The South Wolds Academy & Sixth Form Head Teacher Candidate Brochure Key Facts and Statistics Type of Academy Secondary Age range 11-18 years Location Keyworth, Nottingham Co-educational or single sex Co-education Number of students 894 Pupil / teacher ratio 14.6 Latest OfSTED September 2011: OfSTED judged South Wolds to be "good with many outstanding features" GCSE results 2015 72% 5 A*-C including English and Maths Progress 8: -0.02 A-level results 2015 100% passes 78% A*-C Grades The South Wolds Academy and Sixth Form Thank you for your interest in the vacancy we have for the position of Head Teacher of The South Wolds Academy and Sixth Form. We hope you find the material in this application pack helpful and that you are encouraged to apply. South Wolds is a thriving 11-18 school that is well respected by its local community. It benefits from serving the semi-rural catchment area of Keyworth, which affords the school a critical mass of children who enjoy their learning and want to achieve. We need a Head Teacher who will be a strong and confident advocate for the school in order to maintain its excellent reputation and grow pupil numbers. South Wolds is an OfSTED ‘Good’ rated school with clear aspirations to become an outstanding school. To quote from our latest OfSTED report: ‘Students are unanimously supportive of their teachers and relationships are extremely good in lessons’. We strive to achieve outstanding attainment, care, guidance and support, underpinned by an inclusive ethos and strong programme of enrichment that prepares our students for the rest of their lives. At the start of this academic year, the governors decided to join the East Midlands Education Trust (EMET) as one of its founding partners. Presently the trust comprises South Wolds, Ripley Academy, The Kimberley School and The West Bridgford School. The John Flamsteed Community School is presently consulting on joining with a likely conversion date of the 1st April. The nature of our trust and the manner by which we delegate autonomy to local governing bodies has generated considerable interest and in the near future other secondary and primary schools are likely to join. This vacancy has come about due to the appointment within EMET of the present Head Teacher to the headship of the Kimberley School. For any aspiring Head Teacher, this represents a wonderful opportunity to adjust to the demands of becoming a school leader within the supportive framework of a multi-academy trust. As the new Head Teacher you would retain the full autonomy one would expect in a stand-alone academy and be held to account by the local governing body, yet receive the help and support from the experienced CEO of the trust. South Wolds is a great place to work and is at an exciting stage of its development as part of EMET. As our Head Teacher, you will be able to explore the benefits of being part of a multi-academy trust that allows considerable autonomy and puts its students first. We do hope you consider applying and please feel free to contact the school by email at [email protected] should you like to arrange an informal visit. Yours sincerely Kate Foale Rob McDonough Chair of Governors CEO, East Midlands Education Trust Church Drive, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5FF e-mail: [email protected] Website: www.southwolds.co.uk Twitter: @southwolds Telephone: 0115 9373506 Fax: 0115 9372905 Head Teacher: Andrew George Deputy Head Teachers : Halina Angus and Sarah Brooks East Midlands Education Trust. A company limited by guarantee and registered in England and Wales. Company number 7530373. Registered office: Loughborough Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham NG2 7FA. The South Wolds Ethos At South Wolds our overarching aim is to get the balance right between outstanding exam results and wider personal development. Our superb performance in exam league tables is balanced with a vast range of exciting opportunities that aim to develop the whole child. Our curriculum is designed to meet the needs and aspirations of our students, not purely league tables and exam preparation. We want South Wolds to continue to be a great place to grow up and learn. Behaviour is outstanding at the Academy. Our behaviour management policy is very clear on our expectations of all of our students and sets out what will happen when these are not met. All students are entitled to know that their work and learning will not be disrupted. We also recognise and celebrate hard work and good attitudes through a comprehensive reward system, achievement assemblies and awards evenings. We work closely with all of our partner Primary schools, providing outstanding transition arrangements to enable us to build on the achievements of all students at Key Stage 2. A successful partnership with parents and carers is crucial to our work and a fundamental part of the success of South Wolds. We listen to parents and carers and use their feedback to further improve our work. Extra Curricular Activities