional development

• Design and deliver social stories and other targeted resources to help students understand and navigate social situations.

• Develop and facilitate friendship groups and structured social-skills interventions.

• Support students to develop:

  • Positive friendship skills

  • Conflict resolution strategies

  • Empathy and perspective-taking

  • Emotional literacy

  • Self-awareness

  • Self-regulation

  • Problem-solving

  • Resilience

  • Appropriate communication skills

• Help students understand and practise appropriate responses to challenging social situations.

Wellbeing collaboration

• Work closely with Prep teachers, Wellbeing team and Learning Support colleagues to identify students requiring additional support.

• Contribute to pastoral discussions and student review meetings.

• Share relevant observations and information with colleagues while maintaining appropriate confidentiality.

• Help develop coordinated support around vulnerable students.

• Contribute to transition planning where appropriate, particularly for students moving into Senior School.

Monitoring and review

• Maintain appropriate records of interventions and student progress.

• Monitor the impact of individual and group interventions.

• Contribute to student support plans and reviews where appropriate.

• Recognise when concerns require escalation to pastoral, wellbeing, safeguarding or learning support colleagues.

• Use professional judgement to identify when additional or specialist support may be required.

Parents

• Support class teachers and Wellbeing colleagues in meeting with parents to discuss children’s wellbeing, including translation where appropriate.

• Ensure that communication with parents is sensitive, professional, solution-focused and centred on the child's wellbeing and development.

Candidate Profile:

The successful candidate will:

• Have a strong understanding of child development, inclusion and student wellbeing.

• Be passionate about supporting children to develop confidence, independence and positive relationships.

• Have experience working with children in an educational setting, preferably across Early Years and/or primary age ranges.

• Have experience supporting children with additional learning, developmental, social, emotional or communication needs.

• Have experience delivering individual and/or small-group interventions.

• Be confident working with parents and discussing children's needs in a sensitive and professional manner.

• Be able to build strong relationships with children who may be vulnerable or experiencing social and emotional challenges.

• Be highly collaborative and able to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team.

• Be reflective and willing to engage in professional dialogue.

• Demonstrate excellent communication and organisational skills.

• Be able to use professional judgement while recognising when concerns need to be escalated.

• Celebrate student strengths and promote positive self-esteem, independence and social inclusion.

• Respect and celebrate cultural, linguistic and learning diversity.

• Demonstrate a commitment to safeguarding and child protection.

Essential and Desirable Criteria

Essential

• Qualified Teacher Status or an equivalent recognised teaching qualification.

• Relevant qualification or experience in safeguarding, Learning Support, Special Educational Needs, Inclusive Education, Psychology, Counselling, Child Development or a related field.

• Experience of working with children with additional needs in Early Years.

• Experience working collaboratively with parents and external professionals.

Desirable

• Experience working in an international school setting.

• Experience delivering social-emotional or wellbeing interventions.

• Experience working with vulnerable students.

• Experience developing social stories, friendship groups or social-skills programmes.

• Confidence using English at a professional level; confidence in another language would be advantageous, especially Thai or Mandarin.

Child Safeguarding:

Shrewsbury International School Bangkok is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All candidates are required to provide accurate and detailed information about their employment history and the school will carry out background checks on the successful candidate to assess their suitability to work in a school.

Requirements:

• Satisfactory Thai Police Criminal Record check

• Confirmation of identity

• Satisfactory references

• Verification of qualifications and work experience

• Certificate or record of complete course of covid of an approved vaccine.