The Diocese of St Albans Multi-Academy Trust
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CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Application Pack Committed to Human Flourishing: Rooted in God’s Love Our academies are places of Hope, Nurture, Hospitality, Collaboration, Equality and Respect 1 Welcome From the Chair of the Trust Board Dear Applicant Thank you for your interest in the role of Chief Executive Officer at the Diocese of St Albans Multi-Academy Trust. The post, as advertised, is a significant one in the life of the Trust which admitted its first school on 1st March 2017. The Trust’s vision, Committed to Human Flourishing: Rooted in God’s Love, emphasises its commitment to establishing Academies which educate the whole child and are at the heart of their community. The Trust is looking to recruit an outstanding colleague to this post which will provide significant personal and professional development opportunities. Any successful candidate will drive the growth and development of the Trust over the next five years. As a result, the Trust is looking to appoint someone with outstanding communication skills and the ability to recruit new schools, combined with the ability to develop strong working relationships within the Trust and between the Trust and regional partners, including the Diocesan Board of Education. Should you require any further information or clarification please do not hesitate to contact David Morton at [email protected] who will be pleased to talk to you. Paul Dickens Chair of the Trust Board Committed to Human Flourishing: Rooted in God’s Love Our academies are places of Hope, Nurture, Hospitality, Collaboration, Equality and Respect The Diocese of St Albans Multi-Academy Trust History The Diocese of St Albans Multi-Academy Trust (DSAMAT) was established in October 2016 to provide for three different types of Church of England school within the Diocese of St Albans: • Good or Outstanding church schools within the Diocese of St Albans • Schools requiring rapid improvement having been placed in Special Measures and subject to a directive Academy Order • New schools within new housing provision where the Diocese of St Albans is the identified sponsor DSAMAT is a diocesan multi-academy trust. Therefore, it admits church schools and non-church schools from across the Diocese of St Albans. As a diocesan trust it is an independent organisation, yet retains close working relationships with the Diocesan Board of Education and its academies remain an integral part of the Diocese of St Albans network of 136 Church of England schools. The Trust admitted its first school on 1st March 2017 and has grown quickly, now educating over 2400 pupils and employing over 350 staff. Current Membership The Trust currently consists of one secondary school, Manshead CE Academy, and 5 primary/lower schools, Caldecote CE Academy, Churchfield CE Academy, Kensworth CE Academy, Thomas Whitehead CE Academy, and Totternhoe Academy. Plans are in place for the Trust to admit one further school in 2018 and two or more in 2019. Vision and Values The Diocese of St Albans Multi-Academy Trust is a Church of England Trust that is passionate about creating and maintaining Church of England Academies which serve their local communities through the provision of a rich and diverse curriculum underpinned by Christian Values. The Trust has a clear vision which shapes its work: Committed to human flourishing: Rooted in God’s Love And together our academies work to be places of: Hope; Nurture; Hospitality; Equality; Respect; Collaboration The Trust's vision is underpinned by a Christian values framework which will be adopted by all Academies and provides clear expectations for all DSAMAT employees on how the Trust wishes its Christian values to impact on all areas of Academy life. This was developed by the Trust's Headteachers during 2017 and will be formally launched in the Summer term 2018. Each Academy will be able to develop and implement its own local Christian values programme that takes account of their local context. This will draw on, and be informed by, the National Church of England Vision for Education and the Diocesan Board of Education Vision. Underpinning all of the Trust’s work is a belief in educational excellence. The Trust believes it is called to serve all stakeholders by providing academies with the highest levels of academic rigour and pastoral care. The Trust’s academies will be places where children and young people develop and thrive intellectually, socially, culturally and spiritually. All of the Trust's schools will teach a broad and balanced curriculum within national guidelines focusing on core skills. This is designed to ensure that all pupils reach their academic potential and seek to enrich their experience along the way. Pupils will be enabled to succeed in an atmosphere of high expectation, aspiring to educational excellence with a firm foundation of Christian values. Committed to Human Flourishing: Rooted in God’s Love Our academies are places of Hope, Nurture, Hospitality, Collaboration, Equality and Respect The