| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Education and Teaching |
| Level | Entry level |
| Reports to | Principal |
| Direct reports | None |
| Experience | Fresher or up to 4 years in counselling |
School Counsellor job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: School Counsellor
Department: Education and Teaching
Reports to: Principal
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A School Counsellor supports students' emotional, social and academic wellbeing. They counsel students facing stress, behaviour or personal difficulties, run wellbeing and career guidance programmes, and work with teachers and parents on each child's needs. The role reports to the Principal. A good school counsellor creates a safe space where students open up, spots and supports children at risk early, guides students on studies and careers, and strengthens the whole school's approach to wellbeing.
Key responsibilities
- Counsel students individually on emotional, behavioural, social and academic concerns.
- Identify and support children at risk and escalate serious cases appropriately.
- Run wellbeing, life skills and anti bullying programmes across grades.
- Provide career guidance and help senior students with subject and course choices.
- Work with teachers to support students with learning or behaviour difficulties.
- Meet parents to discuss their child's wellbeing and agree a support plan.
- Handle sensitive issues with confidentiality and follow safeguarding rules.
- Support students through exam stress, transitions and personal crises with care.
- Keep confidential case records of sessions, referrals and follow ups.
- Refer students to external mental health professionals when needed.
Requirements
- Postgraduate in Psychology or Counselling
- Certification in counselling is an advantage
- Experience working with children and adolescents
- Fresher or up to 4 years in counselling
KRAs and KPIs for a School Counsellor
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Student support | Counselling cases handled within the agreed response time each month |
| At-risk identification | At-risk students identified early and supported with a plan |
| Wellbeing programmes | Wellbeing and life skills sessions delivered to the annual calendar |
| Career guidance | Senior students given career or subject guidance before key decisions |
| Safeguarding | Serious cases escalated promptly with safeguarding rules followed |
| Records | Confidential case records complete and current for every case |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Counselling and assessment tools, Career guidance resources, Confidential case records, Wellbeing session materials, Referral directory.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Senior School Counsellor, Head of Wellbeing, Child Psychologist
Interview questions for a School Counsellor
- How do you build trust so a student feels safe opening up to you?
- How do you identify a student who may be at risk of self harm?
- How do you handle a disclosure that requires safeguarding action?
- How do you guide a confused senior student on career choices?
- How do you work with teachers and parents on a struggling child?
- Tell me about a student you supported through a difficult time.
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What does a school counsellor do?
A school counsellor supports students' emotional, social and academic wellbeing. They counsel students facing stress, behaviour or personal difficulties, run wellbeing and career guidance programmes, and work with teachers and parents. They identify and support children at risk, handle sensitive issues confidentially, and strengthen the school's whole approach to student wellbeing.
What qualifications do you need to be a school counsellor?
Most school counsellors hold a postgraduate degree in psychology or counselling, and a counselling certification helps. Experience working with children and adolescents is valued. Employers look for strong counselling and case assessment skills, the maturity to handle sensitive issues confidentially, knowledge of safeguarding, and the warmth to build trust with students.
When should a school counsellor refer a student externally?
A school counsellor refers a student to an external mental health professional when the concern is beyond the school's scope, such as serious depression, self harm risk, trauma or a condition needing clinical treatment. They keep confidentiality, follow safeguarding rules, involve parents appropriately, and continue to support the student within the school alongside the external help.