School Counsellor

Role Profile

The School Counsellor’s position involves working with students across all Key Stages of the school, supporting the social, emotional and academic well-being of students. The SC will focus on ensuring that there are clear processes and structured systems of support in place for students and in some cases, for parents. This role involves close collaboration with other members of staff, school leadership and external agencies where necessary. The duties and responsibilities of this post are numerous and varied, with the expectation that the ideal candidate will demonstrate high levels of flexibility and commitment as we move forward as a school.

About our School

Tenby Setia Eco Gardens (SEG) is sited on a beautiful 18-acre campus in Johor Bahru, home to Tenby International School and our Malaysian private school, Sekolah Sri Tenby. We are a growing campus, with currently almost 1000 students and over 100 staff on site from over 30 nationalities.

Tenby schools have been established in Malaysia for over 60 years, and our strength is in our deep-rooted Asian values combined with our international outlook. We are also proud to be part of the International Schools Partnership (ISP), a fast-growing global schools’ group.

As an employee of Tenby and ISP, you will be supported in your professional development and given amazing opportunities for personal growth. We believe everyone is a learner and we support one another in continuously getting better and shaping our own futures.

You will report to the Head of Primary, Head of Secondary and Campus Principal of Tenby Setia Eco Gardens.

Key Responsibilities

Counselling Services

• The school counsellor will provide guidance and counselling services to students, offering social, emotional, and educational support, including effective crisis response.
• Ensure a clear referral process is in place with explicit guidelines for staff and parents.
• Liaise with parents/carers regarding the ongoing psychological support of their children, providing rationale and recommendations for external support when necessary.
• Complete regular and detailed reports for services provided, such as session notes and incident reports.
• Share key information with members of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) as needed.
• Report safeguarding concerns directly to the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), including any disclosed during counselling sessions.
• Closely monitor students who may be at higher risk.
• Treat all sessions with the highest levels of confidentiality and professionalism.
• Develop and implement action plans to improve parent-teacher and teacher-student relationships.
• Collaborate with school faculty and staff to create plans that ensure the well-being of both individual students and the entire student body.

Awareness Raising

• Create and share monthly newsletters/bulletins for staff and parents, highlighting key topics of interest and importance.
• Regularly update displays around the school dedicated to promoting wellbeing.
• Contribute to school assemblies by liaising with class teachers/form tutors to design a calendar of topics and activities appropriate for each Key Stage.
• Plan and deliver workshops for parents and teachers on various counselling, mental health, and wellbeing issues.
• Seek opportunities for professional development and knowledge expansion through courses, training, and other forums.
• Connect with other schools and external agencies to build support networks.

Wellbeing

• Participate in and facilitate events designed to promote the wellbeing of students, staff, and parents throughout the school.
• Assess the needs of students and ensure appropriate resources are in place to support them.
• Celebrate important days/weeks, such as Mental Health Week.
• Support exam year groups by liaising with teachers and leadership to provide support sessions and advice.
• Attend co-curricular activities, including school camps, retreats, and excursions, to support teachers and students as needed.

The points above outline most of the central responsibilities of this role. However, other duties may fall outside these main categories but are equally essential to the successful running of the school. These include, but are not limited to, supervision duties, cover work, and school CPD.

Reports to: Head of Primary, Head of Secondary and Campus Principal

Skills, Qualifications and Experience

• Candidate must possess master’s degree in counselling, psychology, or related field.
• Required certification or licensure from relevant education or counselling board.
• Experience working in educational settings, particularly with children and adolescents, is preferred.
• Familiarity with international school environments is an advantage.
• Strong communication skills.
• Empathy and cultural sensitivity to diverse student backgrounds.
• Problem-solving and conflict resolution skills.
• Organizational and time management abilities

Our Offer

Benefits include: 

• A highly competitive salary
• Significant fee discount for children of employees
• Generous medical outpatient and insurance benefits
• Personal accident insurance coverage

ISP-Tenby Commitment to Safeguarding Principles

ISP and Tenby are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

All post-holders are subject to appropriate vetting procedures, including an online due diligence search, references and satisfactory Criminal Background Checks or equivalent covering the previous 10 years’ employment history. 

ISP-Tenby Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

ISP and Tenby are committed to strengthening our inclusive culture by identifying, hiring, developing, and retaining high-performing teammates regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender expression, age, disability status, neurodivergence, socio-economic background, or other demographic characteristics. Candidates who share our vision and principles and are interested in contributing to the success of ISP through this role are strongly encouraged to apply.

How to apply

Interested candidates are invited to send in a letter of application including the reasons for applying together with a comprehensive CV, a recent passport-size photograph, and contact details of three referees to [email protected]

For more information about our school please visit our website at: Tenby Schools Setia Eco Gardens

Early application is encouraged as we reserve the right to appoint before the closing date 26 November 2024.