HEADTEACHER RECRUITMENT PACK
December 2020
Dear prospective applicant,
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in the post of Headteacher at Ivegill CE Primary School.
Our long-serving and highly respected Headteacher will leave us at the end of the spring term and the Governing Body is looking to appoint an aspirational, focused and supportive leader who will further develop our child centred ethos. Our children have also told us that they would like a Headteacher who is friendly, determined, fun and kind.
At Ivegill we aim to create a safe and happy environment where all children feel valued and inspired to learn, thrive and reach their full potential. We believe that all members of our community have the right to a rounded curriculum which will prepare them for the next stage of education and for a fulfilling life as a respected and respectful citizen.
The successful candidate will have the support of a committed staff and Governing Body with whom they can collaborate to ensure our pupils continue to receive the best education and care possible.
This pack will provide further information on the School, its vision and Christian values, job description, personal specification and details of how to apply.
The Governors look forward to meeting you and wish you well in your application.
Yours faithfully,
Allister Green Chair of Governors
ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Ivegill CE Primary is a Voluntary Aided school located 6 miles from Carlisle, 10 miles from Penrith and 2 miles from Southwaite Services on the M6. The school is on the edge of Ivegill village with uninterrupted views of the Lakeland fells; the Lake District National Park boundary being only 5 miles away.
The school faces the Village Hall and has use of the car park. The school has extensive grounds comprising: • A playing field and Playdale adventure trail • Vegetable garden • Summer house • Secure KS1 outdoor learning area
The school has had a number of extensions over the years and comprises: • Four classrooms – separate KS1 and KS2 access • Intervention room • Hall (library at one end) • Kitchen • PPA/parent meeting room • Staff room • Office • Disabled access via the main entrance and KS2 door
At present there are four classes in the morning: R/1, Yr2, Yr3/4 and Yr5/6. In the afternoon, the classes are R/1/2, Yr3/4 and Yr5/6.
Ivegill Nursery is situated within the school but has its own entrance and outdoor area. It is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation and run by its trustees, who are appointed by the school governors. It provides term time Nursery education. The school and Nursery enjoy a close working relationship. http://ivegillnursery.co.uk/
The school is an active member of the Rural South Carlisle Cluster (13 schools), the Rural Learning Alliance Teaching School and Curriculum Unity Schools Partnership.
Children, Families and Wider Community The majority of children in school live within the catchment area, we also attract families from Dalston and Carlisle. Currently there are 74 on roll – 34 R/KS1 and 40 KS2. We anticipate numbers to rise to 78 in September. Most of our pupils move on to Caldew Secondary, although we also regularly send students to UCC, QEGS, Nelson Thomlinson and Newman secondary schools. SCHOOL VISION
An inclusive approach to education is at the heart of all that we do – we know how important it is to ensure every child is valued. Our most basic purpose is to encourage and help children to realise and achieve their full potential – ‘Let your light shine’ (Matthew 5:16) Our vision is:
● To create a secure and happy school environment where courtesy, consideration, good manners and honesty hold high priority. ● To provide an excellent education, both academic and social, in a Christian context. ● To be an integral part of the community, working in partnership with the Church and local community through both individuals and organisations. ● To continually develop the school as a key focus in the community. ● To provide a broad and balanced curriculum for each child, acknowledging the needs of the individual. ● To give each child equal opportunity to develop independence, confidence and self-esteem, whist enjoying their learning. ● To encourage the children to care for others and work co-operatively, thereby valuing the growth of their own achievements and those of others. ● To help pupils to achieve to their full potential, contribute to the community beyond school and make positive contributions to the community in which they live. ● To maintain an attractive and welcoming learning environment.
The true results of children’s education will not always be able to be measured in terms of marks gained or even knowledge acquired, important though they are. We also highly value integrity, honesty, effort, maturity and responsibility as well as care and consideration shown towards others.
Our school has chosen endurance, trust and community as our core Christian values.
Endurance Endurance is learning to keep going when something becomes hard. It is about not giving up on yourself or those around you. It is about believing in yourself, your gifts and talents. It is not being frightened to dream and to hang onto that dream. It is about helping each other.
Trust Trust lies at the heart of all healthy relationships. By being reliable, responsible and honest with ourselves and others we learn to trust. It is when you keep your promises and have the courage to speak out. In this way we learn how to look after each other.
Community We try hard to make our school inclusive. It is a safe space, a place where you are trusted, feel supported and are believed in. Each person has a role to play within our school community. We learn to say sorry, forgive each other and make a fresh start. It is where you can give your ideas and thoughts to make it a better place.
