Job Description
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HEADTEACHER JOB DESCRIPTION
Responsible to: The proprietor and the governing body
The headteacher is accountable to the proprietor and the governing body for the professional leadership, strategic direction and operational management of the school in order to ensure that its aims are implemented in accordance with the school improvement plan and the policies ratified by the governing body. The headteacher is required to monitor, evaluate and review the impact of policies, priorities and targets of the school and to take timely action as necessary.
Governors are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and the headteacher must ensure that the highest priority is given to following the guidance and regulations which safeguard children and young people.
Key Responsibilities
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT OF PUPIL ACHIEVEMENT, PROGRESS AND SAFETY
· Ensure that pupils' safety and welfare are at the centre of all of the school's functions, in particular strategic planning and resource management.
· Ensure that an aspirational culture and ethos of challenge and support where all pupils can achieve success and become engaged in their own learning and the learning of others.
· Ensure that a consistent and continuous school-wide focus on pupils' achievement, using information and benchmarks to monitor progress in every child's learning.
· Implement strategies which secure high standards of behaviour and attendance, welfare and citizenship.
· Ensure that effective collaboration with other agencies is established to provide for the intellectual, spiritual, moral, cultural, physical, social and emotional well-being of pupils.
· Commitment to the learning process of pupils with SEN/SEMH
LEADING AND MANAGING STAFF
- Ensure that excellent teaching is the main objective for all teachers.
- Lead, motivate, support, challenge and develop staff to secure improvement.
- Ensure that all staff are engaged with the school's key 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.
- Maximise the contribution of staff to improve the quality of education provided and standards achieved.
- Implement and sustain rigorous procedures for monitoring the performance of all staff, including the setting of challenging and measurable objectives and personal development targets.
- Acknowledge the responsibilities and celebrate the achievement of individuals and teams.
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT OF THE CURRICULUM
- Determine and implement a broad, diverse, flexible curriculum that ensures high quality and personalised learning experiences in each subject for pupils of all backgrounds and abilities.
- Ensure that the curriculum is fit-for-purpose in providing for the intellectual, spiritual, moral, social, cultural, physical and emotional development of all pupils.
- Ensure that the curriculum contains suitable content that has been identified as most useful, and taught in a logical progression so that pupils can remember the curriculum content long term.
- Ensure that the curriculum enables pupils to progress to sustained employment, education or training when they leave the school.
MANAGING RESOURCES
- Promote creativity, innovation and the use of appropriate existing and new technologies to achieve excellence.
- Agree and set appropriate priorities for expenditure with the proprietor and governors; allocate funds and monitor the effective administration and control of school budgets so that the school's objectives are met.
- 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.
- Ensure that school buildings and facilities meet the needs of the pupils and staff and are of the highest standard of cleanliness and repair and compliant with the current health and safety regulations.
- Explore and develop additional sources of funding.
STAKEHOLDERS AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
- Secure the commitment of all parents and carers, especially hard-to-reach parents, and the wider community to the vision and direction of the school.
- Act at all times as an ambassador for the school in a manner which upholds its values and ethos.
- Seek opportunities to communicate and enhance the value of the school to other sectors of the local community.
- Contribute to the development of the education system by sharing effective practice, working in partnership with other schools to promote innovative initiatives.
ACCOUNTABILITY AND GOVERNANCE
- Work with the proprietor and governors to analyse and plan for the future needs and further development of the school within the local and national context.
- Translate the vision into a school improvement plan (SIP) with agreed, prioritised, objectives and operational plans which will promote and sustain school improvement within an agreed timeframe.
- Encourage a school ethos which enables everyone to work together, share knowledge and understanding, celebrate success and accept responsibility for outcomes.
- Present a coherent and accurate account of the school's performance in a form appropriate to a range of audiences, including parents, the local authority, the local community, Ofsted and others, to enable them to contribute effectively.
TEACHING
- Teach as necessary and appropriate relative to the other duties of the post.
