Boarding School Housemistress 

Jayne Dickinson

Sheffield High School - Class of 2001

I have been a Deputy Housemistress of a private all-girls' boarding school for almost a year now.  Before that, I graduated with a BA in Linguistics in 2004, and then I completed a Trinity Certificate for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (T.E.S.O.L.).  Following this, I taught English in a private school in Seoul, South Korea.  On my return to the U.K., I was quickly able to secure this job as a Deputy Housemistress. 

My role is in a residential, pastoral capacity.  I live in a Boarding House for girls aged 14 - 16 years' old and my main priority is their pastoral care.  This involves initiating tutorials with the girls and writing their termly reports.  I also organise activities for them at the weekends as well as their travel arrangements, and I complete a fair amount of administrative work.  The job includes more mundane but important tasks too, such as waking the girls up in the morning, taking registers at meal times, answering the door and taking telephone calls.  I participate in school events, such as staff meetings, assemblies, prizegiving, Church services and sports' day.

I am very happy to offer advice to anyone who is interested in working in education, either from a teaching or a pastoral point of view.  This job is suitable for anyone considering a pastoral role in an educational environment, or anyone who would like experience in a school before embarking on a P.G.C.E. or other type of teaching course.  It is particularly interesting if you have a background in languages and/or enjoy learning about other cultures.  I am also able to offer advice on teaching English abroad.

The things I most enjoy about my job are:

1.  the interaction with the girls;

2.  seeing an activity/trip come together after you've spent weeks organising it and seeing the girls really enjoy themselves;

3.  working closely with the Senior Housemistress, House Assistants, cleaners etc.  You are part of a community and the sense of working together as a team is incredible.

The one thing I least like about my job is the unsociable hours.  I am able to provide a 'typical timetable' for a day or a week on request.

For anyone considering residential pastoral work, I would give the following basic advice:

1.  You must be able to prioritize and organise things effectively, particularly as the hours are long and tiring.

2.  You must be calm and patient at all times, as the job can be stressful at times, with pressure from the girls, their parents, teachers and other staff.

3.  Read up on child protection and health issues.  It is also helpful if you are First Aid trained, although this can be provided by your employer once you begin the job.

4.  It is useful to gain some assertiveness skills before starting the job, particularly for leading House meetings and for disciplinary issues.

5.  Any background in organising activities for children would be useful. e.g. childminding; helping on summer/sports camps; youth group work; Brownies/Guides/Scouts work etc.

Please do email me if you have any questions.