House Parent/Boarding Matron

• Ipswich School
• Address: Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 3SG
• Salary: £4,271 per annum and includes paid holiday in accordance with the Working Time Regulations
• Hours: 8.5 hours per day, 9am – 6 pm (Saturdays during Ipswich School boarding term time)
• Contract: Permanent. Required as soon as possible 
• Reference: 7983

House Parent/Boarding Matron (Saturdays).

Non-Resident, Part-time (Saturdays during term time plus opportunities for additional hours).

Ipswich School has been listed as one of the top 100 schools in the country and is certainly one of the foremost independent schools in East Anglia. We were established prior to 1399 and moved to our present site in 1852. We have been voted Suffolk's top independent school (The Sunday Times Parent Power

Boarding at Ipswich School 

Westwood Boys' Boarding House is a Victorian mansion set in wooded grounds, just a 5-minute walk from the main school site. Anglesea Heights Girls' Boarding House and our newly redeveloped Sixth Form Boarding House which opened on the Anglesea Heights site in September 2025, are modern attractive spaces, with ensuite facilities providing an experience similar to a university hall of residence. We now have capacity for around 120 students, all of whom benefit from a friendly home-from-home experience.

The Post

This is an exciting opportunity to help support our pupils in a friendly boarding house environment. You will play an important role in supporting the Head of Boarding by ensuring the smooth running of all aspects of our Boarding Houses and the general welfare of our boarding pupils. We are seeking to appoint a flexible, caring, organised person to join us on Saturdays. In this post you will usually work at Anglesea Heights (Girls) house but may also work at Anglesea Heights (Sixth Form) or Westwood (Boys) boarding houses according to need.

Please note that this is a non-resident post and accommodation is not provided.

You will have an interest in the welfare of the pupils in your care (aged between 13 and 18 years), empathy with young people, flexibility in working hours and duties, and the ability to work on your own initiative. 

Ideally you will have experience of working with children and be warm, caring and nurturing with good communication and interpersonal skills. Experience in cleaning, laundry and/or a similar role would also be desirable. 

Hours of Work

The working hours are on Saturdays during Ipswich School boarding term time from 9am – 6pm (with a 30-minute unpaid break for lunch each day). This is 8.5 hours per day. There are usually 30 Saturdays in each academic year. 

In addition, you will work from 9am – 5pm (with an unpaid break for lunch) (and/or attend relevant training sessions as required) on the two INSET days prior to the start of the Michaelmas (Autumn) term each year. INSET days are used for staff training and development activities and are defined as term time days. They are also used to welcome new and returning students to our boarding houses.

Salary and Benefits 

This is a permanent, part-time post (subject to satisfactory completion of a 6-month probationary period).

The salary for the hours described above is £4,271 per annum and includes paid holiday in accordance with the Working Time Regulations. 

Salaries are paid monthly in arrears by BACS on the last working day of each month throughout the year. Pay is reviewed annually, with the first review for this post taking place in 2026.

After 3 months' service and/or in line with workplace pension legislation, you will be entitled to join a defined contribution pension scheme and will receive 3x death in service cover.

After 3+ years' service with the school you may be entitled to generous fee remission. 

Free meals are provided in the Boarding Houses when the kitchen is in operation and whilst you are on duty. 

Staff are able to use the school's swimming pool and fitness gym free of charge (in compliance with appropriate rules and regulations).

Please note that holiday may only be taken during Ipswich School holiday periods and in conjunction with the requirement for hours of work at the beginning of the Michaelmas term as directed by the Head of Boarding. 

  To find out more and how to apply
We would encourage you to download an application form and a full job description for this role from our website, call the HR team on or email 

Completed application forms should be returned by the closing date below. 

Please mark the envelope Private and Confidential and send to: The Director of HR, Ipswich School, 25 Henley Road, Ipswich, IP1 3SG or email to 

  Closing date: 12 pm, 28 October

Candidates may be contacted or invited to interview prior to the closing date, and we may close this vacancy early if suitable candidates apply. Therefore, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Please advise us of any special requirements you may have if you are called for interview. If your special requirements mean that you need to submit this application in a different format, please contact us.

If we have not been in touch with you by mid-November then we regret that your application will have been unsuccessful, but we would like to thank you for your interest.

Ipswich School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment.  Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service. 

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