Principal

Job Description

"Our vision is to provide creative learning experiences, which will inspire andchallenge our children to maximise their academic potential; ensuringchildren leave us as honest, kind and respectful young people, equipped withthe skills to continue their journey as lifelong learners."

Core Purpose
The Principal, working with the governing body, senior leadership team and Academy staff, will provide
overall strategic leadership to achieve the Academy's strategic vision and deliver the Academy's Development Plan, while ensuring effective day to day operation of the Academy in the best interests of pupil and staff outcomes, development, welfare and well-being. The principal will have overall responsibility and accountability for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils within the school.

Principal Accountabilities
The Principal will:

• Work collaboratively with the governing body to develop the direction, vision, values and priorities of the Academy.
• Develop, implement and evaluate the Academy's policies, practices and procedures.
• Lead, manage and monitor the continuous development of teaching and learning for the positive impact on pupil outcomes.
• Lead a culture of continuous improvement, through self-evaluation and improvement planning.
• Have overall responsibility and accountability for safeguarding and promoting the welfare and development of all pupils within the Academy.
• Be responsible for the organisation, management and control of the Academy in accordance with applicable legislation and relevant regulatory requirements (as an Academy), the policies of the governing body (including its annual budget) and the instrument and articles of association of the Academy.
• Carry out the role and responsibilities as 'Accounting Officer' for the Academy, ensuring financial controls conform with the requirements of the funding agreement between the Trust and the Secretary of State.
• Be a named Director at Companies House, holding joint responsibilities with the other directors of the Trust.

Dimensions and Context
Development and Self-improvement

The Principal will lead a culture of continuous self improvement for the Academy, including to:

• Model creative and innovative approaches to Academy improvement, particularly in the strength of the curriculum and standards of excellence.
• Provide challenge to ensure the needs of all pupils are fully met.
• Develop effective relationships and collaborate effectively with fellow professionals and colleagues in other schools, universities and other public bodies, to improve learning and personal development outcomes for all pupils.
• Engage with parents/carers of pupils to develop strong relationships with the parent community and a partnership ethos between the Academy and home.
• Embed monitoring and analysis of pupil progress for children of all year groups, in a way that is most effective for all stakeholders.
• Participate in arrangements for their own further training and professional development and appraisal and review of their own performance.
• Establish positive relationships with the Governing Body; through input and attendance at structured meetings, governor visits and informal settings.

Pupils and Staff
The Principal will demand ambitious standards for all pupils and staff, to:

• Provide a safe, calm and respectful environment for all pupils and staff, focused on safeguarding pupils and maintaining high standards of behaviour in the Academy and in the wider community - a Trauma perspective approach underpins behaviour management.
• Instil a strong sense of accountability in staff for the impact of their work on pupils' outcomes.
• Secure excellent teaching through an analytical understanding of how pupils learn, the core features of successful classroom practice and ongoing development of a creative curriculum.
• Place a high value on the progress and development of the individual child, ensuring ambitious standards for all pupils that overcome disadvantage and advance equality.
• Encourage pupil voice through a range of mechanisms including the School Parliament and by facilitating effective pupil feedback.
• Embed a culture of peer support as a basis for sharing best practice within the Academy.
• Create an ethos within which all staff are motivated and supported to develop their own skills and subject knowledge, and to support each other.
• Lead and manage staff with a commitment to their well-being, including the expectation of a healthy balance between work and other commitments.
• Deliver provision for the Academy to provide high quality professional development for all staff.

Systems and Process
The Principal will ensure the Academy's systems, organisation and processes are well considered, efficient and fit for purpose, including to:

• Establish rigorous, fair and transparent systems and measures for managing the performance of all staff, addressing any under-performance, supporting staff to improve and valuing excellent practice.
• This will include clear arrangements for linking performance management to pay progression and advise the relevant body on pay recommendations for teachers.
• Ensure the financial procedures and business operations of the Academy are implemented and are compliant with the relevant regulatory requirements, including but not limited to Education and Skills
• Funding Agency (ESFA) requirements. Exercise strategic financial planning to ensure the equitable deployment of budgets and resources, in the best interests of pupils' achievements and the Academy's sustainability.
• Welcome strong governance and actively support the governing board to understand its role and deliver its functions effectively, in particular its functions to set Academy strategy and hold the
• Principal to account for pupil's, staff and financial performance.
• Consult and communicate with the governing body, staff, pupils, parents and carers.
• Lead and manage safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

