Wellington College Education (China)

Role Description

JOB TITLE

Deputy Head of Primary School (Pastoral)

DEPARTMENT

Primary School

LOCATION

Shanghai

SUPERVISOR

Responsible to: the Master and members of the Senior Leadership Team. Line managed by Head of Primary School

Responsible for: the direct line management of Primary Heads of Year, the Primary Learning Support Coordinator, Head of Primary English Language Support (ELS) and the Head of Primary PE to help promote a culture of wellness in the school.

OBJECTIVES

The Deputy Head of Primary (Pastoral) is a key leader within the Primary School Senior Management Team (SMT), instrumental in shaping the strategic direction and daily excellence of the school. Working in close partnership with the Master and the Head of Primary, the Deputy Head fosters an outstanding school culture rooted in Wellington College’s values of kindness, responsibility, respect, courage and integrity.

This role demands a dynamic balance of strategic vision and operational precision, ensuring the Primary School delivers a well-rounded, engaging, and effective education for every pupil.

As the key leader of pastoral care, the Deputy Head safeguards pupil well-being, promotes positive behaviour, and oversees inclusive practices to create a nurturing environment where all children thrive. They lead by example, modelling exceptional relationships with pupils, staff, and parents, while serving as the primary liaison for safeguarding, welfare, and communication. There is a requirement to plan and lead school assemblies, CPD sessions on pastoral care and ensure high quality delivery of the PSHE curriculum. The Deputy Head must also deputise for the Headteacher when required, representing the school with authority and empathy in meetings, assemblies, and written correspondence.

Beyond pastoral leadership, the role ensures the smooth functioning of daily operations—from timetabling and staff coordination to event planning and pupil transitions. With a reduced teaching commitment, the Deputy Head remains connected to the classroom while driving initiatives that measurably enhance pupil outcomes, attendance, and community engagement. Above all, this role demands a skilled communicator, a proactive, collaborative leader, and a passionate advocate for Wellington’s vision, capable of uniting all stakeholders around a shared commitment to excellence.

Key Leadership Mindset:

• "Big Picture" Thinking – Balancing day-to-day operations with long-term strategic goals.

• Servant Leadership – Supporting teachers and staff throughout the College to reduce their administrative burden.

• Growth Mindset – Continuously seeking better ways to use data for school improvement.

• Mentoring and coaching - support the administrative team in in upskilling to fulfil roles and career aspirations

The post holder should exhibit a combination of strategic, analytical, operational, and people leadership behaviours.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

General Responsibilities:

The Deputy Head is responsible for the efficient and purposeful operation of the Primary School daily, such that policies and procedures are well understood, properly implemented, and successfully directed towards ensuring the school is a flourishing community. This includes responsibility for the following areas:

• development, implementation and review of policy documents and strategic plans as they relate to pastoral care, in consultation with the Head of Primary School and relevant members of the SMT.

• assisting the Head of Primary in managing parental concerns and communications, in conjunction with SMT colleagues.

• taking a lead role in identifying and acting on deficiencies in, or opportunities to improve, the physical environment of the school.

• Promote a culture of healthy living, physical and mental wellness, rest and nutrition.

• any other duties reasonably expected by the Master or the Head of Primary

Specific Responsibilities for Deputy Head (Pastoral):

Behaviour, Wellbeing & Safeguarding

• Lead on promoting high standards of pupil behaviour, ensuring clear, consistent systems are in place across the primary school.

• Investigate and reporting on significant behaviour incidents that may require a judgment by the headteacher.

• Monitor pupil wellbeing through daily mood checks, pastoral meetings, and termly Pupil Attitudes to School and Self (PASS) surveys, using data to inform support strategies.

• Serve as one of the named Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads (DDSLs) for the Primary School.

• Be responsible for ensuring statutory safeguarding training for all staff in the Primary School.

• Maintain clear processes for reporting welfare concerns.

• Liaise with external agencies and Central Office on serious welfare cases.

