Candidate Information Pack

Headteacher

‘Think big Do the right thing Team spirit’ { City Heights }

www. cityheightsacademy.e- act.org.uk Contents

Letter of Introduction 3

Why Work for E-ACT? 4

E-ACT’s School Improvement Strategy 5

E-ACT’s Approach 6

Introduction to City Heights 9

Job Description 11

Person Specification 13

For Further Information 15

How to Apply 15 Dear Applicant Why work for E-ACT?

Thank you for your interest in the role of Headteacher E-ACT is about improving schools. We do this A learning organisation at City Heights E-ACT . through a relentless focus on building strong teaching and learning, inspiring curriculums, effective Whatever your role within E-ACT, we want everyone Is this role right for you? standard operating procedures and embedding a to keep on learning. We give every single one of our culture based on our values of thinking big, doing the teachers three additional dedicated days to follow If you are passionate about achieving outstanding We are looking for a passionate individual who right thing and showing team spirit. an individualised plan to build on your practice – teaching and learning in every classroom, inspiring relishes the opportunity to lead in all areas of through activities such as peer observations, visiting children through engaging curriculums, developing education and is driven by establishing a culture The E-ACT team includes over 2,000 employees neighbouring schools or developing your lesson your teaching staff to be the best they can possibly of pupil and staff happiness, safety and personal based across 26 academy teams, five regional teams planning skills. be, ensuring outstanding safety of children and growth. If you are an established Headteacher who is and one national team. making the school the heart of the community by excited by our model of leadership, if you sign up to On top of this every teacher participates in E-ACT’s engaging with all local stakeholders, then this could our vision, then we want to hear from you! By giving our pupils the space and time to explore, professional learning programme in partnership with be the role for you! to learn, to reach out to new people and to challenge Ambition School Leadership. If you’re interested in finding out more about joining themselves every day, we provide an education The operational management of the school is run by our team in City Heights please read through the which gives every one of our pupils the opportunity Generous benefits a Regional Operations Director, meaning that they rest of this information pack. I hope you are inspired to be the best they can possibly be. To do this will be responsible for budget management, estates by this post and if you would like to talk more about we employ excellent teachers, who in turn, are E-ACT is also a leader in the education sector for management, line management of operational it confidentially, please contact HR.Team@E-ACT. supported by inspirational leaders in education. our range of outstanding employee benefits. We support staff or ICT in the academy. Our model org.uk who will be able to arrange a telephone adhere to the Burgundy Book as a minimum for therefore takes away all other distractions from you, conversation. By being part of a Trust, our Academies can teaching staff, but go above and beyond this for so as Headteacher you can focus solely on improving collaborate with one another, share ideas and all staff including a generous maternity policy and the performance of staff, pupils and the academy’s practices. They can also rely on support, when it is opportunities for flexible working to enable you to reach in the local community. needed, from teams of regional experts who enable balance family life. Academy staff to focus on what matters most: our As part of the Trust’s London & Bucks regional pupils. hub, you will be supported and challenged from a David Moran dedicated Regional Education Director, as well as Chief Executive Officer committed staff from the National Team. You will E-ACT have a Regional Team of educational System Leaders to provide expert support in school improvement and will have opportunities to share, collaborate and innovate within the London & Bucks hub and beyond. {Our address}

E-ACT Head Office Unit 9.2.1 The Leathermarket 11-13 Weston Street London SE1 3ER

We are responsible for over 14,000 pupils across our 26 primary and secondary academies.

