Assistant Head of Year

Job Title: Secondary School Support Role

E‑ACT Merchants’ Academy – Ambition, Community, Opportunity

E‑ACT Merchants’ Academy is a welcoming, ambitious all‑through school serving the heart of South Bristol. Spanning Nursery to Sixth Form, the academy provides a strong sense of continuity and community, offering children and young people a supportive, inclusive environment in which to learn and grow.

With a dedicated Primary and Secondary phase, our academy provides a warm, inclusive, and supportive environment where students are encouraged to work hard, embrace challenges, and develop the confidence they need to succeed. Our staff team is committed to delivering a broad and aspirational curriculum, enriched by strong pastoral care and a focus on personal development.

Want to make a difference to young people?

Joining Merchants’ Academy means becoming part of a collaborative, values‑driven educational community. As an E‑ACT colleague, you’ll also have access to excellent professional development, supportive

networks, and the chance to help shape the future of a school committed to raising aspirations and celebrating excellence.

If you are ready to support and inspire children and young people across a diverse and vibrant school community, we would love to hear from you.

Merchants' Academy are seeking a committed, compassionate, and highly organised individual to join our pastoral team as an Assistant Head of Year. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is passionate about supporting young people to achieve their full potential—academically, socially, and emotionally.

Key responsibilities:

Provide operational leadership of the year group, ensuring high expectations for behaviour, attendance, engagement, and conduct.

Maintain a strong, visible presence throughout the school day to promote calm, orderly routines.

Lead day to day behaviour management for the year group, ensuring consistent implementation of the school’s behaviour policy.

Respond to on-call incidents, supporting staff with de-escalation and immediate behaviour intervention.

Conduct daily absence calls and follow-up communication with families.

Act as point of contact for safeguarding concerns within the year group.

Support academic processes operationally within the year group.

Pay range:

 NJC 15 - 21 £26,406.93 - £29,150.18

37 hours per week, 39 weeks per year

Permanent

FTE NJC 15 - 21 £30,024.00 - £33,143.00

Qualifications and Skills:

GCSE Maths and English Grace C or above (or equivalent)

Effective behaviour management skills

Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with pupils and parents/carers

Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with internal colleagues and external agencies

Ability to hold difficult conversations confidently and effectively

Ability to prioritise workload effectively to meet deadlines and work under pressure

What are we about?

Join a trust that is going places!

At E-ACT, we believe every child deserves opportunity. Our ‘Opening Minds, Opening Doors’ strategy breaks down barriers and builds pathways to success; driven by purposeful leadership, collaboration, and innovation. We champion diversity, encourage a people-first culture, and ensure every voice is heard.

We are proud to lead system-wide change both locally and national - providing sector-wide support while transforming futures. Our achievements are recognised through winning MAT of the Year 2023 at the MAT Excellence Awards and National School Awards, and also the TES Trust Leadership Award 2024. E-ACT is recognised for shaping bold educational outcomes. Most recently, two of our Birmingham academies were selected by the Department for Education as RISE Regional Hubs, in recognition of their outstanding work on inclusion and behaviour, a testament to the impact of our people-first culture and relentless drive for excellence.

With 37 academies and over 25,000 pupils, our dedicated staff make excellence possible. We prioritise wellbeing, tackle workload, and continuously raise the bar. We don’t just educate, we inspire ambition and empower every child to thrive.

Benefits: 

Financial and Lifestyle

We offer a strong financial package including access to defined benefit pension schemes (LGPS or TPS), life cover at three times pensionable pay, and 31 days of annual leave for year-round employees. Staff can also benefit from the Cycle to Work scheme, promoting healthy and sustainable commuting.

Professional Growth and Development

We invest heavily in staff development through tailored INSET days and high-quality CPD opportunities. Teaching staff benefit from automatic TLR progression, a structured 9-point pay scale (M1 to UPS3), and full TLR payments for part-time colleagues fulfilling full responsibilities.

Culture and Wellbeing

Our people-first culture values every colleague. We support wellbeing through the Wisdom app and a free Employee Assistance Programme offering counselling and financial advice. Collaboration is at the heart of our Trust, encouraging shared learning and collective success.

Please look at our 'Work for Us' page and Recruitment Pack for more information.

How to apply:

Please read the supporting documentation carefully before completing your application.

E-ACT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and vulnerable adults, and all appointments are subject to enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks and satisfactory references.

E-ACT is also committed to promoting equality, challenging discrimination and developing community cohesion. We welcome applications from all sections of the community.