POSITION DESCRIPTION

Westminster is an Early Learning to Year 12, coeducational day and boarding, Uniting Church school with a proud

history and an exciting future. We commit to helping all students and staff achieve more than they thought possible
through an adventurous education, which takes place anytime our students are challenged in their learning and
when staff explore new opportunities to improve their profession. Since opening in 1961, Westminster’s vibrant
sense of community has shaped our welcoming, down-to-earth character, enriched by School values of being

brave, humble, kind, authentic, resilient and curious.

Position name Senior Boarding and Pastoral Supervisor

Area of School Boarding

Employment Status Permanent Part Time

Employment Conditions
Westminster School Inc. Teaching Staff and School Assistants
Enterprise Agreement 2024

Key Relationships

The Senior Boarding and Pastoral Supervisor functionally reports to

the Head of Boys’ or Girls’ Boarding and will liaise closely with the
Boarding and Pastoral Supervisors, Wellbeing staff, the Director of
Boarding, boarding students and families. Boarding staff are
ultimately responsible to the Principal via the Director of Boarding.

Position Objective:
Lead and supervise allocated boarding shifts to ensure staff deliver consistent, child -safe supervision, pastoral care,

student routines and operational handovers. Provide functional direction to Boarding Supervisors on duty while

implementing the approved program under the Heads of Boarding.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Leadership and supervision of rostered shifts
• Act as the designated Senior Boarding Supervisor for allocated shifts, taking operational responsibility for the

safe and orderly delivery of the approved shift plan.

- At shift commencement, confirm staffing, student numbers, duty-phone coverage, supervision zones, known

risks, student support alerts, planned movements and outstanding handover actions.

- Direct and supervise Boarding and Pastoral Supervisors and other staff rostered to the shift: allocate

immediate duties, explain priorities, check standards of practice, adjust task allocations as operational needs

change and ensure staff know who holds decision-making authority.

- Observe and actively support staff performance during the shift, providing practical guidance, coaching and

immediate corrective direction for unsafe or inconsistent practice; refer repeated or formal performance
matters to the relevant Head of Boarding.

- Monitor supervision coverage throughout the shift, including meals, study, recreation, transport transitions,

evening routines, bedtime and early-morning arrangements as applicable.

- Coordinate breaks and short-term coverage within approved staffing arrangements; report unfilled shifts,

fatigue risks, absences and potential coverage breaches to the relevant Head of Boarding without delay.

- Lead structured face-to-face and written handovers, clearly assigning follow-up actions and escalating

unresolved matters to the Head of Boarding.

- Complete a shift-lead summary that identifies attendance exceptions, incidents, wellbeing matters,

maintenance concerns, parent contacts and decisions made within delegation.

2. Student care, safeguarding and pastoral practice.
• Provide visible and approachable leadership, knowing boarders as individuals and promoting a calm,

inclusive, supportive residential environment.

- Monitor emerging concerns including homesickness, friendship difficulties, bullying, attendance patterns,

tiredness and behaviour, and refer matters requiring plans or further intervention to the relevant Head of
Boarding.

- Ensure individual care instructions and approved student support plans are understood by staff on duty while

respecting confidentiality and need-to-know access.

- Guide staff to use respectful behaviour interventions and timely,



factual documentation; notify the relevant

Head of Boarding of recurring, serious or sensitive concerns.

- Oversee day-to-day welfare checks, study support, wellbeing routines and appropriate communication with

the Health Centre and teaching staff through approved channels.

- Respond initially to urgent safeguarding, medical, missing student and serious behaviour matters, secure

immediate safety, contact emergency services when required and escalate promptly in accordance with
School procedures.

3. Daily operations and student movements
• Oversee implementation of daily boarding routines and ensure room, common-area, meal and study

supervision is delivered as rostered.

- Check that boarder sign-in/sign-out, attendance and leave records are accurate in Orah and that exceptions

are followed up immediately using approved escalation pathways.

- Coordinate approved travel, transport and exeat movements during the shift; verify relevant permissions

and refer any exceptions rather than approving changes outside delegation.

- Check student movements between boarding areas, school commitments, off -campus activities and

authorised leave, including return times and overdue protocols.

- Identify urgent facilities, security, cleaning, catering and equipment concerns; arrange immediate controls

and raise work requests for management follow-up.

- Assist with approved excursions and activities through attendance checks, staffing allocations,

communication and implementation of documented safety controls.

4. Communication, records and program support

- Serve as the first operational escalation point for staff on the designated shift and provide timely, explicit

factual updates to the relevant Head of Boarding.

