The Basildon Academies are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects staff to share this commitment. The successful applicant will be subject to DBS and health checks.

We currently have an exciting opportunity for an outstanding candidate to join our Senior Leadership Team as Senior Student Development Leader with the remit of Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL). 

Salary: Academy Pay Scale Band 8 FTE £53,071 - £60,252 (Actual starting salary £49,805 with performance-based increments available)

Working weeks: 39 weeks + 4 (Term Time + inset + twilight) and Parent/Open evening as required 

Working Hours: 37 hours per week (08:00-16:00 Mon-Thurs and 08:00 – 15:30 Fri) 

The Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) will take lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection across the school, working closely with senior leaders and external agencies to ensure safeguarding is effective, robust, and embedded within school culture.

The SSDL Designated Safeguarding Lead is responsible for:

• Promoting the welfare of children across our school 
• Managing referrals relating to suspected abuse, neglect, radicalisation, criminal activity or concerns about staff conduct
• Acting as a source of advice, expertise and support for all staff on safeguarding matters
• Supporting and guiding staff through referral processes and safeguarding decision-making
• Maintaining accurate, confidential safeguarding records (CPOMS)
• Supporting positive educational outcomes for vulnerable pupils
• Ensuring safeguarding policies, procedures and training are up-to-date

We are looking for someone who is committed, resilient and child-centred, with strong safeguarding knowledge and the confidence to work collaboratively with staff and external professionals.

We are an aspirational academy operating across two sites.  The Lower Academy specialises in the teaching of our Key Stage 3 students, whilst the Upper Academy specialises in teaching Key Stage 4 and 5.  We pride ourselves on being a truly inclusive academy and this is actively underpinned by our motto ‘Aspire Believe Achieve’.

Closing Date: Friday 27th February 2026

Interviews: W/C 2nd March

Position Available: April 2026

If you would like to be considered for this opportunity, please download and complete our application form and on a separate document, please demonstrate how your knowledge, skills and experience meet the Key Responsibilities criteria on the job description (1500 words maximum). Please return both documents to our Recruitment Coordinator, Olivia Faustino - recruitment@basildonacademies.org.uk 

We reserve the right to close this advertisement early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications or are able to fill the position faster than originally anticipated.