Annual Salary
£17,500 to £27,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Education or Training or go back to all job sectors
Swap to Education or Training or go back to all job sectors
A school houseparent looks after the welfare, safety and pastoral care of students in boarding schools.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends; at short notice
There will be
5.4% more School houseparent jobs in 2027.
As a school houseparent, you would:
You may need to wear a uniform.
You could work at a school.
Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding.
You can get into this job through:
You could take a relevant college course that might help you when applying for jobs. For example:
You'll usually need:
You could start as a trainee houseparent or member of the wider pastoral care team in a school and work your way up. For example, by taking on-the-job training through the Boarding Schools' Association.
You will most likely need paid or voluntary experience of working with children and young people. You could volunteer at your local school or search for opportunities on:
You could apply directly for jobs as a school houseparent. Employers will be interested in your personality and character.
You'll usually need experience of working with young people. Employers may also ask for relevant training and qualifications, including GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) in English and maths, and a first aid certificate.
You'll need to:
Some employers look for people with experience in roles like:nursery assistant, teaching assistant or nanny; education welfare officer or nurse; young people's counsellor or youth worker; mentor or behaviour support assistant
You can learn more about about working in boarding schools from the Boarding Schools' Association.
You could become a senior houseparent or head of boarding.
With experience and further training, you might move into related education roles, such as mentoring, teaching or school business support.
You'll need: