Academic & University Guidance Counsellor (July/August 2024)

Reports to: Principal and Head of Secondary

The University Guidance Counsellor role is aimed at supporting students at all grades in preparing for tertiary education. For students in key-stage 5, that would involve, for example, working with different stake-holders to identify desirable courses and helping to prepare UCAS, Common App and similar applications. The counsellor would also be working to support students at Key Stages 3 and 4 in identifying and developing desirable skills and attributes in preparation for their applications later in their academic careers.

In addition to working with students, the role requires an ability to work with stakeholders from across the educational spectrum, including parents, teachers and University admissions officers.

The University Guidance Counsellor will be able to advise the leadership team on changes and trends in admissions. They should have a broad knowledge of the larger University systems and their admissions processes. Similarly, they should have a strong understanding of the attributes desired by top universities and a desire to work with leadership and teachers to implement activities through the school which support the development of those attributes. In addition, they will be able to build productive relationships with parents, students and teachers in order to bring these groups together to attain these goals.

Specific Responsibilities:

University Entrance Applications:

1. Process student applications in relevant applications portals (for e.g. UCAS or BridgeU).
2. Provide quality assurance on reference letters, statements and essays.
3. (In liaison with Head of Secondary and Heads of Department), collate and submit predicted grades.
4. Track and monitor the status of applications to ensure external deadlines are met.
5. (In liaison with Head of Secondary and Heads of Department), identify and advise on alternative pathways for academically under-achieving students.
6. (In liaison with the leadership team), provide training / guidance for staff in writing UCAS comments, letters of recommendation, etc.
7. Collate teacher references for students and ensure they are kept up-to-date.
8. (In liaison with teaching staff), arrange interview practice for Oxbridge / Ivy-League / Russell Group / etc candidates.
9. Work with students to guide and instruct on completing their applications in a timely manner.
10. Provide guidance to students in writing personal statements and essays for US entries, for example.
11. Maintain detailed and accurate records of applications data.
12. (in liaison with heads of department), report to the Head of Secondary and the Principal on the progress of students towards their required offer-grades.
13. Contribute towards improving the school’s success rate in admission of students to top Universities by seeking feedback from Admissions Officers on current trends and specific student applications.
14. Advise Heads of Department on desirable student competitions in support of applications to top universities.
15. Help to review school reference and application policy.

Student and Parent Engagement:

1. Hold regular sessions with groups of KS5 students to guide them in the applications process.
2. Contribute to and present at parent events for University Admissions and Student Options choices.
3. Provide regular and timely information for parents in written communications.
4. Meet with students on a scheduled, individual basis to advise on and monitor progress in applications.
5. Meet with parents on an ad-hoc basis to advise on relevant concerns.
6. Hold regular sessions with groups of KS3 and 4 students to support the development of desirable attributes (e.g. interview skills, academic reading, current affairs)
7. Support the development of promotional material and handbooks.

Additionally, the candidate will be responsible for any other duties relevant to the school, as discussed with the Senior Leadership team.

Relevant Qualifications and Desired Experience:

The ideal candidate would have either a qualification in University/Academic Counselling or Secondary/High-School level teaching credentials (e.g. a PGCE) but also with experience in University Counselling. The candidate would have at least two years of experience in the role (or similar role) and be highly familiar with either the UK or US admissions system.

Professional/Personal Attributes:

• Good communication and presentation skills
• Good interpersonal skills
• Ability to work as part of a team and with a wide network of teachers and families.
• Good cross-cultural skills and understandings
• Confident in using a variety of ICT packages.
• Good organizational skills and the ability to maintain key dates and monitor progress within fixed time frames.
• Be passionate about achieving the best outcomes for our students.
• Be able to work accurately and calmly, and show resilience, when under pressure

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.