Aurora Charnwood School is opening its doors in late 2026 (tbc) and will be a nurturing, inclusive and ambitious hub for children and young people aged 5–19 with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs and Communication and Interaction. With a capacity of 120 students across 3 sites, our vision is to create a safe, enriching and aspirational environment where every learner can thrive.

We're looking for an enthusiastic and experienced Pastoral Lead and DDSL who is deeply passionate about working with children. This is a truly rewarding opportunity where your work will be valued, your impact will be visible, and you will see firsthand the incredible success that can be achieved in education.

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a brand-new school and to be part of something truly transformative.

The main purpose of the role: 

As Pastoral Lead, you'll take responsibility for driving behaviour for learning, welfare, and personal development across the school whilst supporting the Headteacher/Deputy Headteacher as DDSL. You'll embed proactive support strategies and ensure high expectations for behaviour and conduct are consistently applied.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Tracking and monitoring behaviour and interventions.
• Developing and embedding the school's rewards system.
• Coaching staff on de-escalation strategies and positive behaviour approaches.
• Supporting families and leading pastoral meetings for early intervention.
• Supporting the DSL in managing safeguarding concerns, maintaining chid protection records and ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all pupils
• Delivering staff CPD and contributing to EHCP processes.
• Maintaining compliance with DfE and Ofsted guidance.

Duties will vary, you must expect to diversify and lend a hand wherever is required. Please see the attachments for our full job description:

What we're looking for:

Essential Qualifications

• GCSE English and Maths (Grade C/4 or above).

Essential Experience

• Previous experience in a SEN setting (ASC and SEMH).
• Extensive experience in pastoral or wellbeing roles.
• Knowledge of Keeping Children Safe in Educationlegislation and risk assessments.
• Skilled in managing and de-escalating challenging behaviours.
• Ability to build positive relationships with staff, students, and families.
• Competent in ICT and electronic systems.

Additional Information

How to Apply: 

You can apply online by completing our online application form.  For more information on this position please contact Kirsty in the recruitment team –   

Successful applicants will be subject to pre-employment safeguarding checks including an enhanced disclosure and barring service (DBS) check.

The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Aurora Group is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions (including those which are "spent" unless they are "protected" under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children.

The Aurora Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children and young adults in our care and is a disability confident and equal opportunities employer.

This advert could be taken down at any point in time without prior notice if the position is filled. 

Please note that candidates that are shortlisted might be subject to an online search.