Alleyn S School Appointment of Bursar

Alleyn’s School Townley Road Dulwich London SE22 8SU

Co-educational Excellence

HMC, ISBA, AGBIS 11–18 Co-educational School 966 pupils (471 boys, 495 girls) with 292 in Sixth Form IAPS Junior School (232 boys and girls, aged 4 –11) on same 30-acre site

Appointment of ASSISTANT HEAD [Director of Studies] Information for Applicants

January 2010

2 Introduction and background

Alleyn’s Vision 1. Co-educational, academic excellence 2. Educational continuity from 4 – 18; a tolerant community and a wide curriculum 3. Excellence through inclusion at secondary level – open access from 11+ 4. A learning community and a community of leaders 5. Close links with parents, former pupils and the community 6. A progressive place of godliness and good learning

These six aspects of Alleyn’s Vision are underpinned by the values of Alleyn’s Christian Foundation, whose motto is ‘God’s Gift’, and further enriched by those of other faiths which are all respected and valued at Alleyn’s. Full details of the ‘Vision & Values’ are on the School’s website.

Alleyn’s is an academically selective, independent, co-educational day school for pupils aged 4-18, with a reputation for being caring and friendly. Its primary aim is to provide ‘co-educational academic excellence with a first class all round education, to those of high intellectual promise and academic potential, regardless of background, race or creed’.

Alleyn’s aims to be forward looking and progressive but also greatly values its long held traditions. Activities and plans are underpinned by the wishes of the Founder, Edward Alleyn, summarised in the Founder’s Prayer that Alleyn’s should be a place of ‘godliness and good learning’.

Alleyn’s was the first major independent school in London to become co- educational over thirty years ago. In addition to being heavily oversubscribed (550 - 600 sitting the 11+ exam for 80 places for external applicants, to join 45 pupils from Alleyn’s Junior School to make a year group of 125) and achieving high academic standards (91%, 89% A/B grades at A level and 87%, 84% A*/A grades at GCSE in 2009, 2008 respectively) it particularly values, and has a strong reputation for, the excellence of its pastoral care and co-curricular provision.

The Junior School is a member of IAPS, with 232 boys and girls aged 4-11. The Senior School is a member of HMC and has 966 pupils (471 boys, 495 girls) of whom 292 are in the Sixth Form (Upper School). The Junior and Senior Schools are on the same 30-acre site, which has spacious grounds and sports facilities.

3 The vision for Alleyn’s Junior and Senior Schools, underlying their School Development Plans, includes the aim to be ‘a caring, friendly, happy community united by shared values and linked closely to parents, former pupils and the local community…recognised within the local and extended community as a force for the public good’. Alleyn’s is committed to sharing its facilities with the local community and has established a standing committee to oversee the use of its estates and premises for the public good.

Almost one quarter of Senior School pupils receive some financial support, and an increasing number of bursaries are awarded for full fee remission. The School is greatly helped in this by an annual grant from the Saddlers’ Livery Company which funds awards for over 40 ‘Saddlers’ Scholars’.

Our new signature building, ‘The Edward Alleyn Building’, opened in 2009 and includes the 350-seat Michael Croft Theatre (drama, dance, music), a drama studio (shared with the National Youth Theatre which was founded at Alleyn’s), Sixth Form study areas, new departmental areas (for Religious Studies and Media Studies), a university & careers centre, a 90-seat lecture theatre, a pastoral centre for Heads of Houses, display galleries on 3 levels, a café and a conference centre.

Further details about the School and its resources are given on the website www.alleyns.org.uk and in the enclosed prospectus.

The School’s Place in Dulwich

Alleyn's is one of three independent Dulwich schools, the other two being Dulwich College, a boys' school, and James Allen's Girls’ School (JAGS), a girls' school. Each of the three schools has its own linked junior schools. These Dulwich schools educate over 4,000 pupils drawn from a wide catchment area that extends from Wimbledon in the southwest, to Bromley in the south and Blackheath in the southeast, with some pupils also coming from north of the Thames. The schools run a coach service, taking pupils to and from most parts of the catchment area.

