School Counsellor (AY 2026–2027) / Citizens School, Dubai, UAE

Purpose of the Role:

The School Counsellor is a vital contributor to the emotional, social, and mental wellbeing of secondary students as they face the challenges of adolescence, academic pressures, and personal development. Serving as the Wellbeing Ambassador at Citizens School, the counsellor spearheads programs that foster emotional intelligence, resilience, and a sense of belonging. This position is dedicated to ensuring that wellbeing is an integral aspect of all school experiences, in line with the Citizens vision to inspire, empower, and enable every individual to flourish.

Key Accountabilities

For Learners

• Deliver individual and group counselling that fosters emotional regulation, self-awareness, and positive relationships among peers.
• Tackle adolescent wellbeing issues such as stress management, identity formation, digital behavior, and social connections.
• Mentor and guide the Mindful Mantas Team, empowering students to advocate for balance, mindfulness, and peer support.
• Create and implement wellbeing and SEL (Social and Emotional Learning) programs that enhance empathy, confidence, and resilience.
• Collaborate with mentors, inclusion teams, and year heads to ensure that each student receives customized social-emotional support.
• Develop transition and orientation programs that assist students in navigating key educational stages, particularly into upper school and post-16 pathways.

For Staff

• Motivate, assist, and guide staff in integrating wellbeing and SEL practices into daily learning and pastoral care.
• Lead staff wellbeing committee meetings and organize initiatives that promote balance, engagement, and positive mental health.
• Act as a liaison between staff and the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), ensuring that staff perspectives are acknowledged and aligned with the school’s wellbeing vision.
• Provide professional development and individual support to enhance staff confidence in addressing the wellbeing of secondary students.
• Coordinate termly staff wellbeing events and end-of-year activities that cultivate community spirit and morale.

For Parents

• Collaborate with parents through workshops, coffee mornings, and consultations to enhance home understanding of adolescent wellbeing.
• Offer guidance on how to assist young people in managing academic pressures, social media influences, and emotional development.
• Strengthen parent-school partnerships through effective communication and shared wellbeing strategies.
• Facilitate the integration and wellbeing of new families and students joining the Citizens community.

Whole-School Wellbeing Ambassador

• Participate in the development and execution of a comprehensive school-wide wellbeing strategy that emphasizes inclusivity, empathy, and lifelong learning, with a specific focus on secondary development.
• Work alongside the wellbeing team to plan signature events such as Wellbeing Wednesday, Digital Detox Week, Anti-Bullying Awareness, and Mental Health Month.
• Partner with Year Leads to organize assemblies and campaigns that promote mental health literacy, respect, and emotional growth.
• Contribute to the KHDA Wellbeing SEF, ensuring compliance with inspection standards and ongoing enhancement.
• Review and refine the Wellbeing Policy in collaboration with the wellbeing and leadership team.
• Conduct wellbeing surveys for students, staff, and parents to evaluate the cultural and emotional climate, using the findings to inform future initiatives.
• Celebrate student-led acts of kindness, service, and resilience, embedding wellbeing as a fundamental aspect of the Citizens identity.

Safeguarding, Inclusion and Wellbeing

Citizens School is dedicated to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young individuals. We implement thorough recruitment processes to ensure all employees and volunteers are suitable for working with children and young adults.

Apply via the WhatSchool platform.