Residential Head of Sixth Form

Overall Purpose

The Residential Head of Sixth Form (RHSF) will have the exciting opportunity to build a Sixth Form culture in the newly established College at Canford. The development of the College is a pivotal juncture for the School, and the successful candidate will have considerable opportunity to innovate and to add significant impact. They will report directly to the Senior Deputy Head and work in close collaboration with Deputy Heads Pastoral, Co-curricular and Personal Development, and Academic.

The overarching aim of the College setup is to prepare the Sixth Form for their transition to life beyond school and to empower them to make apposite decisions about their own futures. The Residential Head of Sixth Form will have oversight of the personal and academic development of all Sixth Form pupils, leading Sixth Form tutoring provision and coordinating all applications to Higher Education providers. They will also hold pastoral responsibility for all pupils in the Upper Sixth at Canford upon their transfer from Day and Boarding Houses to the College. This pastoral role includes oversight of all aspects of the boarding provision in the two College Residences (opening Sept 2026) and management of the Residential Life team, ensuring that boarding standards are met and that the provision of social, life skills and wellbeing activities for the whole Sixth Form is delivered to a high standard.

Duties

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic leadership and innovation

- Ensure that the Sixth Form provision in the College is innovative, intentional and thoughtfully aligned with its overarching vision and ethos, which is to provide pupils with an inspiring, holistic foundation for adult life.

- Collaborate with Senior Leaders in shaping the long-term vision for Sixth Form and the College, in alignment with the school’s wider strategic aims

- In partnership with the Director of External Relations, develop an ongoing marketing and recruitment strategy for the College, ensuring that the Sixth Form offering is in line with school objectives and market demand

- Foster close links with universities and higher education institutions to ensure that the College provision is an appropriate stepping stone for life beyond school

2. Sixth Form Leadership

- Lead and support the dedicated team of Sixth Form tutors, ensuring that tutoring provision is of consistent high quality and supportive of the personal and academic development of all pupils

- Foster a culture where pupils are empowered to take increasing responsibility for themselves (with a particular focus on their wellbeing and decision making) whilst at the same time feeling confident to access the systems of support available to them.

- Be a frequent and visible presence across both College Residences and the College Hub, forging positive relationships with pupils, parents and colleagues

- Ensure that systems are in place to regularly capture pupil voice and ensure that the offering in the College Hub and Residences is dynamic and responsive to pupil need.

- Promote and support the delivery of the Beyond the Gates programme for the Sixth Form, which encompasses PSHE, Careers and enrichment

3. Futures Pathways and academic oversight

- Work in close collaboration with the Assistant Head Academic in support of pupils’ academic progress and engagement, implementing supportive interventions where appropriate

- Coordinate all applications to Higher Education providers, developing a department responsive to demand for applications to overseas universities as well as UK institutions

- Manage and oversee the UCAS process, working in close partnership with the Head of Futures, Sixth Form Tutors, the Careers Lead and key academic colleagues

- Oversee and develop, in collaboration with lead teachers, innovative and effective preparation programmes for specialist future pathways including, but not limited to, Oxbridge, Medicine, Veterinary Science, Art and Design, Creative Arts.

- In collaboration with the team of Careers and Higher Education advisers, offer guidance on future pathways

- Contribute to Futures team initiatives and events

4. Pastoral and Residential care

- Work in close collaboration with the Deputy Head Pastoral, Safeguarding Officer, and members of the Wellbeing team in matters related to Sixth Form pupil welfare

- Conduct residential duties two evenings per week (one in each residence) and over weekends on a fortnightly rota, as well as being on the overnight on call rota.

- Foster positive working relationships with parents by way of regular contact, information sharing and collaboration

- Design and implement, with the support of the Residential Life team and in collaboration with the Deputy Head Co-curricular and Personal Development, a vibrant and inclusive programme of:

o community and social events for the whole Sixth Form, fostering connection, wellbeing and enjoyment

o College activities that support the development of skills for independent living

o initiatives supporting welfare and wellbeing, both at school and in preparation for adult life

- Further develop and refine processes that support the smooth transition from Houses to College, ensuring that pastoral handovers are comprehensive, that pupils’ pastoral needs are understood and prioritised and that communication with parents and guardians is open and effective

- Lead the Residential Life (ResLife) and College Administration and Pupil Support (CAPS) teams, ensuring that a positive atmosphere is maintained and that, where possible, staff are supported in their professional development

- Contribute to the broader systems in place for pastoral management across the school, attending all regular Housemaster/mistress meetings

5. College operations

- Develop staffing rotas for daytime and overnight supervision of the College Hub and Residences, ensuring that these are fair and allow for reasonable downtime and rest.

- In collaboration with the CAPS and ResLife teams, ensure that College buildings are properly looked after; that breakages and faults are reported to the Estates Bursar, and that pupils are encouraged to treat the School property respectfully.

- As budget holder for the College, liaise closely with bursarial departments and ensure that financial controls are in place.

6. Safeguarding and compliance

- See that any requirements of the Children Act are adhered to: particularly promoting and safeguarding the welfare of all pupils for whom they are responsible or with whom they come into contact; ensuring compliance with the school’s Child Protection Policy Statement at all times; and reporting any concerns to the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead or the Headmaster.

- Ensure that National Minimum Standards for Boarding are met and that the College residential offering is fully compliant.

- Utilise pastoral systems, including My Concern, to log issues relating to safeguarding, wellbeing and welfare. Furthermore, keep clear, well organised records of all pupils including any disciplinary records, reports, emails and notes, which may be used for reference in the future.

7. Teaching and wider contributions to School life

- It is anticipated that the RHSF will teach to a reduced timetable and/or contribute to co-curricular provision. Such an arrangement would be discussed at interview.

- Staff at Canford are encouraged to contribute to the broader co-curricular life of the school

Knowledge/Experience

Qualifications:

· An honours degree in any subject (E)

· A recognised teaching qualification such as PGCE (D)

· Level 3 safeguarding certificate (D)

· Accreditation as a boarding practitioner (D)

Personal qualities

· Proactive and creative; excited by the prospect of innovating and building the College model(E)

· Passionate about supporting the personal development of young people (E)

· Adaptable and supportive member of a team (E)

· Outward looking with a desire to grow and learn (E)

· Stamina, resilience and emotional intelligence (E)

· A role model for young people who is empathetic and value driven (E)

Key Skills

· Track record of effective team management (E)

· Ability to innovate in the pastoral sphere, with the intent to create provision that is pupil centred and future focused (E)

· Skilled communicator; able to swiftly build strong relationships with pupils, parents and colleagues (E)

· High degree of administrative efficiency and ability to work at pace (responsive to need) (E)

· Effective ICT skills (E)

· Familiarity with the Unifrog platform (D)

Experience / Knowledge

· A clear understanding of the academic and co-curricular demands of Sixth Form life in an independent boarding school context (E)

· Significant experience of managing Sixth Form pupils in an academic and / or pastoral role (E)

· Proven leadership in a boarding context (E)

· Clear understanding and experience of managing UCAS and HE applications (E)

· A clear understanding of National Minimum Standards for Boarding and their implementation (E)

· A solid grasp of safeguarding and welfare protocols for adolescents (E)

· Experience managing complex pastoral situations, particularly concerning young adults (E)

· Knowledge and/or experience of the residential context at universities (D)

· Experience of creating and delivering programmes for personal development and / or life skills (D)

· Experience of developing and implementing social programmes for young adults (D)

Canford School is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in all areas of our community and encourages applications from all suitably qualified candidates. Canford School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All successful job applicants will be required to undergo child protection screening.