The three Dulwich Schools are part of the wider Dulwich Foundation, which includes the Dulwich Estate, the Chapel, an almshouse and four schools outside Dulwich. The Foundation dates back to a bequest in the early seventeenth century by Edward Alleyn, the actor-manager and contemporary of Shakespeare who left his land in Dulwich 'for the education of twelve poor scholars'.

4 The Leadership and Management of the School

Senior Management Team The Headmaster works closely with a Senior Management Team (SMT), which shares the collective responsibility for all aspects of School leadership and management. The structure of the SMT is designed to allow for flexibility in assigning strategic and day-to-day responsibilities. The leadership role of Assistant Head includes a specific post such as Director of Studies or Head of Middle School and also allows for a whole-School strategic responsibility, ‘assisting’ the Head in the wider leadership and management of the School.

5 The current SMT consists of:

 2 Deputy Heads (a Senior Deputy Head and Deputy Head [Pastoral and Personnel])  5 Assistant Heads  The Headmaster of the Junior School  The Bursar of the Senior and Junior Schools

Each member is directly accountable to the Headmaster for his/her specific responsibilities.

Members of the SMT are assigned specific responsibilities associated with their post and in addition have overall collective responsibility for the efficient daily running and sound discipline of the School, the pastoral care of all pupils and staff and implementing an agreed whole School Development Plan. Applicants for the post should visit the School’s website, which has a link under ‘About Alleyn’s’ and ‘School Management’ explaining the senior management structure, the SMT’s collective responsibilities and the specific responsibilities for each member.

The Candidate

Applications are welcome from well-qualified men and women who are graduates with a proven record of excellence in the classroom and managerial experience in an academic school. Though it will be essential to have impressive experience and qualifications, the intention is to appoint the right person and not necessarily the person who best fits a pre-determined set of skills.

This is a crucial and demanding leadership role, of great importance to the academic ethos and life of the School. The Director of Studies sets and maintains the academic focus of the School, working with the Senior Deputy Head in guiding departments in their delivery of the curriculum and advising the Headmaster over educational developments and examination issues. He/she will be able to demonstrate the highest standards in terms of scholarship, commitment and discipline and will have administrative, communication and people skills of the highest order. He/she will command respect in balancing approachability with natural authority, through providing academic leadership and by having a strong presence around the School as a whole.

The Director of Studies will be compassionate and caring and an able communicator, with a positive, encouraging and collaborative style. Working

6 closely with the Assistant Heads in each Section of the Senior School, he/she will lead the development of the curricular and academic life of the School from Years 7 to 13 and regularly present this in written and oral form to parents and pupils.

As an Assistant Head, the Director of Studies has a key role in the strategic leadership and management of the whole School, in contributing to the formulation of policy, and to the writing and implementing of the whole School Development Plan. He/she will be in total sympathy with promoting the primary importance of learning and teaching in prioritising aspects of the School’s Development Plan. The School is proud of its reputation for successfully combining a caring and friendly community alongside a high achieving culture across a broad range of curricular and co-curricular activities. The Director of Studies will continue to set the tone for learning and teaching within the School, so as to maintain this highly successful balance. Furthermore, the Director of Studies will be interested in and engage fully in the life of the whole School, including the much-valued co-curricular programme.

The post would suit either a senior, highly experienced teacher looking to serve the School for part of his/her career (perhaps even the final stage) or someone who would value this experience aiming to progress to a Deputy Headship or Headship in due course.

The Post

The vacancy arises following the promotion of Miss Margaret Hunnaball to the position of Deputy Head (Academic) at King’s College School, Wimbledon.

The appointment will be made without regard to subject speciality, or age, disability, ethnicity, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, religion or belief. The School operates a 40 period week and the Assistant Head is likely to teach approximately 12 – 14 periods.

