International School Counsellor - fluency in English and Hungarian required
REAL School Budapest - "to dream and build a beautiful world"
Part time or full time, starting August 2025 Budapest
Are you a qualified psychologist? Have you worked with children in a school setting or education counselling service? Are you structured and diligent?
YOUR OPPORTUNITY
As our International School Counsellor, your role will be central to the promotion and protection of REAL School’s community wellbeing as well as making sure that we give the best possible support to our learners and educators.
YOUR GOALS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Student support
- Provide emotional and psychological support to students
- Design and implement a strong learner support process where educators and parents are involved
- Provide family support and guidance if there is an indication of behavioural, learning or special needs
- Refer families to professional support services if such need is identified
- Provide crisis intervention and support if needed
- Promote positive social and personal development
- Facilitate personal plans and mentoring to individual learners with emotional or behavioural needs
- Be a school listener
- Create a cultural process for the welcoming and integration of new learners into the community, and to support leavers and the community with transitions out
Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)
- Get trained as a DSL if not qualified
- Manage all safeguarding and child protection situations in the school, together with the DDSL
- Be available for all staff to discuss any safeguarding issues or concerns.
- Ensure that cases of suspected or actual child protection or safeguarding concerns are referred to the appropriate agencies.
- Ensure that all staff are fully trained in safeguarding and know how to spot and raise concerns. They will also help to maintain an effective staff supervision programme.
- Ensure that adequate reporting and recording systems are in place for safeguarding procedures, and that there are appropriate transferal procedures for records if students move.
- Ensure that the school’s safeguarding policies and procedures are up to date with the most recent statutory guidance.
- Communicate with families on the school’s policies and procedures, as well as any concerns or referrals where appropriate.
- Be aware of any children who may have specific safeguarding needs and have specific vulnerabilities.
- See the full description of the role here.
Admissions
- Participate in admissions assessment of applicants if there is an indication of behavioural, learning special needs
Educator professional support and development
- Provide mentoring to educators about student support, behaviour management and special educational needs
- Participate in creating personal development plans and mentoring of the school team
Wellbeing programme lead
- Lead the development and implementation of the School’s wellbeing programme
- Co-teach wellbeing sessions with class educators
- Champion activities that promote the holistic wellbeing journey across the school, working closely with the educator team
YOUR EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICIATIONS
- Fluent Hungarian and English is a requirement
- MA in Psychology, preferably specialising in Child Psychology
- 5+ years of experience working with children in an education counselling setting or in an international school
- Experience in differentiating for a wide spectrum of learning needs is a necessity
- Safeguarding and child protection experience would be a major plus
- Experience working with culturally diverse and EAL learners would be a major plus
- Hungarian citizenship or EU work permit is a requirement
YOUR QUALITIES
- Empathetic individual who can work alongside others in a compassionate and non-judgemental manner - natural ability to establish strong, positive relationships with young people and their parents
- A person who is confident alone, but who believes that we are stronger together in a team-based approach
- A self-starter, who is able to see the need and act on their own initiative
- Interest or experience in a sustainable or entrepreneurial lifestyle is a major plus
OUR PROVISIONS FOR YOU
- An important role in an ambitious endeavour to invent progressive education with a purpose, whilst enjoying the hallmark creative freedom of REAL School
- A remuneration commensurate with responsibilities performed
- All that Budapest, ‘the Paris of the East’ with nature on its doorstep, has to offer
- Plant-based lunch and snacks, from our “Planteen” canteen
- The chance to become an expert in educating for sustainability, as you live it
- Be part of an energetic, collaborative, kind, and positive team
- Be part of a modern, distributed leadership and developing self-managed organisation model (Teal)
IS THIS ROLE FOR YOU?
If so, then we invite you to:
- fill out the short application form, by clicking Apply Now, above
- upload your CV
- upload a cover letter describing why you are interested in this role and why you would be suitable
- make a not longer than 2-minute video (an unlisted Youtube or Vimeo link is best) where you talk about your passions or what about this position lights your fire, so that we may get really excited about you
Closing date for applications: when the position is filled.
REAL School Budapest respects and advocates diversity and is an equal-opportunity environment. committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Applicants must undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including references from previous employers by following our safer recruitment practice. Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure or equivalent will be required for all prior countries lived. All positions of employment are dependent on the fulfilment of Hungarian employment law requirements.
www.realschool.hu
“Let ours be a time remembered for the awakening of a new reverence for life, the firm resolve to achieve sustainability, the quickening of the struggle for justice and peace, and the joyful celebration of life.”
The EarthCharter