Headteacher

Job Description

Starting April 2022 or September 2022

A fantastic opportunity for an inspirational and committed individual to lead and develop this special school into the future. The school is an integral part of the SEN Trust Southend. This is a unique MAT of four Academy special schools within Southend who work closely together. As such, partnership working is key to the school's and the MAT's success.

The current Headteacher is retiring after 15 years in post.

The St. Christopher School is a special school for pupils aged 3-19 with an increasingly complex range of learning difficulties, most involving Autism/communication and varying degrees of learning difficulties. It is a very large special school with 235 pupils from Southend and across Essex. It is permanently in demand for places and is well thought of in the area and region.

If you:

· have the abilities to lead an 'Outstanding' special school (last 2 inspections) and continue its journey

· have strong leadership and management skills either as an existing Head or someone who has extensive Leadership in a large special school

· have the ability to further develop a clear vision of continued excellence with the current leadership team

· are committed to working with the other special schools in the MAT

We can offer you:

· a warm and welcoming school

· a supportive, enthusiastic and motivated Senior Leadership Team

· a school where all staff are valued, secure and have a strong sense of commitment and belonging

· a supportive induction period for the first term working alongside the existing Headteacher

· an interesting and changing group of pupils, some of whom have had a challenging journey so far and present with a complex range of learning difficulties

· the opportunity to work strategically to develop your leadership skills, within the school and across the MAT

· opportunities to work regionally to develop the work of the school, which includes providing advice and support to mainstream schools for autism and communication difficulties.

For full information about the school please visit the school website www.thestchristopherschool.co.uk

For more information about our MAT visit: www.sentrustsouthend.co.uk

As a Trust we are committed to ensuring the welfare and safeguarding of all pupils. All staff will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

For further information about the position, contact Jackie Mullan, Executive Headteacher.

FOR A FULL APPLICATION PACK contact Helen Grimwade/Karen Stevenson in the school office: 01702 524193

email: office@tscs.southend.sch.uk

Informal visits are scheduled for: 18 - 22 October

Closing date for applications 5 November

Formal interviews to take place between: 23 - 25 November

Information about the School

The St. Christopher School is a specialist special school for Communication & Interaction for pupils aged 3 - 19. We work with a wide range of pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorders, ADHD, communication & interaction difficulties and range of learning difficulties. The school is part of SEN Trust Southend.

SEN Trust Southend opened as a formal partnership on 1 September 2017. The four special schools, The St. Christopher School, Kingsdown School, Lancaster School and St. Nicholas School have always worked closely together to create a strong group of special schools which aim to meet the majority of needs of those pupils who require specialist support in a specialist educational school with Southend. We created the Multi-Academy Trust to help us continue this work.