Operations & Communications

To manage primary school operations, including:

• Draft timetables, duty rotas, and cover arrangements for absent staff

• Organise break/lunchtime supervision, ensuring safe and well-staffed routines.

• School trips, including risk assessments and parental communications.

• The Primary school calendar, working with the admin team to plan events, avoid clashes, and communicate dates promptly (e.g., via The Week Ahead newsletter).

• Oversee internal communications, ensuring parents and staff are informed of key updates.

• Ensure that pupils and staff have clarity on expectations and requirements in relation to the daily operation of the school.

House System & Pupil Engagement

• Work with the Primary School House Coordinators and the Director of Houses to strengthen the Primary School House System, ensuring it is vibrant and inclusive.

• Lead the Primary School House Coordinators in the planning and delivery of an engaging programme of house events, competitions , and activities throughout the year.

• Promote pupil leadership opportunities (e.g., House Captains) to foster community spirit.

• Work with colleagues to ensure that there are effective ways through which pupils can articulate, formally and informally, their views, concerns, ideas and aspirations concerning the school as a whole.

Inclusion & Learning Support

• Line-manage the Learning Support Team, ensuring effective pastoral support for pupils with additional needs (SEND, SEMH, etc.)

• Oversee inclusion strategies, working with teachers, parents, and external specialists to create tailored support plans.

• Ensure early identification of pupils needing pastoral or academic interventions, tracking progress and adjusting support as needed.

• Ensure that the Learning Support Co-ordinator is able to collaborate effectively with external agencies (e.g., speech therapists, educational psychologists) to tailor support plans.

• Monitor the impact of interventions, adjusting provision to ensure all pupils thrive socially and academically.

• Oversee the English Language Support (EAL) Team, ensuring:

• Pupils with English as an Additional Language are identified, assessed, and supported appropriately.

• Work with the Primary Learning Support Co-ordinator to ensure that teachers receive guidance on scaffolding strategies for EAL learners in mainstream classes.

• Track progress of EAL learners and ensure that support is adjusted as needed.

Admissions & Pupil Retention

• Take a lead role for the primary school admissions process, including assessments, parent meetings, and transition processes.

• Monitor pupil retention, working with key staff to engage families of potential leavers, address concerns, and promote the school’s value to retain pupils.

Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) & Enrichment

• Partner with the Enrichment Team and Second Master to deliver a high-quality CCA programme, ensuring:

• Adequate staff coverage for activities.

• Diversity of offerings (academic, arts, sports, etc.).

• Regular monitoring and evaluation of CCA impact, reporting to SLT.

Health, Safety & Facilities

Work with the School Bursar and Services Team to:

• Oversee lunch service logistics (dietary needs, seating, behaviour)

• Address primary school health and safety (e.g., site checks, risk assessments).

Staff Leadership & Professional Standards

• Provide support for Heads of Year to ensure the development and application of effective systems for tracking and responding to positive/negative behaviour, across all areas, including academic progress, attendance and punctuality, and appearance.

• Monitor staff punctuality and attendance, addressing patterns of concern.

• Support staff wellbeing, promoting work-life balance and morale.

Strategic Leadership

• Deputise for the Head of Primary when required.

• Contribute to the School Development Plan (SDP), focusing on pastoral priority

BASIC QUALIFICATION

Education:

Bachelor’s degree or above, plus PGCE/QTS or other recognised teaching qualification. A post-graduate qualification such as MEd or NPQSL would be an advantage.

Working experience:

A minimum of 10 years’ experience working in primary education required.

EXPERTISE

• Sound knowledge of the English National Curriculum

• Understanding of international or independent education preferred

• Strong pedagogical knowledge and understanding

As an employer of choice, Wellington College Education (China) is committed to making professional learning and personal development central to its ethos and approach. WCEC fully recognises its responsibilities for safeguarding children. Our safeguarding policy applies to all staff, governors and volunteers working in the Group.