R esponsibilities of this Assistant Head [Director of Studies] post

The areas of specific responsibility of the Assistant Head [Director of Studies] are listed below. The emphasis is not so much on ‘doing’ each task described but one of ‘making sure that it is done’, demonstrating the ability to delegate, motivate and reward.

7 It is also expected that responsibilities will, of course, evolve over time given the particular strengths and interests of the successful candidate. The list is not exclusive and the Assistant Head [Director of Studies] is expected to take on other appropriate tasks as they arise.

 Academic Policy Chairs the Academic Policy Committee, advises the Headmaster on academic developments and changes to the School’s academic policies.

 Curriculum Oversees and monitors the School’s curriculum for balance and depth. Advises the Headmaster on curriculum content, changes and subject choices.

 Staffing levels and appointments Advises the Deputy Headmaster [Pastoral and Personnel] and Headmaster on staffing levels and assists in the appointment of teaching staff.

8  Timetable Has overall responsibility for option blocks and the production of the timetable, managing a team to schedule the timetable.

 Internal Examinations Has overall responsibility for the organisation of internal examinations, and reporting the results.

 Public Examinations Manages the Examinations Officer and public examinations team. Responsible for the analysis of School and departmental results, and reporting to all external bodies.

 Assessment and Reporting Responsible for the School’s assessment and reporting policies (including homework) and overseeing the reporting of pupils’ progress to parents.

 Parents’ Evening Responsible in conjunction with the Section Heads for the timing of Parents’ Evenings.

 Value Added Responsible for the School’s value-added analysis, reporting this to the Headmaster, Senior Management Team and Heads of Department. Oversees the use of value-added measures with pupils.

 Learning Support Responsible for the Learning Support Co-ordinator and department. Oversees the School’s policy for pupils with learning differences, and the policy for stretching and challenging all pupils.

 Departments Supports the Senior Deputy Head in managing academic departments, overseeing departmental handbooks and organising Heads of Department meetings.

 Computerised Management Information System Responsible for the use of Facility CMIS for academic purposes.

 Parental liaison Acts as a key point of reference in liaising with parents over academic matters.

9  School Development Plan Responsible for writing, reviewing and updating the relevant sections of the annual School Development Plan and its annual audit.

The Assistant Head [Director of Studies] is supported by a Deputy Director of Studies and a part-time (0.5) administrator, and works closely with two assistant timetablers, the Examinations Officer and examinations team, the Learning Support Co-ordinator and learning support team. In addition it is essential that the Assistant Heads:

 Monitor and maintain high standards of behaviour and appearance across all sections of the School, with specific responsibility for uniform issues, the dress code and pupil discipline.

 Help maintain good relations with the Alleyn’s Association (Parents’ Association), Edward Alleyn Club (former pupils) and the local community in meeting with parents, old boys, old girls and nearby residents at a variety of events.

Arrangements for the Appointment

Applications Candidates should complete all sections of the enclosed Application Form. It should be sent in hard copy to the Headmaster, Dr Colin Diggory, at the School address. Applications without the signed declaration on the final page will not be accepted.

The closing date for applications is Wednesday 10th February 2010 (6pm).

Interviews Interviews will take place immediately after half term during the weeks beginning 22nd February (first round) and 1st March 2010 (second round). Candidates selected for interview will be sent further details. References will be taken up before interviews.

Terms and Conditions There is a two-thirds fee remission for children of members of staff attending Alleyn’s Senior and Junior Schools (non-taxable benefit at Alleyn’s), James Allen’s Girls’ School and Dulwich College, subject to meeting the admissions

10 criteria. Help with accommodation may be available if required and can be discussed at interview.

The salary will be commensurate with the significant responsibility attached to this post and will be not less than £63,000. The salary will be dependent on the skills and experience of the individual appointed and will be attractive to the right candidate. Details will be discussed at interview.

The appointment will be subject to satisfactory references, verification of identity and proof of qualifications, and to a satisfactory medical screening. All employees of Alleyn’s are required to submit to the checks undertaken by the Criminal Records Bureau at the enhanced level of disclosure.

Dr Colin Diggory Headmaster January 2010