Ardeley St Lawrence VA Primary School & Nursery

Headteacher Recruitment Application Pack

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Contents

・ Letter from the Chair Page 2

・ Life at Ardeley School Page 3

・ What our children, parents and Staff say about our school Page 5

・ Ardeley School details Page 6

・ The Ardeley School Team Page 7

・ Job description Page 8

・ Person specification Page 11

・ Essential information Page 14

Ardeley St Lawrence CofE Primary School and Nursery Loving and learning in Fellowship and Faith 2

Letter from the Chair of Governors

Dear Applicant,

Thank you for your interest in the upcoming opportunity to become our new Head Teacher. This application pack will give you a flavour of the uniqueness of our school and the potential future here for you.

Ardeley St Lawrence School is looking to appoint a committed and dynamic individual who will work with our governing board to drive and develop our school vision and strategy.

We are a small rural Voluntary Aided Church School nestled at the heart of Ardeley village, 4 miles outside of , surrounded by Church Farm with whom we have a special relationship for learning. Our pupils use the farm and surrounding countryside extensively for enriching their curriculum in this beautiful rural location. The local parish villages work with the school and church to create a strong community in our area, with volunteers regularly in school and a calendar of local events.

Our current head teacher joined us in 2009 and is leaving to retire. During this time the school has been well led and developed, achieving an “outstanding” SIAS inspection and “good” Ofsted inspections. In September 2016 Ofsted said “Teamwork is a very strong feature and all staff play an effective role in whole‐school improvement….. You have sustained the very positive climate for learning that exists within this very small village school, highlighted at the previous inspection”. In Sept 2016 we opened our newly built EYFS classroom which is stunning and within it is our new nursery provision, thereby enabling us to secure future pupil numbers.

This headship is an exciting opportunity for someone to build on these strong foundations, seeking to increase the numbers on roll in KS2 and maintain high standards of progress and attainment. We have a strong, highly motivated, dedicated and very caring staff team and as Governors we offer a well‐trained, experienced, committed and diligent board to fully support you in leading Ardeley School.

We are looking for someone with passion to develop this vision, whilst always ensuring our Christian ethos, strong pastoral and community focus remains at the heart of Ardeley School.

We are a small school but we have big aspirations for each child and the school as a whole.

If you are looking for a new direction in your teaching career, we hope you will consider applying for this post and we would welcome you to visit our school at your earliest convenience.

Please contact the school office to arrange a visit at [email protected] or please call 01438 861284 during school hours.

We look forward to meeting you soon.

Yours Sincerely

Jackie Hayward Chair of Governors

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Ardeley School life

Ardeley School & Nursery is a hidden gem in the village of Ardeley, just 10 minutes from Stevenage or . With around 75 pupils our diverse population is drawn from the surrounding villages and towns. The Children enjoy our historic buildings set in a beautiful rural setting, which with our own garden, soon to return pond, spacious playing field, outdoor stage and a range of outdoor equipment, provides an enriched and lively environment in which to learn and play.

Our Christian Faith underpins all we do at Ardeley. We recognise our special historic foundation and try to develop our Christian character in accordance with the principles of the Church of . This is supported through our strong links with the Church of St Lawrence, Ardeley and with the diocese of . We welcome children of all faiths and those of no faith and provide an inclusive education of the highest quality within the context of our Christian faith and

practice. We also participate in services in the church. Harvest, the Nativity, Easter and our leavers’ service are annual events. Each term the whole school, parents and local community has a communion

service in the church.

Our Rural location and links to Church farm in Ardeley open up many opportunities for extended learning. Feeding the Lambs, egg collecting, nature trails, studying wildlife or having a campfire in the local woods are just some of the wonderful experiences all our children enjoy. We feel that it is important for children to have positive attitudes to food, fitness and friendship. The school has ‘Healthy School’ status and a commitment to encouraging healthy lifestyles. We grow our own vegetables, which the children eat at lunch, and the scraps are consumed by our badgers seen on our badger–cam.

There is a wide range after extra ‐curricular activities run by school staff or by volunteers. Lunchtime clubs this spring term include French, tennis, ocarina and recorders. After school during the last year we have enjoyed sewing, gymnastics, football, cricket, dance, Reading Eggs, creative writing, speed stacking and cooking. We also have special activities from external groups which have recently taught; Archery, Fencing and special science to name but a few.

