Headteacher

Job Description

The Board of Trustees at Keys Co-operative Academy Trust are seeking to appoint a new Headteacher at Heybridge Co-operative Academy. This post will provide an excellent opportunity for a colleague keen to join a young Trust with ambitions to improve the life chances of young people who have experienced disruption in their education.

Heybridge Co-operative Academy is a Pupil Referral Unit, part of the Keys Co-operative Academy Trust. Our Alternative Provision Academy educates vulnerable children from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 4 referred from schools across Mid Essex.

Keys Co-operative Academy Trust is committed to safer recruitment practices and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. All appointments are subject to an enhanced DBS check, medical clearance and satisfactory references.

Information about the School

Mid Essex Co-operative Academy is an 4 – 16 school for 135 young people most of whom have found it difficult to be successful in a mainstream school.

We are very proud of the provision we offer. Students are taught in small groups and they study the core curriculum at both Key Stage 3 and 4. In addition to the core curriculum, we provide rich and varied extended curriculum opportunities ranging from music therapy, targeted literacy intervention, horse riding to vocational courses and work experience placements. Small classes benefit students and enable them to make good progress as staff can ensure that learning is tailored to individual student needs.

At Key Stage 3, in partnership with local schools, we focus on supporting young people to return to a mainstream school. At Key Stage 4, we focus on providing the opportunity for students to gain 5 GCSEs to ensure a successful transition to post 16 education or training. Many of the young people who attend Mid Essex Co-operative Academy arrive here at a point of crisis or conflict in their lives. It is our aim to ensure that we help them to regain a sense of confidence and self-esteem which allows them to compete on equal terms with their peers, despite the disruption to their education caused by leaving mainstream school. We have an ongoing target that none of our Year 11 leavers are NEET (Not in education, employment or training) and we regularly maintain this excellent target.

The Primary unit for Key Stage 1 and 2 students is located in Witham. The school opened in January 2021. As with the secondary unit, this serves young people, most of whom have found it difficult to be successful in a mainstream school. We are very proud of the provision we offer. Students are taught in small groups and they study the core curriculum. In addition to the core curriculum, we provide rich and varied extended curriculum opportunities ranging from music therapy, targeted literacy intervention, horse riding to vocational courses and work experience placements. Small classes benefit students and enable them to make good progress as staff can ensure that learning is tailored to individual student needs.