Job Description

Due to the internal promotion of the current postholder, we are seeking to appoint an inspirational and dynamic Deputy Headteacher with the ability, experience and aspirations to share in the leadership and continued development of our Ofsted 'good' rated school. They will be working in partnership with our newly appointed Headteacher and joining our happy and successful church school, with a very strong sense of community.

This exciting opportunity will involve three days of class teaching, plus two non class-based days per week, so the new postholder will be able to develop their leadership role and make a significant contribution to school development.

With overall responsibility for teaching and learning and the opportunity to lead a core subject or significant development area, the new Deputy Headteacher will play a key role in leading our school on the next stage of its journey.

The successful candidate will:

• have high standards of professionalism and personal integrity;
• be an excellent classroom practitioner who is able to share their passion for learning and teaching with all stakeholders;
• be able to work effectively within our team, supporting the close partnerships between the school and the wider community;
• have high expectations of pupil achievement and behaviour;
• be able to inspire, challenge, motivate and support others;
• have successful experience of developing teaching, learning and the curriculum;
• have successful experience of leading a core subject or significant area of whole school development;
• be supportive of our strong Christian ethos.

We will offer you:

• a friendly, welcoming church school with a family atmosphere and strong community links;
• polite, well behaved children who are eager to learn;
• an enthusiastic and motivated staff team;
• a dedicated and supportive governing body;
• a firm commitment to your professional development;
• two non class-based days per week to undertake your leadership role;
• the opportunity to work closely with the new Headteacher in an established and successful senior leadership team, in leading our school to its next stage of development.

Prospective candidates are welcomed and positively encouraged to visit the school by prior arrangement.

Please contact Kerry Baker on 01621 782626 for further details, or to arrange visits.

This school complies with the Data Protection Act. Further details about how the school processes your data, including our Data Protection Policy Statement and Privacy Notices, can be found on the school website http://www.stmarysschoolburnham.org.uk/DataProtection/

Information about the School

St. Mary’s is a thriving, church primary school in Burnham-on-Crouch, which was graded as 'good' by Ofsted in 2022. We have a maximum of 240 pupils on roll, which means that everyone knows each other and there is a real family atmosphere and nurturing approach. Our Church School Inspection in January 2020 said, "St Mary’s School is a supportive family who work as a team every day. It is a very caring and kind community where everyone works towards the same goal."

We are fortunate to have attractive and very spacious grounds, with a good sized playground, spiritual garden, large field and our own swimming pool. We are well resourced and our children appreciate and care for their school.

Our pupils are happy, confident and hardworking. They respond well to adults and get on with each other. In September 2022 Ofsted said, "Pupils at St Mary’s Church of England school are happy and appreciate their teachers. They enjoy the ambitious curriculum and work that is set for them. Pupils strive to do their best." This makes working here a very rewarding experience.

Our parents/carers are supportive and keen to participate in school life. We are fortunate to have an active Parents' Teachers' and Friends' Association which helps us in many ways, including fundraising for the school. Ofsted 2022 noted that, "Parents are appreciative of the commitment from staff and leaders. As a result, a number of parents commented positively on the support their children had received."

We have an inclusive Christian ethos and good links with our local community, which supports very good behaviour throughout the school. We were graded as good in all areas of our Church School Inspection, which said, "Inspired by their vision and values, collaboration is a way of life at St Mary’s," going on to say that, "High expectations and aspirational targets within a nurturing environment enable all to achieve their best .... because everyone feels they belong and are part of this Christian community and are fully supported to grow in self-belief and confidence." This view was further supported by Ofsted 2022, who said that, "Pupils behave well and show respect through their understanding of each other’s differences."

We follow an exciting curriculum, which uses a cross curricular approach. We are extremely proud to have been re-accredited with the full International School Award in 2023, which greatly enriches life at St. Mary's and our participation in a range of international projects and activities is an integral aspect of school life.

We are very proud of our school and our strong, successful team.