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Our children have a varied array of trips away from the local area, be it to a local theatre to further their learning beyond our all‐inclusive annual summer show, or to our annual residential trip, which this year will be in Norfolk during March. In previous years we have taken children rock climbing, raft building and high tree top expeditions to challenge our development & team work. Last year’s residential trip to Shropshire was a great success, giving us a window on the industrial revolution and Victorian life.

We have an amazing team here at Ardeley who work tirelessly to bring to life all the wonderful experiences for the children. Our Special Education Needs Co‐ordinator manages provision for children with additional needs and we benefit from a highly experienced special needs teaching assistant who is able to work with children on an individual or small group basis to develop specific areas of their learning. We are also ably assisted by local volunteers who regularly spend time in class with the children.

A major strength of our school is the strong partnership enjoyed with everyone in our community. Parents, volunteers, fellow professionals from the emergency services, health agencies, musicians, artists and many others create a vast range of experiences and support for the children in our care. Such is the value of these partnerships that the school, in turn, endeavours to reach out to support others beyond our immediate locality through our charitable links with organisations both at home and abroad.

We are proud of our very active parent teacher association, the Friends of Ardeley School (FAS), who manage many activities and events throughout the calendar, providing a social and fundraising focus. Currently they are seeking to raise funds to provide the children with new IPad’s in KS2.

Parents also take part in many aspects of the school, with the special Dad’s afternoon which is very popular, joining collective worship or being part of the full diary of events throughout the year. When we need help we are never short of volunteers and ideas, from our just over 50 families with children at the school.

With the opening of our new classroom in 2016 we have the most modern nursery and reception facilities. This enables us to expand our KS2 pupil numbers in the future to reflect the changing local demographics. We look forward to meeting you soon at Ardeley School.

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What our Children, Parents and Staff say about our school

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Ardeley School Details

Ardeley St Lawrence CofE Primary School and Nursery School Lane Ardeley Tel: 01438 861284 Stevenage E-Mail Address: [email protected] Hertfordshire SG2 7AJ Type of school: Primary School with Nursery Age Range: 3‐11 years Number of pupils on role: 75 Reception Intake: 15 Nursery intake: 11 SEN percentage: 29 % SIAS Rating: Outstanding 2012 Ofsted Rating: Good 2016 & Good 2012

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Ardeley School Team Head Teacher Mrs Jeanette Dingley

Administrator & Finance Officer Teaching Staff Mrs Alison Walsh Ms Rebecca Fry

Mrs Toni Minson Office Assistant Miss Sonya Shears Mrs Alison Sendall Mr Joe Suckling

Support Staff

Mrs Paula Carter Teaching Assistants Mr Colling Mrs Paula Carter Mr Michael Jones Mrs Laura Cordell Mrs Susan Jones Mrs Cathriona Costa (SEN)

Mrs Clare Elkington Catering Staff Mrs Nikki Harvey (Nursery Nurse) Mrs Caroline Gilligan ‐ Catering Manager Mrs Susan Jones Vacancy ‐ Catering Assistant Mrs Alison Sendall After‐School Provision Mrs Jennie Yates Mrs Vicki Rao

Governors

Mrs Jackie Hayward – Chair Rev Mike Leverton Mr Harvey Phipson – Vice Chair Ms Janet Naylor Mr Ian Denchfield – Treasurer Prof Tracy Warr Mr Chris Dawson Ms Kirsty Mainds Ms Rebecca Fry Ms Annelli Cleverly Mrs Jeanette Dingley Mr Joseph Brown

Clerk to Governors Ms Rita Beasley

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JOB DESCRIPTION – HEAD TEACHER

Accountable to: The Governing Board. In carrying out duties the Head Teacher will liaise, where appropriate, with the Governing Board, the local authority, the diocese, staff and parents of the school.

Main Purpose: To provide professional leadership for Ardeley St Lawrence Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School and Nursery. To ensure its continued success and improvement providing an environment for teaching and learning that empowers both staff and pupils to achieve their fullest potential.

To provide vision, inspiration, leadership and strategic direction to the school while working in partnership with the Governing Board, staff and parents to sustain, nourish and develop the school’s distinctive Christian ethos. To enable everyone to work collaboratively, share knowledge and understanding, confront and solve problems, celebrate success and accept responsibility for outcomes.

