Headteacher recruitment pack St John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Primary School Bromley Cross Bolton
A message from our governors Ofsted October 2014 Dear candidate Thank you for your interest in the post of Headteacher at St John the Evangelist RC Primary School. We believe that St John the Evangelist is a hidden gem of a Primary school. The school is settled in the popular community of Bromley Cross, once voted one of the best places in the country to live. Since the appointment of our current Headteacher the school has moved on from the Ofsted grading of Notice to Improve to Good in a relatively short period of time; an achievement we are most proud of. The changes brought about during that journey have created a firm foundation on which to build our continually improving school. We have: Talented, happy children who are eager to come to school to learn and achieve; Enthusiastic staff who are keen to rise to the challenge of further improving the school; A newly appointed Senior Administrator and Site Supervisor, who are already having a positive impact on the school; An informed and knowledgeable governing body who are deeply supportive of the school s Roman Catholic Mission; A Parish community who contribute to the spiritual development of the children and support the Sacramental Programme. These changes can become the bedrock on which to build our future outstanding school. We are set fair to continue our spiritual and educational journey in the sure and certain knowledge that with our strong and dedicated team of children, parents, staff, and Governors, our future is a very exciting and fulfilling place to be. If you believe you are a person who can provide strong leadership and lead our school to further success, please arrange to visit the school and should you choose to apply, we wish you every success Yours faithfully, Alyson Grundy (Chair of Governors) on behalf of the Governing Body
A message from our parish priest Dear candidate, As parish priest of St John s, I want to thank you for expressing your interest in the role of Headteacher at our parish primary school, where I am also a governor. In the job advertisement the children have spelt out what they are looking for in someone to lead our school. They start with the Mission Statement and say We are looking for someone who will help us in this mission. Part of the mission of any Catholic school is to develop strong links with the parish and local community. I am pleased to say that there is already a good relationship between the parish and the school which I hope the new Headteacher will build on and develop further. Parishioners are involved in the school as governors and, naturally, as parents or grandparents of our pupils. The Friday Family Assembly and any Masses we have in school (or in church for school) are open to the parish and people respond to that invitation. The Sacramental Programme, preparing pupils for Reconciliation and Holy Communion is a joint enterprise. The parish supports the Christmas and Summer Fayres (which raise funds for the school) and we sometimes use the school premises for activities, such as CAFOD Fairtrade events. St John s is part of a group of parishes with St Brendan, Harwood and St Columba, Tonge Moor and is served by a team of priests. The other two parishes each have a primary school, so there is scope there for some joint activities between the schools which may also serve to bring our parish communities closer together. You may wish to visit our parish website (www.sbsj.org.uk) to give you a flavour of things that are happening here. Thank you again for your interest in this role. I hope that, through the information provided in this pack and paying a visit to the school, you will be sufficiently impressed and convert your interest into an application. With best wishes. Yours faithfully, Rev Canon Michael J G Cooke VG Parish Priest
A message from our pupil chaplains Dear Candidate, We are looking for a new Headteacher here at St John the Evangelist R.C. Primary School. Our school is warm, friendly, loving and fair, and we think it is just the right size. Our mission statement is: In the light of Jesus, where we learn to love and love to learn. We are looking for someone who will help us in this mission. Our teachers are very kind and warm. They teach us well and they look after us. We have fun. We would like a Headteacher who will be funny sometimes, and strict when needed. Someone who is firm but fair, and will treat us all equally. We would like someone who is a good leader, and who is good at organising sports and who will support us. We would like it if you won t change everything, and we think you need to be good at organising and planning. Also, we think that you will need to have quite a loud voice so that we can hear you in Assembly. If you can help us with all of this then you are the person for us and we can t wait to welcome you. Finally, we know that it might be scary starting at a new school but everyone feels like that, and we will make you very welcome and happy. From the children at St John s School.
Our school context Key school information % of children SEN 11% % of children FSM FSM 3% Ever 6 15% % of children EAL 0.49 % (1 Child) Key school information Type of school Voluntary Aided Roman Catholic Primary School http://www.st-johns-bromley-cross.bolton.sch.uk/ 2014 KS2 Results Reading - Level 4 + = 91% Level 5 + = 52% Writing Level 4 + = 94% Level 5 + = 42% Numeracy Level 4 + = 84% Level 5 + = 42% School links Thornleigh RC Salesian College, St Brendan s RC Primary School and St Columba s RC Primary School Latest Ofsted and public reports links http://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/findinspection-report/provider/els/105249 http://www.catholiceducation.org.uk/schools/schoolsdirectory/item/105249-st-john-s-catholic-primary-school Age range 4 11 Years Budget Total available budget 2015/16 748,955 Leadership team Teaching and support staff Children on roll 201 Attendance Oct 2014 95.8% John Carroll HT, Lesley Jackson DHT Richard Johnston TLR, Anita Rate SENCO HT, 7.5 Teachers, 1 HLTA + 8 TA s / SNA s
The hidden gem Key school information Standards in school Pupil behaviour Quality of teaching Recent developments Long term planning Our children are our strength and are eager to learn and participate in lessons, leading to rising standards across the school. An inclusive and caring culture supports the Ofsted inspection remarks The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are proud of their school and use words such as fun, hard-working and fantastic when they describe it. They enjoy their lessons and share very trusting relationships with teachers and other adults who work in the school. We have recently recruited two new teachers who will join a team of existing staff whose teaching is consistently graded as good. The skills they have developed bring consistently good teaching throughout the school and sometimes better teaching in the Early Years and in Key Stage 1.[Ofsted 2014] We are a growing school with a good reputation in the locality and town We have a large playing field and a variety of outdoor equipment Early Years and Key Stage 1 children have a large outside learning area. We have recently secured additional capital funding of over 250,000 to extend our school learning environment. The development of our pupil Chaplaincy Team and a Chaplaincy Room enhances our opportunities to further develop our faith and spiritual growth. Under your leadership we want to build on our good Ofsted grading and we are now aiming to become outstanding
The process Date Details Thursday 3 rd September Advert to go live until 30 th September 2015. Contact for all information is via Gill Warburton at 2015 Bolton LA 01204 332124 Post 3rd September 2015 Arrangements for pre-application visits to school please contact Alison Timmons at 01204 333440 or email office@st-johns-bromley-cross.sch.uk Wednesday 30th September Closing date for applications 2015 at 12 noon. Thursday 8th October 2015 Short listing meeting Wednesday 14th October Assessment Centre and visit to school Thursday 15th October Thursday 15th October (pm) Interview at Castle Hill Training Centre, Bolton. Anticipated appointment panel decision and candidate notification. Application Form and Supporting Statement The Head Teacher is expected to meet all the National Standards of Headship in relation to this appointment. http://publications.education.gov.uk/eorderingdownload/ns4hfinalpdf.pdf Application Forms are available from Gill Warburton at Bolton LA 01204 332124 gill.warburton@bolton.gov.uk Your application form must be fully completed and legible. Your supporting statement should be no more than 3 sides of A4, Arial point 11, clear, concise and following the guidance provided. Confidential References and Reports We will be seeking A positive and supportive faith reference from a priest where you regularly worship A positive recommendation from all referees, including current employer (Chair of Governors) A supportive reference from your Local Authority, where possible, or a further supportive professional reference