Standards and Competencies
The Principal will provide strong leadership with a continuous focus on improvement, through inspiring staff and pupils and holding staff to account, including:

• To hold and articulate clear values and moral purpose, focused on providing excellence in education for the pupils the Academy serves.
• To demonstrate optimistic personal behaviour, positive relationships and attitudes towards pupils and staff, and towards parents, governors and members of the local community.
• To lead by example with integrity, creativity, resilience, and clarity, drawing on experience, expertise and skills.
• To sustain wide, current knowledge and understanding of education and school systems and pursue continuous professional development.
• To ensure the business operations of the Academy, including financial management, comply with regulatory requirements and that procedures are implemented, funding and regulatory requirements are met and relevant activity is audited as required.
• To work with political understanding, within a clear set of principles centred on the Academy's vision, translating policy into the Academy's context.

Safeguarding
The Principal will fulfil personal responsibilities and secure compliance by those working in the Academy for safeguarding, as set out in Keeping Children Safe in Education, The Children's Act Statutory Guidance and by the local safeguarding partner arrangements.
These include:

• Operating a culture of listening to children and taking account of their wishes and feelings, both in individual decisions and the development of services.
• Operating clear whistleblowing procedures.
• Sharing information with other professionals as required.
• Operating safer recruitment practices.
• Ensuring appropriate supervision and support for staff, including undertaking Induction, safeguarding training and reviews of practice.
• Establishing, operating and monitoring clear policies for dealing with allegations against people who work with children.
• Undertaking the role of Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Designated Safeguarding Lead Responsibilities
To take lead responsibility for safeguarding and child protection within the Academy, including to:

• Manage referrals
• Refer cases of suspected abuse to the local authority children's social care as required.
• Support staff who make referrals to local authority children's social care.
• Refer cases to the Channel programme where there is a radicalisation concern, as required.
• Refer cases where a person is dismissed or has left due to risk/harm to a child to the Disclosure and
• Barring Service, as required.
• Refer cases where a crime may have been committed to the Police, as required.
• As required, liaise with the "case manager" and the designated officer(s) at the local authority for child protection concerns in cases which concern a staff member.
• Liaise with relevant staff on matters of safety and safeguarding (including online and digital safety) and
• when deciding whether to make a referral, by liaising with relevant agencies.
• Act as a source of support, advice and expertise for all staff.
• Raise Awareness
• Ensure the Academy's child protection policies are known, understood and used appropriately.
• Ensure the Academy's child protection policy is reviewed annually (as a minimum) and the procedures and implementation are updated and reviewed regularly.
• Ensure the child protection policy is available publicly and parents are aware of the fact that referralsabout suspected abuse or neglect may be made and the role of the Academy in this.
• Link with the local safeguarding partner arrangements to make sure staff are aware of any trainingopportunities and the latest local policies on local safeguarding arrangements.

Training and Record Keeping

• Deliver appropriate safeguarding and child protection training to all staff which is regularly updated, asrequired and at least annually, to provide them with relevant skills and knowledge to safeguardchildren effectively.
• Ensure child protection files are transferred as appropriate in line with Keeping Children Safe inEducation.
• Be available for staff to discuss any safeguarding concerns in line with the Academy's safeguarding arrangements.
• Make adequate and appropriate cover arrangements for safeguarding where concerns/issues occurout of hours/out of term.
• Undergo and regularly update safeguarding training (at least every 2 years) to ensure the appropriate level of knowledge and skill is maintained.
• Keep up to date with ongoing developments relevant to the role in line with Keeping Children Safe inEducation, as required and at least annually.
• The duties above are neither exclusive nor exhaustive and the post holder may be required by theGoverning Body to carry out other appropriate duties within the context of the job, skills and grade.The job description should be read in conjunction with the contractual requirements and responsibilitiesof headteachers set out in the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document and the National Standards of Excellence for Headteachers.

The Governing Body is committed to safeguarding and promoting thewelfare of children and young people, and expects all its staff andvolunteers to share this commitment.

To view the full 'Information for Candidates' pack, please visit our school website.

Please complete our Academy Application Form electronically and save it as a PDF. Return your completed form by email, along with any additional sheets also saved as PDFs, to Claire North at recruitment@flitchgreen.net
Please include your name within the file names of all documents you send via email. All applications will be acknowledged by email and if you have not had confirmation of receipt within one working day of submission, please contact Claire North or Carmen Murphy by phone on 01371 822330. Should you have any queries regarding your application, please do not hesitate to contact us.