Dean of Residences & Student Life

Position Title

Dean of Residences & Student Life

(Senior Leadership Position)

Reporting To

School Director (Head of School)

School Context

The school is a K12 co-educational international school with a progressive boarding programme commencing from Grade 3 onwards. Boarding is conceived as a home-away-from-home. Student residences comprise thoughtfully designed study bedrooms with attached bathrooms (not dormitories), supported by age-appropriate pastoral structures, high adult-to-student engagement, and a strong focus on wellbeing, independence, and character development. Separate, purpose-built residential facilities exist for boys and girls, each led by trained Residence Parents and pastoral teams.

Role Purpose

The DEAN is a senior leadership role responsible for shaping an exceptional residential and enrichment experience that truly transforms student lives - residential and day scholars alike. The role exists to ensure that boarding is not merely accommodation, but a deeply enriching, safe, structured, and nurturing environment that complements academic learning and fosters independence, character, wellbeing, and global citizenship.

The DEAN is responsible for architecting a purposeful, high-value residential journey where student engagement is driven by design, never by chance. Beyond ensuring safety and pastoral warmth, the role-holder must curate a daily environment where every student is stretched through a balanced synthesis of physical, emotional, and academic stimulation. This "value-added" experience is anchored in the Pathways World School Happiness Quotient, ensuring that our students aren't just well-cared-for, but are actively thriving through structured challenge and a deep sense of community.

Reporting directly to the School Director, the DEAN provides strategic and operational leadership across student life, student services, enrichment programmes, pastoral care, and residential operations. The incumbent will champion a home-away-from-home philosophy, ensuring every child feels known, supported, challenged, and inspired.

Key Pillars of the Residential Experience

To translate this vision into reality, the role-holder will oversee the development and execution of:

• Dynamic Programming: Designing a robust calendar of enrichment (e.g., Weekend Leadership Expeditions, "The Big Debate" evening series, or the Global Kitchen cultural exchange) that ensures students are meaningfully engaged multiple times daily.
• Strategic Documentation: Authoring and refining comprehensive Student Handbooks and boarding charters that clearly articulate expectations for personal growth and communal responsibility.
• Organized Challenge: Implementing "Strive" pathways that move beyond a formulaic hour-count, instead focusing on high-impact activitiesfrom intensive fitness modules to collaborative academic peer-mentorship.
• Holistic Flourishing: Monitoring the "Happiness Quotient" through regular student audits, ensuring that the warmth and love inherent in our boarding houses are matched by a rigorous pursuit of individual potential.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership of Boarding

• Provide overall leadership, vision, and direction to the boarding programme in alignment with the schools philosophy, mission, and values.
• Develop a contemporary, child-centred boarding culture that balances structure with warmth, independence with guidance, and discipline with empathy.
• Benchmark the boarding programme against best practices from leading international boarding schools globally.
• Contribute actively to the School Leadership Team and whole-school strategic planning.

2. Student Welfare, Pastoral Care & Wellbeing

• Ensure the physical, emotional, social, and psychological wellbeing of all boarders.
• Establish and oversee robust pastoral care systems including mentoring, counselling, wellbeing check-ins, and early-intervention mechanisms.
• Lead age-appropriate approaches to managing adolescence-related issues such as homesickness, peer relationships, emotional regulation, digital wellbeing, identity development, and behavioural concerns.
• Serve as a trusted adult presence and role model, setting high standards of integrity, empathy, self-discipline, and respect.
• Work closely with school counsellors, nurses, safeguarding officers, and external professionals as required.

3. Safeguarding, Safety & Security

• Act as the designated senior leader for boarding safeguarding and child protection, ensuring full compliance with statutory, regulatory, and accreditation requirements.
• Ensure all safeguarding, supervision, health, safety, emergency, and security protocols are current, well understood, and rigorously implemented.
• Lead crisis management and emergency response planning for boarding-related incidents.

4. Boarding Life Programme (After-School, Evenings & Weekends)

• Design, implement, and continuously enhance a vibrant boarding life programme including:
• Sports and physical wellbeing
• Co-curricular and creative pursuits
• Supervised study preparation and academic support
• Life skills and independence training
• Leadership, character, and personality development
• City excursions, cultural exposure, expeditions, and outdoor education
• Community service and social impact initiatives
• Ensure programmes are age-appropriate, inclusive, well-supervised, and aligned with learning outcomes beyond the classroom.

5. Student life - Residential and Day Scholars

• Organise the afterschool activity programme. The programme should involve some teacher and student led activities beyond existing sports programmes.
• Planning and execution of the experiential learning (outdoor education trips) and exchange visits by collaborating with the relevant teams, SLT and external providers.
• Support teachers to improve professional knowledge, skills, and understandings regarding holistic learning, pedagogy, and implementation strategies (Education Outside The Classroom)
• Lead and oversee initiatives related to character development, and the implementation of the PWS strategic plan aimed at human flourishing.
• Plan and provide workshops for parents to enhance their understanding of the schools programmes, culture of care, policies, and procedures - in particular related to Child Safety, Service (across programmes), extra-curricular activities and experiential learning trips (outdoor education).

6. Student Leadership & Agency

• Council Oversight: Provide strategic oversight and mentorship to the Student Council (and/or Boarding Council), ensuring regular meetings and actionable outcomes.
• Leadership Development: Design and implement a leadership training program for Council members, focusing on collaborative decision-making, conflict resolution, and project management.
• Liaison & Advocacy: Act as the bridge between the Student Council and the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), ensuring student-led initiatives regarding campus life, food, and facilities are heard and addressed.
• Democratizing Life: Empower the Council to co-create residential policies, codes of conduct, and weekend activity calendars, fostering a sense of ownership over their "home away from home."
• CAS Integration: Work with students to ensure Council activities meet the requirements for Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS), helping them document their growth as global citizens.

7. Academic Alignment & Student Progress

• Maintain close coordination with academic leadership and teaching teams to ensure seamless integration between boarding and academic life.
• Track and review students academic progress, engagement, and learning behaviours in collaboration with teachers and coordinators.
• Support structured study routines, academic mentoring, and examination preparedness within the residential context.

8. Leadership & Development of Residential Staff

• Recruit, induct, lead, mentor, and appraise Residence Parents and boarding staff.
• Build a strong, professional, caring residential team culture grounded in consistency, accountability, and compassion.
• Design and deliver ongoing professional development in pastoral care, safeguarding, adolescent psychology, behaviour management, and student wellbeing.
• Ensure clear role clarity, SOP adherence, duty rotas, and high standards of residential supervision.

9. Parent Partnership & Communication

• Build strong, trusting relationships with parents as partners in their childs boarding journey.
• Communicate proactively and sensitively regarding student wellbeing, progress, and pastoral matters.
• Handle complex parent conversations with empathy, professionalism, and discretion.
• Participate in parent orientations, boarding briefings, and transition programmes.

10. Policies, SOPs & Compliance

• Review, develop, and regularly update boarding policies, procedures, and standard operating protocols.
• Ensure consistent implementation and documentation across all residences.
• Prepare for and contribute to inspections, audits, and accreditation processes.

11. Operations, Facilities & Estate Coordination

• Work closely with Administration, Operations, Facilities, Security, Medical, Catering, and Transport teams.
• Ensure high standards of upkeep, hygiene, aesthetics, and functionality of student residences.
• Oversee boarding-related budgets, resources, inventories, and service providers.

12. School Representation & Promotion

• Act as an ambassador for the boarding programme during admissions events, school tours, marketing initiatives, and external forums.
• Contribute to school publications, digital content, and thought leadership related to boarding and student wellbeing.