About the School
Headfort School is a distinctive and much-loved independent day and boarding school for primary-age children, offering an educational experience that combines academic ambition, pastoral care, creativity, independence and a strong sense of community. As Ireland’s only day and boarding school dedicated to younger pupils, Headfort provides a unique environment in which children can learn, live, grow and develop confidence within a safe, kind and respectful culture.
The school is proud of its heritage and deeply committed to its future. As Headfort enters the first phase of its three-year strategy, it is strengthening the systems, leadership and operational structures that support an exceptional boarding experience for pupils and families. The appointment of a Boarding & Operations Administrator is central to this ambition.
With boarders aged 10 to 13 living in the House, the Boarding House must offer the highest standards of care, safeguarding, communication, routine and organisation. It must be a place where children feel secure, known and supported, and where parents have confidence that their child is being cared for with professionalism, warmth and consistency.
This new role will provide dedicated leadership for the Boarding House and will oversee the day-to-day operations that allow boarding life to run safely and effectively. The postholder will support staff, manage systems, lead risk and reporting processes, strengthen parent engagement, and ensure that boarding routines, records, excursions, communications and administrative responsibilities are delivered to a high standard.
As a member of the School Executive, the Boarding & Operations Administrator will play an important role in shaping the culture and future development of boarding at Headfort. The role requires practical operational strength, excellent communication, sound judgement and a clear commitment to the school’s purpose: to provide children with an outstanding place to learn, live and flourish.
The Purpose:
The purpose of the Boarding & Operations Administrator is to provide safe, stable and effective leadership of the Headfort School Boarding House, ensuring that pupils are cared for, supported and safeguarded within a warm, structured and child-centred environment. As a key member of the School Executive, the postholder will oversee the day-to-day operations of boarding, support and manage boarding staff, strengthen communication with parents, and contribute to the school’s strategic ambition to build Headfort’s profile as a centre of learning excellence and a unique place for children to live and grow.
The Responsibilities:
- Manage the day-to-day operation of the Headfort School Boarding House, ensuring pupils are safe, supported, accounted for and cared for within clear routines and expectations.
- Provide leadership and practical support to the Senior House Parent, Night Parent and boarding staff, helping to maintain a warm, structured and child-centred environment.
- Oversee boarding operations including staffing cover, evening and morning routines, mealtimes, prep, activities, outings, weekend provision and overnight cover when required.
- Respond calmly and appropriately to pastoral, medical, behavioural, safeguarding or emergency matters, following school procedures and escalating concerns when required.
- Maintain accurate records and reports relating to attendance, incidents, first aid, risk assessments, safeguarding concerns, activities and operational matters.
- Promote positive behaviour through consistency, patience, clear boundaries and fair, age-appropriate reinforcement of school expectations.
- Communicate effectively with pupils, parents, boarding staff, the Head of School and the wider School Executive on pupil welfare, staffing and boarding operations.
- Support parent engagement through professional, timely communication that builds confidence in the boarding experience.
- Contribute to the development of boarding strategy, procedures and standards as part of the school’s wider ambition to grow its profile as a centre of learning excellence.
- Maintain professional boundaries, confidentiality and discretion in all matters relating to pupils, families, staff and school operations.
Communications, Parent Engagement & Onboarding:
- Manage all Boarding House communications, including emails, phone calls, written correspondence and day-to-day parent queries, ensuring responses are professional, timely and consistent.
- Act as a key point of contact for parents and guardians, building strong relationships and maintaining confidence in the care, safety and progress of each child.
- Lead parent-facing presentations and information sessions that clearly explain boarding routines, expectations, support structures and the wider Headfort School boarding experience.
- Coordinate the onboarding of new boarding families and pupils, ensuring parents and children receive clear guidance, practical information and reassurance before arrival and during transition into boarding life.
- Provide regular, consistent updates to parents on student wellbeing, routines, progress, achievements and any matters requiring support or follow-up.