Diocese of St Albans Multi-Academy Trust Organisation and Management The Diocese of St Albans Multi-Academy Trust is governed by 5 Members appointed by the Diocese of St Albans Educational Trust. Current Directors have a range of educational, financial, legal and business expertise. Local governance of Academies is currently undertaken through regional hub boards that are entitled Regional Academy Executive Boards; this system is currently under review and as of April 2018 the Trust will have a mixture of Academies being governed at a regional level whilst two will have functioning Academy Councils. The Trust is currently staffed as follows: Chief Executive Officer (CEO) (Part time, one day a week) School Improvement Team Chief Education Officer (CEdO) (Part time, three days a week) Primary Education Lead (Part time, fixed term til Feb 2019) Cross Phase Lead (Part time, fixed term til Feb 2019) Finance and Operations Team (team structure currently under review) Chief Operating Officer (COO) (Full time) Administration Officer (Full Time) Finance & Administrative Assistant (Full time, Term Time only) Minutes Secretary (Part time) The Trust also employs the services of a Trusted Advisor who supports all aspects of governance. The current CEO of the Trust is also Diocesan Director of Education (DDE). Having fulfilled the remit of his role to establish the Trust he is returning to his substantive role of DDE. The shared role has allowed DSAMAT to develop as a Trust in a manner that maintains its independence whilst retaining close links with the Diocesan Board of Education. Current Development Plans Having established itself as a new Church of England Multi-Academy Trust, DSAMAT is now looking to create a firm foundation from which to recruit up to 10 good or outstanding schools over the next 5 years. The appointment of the new CEO will be key to fulfilling this goal and it is essential that any new CEO has the skills and capacity to communicate the vision, values and ethos of the Trust to interested schools. Partnerships DSAMAT retains a close working relationship with the Diocesan Board of Education and would expect that to continue in the coming years. The Trust works closely with both the Regional Schools Commissioners Office and the Department for Education and is represented on the RSC SRiB. Through the work of the Trust’s CEdO and COO DSAMAT has developing links with local Academy Trusts with whom the Trust shares information, policies and good practice Our new Chief Executive Officer The Trust’s new CEO will have a key role to play in embedding and developing key systems, structures and processes whilst actively promoting the Trust as a leading, regional provider of education that is delivered within a framework of Christian values. Committed to Human Flourishing: Rooted in God’s Love Our academies are places of Hope, Nurture, Hospitality, Collaboration, Equality and Respect Job Description (1/3) The Chief Executive Officer will be an outstanding strategic leader who is able to articulate the Christian vision, values and ethos of the Diocese of St Albans Multi-Academy Trust (DSAMAT) and will inspire and empower others to join the Trust Accountable to: The Academy Trust Board Reporting to: The Chair of the Board of Directors In addition, the CEO will be required to report to the Members and other key stakeholders, including the DfE and the Regional Schools Commissioner. RESPONSIBILITIES 1. Overall • To provide strategic leadership and direction of the Trust and its academies within the Christian vision and strategy agreed by the Trust Board, to ensure that children and young people consistently achieve good or better outcomes • Working closely with the senior staff and trustees, to lead the development and growth of the Trust enabling it to realise its 3-5 year strategic aspirations • To be the lead ambassador for the Trust, communicating its Christian vision for education, recruiting good and outstanding church schools and contributing to the national Church of England Academies network 2. Strategic • Provide overall leadership and direction to the Trust and its academies within the Christian vision and strategy agreed by the Trust Board • Support the Trust Board in the formulation and development of strategy and ensure that all decisions made by the Board are recorded and implemented • Hold Local Academy Councils, where appointed. and school leaders to account for maintaining and further developing the Christian vision and values of the Trust and their own individual Christian ethos within it • In conjunction with the Chief Operating Officer, take responsibility for the annual business plan and key documents such as the Trust’s long term strategic plan, self-evaluation and improvement plans of the academies • Lead the growth and development of the Trust, including due diligence and recruiting/preparing schools for conversion • Together with the Trust Board and Chief Operating Officer, ensure proactive, robust and appropriate risk mitigation and management for the Trust and that the risk strategy is aligned to local academy risk strategies 3.