Headteacher Job Description & Person Specification

Headteacher Job Description & Person Specification

JOB DESCRIPTION Headteacher (From September 2016 or earlier) Salary range L27 to L33 About the role We are looking for an exceptional candidate with a hands-on approach to lead our forward-looking school and improve it. The Head teacher is accountable to the Governing Body for the professional leadership, strategic direction and operational management of the School in order to ensure that the school s aims are implemented in accordance with the school improvement plan and the policies of the Governing Body. The Head teacher is required to monitor, evaluate and review the impact of policies, priorities and targets of the school and take timely action as necessary. The Governing Body of the School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and the Head teacher must ensure that the highest priority is given to following the guidance and regulations, which safeguard children and young people. (The appointment is subject to the provisions of the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document). Key responsibilities Leadership and management of student achievement, progress, wellbeing and safety l Focus on the provision of world-class education for l Ensure collaboration with other agencies in providing for students of all abilities by overcoming disadvantage the intellectual, spiritual, moral, cultural, physical, social and advancing equality for all and ensure the school and emotional wellbeing of students community is committed to its aim to Foster ambition, l Ensure that promoting wellbeing and student safety is at inspire success the centre of all of the school s functions l Ensure an aspirational culture and ethos of challenge l Ensure that the school meets all its statutory duties and support where all students can achieve success and related to students, including safeguarding, Pupil become engaged in their learning and the learning of Premium and SEND provision others l Provide all students with a personalized curriculum which l Ensure a consistent, clear and continuous schoolwide focus on students achievement, using data and meets their needs and which includes particular support for those with learning difficulties or those who may be benchmarks to monitor progress in every student s particularly able learning l Promote student voice and create ways for students to be l Ensure the school s systems, organization and processes actively involved in the school decision-making process are well considered, robust and fit for purpose and for their views to be listened to and respected l Build on existing strategies which secure high standards l Ensure that healthy competition between the four houses of behaviour and attendance, student welfare, citizenship is promoted to achieve educational, sporting and artistic and resilience excellence.

