Student Welfare Officer and Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL) Full Time NEW

Valley Academy are looking to appoint a Student Welfare officer and DDSL to join our academy on a permanent, full time, basis.

This is an exciting new role for the academy, with a planned start date of September 2026.

Do you want to work for a Trust that is transforming educational outcomes for students in some of the most deprived areas in the North of England? If so, this could be the role for you.

Your new role

As a Student Welfare Officer, you will assist in tackling underachievement by working in partnership with families, parents/carers, students and external agencies in a school context to enable students, particularly the most disadvantaged to have full access to educational opportunities and overcome barriers to learning and participation. You will work directly with families in a non-judgemental way empowering them and their family to get the most out of the educational opportunities available.

You will also support the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) in the academy in your role as Deputy DSL.

Please see the attached job description on our website for the essential criteria and more information about the role.

If you feel you have the necessary skills and experience required for this position, then we would very much like to hear from you.

Your new school

It’s an exciting time to join Valley Academy, as in early 2026, we merged with Delta Academies Trust. We’re looking forward to the benefits of being part of the collaborative and supportive environment of the trust, and the opportunities for both our students and our staff this will bring.

We’re a small secondary academy with approximately 375 students on roll, across both KS3 and KS4. We view our smaller size as a strength, as our class sizes are smaller, this allows staff to know all of our students across the academy. We’re based in central Bradford, next to Bradford City Football Club. Our modern site is well equipped to offer a rich, broad and balanced curriculum to all our students.

In Summer 2025, we celebrated our best ever GCSE outcomes, and we were recognised as one of the most improved schools in the country (top 0.38%) including the 3rd most improved in English & Maths at grade 5 and above. This also placed us within the top ten for GCSE results within secondary schools in Bradford.

Students are at the heart of everything we do and, as such, our team are passionate about delivering the highest quality education and creating a culture where children feel safe and can thrive in a happy learning environment. We believe that every child deserves to maximise their potential, regardless of their starting point, background or personal circumstances, and we are extremely proud of our diverse and inclusive community.

Visits to the academy would be warmly welcomed by appointment. Please contact the academy on 01274 723439 if you would like to arrange a visit.

Why join us?

Staff across the trust are talented and enthusiastic, and all contribute to the trust’s success story.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join an outstanding team within a high performing multi academy trust with exciting career prospects for successful applicants.

CPD

At Delta Academies Trust, we’re committed to your ongoing development and supporting your ambitions, this includes our internal leadership development programmes, Leadership Pathways

Click here to learn more Leadership Pathways

Employee Benefits

As a Trust, we have developed an extensive range of employee benefits that focus on your Financial, Physical and Mental Wellbeing.

Click here to view our full range of employee benefits

Trust News

Click here to view the latest edition of “The Link”, our quarterly Trust newsletter

Inspiring Our Students Beyond The Classroom

Click here to find out more about our outdoor education & environmental centres

Holiday Entitlement: minimum 37 days (subject to pro rata if working part-time and dependent upon salary and continuous service) including statutory Bank Holidays.

In accordance with DfE Keeping Children Safe in Education, an online search will be completed on all shortlisted applicants prior to interview. Any relevant information will be discussed further with the applicant during the recruitment process.