- Maintain accurate records of parent communications, agreed actions and follow-up matters, ensuring relevant staff are informed where appropriate.
Risk, Staffing & Systems Management:
- Lead monthly reviews of risk across the West Wing and Boarding House, identifying concerns, recording actions and ensuring follow-up is completed in a timely manner.
- Complete, update and maintain all risk assessments relating to boarders’ excursions, activities, outings and residential routines, ensuring appropriate controls are in place.
- Maintain clear reporting systems for risk, incidents, safeguarding concerns, first aid matters and operational issues, ensuring records are accurate, accessible and compliant with school procedures.
- Regularly evaluate boarding staff performance, practice and deployment, providing feedback and identifying training, support or resource needs where appropriate.
- Participate in recruitment processes for House Parents and boarding staff, including interviews, selection discussions and onboarding planning.
- Use Microsoft Office and related digital systems to a high standard, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Teams, to manage communications, records, reports, presentations, schedules and operational planning.
Student Records, Reports & Digital Administration:
- Maintain accurate, complete and up-to-date student files for all boarders, ensuring information is organised, secure and readily accessible to authorised staff.
- Manage boarding-related medical records, welfare notes, permissions, contact details and key pupil information in line with school procedures and confidentiality requirements.
- Coordinate and maintain school reports, progress notes and relevant boarding records so that student development, wellbeing and support needs are consistently documented.
- Ensure records and administrative systems are digitised wherever possible, reducing reliance on handwritten processes and supporting clear, efficient and consistent information management.
- Manage and maintain the Boarding House database, ensuring information is accurate, regularly updated and used effectively to support boarding operations, communication, reporting and safeguarding.
- Review administrative systems regularly and recommend improvements to strengthen accuracy, efficiency, compliance and ease of access for relevant staff.
People Management & Professional Development:
- Lead regular evaluation and observation of boarding staff practice, ensuring standards of care, supervision, communication and professionalism are consistently maintained.
- Provide constructive feedback to House Parents and boarding staff, identifying strengths, areas for development and any support required to improve practice.
- Ensure boarding staff have regular access to relevant professional development, training and guidance, including safeguarding, pastoral care, first aid, behaviour support and boarding best practice.
- Promote a culture of reflection, accountability and continuous improvement within the Boarding House team.
- Maintain a clear commitment to current best practice in boarding, child welfare, supervision, staff management and operational leadership.
Out-of-Hours Support, Team Culture & Values:
- Be available to work outside normal hours as required, including evenings, overnight periods, weekends and school events, in line with the operational needs of the Boarding House.
- Provide on-call support to respond promptly to the needs of the Senior House Parent and Night Parent, particularly in relation to pupil welfare, staffing cover, emergencies and operational continuity.
- Work collaboratively with the Senior House Parent, Night Parent and wider boarding team, ensuring clear communication, shared responsibility and consistent support for pupils.
- Contribute actively to a positive Boarding House culture where pupils and staff feel safe, supported and valued.
- Model and reinforce the school’s core expectations of being safe, kind and respectful in all interactions with pupils, parents, colleagues and visitors.
- Support a team culture that promotes trust, consistency, accountability and high standards of care across the Boarding House.
Essential Skills:
- Strong understanding of safeguarding, duty of care and child-centred practice, with the judgement to respond appropriately to welfare, pastoral, behavioural, medical and emergency situations.
- Proven ability to manage boarding or residential routines, including supervision, staffing cover, pupil movement, activities, excursions, evenings, weekends and overnight requirements.
- Excellent communication skills, with confidence managing emails, phone calls, correspondence, parent updates, presentations, onboarding and sensitive conversations with families and staff.
- Strong organisational and administrative skills, including accurate management of student files, medical records, school reports, permissions, progress notes and boarding documentation.
- High level of competence with Microsoft Office and digital systems, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Teams, with the ability to manage databases and support digitised records and reporting.
Pay: €28,300.00-€47,014.79 per year
Work Location: In person