HEADTEACHER JOB DESCRIPTION
This job description may be amended at any appropriate time following consultation between the Chair of the Governing Body and Headteacher. It will be reviewed annually, and performance management objectives will be agreed.
This job description reflects the national standards of excellence for Headteachers 2020.The appointment is subject to the current conditions of employment of Headteachers, contained in the Schools Teachers’ Pay and Conditions document, the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 and all other current education, employment and health and safety legislation. The Headteacher will have overall responsibility for providing professional leadership for the school to secure its success and continuous improvement, ensuring high quality education and improved standards of learning and achievement for all pupils.
Key accountabilities and responsibilities The Headteacher will:
● Carry out the duties of a Headteacher as set out in the school teachers pay and conditions document (Headteacher Standards https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-standards-of-excellence-for- headteachers/headteachers-standards-2020) and: ○ To lead school improvement through the championing of outstanding teaching, learning, and assessment. ○ To contribute to and provide leadership and management of the school staff and pupils. ○ To ensure a high-quality school experience for all pupils, securing desired outcomes.
Strategic direction and development of the school The Headteacher will: ● Work with the Governors and other stakeholders to contribute to the development of a strategic plan for the school and analyse and plan for its future needs and further development. ● Be an ambassador for the school in the wider Ivegill community, helping to ensure that the school is the preferred choice for local parents. ● Play a full part in the life of the school, to support its distinctive Christian ethos, and encourage staff and students to follow this example. ● Produce short, medium, and long-term plans to develop the school in relation to: ○ The aims of the school and its policies and practices ○ Targets for realistic but challenging improvements ○ Personnel policies and deployment ○ Quality Assurance ○ Increasing pupil numbers
School culture The Headteacher will:
● Sustain and develop the school’s ethos based on Christian values ● Create a culture where pupils experience a positive and enriching school life. ● Encourage pupils to develop self-confidence, respect, care of each other and of property. ● Ensure that pupil's enjoyment and satisfaction in learning is fostered, so that they are intrinsically motivated to learn. ● Uphold ambitious educational standards, which prepare pupils from all backgrounds, for the next phase of their education and life. ● Promote positive and respectful relationships across the wider school community and a calm, safe, orderly, and inclusive environment. ● Ensure a culture of high staff professionalism. ● Encourage parental involvement in their child’s education and in the wider life of the school community. ● Promote a healthy lifestyle and personal wellbeing.
Teaching, curriculum, and assessment The Headteacher will: ● Together with the Governing Body, secure and sustain effective teaching and learning, monitor and evaluate the quality of education and standards of pupils’ achievements and use benchmarks and set targets for continued improvement. ● Plan, monitor and evaluate the teaching and learning across the school. ● Ensure that teachers are clear about teaching objectives and curriculum expectations. ● Ensure that teaching is underpinned by high levels of subject expertise. ● Help implement clear policies and practices for assessing, recording, and reporting on pupils’ achievements. ● Ensure a broad, structured, and coherent curriculum which sets out the knowledge, skills and values that will be taught. ● Encourage enterprise and innovation, challenge educational orthodoxies harnessing the findings of well-evidenced research.
Leading and managing staff and self
The Headteacher will:
● Be responsible for the day-to-day management of all staff. ● Promote and maintain a culture of high expectations for staff and others. ● Support and challenge colleagues throughout the school, recognising their achievements and holding them to account where necessary. ● Regularly review own practice, set personal targets, and take responsibility for own development, seeking advice and support from other agencies. ● In accordance with the statutory guidelines effectively deal with any grievance and disciplinary issues. ● Work with the Governors and senior colleagues to recruit staff of the highest quality, deploying and developing staff effectively to improve the quality of education.
Behaviour
The Headteacher will:
● Establish and sustain high expectations of behaviour for all pupils, built upon positive relationships and clear routines and boundaries, which are understood clearly by all staff, pupils and parents/carers. ● Implement consistent, fair, and respectful approaches to managing behaviour. ● Ensure that school staff model and teach good citizenship. ● Ensure a no tolerance approach to bullying and promote a culture of caring for each other.
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
The Headteacher will:
● Ensure the school holds ambitious expectations for all pupils with additional needs and special educational needs and disabilities. ● Establish and sustain a culture and practices that enable pupils to access the curriculum and learn effectively. ● Ensure the school works effectively in partnership with parents, carers, and other professionals, to identify the additional needs and special educational needs and disabilities of pupils, providing support and adaptation where appropriate. ● Ensure the school fulfils its statutory duties with regards to the SEND code of practice.
