Why join us?
Heron Hall Academy is an ambitious, eight-form entry mixed secondary school and a proud part of North Star Community Trust , a family of schools built on the belief that we are Stronger Together. The Trust plays a vital role in the communities it serves, creating real, lasting change through education, opportunity and support.
At Heron Hall, we share the Trust’s vision - to help every child succeed at school and in life. We live by the values of Education, Community, Opportunity , ensuring every pupil receives an excellent education, feels part of a strong and caring community, and has the chance to grow into a confident, well-rounded individual. As soon as you enter Heron Hall, you feel the pride, purpose and unity that define us. Our high standards and inclusive culture ensure that every pupil is supported, challenged and inspired to reach their full potential. We believe in every child and together, with North Star Community Trust, we help them believe in themselves.
About the role
As our School Counsellor, you will play a vital role in supporting the emotional wellbeing, mental health and personal development of pupils across Key Stages 3, 4 and 5. You will provide a safe, confidential and non-judgemental counselling service, helping students overcome barriers to learning and enabling them to thrive both academically and personally.
Working as part of our wider pastoral, safeguarding and inclusion team, you will undertake assessments, deliver one-to-one counselling, facilitate targeted group interventions and provide therapeutic support tailored to individual needs. You will work within the BACP Ethical Framework and maintain the highest standards of professional practice, safeguarding and confidentiality, ensuring that every pupil receives appropriate support while recognising when specialist intervention or referral is required.
You will collaborate closely with pastoral leaders, the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), SENDCo, attendance teams, parents/carers and external agencies including CAMHS and Early Help to ensure a coordinated approach to supporting young people. You will also contribute to the Trust's whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing by providing professional advice, supporting staff understanding, contributing to wellbeing initiatives and using anonymised insights to help shape effective practice.
This is an excellent opportunity for a compassionate, resilient and highly skilled counselling professional who is passionate about making a lasting difference to the lives of young people. You will join a supportive and collaborative team committed to fostering a safe, inclusive and nurturing environment where every pupil can flourish.
What we are looking for
We are seeking an experienced, compassionate and professionally qualified School Counsellor who is passionate about improving the lives of young people. You will be an empathetic listener with the ability to build trusting therapeutic relationships, while maintaining clear professional boundaries and upholding the highest standards of safeguarding and ethical practice.
The successful candidate will hold a recognised counselling qualification (Level 4 or above), be a current registered member of the BACP or another PSA-accredited professional body and have substantial experience providing therapeutic support to children and young people, ideally within a secondary school.
You will have a strong understanding of adolescent development, common mental health challenges and the wider factors that impact young people's wellbeing. You will be confident in assessing and managing risk, responding appropriately to safeguarding concerns and working collaboratively with pastoral teams, safeguarding leads, SEND professionals to ensure pupils receive the right support at the right time.
We're looking for someone who is organised, reflective and resilient, with excellent communication and record-keeping skills. You will be committed to ongoing professional development, regular clinical supervision and working within the BACP Ethical Framework, ensuring your practice is safe, effective and centred on the needs of every pupil.
Above all, you will share our belief that every young person deserves the opportunity to feel safe, supported and empowered to succeed, and you will play a key role in promoting a positive culture of wellbeing, inclusion and belonging across our school community.
What we offer
We are committed to being a supportive, caring and rewarding place to work and learn, and to being an employer of choice. A full overview of our offer, including staff benefits, our People Plan and what our staff say about working with us, can be found in the supporting documents attached.
Apply Now
Shortlisted candidates may be invited to interview before the closing date. Early applications are strongly encouraged, as the vacancy may close early. Refer to our Application Process supporting document for more information. We do not accept CVs. All applications must be submitted via My New Term.
Safeguarding statement
We are fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff to share this commitment. As part of our recruitment process, the successful candidate will be required to undergo safer recruitment checks, including enhanced clearance through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and any other pre-employment checks relevant to their role.
Equal opportunities
We are committed to fostering a positive and inclusive working culture that reflects our Trust's ethos of being ‘Stronger Together.’ The Trust is committed to promoting equality of opportunity for all. It aims to create a working environment in which all individuals are able to make best use of their skills, free from discrimination or harassment, and in which all decisions are based on merit.
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