About Us
Oak Grove College – A wonderful place to work
Oak Grove College is a community generic special school providing special education for 279 students with learning difficulties/disabilities from Year 7 to Year 14. We are part of the Thrive Federation of Schools which also includes Palatine Primary School, Herons Dale School and Cornfield School.
We are immensely proud of our college and our community. We are committed to providing the very best for young people while they are with us, helping them to develop the knowledge, skills, confidence and aspiration to succeed throughout their lives. We have a staff team of about 180 people, and we believe in looking after everyone well. We know that our staff team make the college what it is today and are the key to a successful future.
Staff are well supported by the leadership team and are offered opportunities to progress. We know that each and every one of our staff have a pivotal role to play and we believe in supporting everyone to achieve their potential. We have been awarded the Gold School Mental Health award, and our staff wellbeing and mental health is paramount to the success of Oak Grove College. Oak Grove College is a rewarding place to work, and staff report high levels of job satisfaction.
We know that our staff work hard to do their very best each day for our students and we believe in looking after them well in return. We pay for an extensive health and welfare support service for all our staff which includes physiotherapy, counselling, mindfulness support, menopause support, chronic illness support, weight management and much, much more. We are also committed to creating a supportive and open culture having signed the ‘Charter for Employers Positive about Mental Health’ and are proud to support the mental wellbeing of all our staff.
Oak Grove College has convenient road and rail links with good public transport available. It is a 15-minute walk from Durrington-on-Sea train station, there is a bus stop just by the entrance, a large car park for those travelling by car and good pedestrian access for those on foot. West Sussex County Council staff can also obtain 15% staff discount on Southern Rail daily, weekly, monthly and annual tickets and are entitled to a range of other travel discounts and incentives too.
As part of our growth and commitment to providing exceptional educational experiences for all our students, we are excited to announce plans to open a new satellite site less than 2 miles from our existing campus. Candidates joining our team should be ready to embrace the unique opportunities the new location will offer and be prepared to work at both sites. This is a fantastic chance to be part of an innovative chapter in our school’s development allowing us to continue to make a positive impact on student’s lives across our community.
New employees joining Oak Grove College are guaranteed a warm welcome from the community. Our motto is that ‘Everyone matters, every day counts’ and we strongly believe that this should include our entire college community. We look forward to getting to know you better and helping you to play your part in providing the very best to our young people.
Job Details
Salary: 37 hours per week; £16.89-£18.36 per hour
Contract Type: Permanent, term time only plus 2 weeks in school holiday and INSET days
Working Pattern: Monday to Thursday 8.30-4.30pm, Friday 8.30-4pm
Location: Worthing
Interviews: Friday 11 September 2026
What You Need to Succeed
We are currently recruiting for Lead Pastoral Officer. Our Pastoral Officers form an important part of our staff team, supporting students and colleagues to give the highest quality holistic support to our young people.
We are looking for individuals with some of the following skills, knowledge and experience:
- able to establish effective relationships with parents/carers, students and outside agencies
- experienced in supporting students to access learning, and producing behaviour and intervention plans
- experienced in supporting people with mental health issues
- experienced in supporting people with social and emotional barriers to learning
- able to engage and motivate students
- ability to supervise students to ensure their safety and positive behaviour
- flexibility to work across the whole college as required
- excellent organisational skills
- able to perform a ‘duty manager’ role
- able to use initiative and lead an effective pastoral support team
- become a PRICE Instructor for the college
- lead and chair meetings and training
- lead on PRICE training for the college
Further Information
Oak Grove College and West Sussex County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. All successful candidates will be subject to an appropriate Disclosure and Barring Service check along with other relevant employment checks, including satisfactory references.
How to Apply
To apply for this role please download the job description and application form below.
Please complete the application form and ensure that you outline your motivations for applying and explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills in the job description).
Once complete please return this to [email protected]
Should you have any questions regarding the role or the application please feel free to email us at [email protected]
NOTE TO CANDIDATES - Please do not select the ‘Apply online’ button as the School processes your applications directly rather than through this site.
The reference number for this role is SCHO02920.
