School matrons are usually based in boarding schools. They are responsible for the health and well-being of the pupils and the smooth running of the domestic side of school life.

The work usually includes:

• helping pupils settle in to school life 
• keeping pupils' families informed about pupils’ health and well-being
• ensuring pupils' clothes are kept clean and are repaired and replaced when necessary
• looking after pupils with minor illnesses and giving out non-prescription medicines
• taking pupils to medical and dental appointments and calling for emergency treatment if necessary
• keeping pupils’ records up to date.
• supervising cleaning and domestic staff
• ordering cleaning, domestic and medical supplies
• carrying out inventories of fixtures and fittings and reporting the need for repairs and replacements.

In many schools the roles of matron and school nurse are combined. Pleases see the job profile for School Nurse for information on that job.

Hours and Environment

As a school matron you will work long hours which will include evenings and weekends and being on call for emergencies.

During the school holidays you will have more free time, but may still be responsible for visitors attending summer schools or taking part in holiday activities.

You will usually live-in at the school.

Skills and Interests

To be a school matron you should:

• have a warm and sympathetic personality
• be tactful and a good listener
• have a good knowledge of first aid
• be practical and keep a cool head in emergencies
• be able to work well in a team
• be an excellent communicator
• have patience and a sense of humour.

Entry

You do not need any particular qualifications to be a school matron. Some schools will expect you to have qualifications and experience in childcare or nursing; others may consider your personality and life experience to be more important. As a first step you could look for work as an assistant matron and then apply for a more senior post.

You may find qualifications like the following useful, although they are not essential:

• CACHE (Council for Awards in Children’s Care and Education) Diploma in Childcare and Education (formerly the NNEB Diploma in Nursery Nursing)
• BTEC National Diploma in Care or Early Years
• nursing diploma
• nursing degree.

You may need a first aid qualification.

As the job involves close contact with children, you will need to have a criminal record check.

You can find out more about childcare and nursing qualifications by looking at the Nursery Nurse and Nurse profiles.

Training

When you start your job you will be provided with on-the-job training which will cover school procedures.

You could do the professional certificate course which is organised by the Boarding Schools Association and the University of Surrey, Roehampton.  You can find details about the certificate by visiting the BSA website. There is a link to the website in the Further Information section below.

In Scotland you can do Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses provided by the Scottish Council for Independent Schools (SCIS). Please see Further Information below for a link to the SCIS website where you can find out more about the courses.

Opportunities

As you gain experience you may be able to progress from assistant matron to matron, and then to senior matron or a non-teaching job as head of house. When you have experience in the UK you can apply for jobs in schools abroad.

Annual Income

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Starting salaries for assistant matrons are likely to be around £10,000 to £12,000 a year.
Experienced matrons can earn between £12,000 and £18,000 a year.

You will be provided with accommodation and meals.

Further information

21 Melville Street
Edinburgh
EH3 7PE
Tel: 0131 220 2106 Grosvenor Gardens House
35-37 Grosvenor Gardens
London
SW1W 0BS
Tel: 020 7798 1580