JOB DESCRIPTION Leading and managing staff l Ensure that outstanding teaching is the primary objective for all teachers l Lead, motivate, support, challenge and develop staff to secure continuous improvement l Ensure that all staff are engaged with the school s key SIP priorities and the development of the school s aims and objectives, through effective communication across the whole school community, whether they be teaching or support staff l Maximise the contribution of staff to improve the quality of education provided and standards achieved l Promote, within the school and amongst staff, the most effective strategies and innovations for high quality effective teaching and learning l Instill a strong sense of accountability in staff for the impact of their work on student outcomes l Implement and sustain rigorous procedures for monitoring the performance of all staff including objective setting and personal development plans and to address under performance l Effectively lead and develop the Strategic Leadership Team l Identify emerging talents, coach current and aspiring leaders to establish a clear succession plan l Acknowledge the responsibilities and celebrate the achievement of individuals and teams l Establish a culture of open classrooms as a basis for sharing best practice within and between schools l Effectively deploy staff and participate in the recruitment and selection of staff, as appropriate l Manage own workload and that of others to allow an appropriate work/life balance l Liaising as appropriate with professional associations and trade unions to ensure information and guidance is acted upon l Ensuring an infrastructure is in place in which all members of staff and pupils feel they can register their opinions on serious matters, and have a route via which they can communicate issues to senior members of staff. Leadership and management of curriculum l Determine and ensure implementation of a diverse, flexible curriculum to ensure high quality, personalised learning experiences for students of all backgrounds and abilities. l Develop and champion student opportunity and outcomes in the classroom and in extra-curricular activities l Maintain and develop effective links with the community, to extend the curriculum and enhance opportunities l Ensure that the curriculum is promoting the intellectual, spiritual, moral, cultural, physical, social and emotional wellbeing of all students l Ensure that the curriculum prepares students well for public examinations and enables them to progress to sustained employment, education or training on exit from the school. Managing resources l Promote creativity, innovation and the use of appropriate existing and new technologies to achieve excellence l Agree and set appropriate priorities for expenditure with the Governing Body; allocate funds and monitor the effective administration and control of school budgets so that the School secures its objectives l Deploy and manage the school s financial and human resources efficiently and effectively to achieve the school s educational goals and priorities in line with the school s strategic plan and financial context l Ensure school buildings and facilities meet the needs of the students/students and staff and are of the highest standard of cleanliness and repair and compliant with health and safety regulations l Explore, develop and secure additional sources of funding l Ensure the proper use of funding, especially Pupil premium and SEND, and report to governors and key staff on the impact of its use l Ensure the reports in relation to academy status are produced, reported and submitted as required. Stakeholders and the local community l Secure the commitment of all parents, carers and the wider community to the vision and direction of the school l Act at all times as an ambassador for the school in a manner, which upholds its values and ethos l Seek opportunities to communicate and enhance the value of the school to other sectors of the local community l Meet with other educational professionals, represent the school at conferences and other events to learn from, share best practice and promote the school within the local, national and international community l Contribute to the development of the teaching school by sharing effective practice, working in partnership with other schools and promoting innovative initiatives l Visibly supporting the endeavours of all students and staff and being the lead in recognising and celebrating achievement l Hold regular parent/carer information evenings to keep them abreast of any proposed educational changes or where there is a particular topic of interest l Maintain links with organisations involved in working with young people and the community at large. Accountability and governance l Create an organisational structure that reflects the school s values and enables management systems, structures and processes to work effectively in line with legal requirements l Work with the Governing Body to analyse and plan for the future needs and further development of the school within the local, national and international context l Translate the vision into a School Improvement Plan with agreed, prioritized, objectives and operational plans that will promote and sustain school improvement within an agreed periodencourage a school ethos that enables everyone to work together, share knowledge and understanding, celebrate success and accept responsibility for outcomes l Present a coherent and accurate account of the school s performance in a form appropriate to a range of audiences, including governors, parents, the local authority, the local community, Ofsted and others, to enable them to contribute effectively to the further development of the school l Sustain wide, current knowledge and understanding of the education and school systems, locally, nationally, and globally and convey the information to governors l Ensure the relevant paperwork for meetings is presented to governors in a timely fashion l With the support of the Governing Body, consider any changes in the type of academy to meet the needs of the school community l Consider the provision of an effective, sustainable sixth form at Gosford Hill School. Teaching l Teach as necessary and appropriate relative to the other duties of the post. NOTES The Governing Body may ask the Head teacher to undertake other duties reasonably regarded as falling within the duties and responsibilities of the post. This job description will be reviewed annually at the end of the academic year or earlier if necessary. In addition, it may be amended at any time after consultation with the post holder.

