Job Summary
The Primary School Counsellor provides emotional, social, behavioural, and developmental support to primary-aged students by creating a safe environment for expression and growth. The role involves collaborating with students, teachers, parents, and leadership to promote wellbeing and positive school culture.
Responsibilities
- Provide individual and small-group counselling to primary school students to address emotional, social, behavioural, family, friendship, or school-related challenges.
- Develop students' emotional awareness, resilience, self-confidence, communication skills, and healthy coping strategies.
- Support students through transitions, separation anxiety, grief, bullying, friendship difficulties, and family changes by delivering age-appropriate wellbeing check-ins and interventions.
- Maintain professional boundaries ensuring counselling is child-centred and developmentally appropriate.
- Design and deliver social-emotional learning and wellbeing programmes tailored to primary students.
- Conduct classroom sessions, assembly talks, and workshops for students and parents on topics including emotional regulation, friendship and conflict resolution, self-esteem, respect, bullying prevention, online safety, stress management, and healthy relationships.
- Identify and respond to safeguarding and child protection concerns by following school policies and reporting procedures.
- Escalate safeguarding concerns promptly to designated leads and maintain accurate, confidential records of interventions and referrals.
- Collaborate with teachers to assess students’ emotional, social, and behavioural needs and provide tailored strategies to support individual students.
- Participate in student-support meetings and contribute to Individual Support Plans and school-wide wellbeing initiatives.
- Communicate sensitively and professionally with parents and guardians about student wellbeing, providing practical strategies and facilitating referrals to external specialists when needed.
- Conduct initial assessments and develop case formulations to identify students’ concerns, strengths, and intervention needs.
- Implement and monitor intervention plans, adjusting strategies based on student progress and feedback from teachers and parents.
- Prepare reports and case summaries for school leadership and MUIS in compliance with policies and best practices.
- Support students during significant school events, transitions, or periods of emotional need, promoting an inclusive and safe environment.
- Participate in staff training on student wellbeing, safeguarding, behaviour, and mental health.
- Perform other duties as assigned by School Leaders.
Preferred competencies and qualifications
- University degree in Counselling, Psychology, Child Psychology, Social Work, or related field is preferred.
- Professional counselling qualification and/or relevant professional accreditation.
- Experience working with primary school children is strongly preferred.
- Knowledge of child development and age-appropriate counselling approaches.
- Knowledge of safeguarding and child-protection practices.
- Experience collaborating with teachers and parents is an advantage.
- Experience in international or multicultural school environments is an advantage.