Job Description

Please note that the role is home based but travel to schools could be countywide. Full time or part time applicants will be considered.

Interviews for this role will take place on 27 or 28th September 2021 at County Hall, Chelmsford (approx. duration 3 hrs).

Essex County Council has embarked upon a programme of change for provision and services with the ambition to profoundly improve the outcomes and life experience of children and young people with any disadvantage. Our vision is for an inclusive system which identifies and assesses need at an earlier stage and which provides appropriate and impactful support without such high dependence on Essex County Council's statutory services. We have a responsibility to deliver effective services and support in the most cost effective and impactful way.

The School Effectiveness Partner will empower school leaders to deepen accountable partnerships, delivering on their collective expertise and combined resources to enable all pupils to achieve their potential and ambitions. They will monitor, challenge, and support school leaders in delivering high quality provision for all pupils, particularly for disadvantaged and SEND, within schools and partnerships, ensuring the Council meets its statutory responsibilities for school standards.

Ideally you will have worked as a Headteacher or, as a minimum, have experience as a Deputy Headteacher, with significant expertise in developing quality improvement frameworks to enhance education standards and drive the achievement of a good or outstanding Ofsted rating.

This post invites leaders with credible primary, secondary, special school or cross-phase experience in schools or those with successful school improvement officer roles in a local authority.

It may be possible for Essex school based, experienced leaders to be considered for a fixed-term secondment to this role.

Key Accountabilities

• Acts as the principal link between the local authority and agreed partnerships/schools contributing to school improvement across a quadrant of Essex.
• Responsible for supporting the maturity of school partnerships, to share expertise, enhance learning outcomes and broker support.
• Work collaboratively with Early Years settings, schools, Teaching School Hubs and other educational providers, to identify areas for improvement, solutions and provide support for pupils across the 0-18 age range.
• Contribute to a robust system of monitoring school performance, to measure the effectiveness of schools to be fully inclusive, manage attendance and reduce exclusions, offering advice and guidance and developing supportive plans.
• Act as the representative of the Director of Education at Headteacher appointments in LA maintained schools and all Academy Headteacher appointments, as requested. Support, where requested and represent the Director of Education at Ofsted feedback.
• Responsible for challenging schools to have safeguarding procedures that ensure all pupils are safe and fully informed by the most recent statutory requirements.
• Responsible for providing intensive targeted school improvement support to enable Essex schools identified as underperforming, to make rapid improvement to good status.
• Promote and deliver traded services with schools, consider and recommend further commercial opportunities to achieve set income generation targets.
• Responsible for ensuring the most effective schools and Teaching School Hubs are enabling improvement across all Essex schools, through the development and sharing of innovative approaches to improving the quality of teaching and learning and outcomes for pupils with SEND.

Knowledge, skills, and experience

• Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and experience at school senior leadership level, preferably as a Headteacher or as a minimum at Deputy Headteacher level, or senior leadership experience in school improvement within a Local Authority.
• Continuing professional development and expert knowledge of legislative framework in relevant professional area.
• Excellent leadership skills, with the ability to focus on results, forging a strong team from diverse backgrounds to achieve strategic objectives.
• Excellent communication skills with an ability to influence both strategically and corporately.
• Proven track record of using professional expertise to deliver strategic objectives and expected outcomes
• Experience, knowledge and understanding of school practice and management of provision for pupils with the full range of education needs.
• Effective experience of partnership and inter agency working, including academy sponsors and Free Schools.
• Experience of effective analysis and management of data to support service evaluation and planning.

Why Essex

Essex County Council has a location to be proud of. Our 1,300 square miles stretch from Constable Country to the Thames Estuary, from the dynamic M11 corridor to the traditional seaside resorts of Clacton and Walton. England's oldest town, Colchester, and two of its newest - Basildon and Harlow - are right here. Along with the City of Chelmsford, the county town, they form our major population centres. It means real choice and makes Essex the ideal place for your career. To read more please visit:https://www.workingforessex.com/about-us/

What you should do next

If you are interested in finding out more about this role, we would love to hear from you. PLEASE APPLY VIA THE WORKING FOR ESSEX WEBSITE. www.workingforessex.com

For an informal discussionabout this role please contact Stephen Chynoweth (Head of Education and Early Years, North Essex) on07585889307 or Maz Norman (Head of Education and Early Years, South Essex) on 07717867504

Essex County Council is proud to offer an excellent benefits package to all its employees. More information can be found onhttps://www.workingforessex.com/working-here/pay-reward/

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go tohttps://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. Essex County Council are a diverse and inclusive employer.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join ourtalent pool.

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please emailresourcing.team@essex.gov.ukor call us on 0333 013 5888.

Lines are open Monday to Friday between 08:30 - 16:30.

Information about the School

Essex County Council (ECC) is one of the largest and most dynamic local authorities in the UK, serving a population of 2 million residents, and has a very successful track record of delivering transformational change. ECC anticipated change was needed in the public sector and has worked to deliver better quality at lower cost. We have an ambitious transformation agenda – one with the scope to reach every part of the council. We are changing the way we think, the way we work, and the ways in which we deliver our services. We are committed to becoming a place where individuals, partners and communities feel proud to play their role and genuinely want to belong. We’re immensely proud of our flexible working options.