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School matron

School matrons look after the health and wellbeing of pupils in boarding schools.

Average salary (a year)

£14,000 Starter

to

£20,000 Experienced

Typical hours (a week)

38 to 40 variable

You could work

evenings / weekends at short notice

How to become a school matron

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • working towards this role
  • applying directly

College

You could take a college course before applying for a job with a school. Relevant courses include:

  • Level 2 Award in First Aid Essentials
  • Level 2 Award in Safeguarding and Protecting Children and Young People
  • Level 3 Award in Paediatric First Aid
  • Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People's Workforce

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D) for a level 2 course
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) for a level 3 course

More information

Work

You could start as a house parent or member of the wider pastoral care team. You could then take on-the-job training, for example through the Boarding Schools' Association, and work your way up.

Volunteering and experience

Experience working with children will help. This can be in a paid or voluntary role. You could volunteer at your local school or search for opportunities on:

Direct application

You could apply directly for jobs as a school matron. Employers may view your personality and life experiences as more important than qualifications. You'll usually need experience in working with young people. Some may ask for relevant training and qualifications, including GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) in English and maths.

More information

Further information

You can find more about working as a school matron from the Boarding Schools' Association.

What it takes

Skills and knowledge

You'll need:

  • knowledge of psychology
  • customer service skills
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
  • sensitivity and understanding
  • the ability to work well with others
  • knowledge of medicine and dentistry
  • being able to use a computer terminal or hand-held device may be beneficial for this job.

Restrictions and requirements

You'll need to:

What you'll do

Day-to-day tasks

Your day-to-day tasks could include:

  • helping pupils from all countries and cultures settle into school life
  • keeping pupils healthy and safe
  • helping supervise at meal times and bedtimes
  • communicating with parents about their children
  • taking pupils to medical and dental appointments
  • organising and attending social activities for pupils
  • keeping records and writing reports
  • attending staff meetings
  • sorting laundry and repairs
  • monitoring cleaning staff
  • driving a minibus

Working environment

You could work at a school.

You may need to wear a uniform.

Career path and progression

You could start as a house parent or assistant matron, then move to matron and senior matron.

You could also become a housemaster or mistress or head of boarding.

Training opportunities

Apprenticeships In England

We can't find any apprenticeship vacancies in England for a school matron right now.

The Find an apprenticeship service can help you with your search, send alerts when new apprenticeships become available and has advice on how to apply.

Courses In England

Childcare and Education (Early Years Educator) CACHE VRQ/QCF Level 3

  • Provider: DUDLEY COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY
  • Start date: 04 September 2019
  • Location: Dudley

NCFE CACHE LEVEL 3 TECHNICAL CERTIFICATE IN CHILDCARE AND EDUCATION (L3 LE)

  • Provider: Chesterfield College
  • Start date: 08 September 2019
  • Location: CHESTERFIELD
Find courses near you

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