General

 To act in accordance with the requirements of paragraphs 45 to 49 (Section 7) of the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document 2016 and in accordance with subsequent Pay and Conditions Documents in relation to the duties of a Head Teacher.  To act in accordance with other legislation affecting the conduct of the school, particularly that governing health, safety and safeguarding matters and employment rights.

Strategic Leadership

 To ensure that pupil safety is at the centre of all school functions in particular strategic planning and resource management.  To maintain and develop the Christian ethos of the school in strong partnership with the church community and in line with our Anglican Instrument of Government.  To visibly demonstrate the vision and values in everyday work and practice and to work to ensure that all those in the school are committed to achieving the school purpose and aims.  To implement the school development plan making learning central and securing continuous school improvement.  To work with the Governing Board and the wider school community to translate the school vision into agreed objectives and operational plans which will promote and sustain continual school improvement and a sense of ownership.  To monitor and evaluate the performance of the school and respond and report to the Governing Board.

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 To continue to present a coherent and accurate account of the school’s performance to all school stakeholders including the Governing Board to enable improved standards of achievement.  To ensure that school policies and practice, including those for self‐evaluation and school improvement, take account of national, local and school requirements and to monitor and evaluate their impact and take appropriate action.  To ensure all strategic planning takes account of the diversity, values and experiences of the school and wider community.  To work with the Local Authority, Diocese and Governors to ensure that the school remains sustainable in terms of pupil population and financial resources.

Leadership of Teaching and Learning

 To lead by example in delivering teaching excellence in subjects as required.  To maintain an environment that promotes outstanding teaching and secures effective learning, high standards of achievement and good behaviour.  To determine, organise, implement and monitor the curriculum and its assessment and to ensure that statutory requirements are met.  To promote creativity, innovation and the use of appropriate new technologies and initiatives to achieve excellence. To ensure a diverse flexible curriculum that promotes a high quality of teaching and learning.  To ensure that pupils develop study skills in order to learn more effectively and with increasing independence.  To implement the policy for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  To monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching and learning standards and achievement of all pupils in the school through appropriate methods i.e. benchmarking and data collation.  To ensure the school maintains an effective partnership with parents and the wider community to support and improve pupils’ achievement and personal development.

Staff Leadership

 To lead by example as a model of professional conduct and presentation, demonstrating high personal standards of expertise and commitment.  To maximise the contribution of all staff in improving the quality of education in the school, deploying them accordingly.  To ensure individual staff accountabilities are clearly defined, understood and agreed and are subject to rigorous review and evaluation in keeping with appraisal guidelines.  To lead motivate, support, challenge and develop staff to secure continuous improvement.  To lead the continuing professional development (CPD) of all staff through example while also looking to develop the leadership capacity within the school. Ardeley St Lawrence CofE Primary School and Nursery Loving and learning in Fellowship and Faith 10

 To promote good staff morale, by positive leadership and enabling staff to achieve a healthy work life balance.  To ensure all staff are engaged with the school’s key priorities, through effective communication.  To ensure that professional duties are fulfilled as specified in the Terms and Conditions of Service of Teachers, including those of Head Teacher.  To ensure that a suitable person assumes responsibility for the discharge of the Head Teacher’s function at any time when absent from school.  To lead by example in developing good working relationships with Governors, staff, pupils, parents, carers and the community.  To ensure effective working relationships with external agencies and services contracted to the school, to the Governing Board, Diocese and to the Local Authority.  To review own performance regularly, seeking and taking account of others feedback, setting own personal targets and taking responsibility for own CPD.  To extend and promote collaboration with other local primary schools.  To work with the governing board to recruit and retain staff of the highest quality who achieve the vision and goals of the school.

Financial Management

 To set appropriate priorities for expenditure, allocation of funds and effective administration and control.  To manage, monitor and review the range, quality and use of all available resources in order to improve the quality of education, improve pupils’ achievements, ensure efficiency and secure value for money.  To make arrangements for the security and effective supervision of the school buildings, the contents and grounds.

Safeguarding

 To commit to applying rigour to safeguarding via procedural implementation and to promote the continued welfare of children and young people as required under the Education Act 2002 and an expectation of all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.  To co‐operate and work with relevant agencies to protect pupils at all times.

Conditions of employment

The above responsibilities are in accordance with the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document 2016 in terms of duties and working time and are also subject to any local agreements and LEA guidance on interpreting conditions of service.