Professional development
The Headteacher will:
● Ensure staff have access to high-quality, sustained professional development opportunities, from beyond the school, as well as within it, aligned to balance the priorities of whole-school improvement, team, and individual needs. ● Prioritise the professional development of staff, ensuring effective planning, delivery and evaluation which is consistent with the approaches laid out in the standard for teachers’ professional development.
Organisational management
The Headteacher will:
● Provide effective organisation and management for the school and seek ways of improving organisational structures and functions based on rigorous self-evaluation. ● Prepare, operate and monitor, all aspects of the school budget in conjunction with the Finance and General Purposes Committee in the best interests of pupils and the school’s sustainability. ● Enhance the school’s reputation through marketing and promotion including maintaining and updating the content of the school’s website ● Use and integrate a range of technologies effectively and efficiently to manage the school. ● Manage and organise premises efficiently and effectively to ensure that the school’s buildings meet the needs of the curriculum and health and safety regulations. ● Develop and oversee all extra-curricular activities to achieve a varied offer of extended provision in the school. ● Review the impact of policies, priorities and targets of the school and evaluate these with the governing body and make recommendations for any change. ● Ensure staff are deployed and managed well with due attention paid to workload. ● Ensure rigorous approaches to identifying, managing, and mitigating risk. ● Keep the Chair of Governors fully informed of any critical need if it affects the smooth operation of the school and the educational experience of the pupils.
Safeguarding
The Headteacher will:
● Ensure the protection and safety of pupils and staff through effective approaches to safeguarding as part of the duty of care.
Continuous school improvement
The Headteacher will:
● Ensure evidence-based improvement plans promote continuous school development linked to the school’s self-evaluation. ● Develop appropriate evidence-informed strategies for improvement as part of well targeted plans which are realistic, timely, appropriately sequenced and suited to the school’s context.
Working in partnership
The Headteacher will:
● Establish appropriate pre-school contacts including liaising with, maintaining, and strengthening close links with Ivegill Nursery. ● Be a member of the Management Committee of Ivegill Nursery. ● Establish formal and informal parent meetings at appropriate times of the school year. ● Work with the PTA and develop community links with an appropriate programme of fund-raising events and social occasions. ● Commit to work successfully with other schools and organisations in a climate of mutual challenge and support. ● Establish and maintain working relationships with fellow professionals and colleagues across other public services, the Diocese, and the Church community to improve educational and social outcomes for all pupils.
Governance and accountability
The Headteacher will:
● Account for the efficiency and effectiveness of the school to the governors, pupils, parents, staff, and other members of the local and wider community. This will include effective communication and advice to governors and accountability for school performance. ● Understand and welcome the role of effective governance, upholding their obligation to give account and accept responsibility. ● Establish and sustain professional working relationships with those responsible for governance. ● Ensure that staff know and understand their professional responsibilities and are held to account. ● Ensure the school effectively and efficiently operates within the required regulatory frameworks and meets all statutory duties.
Data Protection
The Headteacher will:
● Ensure that all responsibilities under the Data Protection Act 1984 and General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) for the security, accuracy and significance of personal data held on paper or electronic systems are complied with.
Health and Safety
The Headteacher will:
● Ensure compliance with the schools’ health and safety policies and the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) in all buildings at the school. ● Ensure compliance with the school’s Covid policy and Government guidance on controls and prevention at all times.
Whilst every effort has been made to explain the main duties and responsibilities of the post, each individual task undertaken may not be identified. The job description is current at the date shown.
PERSONAL SPECIFICATION/SELECTION CRITERIA
Please ensure that you clearly detail how you meet all the essential requirements in the person specification on the separate personal statement form
1 =Application 2 =Task 3=Interview E=Essential Evidence D =Desirable from
Qualifications and Training
Qualified Teacher Status E 1, 3
National Professional Qualification of Headship (NPQH/CofEPQH) D 1, 3
Further qualification in a related area e.g. MEd, MA, MBA D 1, 3
Experience
Substantial and successful experience in a senior leadership role D 1, 3
Evidence of successful implementation of strategies, including E 1,2,3 assessment and target setting, to improve teaching and learning to raise the standards of achievement for all pupils.
Evidence of outstanding successful teaching centred on the needs E 1,2,3 of the individual child
Evidence of managing or making a substantial contribution to the D 1, 3 effective management of change.
Evidence of successful improvement planning across all sectors of D 1,2,3 the school.
Evidence of working with parents and the community as partners D 1,2,3
Evidence of working with pupils across the age range EYFS, KS1 E 1,2 and KS2.
Experience of working in collaboration with other schools to realise D 1,2 improvement and raise standards.
Experience of working effectively and in partnership with D 1,2 Governors.