020 3176 3882 [email protected] www.e-act.org.uk @EducationEACT Page 4 E-ACT’s school improvement strategy E-ACT’s Approach

E-ACT’s school improvement strategy is simple and focused on what matters most: developing people and Our regionalised model getting the very best outcomes for our students. Each academy falls into a region, and each region has an Education Team and an Operations Team, led by a Regional Director of Education and a Regional Director of Operations. The Regional Directors are A relentless focus on the quality of teaching and learning supported by a series of expert System Leaders. Teaching and • Every lesson must enable every child to make outstanding progress Learning For the Regional Education team, this will include: • For every teacher to be a subject expert, for them to know every child in their • a Safeguarding and Attendance System Leader; class – their potential and how to exceed this potential • a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Behaviour System Leader • a Data and Information System leader • subject specialist System Leaders (depending on the needs of the region)

Develop and deliver an engaging and inspiring curriculum

Curriculum • The curriculum needs to engage, inspire and enable outstanding progress Region Primary Secondary • The curriculum needs to reflect and maximise the strengths of every teacher North E-ACT Blackley Academy Pathways E-ACT Academy The Walsall Reedswood E-ACT Primary West Walsall E-ACT Academy Academy Willenhall E-ACT Academy Midlands Mansfield Green E-ACT Primary Academy North Academy Think big, do the right thing and show team spirit Merritts Brook E-ACT Primary Academy • To create the right climate – where every child is happy, wants to learn and Culture Nechells E-ACT Primary Academy makes outstanding progress • To create an environment which promotes honest and supportive relationships Daventry DSLV DSLV that enable everyone to be the best they possibly can be The Parker E-ACT Academy London Braintcroft Primary City Heights E-ACT Academy Bucks Chalfont Valley E-ACT Primary The Burnham Park E-ACT Academy Academy Effective and efficient standard operating procedures Denham Green E-ACT Primary Academy Standard • To ensure that every system and process applied within the academy is Operational focused on providing knowledge that enables every child to be safe and make South West Greenfield E-ACT Primary Processes outstanding progress Academy • To ensure that consistent and effective processes are applied which enable Hareclive Academy teachers to remain focused on their core purpose Ilminster Avenue E-ACT Primary Academy St Ursula’s E-ACT Primary Academy Perry Court

020 3176 3882 [email protected] www.e-act.org.uk @EducationEACT Page 6 E-ACT’s Governance Structure Concerns or complaints: To act as an independent local point of contact for staff, pupils and parents to The Regional Education Director holds the express their concerns. Academy Ambassadors will Headteacher to account on the performance of signpost people to the right channels for dealing each academy within their region, acting under the with their issues and will ensure that any concerns delegated authority of the E-ACT Board of Trustees. or complaints are fed back to the AAG. Where any In turn, the Regional Education Directors are held to trends emerge, the Academy Ambassadors work account by the CEO for the academies within their with the Headteacher and other ambassadors to region, who is directly accountable to the Board of help find solutions. Academy Ambassadors will also Trustees. always form the majority of members on any appeals panels. Raising Achievement Boards Community: Making sure that the pupils maximise Each Academy has 6 weekly Raising Achievement on local opportunities by finding ways to keep the Board (RAB) meetings to ensure that the academy academy at the heart of the community and acting is being supported and scrutinised in its educational as a key link between the two. To really help the performance. The educational Raising Achievement academy to explore what it can do to make the Boards are led by the Regional Education Director, school a hub of community services. with attendance from the relevant regional System Leaders and Academy Senior Leadership Team. Values-based culture The RABs are supportive forums whereby there is a professional two-way dialogue about the We want every single person within E-ACT to be performance of the academy, and a collective drive to driven by three core values: secure continued improvements. • We want everyone to think big for themselves Academy Ambassadorial Advisory Group (AAG) and for the world around you • We want everyone to do the right thing in Alongside the Raising Achievement Boards, E-ACT everything they do, even when this means doing has established advisory bodies in each academy something that’s hard, not popular or takes a lot called the Academy Ambassadorial Advisory Group of time (AAG). The AAGs are a central forum for all of our • We want everyone to show strong team spirit Headteachers to engage with their local community, always supporting and driving your team forward enabling them to play an active part in the life and progress of the academy. We really believe that if we all do the right thing, work with and support our teams and we all think The Academy Ambassador remit will has four key big, believe big, act big, then the results will be big. elements:

Celebration: To help to make sure that celebration of staff, pupils and parents remains a priority for each academy, and to find the best way to do this.

