Aspen Heights British School (AHBS) is a truly inclusive school based on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi. We are proud of our inclusive ethos and our commitment to ensuring all children are provided with personalised learning experiences and the proper support to ensure they can make progress in learning in all areas.
Core Purpose:
The Counsellor\xe2\x80\x99s priority is to support the academic and social welfare of pupils by initiating and maintaining a positive relationship with pupils, staff and families in order to enhance the school\xe2\x80\x99s academic mission of providing amazing learning. He/she is also responsible for engaging the community in building cooperative partnerships for the sake of a pupil\xe2\x80\x99s success. He/she is expected to develop a healthy, safe and productive environment in which pupils can achieve their potential and are required to counsel and support pupils on personal development issues or when dealing with complex and sensitive issues.
Main Responsibilities:
Fully support the mission and vision of Aspen Heights British School
Fully support ISPs vision of \xe2\x80\x98Amazing Learning\xe2\x80\x99 for the school
Helping children manage their feelings and deal with a range of incidents
Providing group and individual support on an ad hoc and planned time to talk basis
Providing group and individual interventions to support the development students\xe2\x80\x99 non-academic skills
Managing playground games, buddies and other systems within the school
Monitoring and managing pupil attendance and punctuality
Providing formal counselling with consent of the family
Supporting staff in managing incidents and behaviour
Supporting families \xe2\x80\x93 individuals, support groups and larger groups e.g. through workshops
Working with staff to analyse in school assessments
Working with the inclusion team, medical and safeguarding staff to provide the very best pastoral care for children
Taking responsibility for personal professional development, keeping up to date with research and developments which may lead to improvements in the counselling service provided, arranging and delivering relevant training for staff as and when needs are identified.
Meeting the requirements of the local regulatory body
Contributing to the safe and smooth day to day running of the school
Providing training to support staff understanding of mental health needs and disorders
Health and Safety
Emphasises the importance of safety in all areas of the curriculum, communicating to the students the importance of a responsible attitude towards personal safety, the safety of others and respect for Aspen Heights British School\xe2\x80\x99s property and equipment
Safeguard Aspen students
Take all necessary and reasonable precautions to protect students, equipment, materials, and facilities
Assist in implementing all policies and rules governing student life and conduct
Ensure that, all the necessary health and safety rules and procedures are being followed
Maintain an awareness of all the health and safety measures to be taken when in school
Communication & Working Relationships
Internal
Staff
Student
External
Parents
Vendors
Knowledge & Skills
Minimum Educational Qualifications Required for the Role
Psychology Degree
Counselling certification
Minimum Years of Experience Required
Minimum 5 years of relevant experience
Supporting the emotional wellbeing of children in a school setting
Must hold a current Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure, or equivalent, for countries lived in outside of the UK
Child Care and Protection training
Language Skills
English is mandatory
Special Skills and Abilities
Competencies:
Outstanding performance in counselling & wellbeing in a school setting
Excellent communication skills and command of the English language, in spoken and written form
Presentation skills with the ability to present information in a concise and professional manner to a variety of audiences
Organization skills: well organized and able to prioritize, multi tasks and meet deadlines
The ability to work on a regular and punctual basis
Flexible and work well under pressure
Customer service
Critical thinking
Ability to negotiate, persuade and motivate others
Willing attitude to be a part of the school team
Strong sense of professionalism
Safeguarding and welfare of children
A collaborative team-player with excellent interpersonal skills
The ability to develop good personal relationships within a team
Behaviour management
Demonstrated competency to use computer applications related to the role, including word processing and spreadsheet applications
Record keeping and report preparation methods
Interpersonal skills including tact, courtesy and patience
Customer focused
Willingness to undertake appropriate Professional Development
Attributes:
Empathetic listener
Integrity and confidentiality
Internationally minded
Emotional intelligence
Intercultural awareness, creative
Flexible and a can-do attitude
Passionate about delivering quality education
Able to command respect of pupils, colleagues and parents
Driven by wanting to improve quality and develop the school
Reliable with an attention to detail and a commitment to quality
An innovator with a willingness to embrace change
Whilst every effort has been made to explain the main duties and responsibilities of the post, each individual task undertaken may not be identified.
Employees will be expected to comply with any reasonable request from a manager to undertake work of a similar level that is not specified in this job description.
Employees are expected to be courteous to colleagues and provide a welcoming environment to visitors and telephone callers.
Approvals
Line Manager:
Principal:
Employee:
HR:
The International Schools Partnership
Aspen Heights British School is part of The International Schools Partnership (ISP).
The International Schools Partnership (ISP) is a growing group of committed colleagues in financially responsible schools around the world, all of which aim to be the school of choice in their local area. Learning is at the heart of everything we do for our pupils, colleagues and parents. We are committed to getting better, all the time.
ISP was founded by an experienced team of committed educationalists and commercial operators who have worked together over many years. Our growing group of private schools located in the UK, the USA, Europe, Costa Rica, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Mexico and Peru educate children and pupils from 2-18 years of age. We have now expanded to 45 schools delivering multiple curricula and building on local brands and reputations with around 45,000 pupils and 7,000 staff located across the globe.
We believe that successful schools are the ones that put learning at the heart of everything they do, always aiming to create rounded individuals that are able to forge successful careers and lives in a rapidly changing world. Our goal is to enable our schools as the leading school of choice in their local area. We are a truly international group working in different cultures and speaking different languages. We work across countries and cultures, too, by working with each other and with other schools and communities. At ISP we continue to engage with schools around the world who are interested in becoming part of our global group of schools and look forward to welcoming more pupils and staff to the group.
All our schools:
Help children and pupils learn to levels that amaze them.
Inspire children and pupils to be successful now and equip them to be successful later.
Are truly international, working in partnerships within and across regions, cultures and languages.
Aim to be the schools of choice for children, pupils and their families, wherever we are.
Aspen Heights British School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All shortlisted candidates and post holders are subject to appropriate International Criminal and Child Protection Background Checks or equivalent, covering the previous 10 years of employment history. Aspen Heights British School recruit teachers in several ways including direct application to the school and through international teacher recruitment agencies and organizations.