- Maintain professional and accurate notes, incident reports and shift records, recognising the difference

between factual observation and clinical or disciplinary conclusions.

- Communicate routine practical information with families where authorised; refer significant complaints,

formal behaviour matters, ongoing wellbeing concerns and sensitive decisions to the relevant Head of
Boarding.

- Participate in boarding staff meetings, operational reviews, term start-up preparation and required training.

- Identify process inconsistencies, training needs and opportunities to improve the boarding experience and

make recommendations through the Head of Boarding.

- Support WEST 360, West Mate, student leadership, student voice and programmed activities as directed,

helping staff deliver the approved program consistently.

5. Authority and accountability

- May direct and supervise staff duties as a functional shift supervisor during an allocated shift within the

approved roster and documented procedures, noting that the substantive line management of staff sits with
the relevant Head of Boarding.

- May take immediate reasonable action to maintain safety and continuity of care, with prompt escalation and

documentation.

- Reports operational risks and proposed improvements to the relevant Head of Boarding who retains overall

accountability for house operations, parent case management and staffing.

- Complete shift-lead handover to the incoming designated person before leaving duty; escalate unresolved

safety issues before departure.

- Be available for changes to rostered shifts only in accordance with the enterprise agreement and reasonable

operational arrangements.

Key Selection Criteria: Qualifications, Skills and Experience





- Demonstrated experience supervising young people in a school boarding house, residential setting, youth

program or comparable care environment.
- Demonstrated capacity to lead rostered teams on shift, prioritise student safety, delegate tasks and maintain

staff supervision coverage.
- Sound knowledge of duty of care, child protection, supervision ratios and escalation pathways, including

student leave and emergency responses.
- Proficiency with student information, incident and leave systems, and the ability to write clear factual reports

and handovers.
- Sound judgement in time-sensitive incidents, professional communication and confidence in coaching

colleagues.
- Current Working with Children Check and completion of mandatory child-safe screening requirements.

- Current First Aid/CPR and RRHAN-EC (or ability to obtain and maintain before undertaking applicable duties).

• Current driver’s licence; LR licence where required for allocated transport duties (or capacity to obtain as

agreed).
• Completion and maintenance of School required compliance and professional learning.

Key Selection Criteria: Personal Qualities

- Warm, approachable and fair, with a commitment to making every boarder feel known, safe and heard.

- Reliable, organised, resilient and able to maintain professional boundaries and confidentiality.

• Culturally responsive, inclusive and respectful when working with boarders, families and colleagues.
• Collaborative, flexible and committed to consistency between Boys’ and Girls’ Boarding and the wider School.
• Able to work rostered hours, including evenings and weekends, and sleepover arrangements where expressly

required.

Child safety, work health and safety
All staff must:

- Actively safeguard boarders, maintain appropriate qualified boundaries and promptly report all suspected

harm, disclosures, risks and concerns through the School’s child-safe and mandatory reporting processes.
- Maintain active supervision and awareness of boarder whereabouts; ensuring boarders are supervised in line

with approved supervision plans or directions.
• Follow individual student wellbeing, medical and risk-management plans within role authorisation; refer

clinical decisions and medication administration to appropriately authorised staff and in accordance with
procedures.

- Use approved Orah and School systems for attendance, leave, incidents, handovers and records, maintaining

confidentiality and accurate, timely entries.
- Participate in emergency responses, lockdowns, evacuations, first aid and missing/overdue boarder processes

within training and the direction of the appointed incident lead.
- Model restorative, consistent and respectful approaches to behaviour .

• Identify and report hazards, incidents, near misses, security concerns and maintenance issues promptly, taking

immediate proportionate steps to protect students.

- Promote inclusive practice and cultural safety for students from diverse backgrounds, including rural,

interstate and international boarding families.

Conditions of Employment

- All applicants must be eligible to work in Australia

• All staff must satisfy child protection screening and adhere to Westminster’s Child Safety and Wellbeing policy,

including maintaining a current working with children clearance (WWCC)

- Current Provide First Aid training

• Current Responding to Risks of Harm, Abuse and Neglect – Education and Care certification
• 6 month probationary period applies to all new employees
• No position description can capture the complexity of tasks within a school. Therefore, this position

description should not be seen as limiting and some flexibility is required. There will be tasks not described
above, within the scope of the classification level, that may be given to this position from time to time.

Updated: October 2026

📌 Senior Boarding and Pastoral Supervisors (Marion)
🏢 Westminster School
📍 Marion