School Counsellor

Job overview

Are you an experienced counsellor who thrives in working with young people? Would you like to use your skills and experience to support the pastoral and welfare needs of a group of exceptional teenagers? We have a fantastic opportunity for you to join our close-knit pastoral team to provide independent and confidential counselling sessions for students at the Senior School. You will work closely with the Deputy Head (Pastoral), the school’s Health Centre, the DSL and fellow counsellor, leading both 1:1 and small group sessions.
Bedales is a boarding school set in 120 acres of the South Downs National Park in Steep, near Petersfield, Hampshire. The estate includes playing fields, orchards, woodland, pasture and a nature reserve; the countryside comes right to the heart of the school. Bedales is progressively liberal in approach, not for the sake of being different, but because we believe it is important for a properly rounded and relevant education. There is no uniform, and staff and students address each other by first names – just two features of a culture that values the individual, with mutual respect its cornerstone.
Experience & Background
The ideal candidate will have the following skills; post graduate Diploma or Masters level in Counselling or Psychotherapy, further therapeutic training or qualification in working with young people, and an understanding of a humanistic approach to counselling. A knowledge of the developmental, emotional, social and educational issues of young people is required, as well as knowledge of safeguarding and local mental health and CAMHS Services. The ideal candidate will be a member of the BACP.
Duties
You will be responsible for:

• Providing an independent and confidential counselling service to students through individual or small group sessions, including ‘walk and talk’ sessions if appropriate, responding to their personal, social, emotional or educational concerns and taking referrals directly from students or via the health centre and pastoral team.
• Meeting weekly with any other members of the Bedales’ counselling team to review work and to plan, and implement, ongoing improvements to the counselling provision.
  
• Upholding good practice as described by the BACP ethical guidelines.
  
• Keeping the relevant members of the pastoral team up to date in terms of any developing needs of individual students, with the student’s consent.
  
• Supporting referrals to other agencies, as well as always following the school’s safeguarding policy.

This post is Regulated Activity.
Hours of Work
The post is for 27 hours per week to be worked during term time. The days of work can be flexible, and the work pattern will be discussed at interview, bearing in mind that Bedales is a boarding school. You will also be required to attend INSET (staff training) days outside of term time.
This is a term time post working 33 weeks each year.
Salary
£25,541 is the actual salary per annum based on the above hours and weeks of work, inclusive of holiday pay; which is pro-rata of the full time equivalent annual salary of £49,434 per annum.
Benefits

• Lunch provided during Term Time
• Free on-site parking
  
• Funded Healthcare Cash Plan
  
• Pension with Royal London
  
• Salary Extras Benefits Platform
  
• Employee Assistance Programme
  
• Life Assurance
  
• Personal Accident Cover

How to Apply
For further details on the role and how to apply, please visit the recruitment portal on the Bedales Schools website: https://www.bedales.org.uk/about-us/job-vacancies
All other enquiries relating to the recruitment process, should be forwarded to recruitment@bedales.org.uk
Early application is advised as Bedales reserve the right to make an appointment at any stage of the application process.
Closing date: 9.00am on Tuesday 26 August 2025.
Application reviews held via MS Teams on a rolling basis in w/c 26 August 2025.
Interview date: w/c 1 September 2025.
Pre-Appointment Checks
All candidates will undergo a Safeguarding Suitability Interview and application for an Enhanced DBS and Barred List check and be asked to provide evidence they are eligible to work in the UK, on an on-going basis, at the shortlist stage of the selection process.
Safeguarding Statement
The School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Candidates will be required to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), Prohibition from Teaching Checks, Prohibition from Management Checks.
The safeguarding responsibilities of the post include:

• Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children;
• Fostering a culture of openness, safety, equality and protection;
  
• Providing a safe and welcoming environment where both children and adults feel secure, able to talk and believe that they are being listened to;
  
• Playing a key role in prevention of harm and an equal responsibility to act on any suspicion or disclosure that may indicate a child is at risk of harm;
  
• when concerned about the welfare of a pupil, acting in the best interests of the pupil.
  

All staff have a key role to play in identifying concerns early and in providing help for children and are expected to act in accordance with the school Safeguarding & Child Protection Policies.
The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the School is therefore permitted to ask job candidates 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.