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PERSON SPECIFICATION – HEAD TEACHER

Criteria E D

Qualifications

Minimum Second Class Honours degree or equivalent X

DFE Qualified Teacher status X

Completed NPQH x

Evidence of relevant Continuing Professional Development X

Knowledge & Experience

Senior leadership experience in a school (Head Teacher, Deputy Head or Assistant X Head)

Experience of teaching across EYFS, KS1 & KS2 X

Proven skills in the monitoring of performance of staff X

Experience of establishing strategies for developing effective teaching and X deployment of all staff

Experience of financial management and budget setting, including managing a X budget successfully

Demonstrates working with Governing Board X

Skills & Qualities

Passionate about education, a desire to see each pupil fulfil their potential X

High expectations for pupils and all staff X

Proven ability to prioritise, plan and organise self as well as others X

Is an outstanding teacher x

Evidence of being able to inspire, challenge, motivate and empower others to x implement the school vision over the short, medium and long term

Ability to support and enhance the values and distinctiveness of the school, X including its Christian ethos

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Able to promote the spiritual, social, moral and cultural development of pupils and X lead Christian collective worship

Evidence that pupils are placed at the centre of all decisions, working to protect X them and promote their welfare

Demonstrates emotional resilience, dealing effectively with challenges; using X compassion and authority

Shows ability to listen, communicate effectively, build relationships with staff, X parents, pupils, volunteers and other stakeholders

Leadership Skills

Leads by example with integrity & professionalism X

Evidence of ability to lead school improvement, through rigorous self‐evaluation of X the work of the school in line with the vision of the school

Evidence of building high performing teams and motivating staff to achieve X outstanding results

Ability to manage change and complexity with effectiveness x

Sound knowledge of current legislation and developments in education including x inspection frameworks. Has excellent knowledge of, and is able to plan for, current and future educational developments

Ability to use IT management tools X

Evidence of being able to lead strategic and financial planning to ensure the x sustainability of the school

Ability to reflect on own practice, seek and accept support from others including X colleagues, LA, Diocese and Governors

Evidence of initiating collaborative working with other schools X

Curriculum

Demonstrates an innovative and creative approach to curriculum design and X management, which inspires pupils to learn

Ability to define and implement assessment systems including those used by HfL X

Understanding of effective inclusion strategies X

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Ability to lead and inspire outstanding teaching X

Working knowledge and understanding of the SEND code of practice and its X implications

Safeguarding

Absolute commitment to the safety and well‐being of all pupils X

Proven ability in building a culture in the school where children’s concerns will be X listened to and acted upon

Understanding of and commitment to safer recruitment and safeguarding X procedures and the ability to ensure their implementation

Experience as a designated or deputy designated CP Officer x

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Essential Information

Head Teacher Required for September 2017

Salary range: L10 – L14

Application closing date: 12 noon 24th February 2017

Applicants are invited to complete the attached application form and submit a letter of application. Your letter of application should address the attributes identified in the Person Specification with particular emphasis on how you would use your skills and experience to manage change and continue the development of the school. It should not exceed 1000 words in length. Curriculum Vitae will not be accepted. Completed applications should be submitted to: [email protected]

Short listing: 27th February 2017

Interview date: 9th March 2017 Candidates will be asked to take part in a variety of activities and meet in various formal and informal contexts with pupils, staff and members of the Governing Board. Further details will be provided to shortlisted candidates. Appointment: 7pm 9th March 2017

The Governing Board will meet to receive recommendations from the Recruitment Panel and to ratify the appointment of the new Head Teacher. Interview candidates can expect to hear from the Chair or Herts for Learning Representative by telephone shortly after this meeting.

Address: Ardeley St Lawrence CofE Primary School and Nursery

School Lane Ardeley Stevenage Hertfordshire SG2 7AJ

Telephone: 01438 861284

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.ardeley.herts.sch.uk

School data:

Please follow the links below for our most recent inspection reports:

Ofsted report: https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection‐reports/find‐inspection‐ report/provider/ELS/117420

SIAMS report: https://www.stalbans.anglican.org/wp‐ content/uploads/1969/12/ardleystlawrence130912.pdf

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School visits: You are warmly welcomed to visit our school before completing your application when our current Head Teacher will show you around. Please contact Alison Walsh in the school office to arrange a convenient time (01438 861284).

Ardeley St Lawrence CofE Primary School and Nursery Loving and learning in Fellowship and Faith