Job Description

We are seeking a highly organised, values driven Professional Officer to further develop the Essex Special Schools Education Trust (ESSET).

The successful candidate will have close support from the executive group and will be challenged to drive the development of ESSET and to champion the learners who attend our schools.

This is a unique position to work alongside a number of highly committed professionals and to make a real difference.

£300 to £350 per day dependent upon experience.

Approximately 100 days per year.

Roles & Responsibilities

The ESSET Professional Officer is appointed by the Executive Committee. S/he is not required to be a serving headteacher and this is a paid position.

• Attend meetings with LA and other groups to represent ESSET, as required by the Executive, and to provide notes and a termly report of the matters arising from the meetings attended.
• Follow up action and tasks as a result of those meetings.
• Research, write and deliver briefings each term for groups of headteachers across the county, to ensure that they are kept up to date with local and national issues.
• Liaise with and support the Chair of ESSET and other members of the Executive Committee, and special school headteachers in Essex.
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with the Professional Officers of ASHE and EPHA.
• Attend a termly management meeting with the ESSET Chair and Vice-Chair.
• Organise and manage on behalf of ESSET the annual Headteachers' Conference, the annual Deputy/Assistant Headteachers' Conference and other conferences as determined by the Executive Committee.
• Assist the ESSET Chair in his/her role.
• Manage the day to day running of the ESSET website.
• Produce reports, surveys and other papers as required by ESSET Executive Committee.
• Distribute information to headteachers, by email or by post.
• Develop & update the ESSET Welcome Pack on a termly basis and send out to new headteachers.
• Develop & update the ESSET Support Directory on a termly basis and send out to new headteachers.
• Develop & update the ESSET handbook regularly and post on the website.
• Write and distribute the half termly ESSET newsletter (in collaboration with the Chair).
• Seek headteachers to represent ESSET on various committees and working groups.
• Maintain an email database of ESSET headteachers and Deputies.
• Communicate information about ESSET to interested parties and represent ESSET when required by the Executive Committee.
• Undertake any other duties as determined by and agreed with the ESSET Executive Committee.

The duties above are neither exclusive or exhaustive and the post holder may be required by ESSET to carry out appropriate duties within the context of the job, skills and grade.

Information about the School

Essex Special Schools Education Trust (ESSET) is established as a private company limited by guarantee, comprising of the nineteen Essex Special Schools.

Directors of the company are the Headteachers of the nineteen schools. The company was established with the aim of leading Special Educational Needs Innovation in Essex providing a vehicle for sharing expertise to ensure all ESSET Schools were supported to provide outstanding outcomes for the young people of Essex.

ESSET has developed its offer to provide SEND support and training to mainstream schools to ensure excellence in SEND across Essex.