Communication: To work with staff, pupils and parents to make sure that the academy effectively communicates to all stakeholders, so that everyone feels part of academy life and has the opportunity to access information and events.

020 3176 3882 [email protected] www.e-act.org.uk @EducationEACT Page 8 Introduction to City Heights E-ACT Academy

Responsible for 790 secondary aged students, we are Our academy vision Our specialist ASC provision driven to ensure that we develop our students to help We believe that at the core them be ready for university or a career of their choice. Our vision is integral to all that we do and our values We are proud to offer an Autistic Spectrum Condition underpin this: (ASC) specialist mainstream provision. Our aim is to becoming an excellent Our Academy has an enthusiastic and dedicated staff to ensure that students with ASC needs are able to academy, is our ‘DNA’. team, committed to delivering a diverse curriculum • Ambition integrate successfully into mainstream provision. On to encourage our students to develop new ways of • Social justice entry to the Academy, students with ASC are part of a thinking and working. • Pride and professionalism Tutor Group. Depending on each individual student’s • Integrity needs, they will attend Student Central for certain We have a unique partnership with Dulwich College • Respect and responsibility lessons. whereby our students are offered a wide range of • Empathy and kindness opportunities covering a variety of activities from By creating an environment in which students can pottery to street dancing. Our curriculum expect to be successful learners will gain the appropriate knowledge, experience and skills considered essential We offer a demanding curriculum, encouraging for their integration into mainstream classes. Ofsted students to engage with complex, academic ideas from day one. City Heights students are not passengers in Considerable care is taken in matching students to Our academy was judged ‘Good’ across all areas in lessons, seeing their role as to just passively commit classes, sets and teachers to ensure the continuing our May 2015 inspection. to memory the information their teachers give them. learning success of each student is maximised once Instead, students are constantly challenged to extend fully integrated. During the inspection, our students were praised for their thinking, and encouraged to develop their own their positive attitudes and respect for others. Our passion for learning and enquiry. Extra-curricular activities teaching is improving due to our teachers who plan activities carefully to challenge our students. We provide additional support for students who start We want our students to enjoy a rich and varied at City Heights below age related expectations to learning experience. Through our PE department our Students who have a disability or special educational allow them to quickly make progress and catch up students take part in a wide range of local and national We are not prepared to lower needs make good progress because they receive well- with their peers. As a languages specialist school, all sporting competitions. Our students also have access planned support. of our students study a modern language with the to our academy library, which plays an important our expectations of anybody. majority of students learning Spanish. role in supporting independent reading, learning and thinking. Supporting our SEND students

We welcome all students including those who have a Special Educational Need of Disability.

We provide effective opportunities for all students ‘An ethos where good teaching by responding to their diverse learning needs, setting suitable learning challenges and overcoming barriers and behaviour can flourish.’ to learning. Inclusion is at the centre of our academy’s vision and values. (OFSTED)

020 3176 3882 [email protected] www.e-act.org.uk @EducationEACT Page 10 Job description