Experience of working in a Church of England Primary School D 1, 3
Experience of working within mixed age classes D 1, 3
Evidence of developing own CPD portfolio and that of other D 1,2 stakeholders.
Knowledge and understanding of:
The distinctive Christian character of a CE school as expressed E 1,2,3 through its vision, values and ethos, and the requirement of collective worship and RE to be central to the life of the school.
Strategies to motivate and engage pupils to maximise learning with E 1,2 emphasis on a child-led approach and enjoyment of learning
Management of pupils’ unacceptable behaviour and the ability to E 1,2 put this into practice fairly.
How to promote inclusion and implement equal opportunities for E 1,2 all.
Performance management, performance related pay and D 1,2,3 managing effective professional development.
Effective use of technology to support teaching, learning and E 1, 3 management of the school
Systems for school self-evaluation, effective monitoring and D 1,2 inspection.
Children’s mental health and well-being and how this can E 1,2,3 affect pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning.
Engaging parents/carers in their children’s learning and the work of E 1, 3 the school.
Working in partnership with other schools in order to meet pupils’ D 1.3 needs.
The Church of England’s Vision for Education D 1, 2, 3
Effective financial management and delegated budgets. D 1,2
Leadership skills Evidence that can show candidates can:
Create and commit to a convincing ambitious vision for the school E 2, 3 and nursery in line with that of the Governing Body and the school’s Christian character and values.
Build upon current good practice by supporting and developing E 1,2,3 effective teamwork across the whole school community including the PTA and Ivegill Nursery
Prioritise, plan and organise their own work; direct, coordinate E 1,2,3 and provide professional direction to the work of others.
Provide leadership in Collective Worship that reflects the Christian D 2,3 identity of the school.
Delegate tasks and responsibilities as appropriate. D 1,2
Provide an inspiring role model for pupils and staff, creating a E 1,2 supportive working environment where all can thrive.
Lead the safeguarding of pupils ensuring their welfare is E 1,2 prioritised.
Communication and Problem-Solving Evidence that shows candidates can:
Create a climate of open communication where people feelable E 1,2,3 to express opinion and know their views will be listened to and respected.
Communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and in a E 1,2,3 variety of styles
Deal sensitively with people with very different and demanding E 1,2,3 expectations, demonstrating an ability to avert and resolve conflict.
Think creatively and imaginatively to anticipate and solve E 2 problems and identify opportunities for the school.
Use numerical and financial data with confidence and use it to D 2, 3 make decisions based upon analysis and interpretation.
Demonstrate reasoned judgement in difficult circumstances. E 1,2 Develop, maintain and use an effective network of contacts D 1, 3 across all agencies and communities with whom the school interacts.
Understand or have a willingness to learn about the E 1, 3 school’s importance in the rural community of Ivegill.
Personal Effectiveness Evidence that shows candidates can:
Continue to demonstrate effective performance against the E 1,2,3 job description when under pressure and/ or in challenging circumstances.
Be self-motivating and achieve challenging professional goals. D 1,2,3
Take responsibility for own professional development. D 1, 3
Continue to develop the school’s distinctive Christian character E 2, 3 and Christian values to enable the flourishing of pupils, staff and the local community
Create a strong, positive personal impact, conveying E 1, 3 authority, confidence, approachability, warmth and humour.
Demonstrate flexibility and an ability to adapt to changing E 2,3 circumstances and new ideas.
Demonstrate enthusiasm for, and commitment to, the role; E 1,2,3 along with reliability, integrity and a passion for education.
HOW TO APPLY
If you decide to apply for the post, you can download an application form and associated documents from www.ivegill.cumbria.sch.uk/school/vacancies/. Please note that whilst we are using the Cumbria County Council standard application form/pack, as a Voluntary Aided school the Ivegill School Governing Body is the ‘employer’.
Please ensure that you clearly detail how you meet all the essential requirements in the person specification on the separate personal statement form.
Completed application forms (plus equal opportunities form, personal statement form and reference contact details) must be emailed by the above closing date to: [email protected]
Due to Covid restrictions, we are limiting visits to school to shortlisted candidates only however, for further information or to arrange an informal chat with the Chair of Governors please contact [email protected].
Closing date: 8th January 2021 -12 noon
Shortlisting date: 11th January 2021*
Interview day 1: 21st January 2021*
Interview day 2: 22nd January 2021*
*Shortlisting and Interviews are planned for these dates, however, these may be rescheduled if COVID restrictions require this.
Governing Body ratification meeting 25th January 2021
Contract start date (target-to be confirmed at interview) 19th April 2021