NOTES
The headteacher may be asked by the proprietor 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 anytime, after consultation with the postholder.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
The proprietor and governors are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young persons 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.
COMPETENCIES, KNOWLEDGE, QUALIFICATIONS
QUALIFICATIONS AND CPD RECORD
Essential:
- Qualified Teacher Status and first degree (or equivalent, e.g.BA)
- Record of CPD relevant to headship and /or in the field of SEN/SEMH/ASC
Desirable
- Higher degree relevant to headship
- NPQH
- CPD record, including substantial relevant achievement
EMPLOYMENT RECORD
Essential:
- Successful track record of leadership in the secondary education in England, preferably in a SEN/SEMH school
Desirable:
- Successful track record of leadership of primary education in England
PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS
Essential:
- Stable and supportive, stamina, energy, drive, confidence
- 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
- Be a positive presence within the operational day of the school
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT OF PUPIL ACHIEVEMENT, PROGRESS AND SAFETY
Essential:
- Concerned about individual pupil needs; regards personal safety and achievement for each individual as the highest priorities
- Ability to inspire pupils to achieve well
- Ability to analyse complex issues relating to pupils' attainment and progress and develop effective and creative responses
- Successful track record in monitoring and evaluating pupils' progress, translating into appropriate interventions with specific measurable targets
- Detailed understanding Ofsted's new Education Inspection Framework (EIF) and the Independent School Standards
LEADING AND MANAGING STAFF
· 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
· Ability to delegate operational tasks to responsible staff
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT OF CURRICULUM
· In depth of knowledge of the national curriculum and sound experience of curriculum delivery, monitoring and assessment (primary and secondary)
· The ability to analyse complex curriculum issues and develop effective and creative responses
· In-depth knowledge and understanding of current national curriculum thinking, which informs school priorities and developments and against which the school's progress can be mapped.
· A vision for the 21st Century curriculum.
· Knowledge and experience in current
issues relating to SEN/SEMH
· Apply expertise across Key stages 2 - 4
MANAGING RESOURCES
· The ability to analyse complex issues relating to finance and resources, both human and physical, and to develop creative responses to ensure that resources are managed effectively
STAKEHOLDERS AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
· Effective communication with staff, parents, pupils, local authority, governors and external agencies and is sensitive to the school's role within the community
· Establish effective links with the community
· Evidence of the ability to establish a "standing" within the community and engagement with a wide variety of stakeholders
ACCOUNTABILITY AND GOVERNANCE
· Successful school development planning, and a strong track record of implementing and managing the delivery of sustained improvements
TEACHING
· Substantial and successful teaching experience
· Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of outstanding SEN/SEMH classroom practice
Information about the School
We are an independent special school, graded GOOD by Ofsted, set on a rural site in the village of Little Waltham which caters for pupils between 10 to 16 years old who have an education, health and care plan for social, emotional and mental health difficulties.
The school team at The Belsteads School strive to help pupils who have disengaged from school and learning, to develop strategies to manage their behaviour in a learning environment. With small classes and high staff to pupil ratios in each classroom, the staff at The Belsteads School, are able to provide a high level of support both in and out of the classroom to enable our pupils to be successful in their learning. We provide ability, rather than age, appropriate learning tasks so that pupils at The Belsteads School can experience success in learning and begin to engage and enjoy learning in a school environment.
We want our pupils to feel a sense of belonging at the school and recognise that they are part of the change they want to make. As a special school, one of the most exciting aspects of our work is that we are able to support the pupils to take the time to think about their behaviour and endeavour to find the best way forward for them to communicate with us and the people in their lives. The best interests of the child is at the heart of everything we do.
Staff Wellbeing is a priority and staff have regular Wellbeing days as well as access to an Employee Assistance Programme.
The school is committed to safeguarding children and young people. All postholders are subject to receipt of a satisfactory enhanced DBS disclosure.