Purpose of the role Teaching & Learning Curriculum development Culture • The Headteacher will provide outstanding The Headteacher will: The Headteacher will: The Headteacher will: educational vision, leadership and direction for the Academy, ensuring great pupil outcomes are • Ensure that there is fantastic teaching, in every • Ensure that your academy has in place an • Ensure that you and all teaching staff within achieved sustainably, and annual performance classroom, for every child. engaging and inspiring curriculum that is the academy think big, do the right thing and targets are met. • Ensure that every teacher in the academy appropriate for the cohort of children develop and nurture a positive team spirit is developing their practice to becoming • Review and assess each subject area within • Ensure that there is a safe and happy culture • The Headteacher will have core responsibility for: outstanding teachers. your academy to ensure that the current offer is within your academy, adhering to outstanding teaching and learning, curriculum development, • Ensure that every teacher within the academy appropriate to the current student cohort, and safeguarding practice, pupil behavior and developing teaching staff and creating a culture prepares their lessons well, delivers in an that it will have maximum impact on outcomes attendance. of safety and happiness within the academy. inspiring way and feeds back to children • Ensure that appropriate transition phases are • Regularly hold your teachers to account to They will not have responsibility for operational appropriately to ensure that great progress is included within all curriculum plans and models ensure that they and their teams are being the management of the academy, including: budget made by every student • Ensure that 100% of assessments are best they possibly can be. This will include management, estates management, support staff • Ensure that every teacher gains maximum completed with integrity and fully compliant honest and sometimes hard conversations, and line management or ICT. benefit of their additional 3 CPD days per to examination body requirements – at all key will need to be guided by doing the right thing. year (E-ACT policy), creating tailored, specific stages • Develop effective relationships with all • The Headteacher will report to the Regional development programmes for individual • Ensure effective internal and external stakeholders Education Director. development. moderation arrangements are in place in your i. Ensure that regular all staff meetings are held • Ensure that every teacher is properly appraised, academy and positively contributed to • Headteachers will work with other E-ACT with quality discussion around strengths, • Demand ambitious standards for all students, ii. Ensure that your academy establishes academies within the region and Trust, to enable weaknesses and with full objectives and overcoming disadvantage and advancing positive relationships with its local community and support the sharing of good practice within planned support/development for the year equality, instilling a strong sense of iii. Ensure that you work effectively and closely the Trust, with a strong focus on the quality of ahead accountability in staff for the impact of their with your Academy Ambassadorial Advisory teaching and learning. • Ensure that any teaching under-performance is work on students’ outcomes. Group tackled in a timely and appropriate way • Create an ethos within which all staff are • Ensure effective communication to all staff and • The Headteacher is accountable to E-ACT’s • Inspire and influence others - within and motivated and supported to develop their own parents within your academy, and ensure that Trustees and is responsible for creating a beyond the Academy and Trust – through your skills and subject knowledge, and to support there is an effective communication channel productive learning environment which reflects innovative, high quality educational leadership each other. between you and the national team E-ACT’s ethos. that leads to positive outcomes for children. • Identify emerging talents, coaching current and • Establish a culture of leadership development • Lead by example - with integrity, creativity, aspiring leaders in a climate where excellence amongst all of your teaching staff. Key accountabilities resilience, and clarity - drawing on your own is the standard, leading to clear succession • Ensure that the achievements of pupils and scholarship, expertise and skills, and that of planning. teaching staff are properly recognised and The Headteacher will be expected to lead in the those around them. celebrated on a half-termly basis as a minimum, following four areas. The activities listed indicate • Sustain wide, current knowledge and and ensure that your academy positively what success in the area will look like: understanding of education and school systems contributes and takes part in the regional locally, nationally and globally, and pursue celebration events which will lead to a national continuous professional development. Standard Operating Procedures celebration event. • Fully engage in the defined academy RAB • Develop effective relationships with fellow process, providing honest feedback on how professionals and colleagues within the your academy is performing, its strengths and Trust and in other public services to improve its weaknesses. Ensure that all paperwork academic and social outcomes for all children. submitted is of a high quality and on time. • Ensure that you adhere to the E-ACT Scheme of Delegated Authority The Academy is committed to safeguarding and • Manage all educational risks within your promoting the welfare of children and young people academy effectively, ensuring that all required and expects all staff and volunteers to share this mitigations are in place commitment. • Be responsible for safeguarding within the Academy, and working with RODs to ensure that Safer Recruitment procedures are adhered to for every appointment. Headteachers will be expected to complete Safer Recruitment training at least every two years. • Work effectively with your Regional Operations Director to ensure that the educational requirements of the academy can be financially met

020 3176 3882 [email protected] www.e-act.org.uk @EducationEACT Page 12 Person Specification