Geography students get to study the stunning landscape in Iceland. The Languages team works hard to ensure that students get the opportunity to use their foreign language skills with trips to France, Germany and Spain. The annual Battlefields trip takes in a range of Battlefield sites, memorials and museums in the Somme and Ypres areas. Every Wednesday our KS3 students have the opportunity to do something different. Cooking, science, technology and sport are all covered in ways you wouldn’t Students are encouraged to take part in see in the classroom. performing arts productions including the Christmas pantomime, the Dance Festival and the Community Concert. Strategic Priorities 2014 - 2017 Our main aim is to enable every child to achieve or surpass their academic and social potential. We aim for outstanding achievement and outstanding care, guidance and support; underpinned by a strong programme of enrichment opportunities. We achieve this by focusing relentlessly on these strategic priorities: To underpin a curriculum that meets the needs of all students with outstanding teaching and assessment that is highly effective in inspiring all pupils and ensures that they learn exceptionally well To ensure that all students make rapid and sustained academic progress throughout year groups and across all subjects To sustain consistent high standards of behaviour across all aspects of school life that creates a very positive climate for learning and enables all students to flourish academically and socially To ensure students eligible for Pupil Premium and other vulnerable groups achieve in line with the rest of the Academy To further develop skilled strategic senior and middle leadership that enables all staff to create a culture of high expectations and aspirations, academically and socially To be a self-determining Academy that celebrates our successes with the wider community and that makes the best possible use of the resources and partnerships available to us to enable us to work with all stakeholders to achieve our main aim Staffing There are currently 70 teaching staff supported by 55 associate staff. Staff are headed by the Senior Leadership Team, who are an experienced and supportive group. SLT currently comprises two Deputy Heads, three Assistant Heads, Inclusion Manager, Services Manager, Finance Manager and HR Manager - a total of 10 senior leaders. We believe that Continuing Professional Development is crucial both for the success of the Academy and for every member of staff. We have a comprehensive programme for staff development which is built into directed time for teachers. Through this programme our great teachers get to share their knowledge across the Academy and everyone learns more about their profession, with access to national and local training opportunities. Our Head Teacher We are looking for a highly organised leader who has the ability to make every action count. Someone who is committed to maintaining the South Wolds ethos while continuing to deliver the highest academic standards to take us to ‘outstanding’ at our next OfSTED inspection. Head Teacher Job Description Accountable and The Governing Body Responsible to: Directors of the East Midlands Education Trust Grade: Leadership Group Pay Range L32 to L38 £82,676 to £95,766 Job Purpose 1. Provide strong and purposeful strategic leadership, empowering all pupils and staff to excel 2. Provide a safe environment where students can be happy and receive the care, guidance and support that they need to succeed 3. Uphold and develop the Academy’s ethos Key Responsibilities 1. Directly lead and manage the Academy’s Senior Leadership Team 2. Agree strategic targets with the governing body and deliver on the strategic priorities 3. Produce and implement the Academy’s Improvement Plan; leading a robust approach to self- evaluation 4. Ensure that the Academy complies with all Health and Safety requirements 5. Implement strong data analysis to ensure that tracking and intervention is rigorous and having an impact 6. Sustain a wide, current knowledge and understanding of education systems to secure excellent teaching Working with Pupils 1. Provide a safe, calm and well-ordered environment, focused on safeguarding pupils and developing their exemplary behaviour in the Academy and in wider society 2. Demand ambitious standards for all pupils, overcoming disadvantage and advancing equality 3. Lead the raising of student achievement and attainment in all aspects of Academy life, but especially in outcomes at KS4 and KS5 4. Ensure the well-being of all pupils in school Working with Staff 1. Establish, develop and motivate effective teams across the Academy 2. Hold all staff to account for the impact of their work on pupils’ outcomes, their professional conduct and practice 3. Maintain rigorous, fair and transparent systems and measures for managing the performance of all staff, addressing any under-performance, supporting staff to improve through CPD and valuing excellent practice 4.