THE ROLE
The Master/Mistress in College is the traditional title of the resident Housemaster/mistress of the original College Boarding House. In this role, as Housemaster/mistress they have oversight for the pupil’s academic and personal development and is an important point of contact for parents. They are responsible for building a cohesive, supportive home community encouraging the pupils to contribute positively to the House and the wider school.
The College identity is strong providing a sense of community and belonging with a strong emphasis on mutual support, a commitment to the values and culture of the school.
The Master/Mistress in College is supported by an Assistant House Don (called College Tutor), a resident matron and a team of resident house tutors within easy walking distance of the House.
Responsible to: The Headmaster and Bursar via the Second Master.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The following summary of duties is intended to assist Housemaster/mistresses in their respective responsibilities.
Pastoral Care
Working with others
Administration
Admissions
KEY QUALITIES
The successful candidate will be/have:
BENEFITS AND TERMS OF SERVICE
Salary
Winchester College has its own generous salary scale, which is above the national scale. In addition to salary, the school allocates a Special Responsibility Allowance (SRA) to those with additional roles such as the Housemaster/mistress of College which will be negotiated at the appropriate level. This appointment will commence on 1 September 2022 and will be a ten year term in the first instance.
Accommodation
Accommodation is provided within the buildings of the House.
Induction and Continuous Training
The school is fully committed to the induction and training of all staff. All staff are well supported when they arrive, with help and advice available from Heads of Department, Housemaster/mistress, and the Director of Studies, who has specific responsibility for overseeing the induction process.
All members of the Common Room are encouraged to subscribe to external CPD courses. In addition, we deliver a range of training, run by both our own staff and external providers, ranging from highly practical First Aid courses to seminars and learning lunches on many aspects of teaching and learning.
There is an annual cycle of appraisal offering the opportunity to reflect on professional practice and development opportunities.
Private Health Care and Pension
The successful applicant will be enrolled in the school’s Corporate Health Scheme in accordance with the current rules of the Scheme. Membership of the Scheme does not extend to family members and is a taxable benefit in kind.
Pension, and Life Cover (4 times salary) are part of the package.
Probation, Notice Periods
The first twenty-four months of employment will be a probationary period. Regular reviews with line managers take place over the probation period with the opportunity to discuss progress, identify any areas for action and ensure that there is appropriate guidance and support in place to enable successful completion of the probationary period.
During the probationary period, the notice required by either party to terminate employment will be eight weeks. Once employment is confirmed, the notice period will increase to one full term.
Disclosure Check
As Winchester College is an educational establishment, a condition of employment will be that the successful candidate must consent to the school obtaining an Enhanced Level Disclosure check through the Disclosure and Barring Service. This will reveal all spent and unspent convictions, warnings, cautions and bind-overs. A policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders is available on the school’s website.
Safeguarding is one of the prime responsibilities of this role. The jobholder’s responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young persons for whom they are responsible, or with whom they come into contact with, will be to adhere to and ensure compliance with the school’s Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy at all times.
A Housemaster/mistress should be conversant with the responsibilities and procedures detailed in this policy and with the Department for Education’s Keeping Children Safe in Education. If, in the course of carrying out the duties of the post, the Housemaster/mistress becomes aware of any actual or potential risks to the safety or welfare of children in the school, they must report any concerns to the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead or in his/her absence the Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead.
References and Other Pre-employment Checks
The appointment will be dependent on the receipt of a successful medical check and satisfactory references. The College will usually seek references from shortlisted candidates before interview and may approach previous employers for information to verify particular experience or qualifications. At least one referee must be the current or most recent employer. Where applicants are not currently working with children but have done so in the past, one referee must be the person by whom they were most recently employed when working with children.
Data Protection
Winchester College collects and processes relevant personal data as part of its everyday operations and is obliged to process it in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018.
The school is the Data Controller of this data under the Act and is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office; its registration number is Z5751669.
Any queries about this policy or how personal data is processed by the school should be referred to the Data Protection Liaison Officer.