Whether you’re a 3 year old in nursery learning Doing the Right Thing Knowledge, experience & skills to explore the world around you, an 18 year old preparing to go to university, a new teacher • Have integrity and honesty in all that you do Requirement understanding the demands of the job, a Head • Make decisions that are based on doing the Teacher leading the learning in your academy, a right thing, even when this means that they’re E – Essential member of the regional team ensuring efficient and unpopular or will lead to more work D – Desirable effective operations or a trustee scrutinising and • Take responsibility and ownership for your area challenging the CEO, we want every single person of work Assessed at within E-ACT to be driven by three core values: • Have difficult conversations or deliver difficult messages if that’s what’s required to do the A – Application Stage • We want everyone to think big for yourselves right thing by our pupils I – Interview Stage and for the world around you; • Be transparent and open P – During the probationary period • Be resilient and trustworthy Stand firm and stay true to our mission • We want everyone to do the right thing in • E D A I P everything you do, even when this means doing something that’s hard, not popular or takes a lot Knowledge Qualified Teaching Status (QTS) X X Showing Team Spirit of time; Graduate X X • Understand how you can have a greater impact • We want everyone to show strong team spirit, as a team than you can as an individual Substantial continued professional development in leadership and relevant X X X always supporting and driving your team forward • Understand how you are part of your professional area immediate team but also a much wider Evidence of continuous professional development X X X We really believe that if we all do the right thing, organisational team, in working towards our support our teams and we all think big, believe big, mission NPQH/NPQSL X X act big, then the results will be big too! • Recognise that everyone is important within Experience A track record of success in leading a comparable organisation and X X X E-ACT, and show an ability to build strong achieving high levels of outcomes This means that if you want to be part of E-ACT, you working relationships at every level need to be able to embrace and embody these values • Recognise and celebrate the success and Effective senior leadership experience in a challenging environment X X X in all that you do. achievements, no matter how small, of your A proven track record of leading effective improvement strategies to raise X X X X colleagues standards for students of all abilities Thinking Big • Be generous with sharing your knowledge to help to develop others Use of innovative approaches to the development of teaching and learning X X X X • Show energy, enthusiasm and passion for what • Understand and be willing to receive you do Experience of Ofsted processes X X X X suggestions and input on your area of work • Demand the highest quality in all that you do, from others Successful management of school self-evaluation, improvement planning X X X X and in the work of your team • Support your colleagues, even when this means and target setting • Willing to champion new ideas and think staying a little later, or re-prioritising some of beyond the status quo Effective leadership of staff performance management and professional X X X X your work • Show an ability to think creatively and ‘outside development • Be aware of other peoples’ needs and show an of the box’ in your area of expertise, continually ability to offer genuine support Leadership in pastoral/student development within a robust safeguarding X X X seeking improvements in what you do to make • Show an awareness and respect for peoples’ culture the organisation better differences, and recognise how different • Be open to new ideas and change where it will Successful partnership with other schools, relevant service agencies and X X X characteristics and personal strengths build have a positive impact on the organisation stakeholders dynamic and great teams Show a willingness to embrace different ideas • Skills An ability to design and implement an inclusive, relevant curriculum with X X X X and ways of thinking to improve E-ACT knowledge of latest curriculum developments • Ability to ‘look outside’ – to continually learn about innovations in your field, new ways of In-depth knowledge of best practice in teaching and learning to support X X X doing things, and bring that learning into your student achievement work An ability to analyse and interpret student data to inform planning and to X X X X Commitment to self-development, and • set challenging performance targets developing your wider Team • Ability to self-reflect on yourself, your An ability to lead, motivate, develop and inspire staff X X X performance, and to think about how this could Expertise in timetabling design X X X be improved further • Ability to encourage ideas from others in order to improve the organisation and build your team’s confidence

020 3176 3882 [email protected] www.e-act.org.uk @EducationEACT For Further Information

To arrange a conversation about the role with Mohsen Ojja, the Regional Director of Education (London & Bucks), or if you would like to visit the Academy, please contact Heather Rowe on [email protected].

All enquiries, formal and informal, will be treated in confidence.

How to Apply

To apply, please complete the Application Form and send to [email protected]. Your application should outline how you meet the qualification and experience elements of the Person Specification.

The closing date for applications is Mon 14 May 2018 at 9 a.m.

First stage interviews will be scheduled for Tues 15 May 2018. Second stage interviews will be scheduled for Thur 17 May 2018.