PERSON SPECIFICATION Competencies, knowledge, qualifications From Application/ References From Interview Competencies, knowledge, qualifications From application/ references From interview QUALIFICATIONS AND CPD RECORD EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE PERSONAL QUALITIES AND ATTRIBUTES LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, PROGRESS AND SAFETY LEADING AND MANAGING STAFF Essential: Qualified Teacher Status and first degree (or equivalent, e.g. Cert Ed) Record of CPD relevant to Headship Desirable: Higher degree relevant to Headship NPQH CPD record includes substantial relevant achievement Essential: Successful track record of leadership in the secondary sector in England, as a head/acting head or deputy A proven track record of bringing about transformation and raising educational standards Desireable: Experience in at least two secondary schools Stable and supportive, stamina, energy, drive, confidence and resilience, courage and conviction Dynamic and motivational with the ability to inspire Capacity for personal development Ability to identify and grapple with priority issues and be adaptable and responsive to circumstances Consistency of judgement and inner integrity Excellent communication skills written, oral and IT with a variety of audiences Ability to drive change Understanding of principles and demonstrable application of school improvement and school effectiveness (in challenging circumstances) Strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence Desire and dedication to improve the life chances of young people of all backgrounds and abilities Concerned about individual student needs; regards personal safety and achievement for each individual as the highest priorities Understanding of pastoral care through houses or similar forms of organisation Ability to inspire high levels of achievement and career aspirations in students, including the use of prior attainment as a benchmark against wider local and national expectations The ability to analyse data and the complex issues relating to students attainment and progress and develop effective and creative responses Successful track record in managing and deep appreciation of monitoring and evaluation techniques of student progress, translating into detailed plans with challenging but realistic targets that are specific and measurable Ability to ensure a positive ethos and structure for managing behaviour which enables all students to achieve and a commitment to an inclusive education Ability to create and maintain a stimulating and attractive learning environment for students Experience of successfully dealing with safeguarding issues Successful experience of the management of change, innovation and of promoting distributive leadership Demonstrable ability to plan strategically and to lead, motivate, develop and inspire staff to manage change High-level understanding and implementation of management structures and systems, with appropriate delegation, monitoring and enforcement of accountability. Able to inspire and maintain high morale, address problems and resolve conflict by applying skills of arbitration and reconciliation in the context of persistently pursuing accountability Positive and approachable with a commitment to equal opportunities and high achievement Understanding of the use of innovative approaches to improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning The ability to lead all staff enabling them to carry out their respective roles to the highest standard through appraisal and continuing professional development with rigorous performance management and distributed leadership leading to robust succession planning Effectively lead, deploy and develop the Strategic Leadership Team in the school LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT OF CURRICULUM MANAGING RESOURCES STAKEHOLDERS AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY ACCOUNTABILITY AND GOVERNANCE TEACHING AND LEARNING ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS Leadership in curriculum development and innovation and in school evaluation to develop effective and creative responses In-depth knowledge of the National Curriculum and sound experience of curriculum delivery, monitoring and assessment, and how students learn In-depth knowledge and understanding of current and future national and international curriculum thinking which informs school priorities and developments and against which the school s progress can be mapped Understanding of the principles and practice of Academies Successful experience of managing a budget and ensuring value for money The ability to analyse complex issues relating to finance and resources and learning environment issues and develop effective and creative responses Have a good understanding of the requirements for setting up and being a lead partner, within a MAT The ability to work closely with and provide objective support and advice to the Governing Body, to enable it to meet its responsibilities, welcoming strong governance that sets the school s strategy and holds the head to account Effective communication with parents/carers ensuring they are well informed Ability and willingness to relate to all pupils in order to motivate them to achieve their full potential Commitment to the encouragement and empowerment of staff Successful partnership working with other schools, agencies, educational partners and stakeholders Evidence of the ability to establish a standing within the community and engagement with a wide variety of stakeholders Ability to develop trust and command respect within the community and influence local decision making to benefit the life chances of students Successful, strategic, school development planning, and a strong track record of implementing and managing the delivery of sustained improvements A detailed understanding of how the plan can be assembled from rigorous self-evaluation practices Encourage monitoring and accountability from the Governing Body Enable the development and implementation of the strategic direction for the school Have an up to date and detailed understanding of the Ofsted framework for the inspection of schools Ability to create, establish and embed a shared vision that is understood and supported by all stakeholders Experience of teaching across the secondary age range and evidence of being an excellent and reflective classroom practitioner Willingness to have a teaching commitment Be the lead professional and show a strong understanding of pedagogy and how classroom practice is developed and continually improved High level understanding of monitoring and evaluation techniques to recognise and share best practice and identify areas for development in teaching and learning for individuals, teams and the whole school Experience of observing a variety of teachers within the classroom and be well skilled at recognising significant learning moments, identifying strengths, areas for development and making accurate judgements Understand the importance of, and have the ability to provide, effective feedback to staff with regards to teaching and learning Suitable for work with children and young people, this post is exempt from the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. A criminal record disclosure will be required prior to appointment Demonstrable commitment to equality of opportunity and inclusive education Good health and attendance record Excellent and unequivocal references This Governing Body is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and Headteachers must ensure that the highest priority is given to following the guidance and regulations to safeguard children and young people. The successful candidate will be required to undergo an Enhanced Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and complete a Disqualification Declaration.

Gosford Hill School Oxford Road, Kidlington, Oxfordshire OX5 2NT Tel: 01865 374971 Email: office.4060@gosford-hill.oxon.sch.uk Web: www.gosford-hill.oxon.sch.uk