Deputy Principal
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Recruitment Information Pack DEPUTY PRINCIPAL - CURRICULUM, QUALITY & STANDARDS Closing Date: Tuesday 23 March 2021, 12.00 noon Our Public Value Statement “We seek to add value to the social, economic and physical well-being of the community we serve, locally and globally by engaging students, educating and developing them successfully in accordance with our core values and mission statement, so that they themselves, by virtue of their success, are in turn able to benefit the community.” In order to be what we want to be, the College sets high standards for both staff and students and 2019/20 was once again another good year for student outcomes. The progress made by students on A, AS Level and the International Baccalaureate (IB) is outstanding. Our ALPs score is a 2. Our IB students perform exceptionally well, the average point score over the last five years is 35.5 – six points ahead of the world average. Historically, Varndean College has been the sixth form for Brighton schools. A great number of our students arrive having achieved very high standards at Key Stage 4, but alongside this a significant proportion come Welcome from the Principal & CEO to us with some aspect of learning difficulty and /or disability and some come from areas of deprivation. We truly are a diverse community, serving an area which includes wards with the highest levels of Dear Applicant deprivation in England, as well as some of the most affluent. We have a strong reputation for our support of students and we are proud of our commitment to the young people of this City. Thank you for taking the time to express an interest in Varndean College, a community of like-minded professionals who have a long history of placing students at the heart of all we do. If you feel that you can make a positive contribution to our College, please apply online via our website, www.varndean.ac.uk/vacancies. I look forward to reading your application. Varndean College is a really special place to work, we are a college at the centre of our community providing excellent education for students from Brighton and Hove and across Sussex. The warmth and Should you have any queries or wish to discuss any aspects of this position in more detail, please do not energy in the college is infectious and we pride ourselves on our close community, wonderful relationships hesitate to contact me. Please send these to [email protected] with students and positive staff ethos. Yours faithfully We add significant value to all of our students and are committed to our mission of inclusivity, diversity and opportunities for all. Varndean College is proud of its traditions of: • offering a broad inclusive curriculum that can meet the needs of most school leavers • providing opportunities for adults to re-engage with education • providing a supportive environment in which students flourish • achieving outstanding results and enabling students to make progress beyond expectation Donna-Marie Janson Principal & CEO As the lead for Curriculum, Quality and Standards you will be working with an experienced, skilled and enthused academic team to build upon our significant achievements and a history of great pedagogy. This is a key role for us in our next step to being graded as an Outstanding college, our last Ofsted report was highly complementary of our excellent teaching and learning and our pervasive atmosphere of mutual respect. We seek to foster a love of lifelong learning in our students and our staff. To assist us, we wish to appoint someone who shares our love of learning, someone who is determined to ensure we continue to put the student experience at the foreground of what we do. If you feel passionate about education and you match the wish list above, I would really like to hear from you. Our Mission The main purpose of Varndean College is to be a centre of excellence and first choice college for the community of Brighton & Hove. “Varndean College will, through the quality of its provision and support for a diverse community, encourage and inspire all its students to fulfil their potential.” Assessment Process To Apply • Application is by completed application form, available on our website, www.varndean.ac.uk/vacancies Please also make sure you also complete an Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form. • Completed application forms should be emailed to [email protected] by12.00 noon on Tuesday 23 About Varndean College March 2021. Varndean College is a popular, successful and unique sixth form college based on the outskirts of Brighton with 1890 students aged 16-19 years, approximately 70 of which are from overseas. It also opens its doors The college is committed to equality of opportunity and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of to the local community by offering an extensive adult education programme, as well as providing family and children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment. All staff community learning at several outreach centres within the City. employed by Varndean College are subject to an enhanced DBS check. The College is a wonderul environment to study and work in, set on a beautiful spacious green campus, with stunning views of Brighton and the sea. It draws not only from Brighton and Hove’s seven main secondary Interview Dates & Schedule schools, but also from a wide range of schools in East, West and Mid Sussex, as well as the independent sector and overseas. This all makes for a lively and cosmopolitan mix of students. Day One - Candidates have between Thursday 15 - Sunday 18 April to complete Assessment A online Recently the College achieved £2.9m Government funding to build an exciting new two-storey STEM Centre Assessment A: Management Competencies Psychometric tests (45 minutes) online. to inspire the next generation of engineers, mathematicians and scientists and this was completed and opened for teaching in September 2020. Day Two - Wednesday 21 April 2021 Curriculum and Achievement Each candidate will undertake two sessions in the morning and two in the afternoon on rotation. Varndean College specialises in the provision of academic and general vocational education for the 16-19 Candidates will also have the opportunity to have a tour of the College. age group. At Level 3 it currently offers 32 A level subjects alongside 20 vocational courses. Varndean is also the only state-funded sixth form college in the area to offer the prestigious International Baccalaureate Assessment B Curriculum and Presentation Diploma which it has been running since 2008. At Level 2, students may follow a range of vocational Assessment C Students courses and/or GCSEs. Assessment D Staff In addition to examination courses and the College’s weekly tutorial programme, a broad programme Tour of College with current Deputy Principal of enrichment activities is available to students, including sport, art, drama, music, philosophy and literature, political and environmental issues, work experience and volunteering. Encouragement and At the end of this day, successful candidates will be invited back to attend a further assessment the support are offered for students to organise their own clubs and societies. Many courses also offer a range following day. of day, residential and international trips. A thriving Student Union enables students to contribute to the development and improvement of the College, as well as the organisation of social and fundraising Day Three - Thursday 22 April 2021 activities. The work of the College in the areas of science, environmental and international education has Assessment E Panel Interview and Presentation been recognised through national awards. The College has a distinguished record of achievement. In 2020 the A level pass rate was 99.3%, with 63% achieving A*-B grades and 86% achieving A*-C grades. Our 40 students on the International Baccalaureate programme achieved some of the best results in the UK with an average score of 36 points, the equivalent to 3 A grades at A level. Sixteen gained an impressive 38 points or more, with one gaining 43 points placing him in the top 2% of students worldwide. Success rates and high grades for vocational courses were similarly high with a 100% pass rate in most subjects. We are particularly proud of the fact that at Varndean College students achieve significantly better than expected based on their GCSE results; with the College receiving an ALPs score of two. Ofsted Inspection 2018 An Ofsted inspection in October 2018 confirmed Varndean College once again as a good college. Inspectors commented that: • Governors, leaders and managers have developed a highly inclusive culture that allows staff and students to thrive. • Teachers know their students well and have high expectations. They use their own experiences and expertise to motivate students to achieve. • Students have positive attitudes to their learning and are proud of their work. They are confident, self-assured, courteous and respectful. They feel that staff treat their health and wellbeing as a priority, which supports them to learn and achieve. • A Level and vocational students make good progress and achieve well. • Students on the IB course make outstanding progress. Their achievement is exceptionally high and well above the international average. They develop extremely high levels of skill, knowledge and understanding and the very large majority move on to their first-choice university. • Students benefit from a broad and balanced curriculum that meets their individual needs. Staff As at January 2021, the College staff consists of 118 teaching staff and 114 support staff. The Principal, Donna-Marie Janson, is supported by a Deputy Principal (this post) and two Vice Principals. Curriculum subjects are organised into five areas each led by a Head of School, with two Assistant Heads of School.