Headteacher Candidate information
Derby Cathedral School
Dear Applicant,
On behalf of DDAT and Derby Cathedral I would like to thank you for your interest in the post of Headteacher at Derby Cathedral School.
Derby Cathedral School plans to open in September 2018 with six Year 7 classes (180 places) and admit the same number of Year 7 pupils each year thereafter. It will be a Church of England secondary school and will be fully inclusive and free to attend, welcoming pupils of all abilities, from all backgrounds, of all faiths and those with no faith.
The state-of-the-art school will offer a broad and balanced curriculum taught by qualified teachers. Our specialism in Music and Mathematics will be enhanced by strong links with the Cathedral Choir and Music Department, and students will also benefit from an extended school day, excellent pastoral care and a wide range of enrichment opportunities.
As Derby’s regeneration framework moves the city towards becoming the UK’s hi-tech industries capital, we will equip our students with the skills and qualifications to enable them to access high-quality careers in and around this vibrant city.
Derby Cathedral School also enjoys a close partnership with Derby City Council in planning the opening of the new school.
We are looking forward to appointing a dynamic, forward-thinking headteacher with strong leadership skills to establish what will be a historic development in the Diocese of Derby. There is real commitment and passion to drive the school towards excellence from day one and we require someone to build on the vision we have presented for the school in our successful application to the DfE. We have a very professional, enthusiastic, hardworking and dedicated team within DDAT and Derby Cathedral and they look forward to being joined by someone with equal qualities and with outstanding skills, encouragement and vision.
This is a truly unique opportunity for an individual to join a supportive family of schools who are embarking upon their journey to providing Outstanding education to the children and young people of Derby from ages 3 to 18. Working closely with DDAT Primaries (which will include Church and community schools), the Cathedral School will be central to a ‘super hub’ of ambitious, driven and focussed education providers. The successful candidate will be at the forefront of a changing landscape in the City where rapid improvement and successful outcomes are predominant. Building on an impressive network of professionals and organisations through the Diocese and Cathedral, our inspirational Headteacher will be nationally recognised as catalyst to successful change.
We hope that you will feel that you want to take your present enquiries further by applying for the post.
Yours sincerely,
Canon David Channon, Chief Executive Officer, DDAT The Revd Dr Elizabeth Thomson, Canon Missioner, Derby Cathedral Delivering Outstanding Education Derby Diocesan Academy Trust Derby Diocesan Academy Trust (DDAT) in equal (DDAT) partnership with Derby Cathedral is establishing a new Derby Diocesan Academy Trust was established in 2013 secondary school in the heart of Derby city, opening to ensure Diocesan schools within Derby and Derbyshire in September 2018. We are seeking a visionary and are able to explore academy status whilst retaining inspiring leader to help us bring the school into being the distinct Christian ethos which has contributed and ensure its sustained success. to them historically outperforming their maintained Our founding Headteacher will oversee the building of counterparts. DDAT aims to support member schools by the new school, the recruitment of a full complement providing a comprehensive package of support which of students and the appointment of a team of staff allows schools to concentrate on the core purpose of that can deliver and drive the vision for our unique delivering excellent education to young people. The new school. As the first ever Church of England DDAT model has been designed to secure our church secondary school in the Diocese, we are excited about school heritage, provide highly effective external this genuine opportunity to improve choice in the support and challenge whilst delivering much of the city, provide essential school places and deliver an business side of being an academy. outstanding education to our students. Our vision is for a family of DDAT academies that offers Our new school will be at the centre of a supportive an outstanding learning experience for every child that local community. We enjoy strong support from the will enable them to reach their full potential in mind, local authority, our Regional Schools Commissioner body and spirit, thereby genuinely Changing Their Lives. and the wider community. Our curriculum offer will We are a growing Trust operating a bottom-up model. meet the learning and personal development needs Schools in our Trust have high levels of autonomy of a diverse intake of students. We will specialise in and retain their local distinctiveness. mathematics and music, each strand intended to complement and strengthen the other. In addition music will support progress in other subjects and will be embedded in the curriculum through cross-curricular teaching and project work. Music education at Derby Cathedral School will be rich in choral opportunities, with openings to perform in the Cathedral (the largest music venue in Derby). It will also provide contemporary skills and opportunities through music technology and production.
We are seeking an experienced senior leader with an appetite for innovation. Our ideal candidate will be forward-thinking and embody the high standards we aim to instil in our students. Above all, they will have the understanding and ability to drive the delivery of outstanding education for all. Our vision for the school Inclusivity and high expectations are central to our particular, the organists – in helping to secure Russell mission, offering a warm welcome and a high quality Group university places. We will exploit the natural links education to students from families practising all faiths between these specialist subjects to raise achievement and those with no faith. for all learners and encourage self-confidence.
Derby Cathedral School represents a commitment Derby Cathedral School will be a stand-alone free to raising aspirations and opportunities for the young school, with its own Governing Body, but will be able people of Derby. It is being established at a crucial to access all of the operational structures and services stage of the City’s regeneration and will help meet the already established within the Diocese of Derby need for additional high-quality secondary places in the Academy Trust schools.
Derby area and also to give families more choice. Strong links will be forged with schools across Derby Planning to open with 180 students in Year 7, the and our state-of-the-art facilities will be shared with the school will be a 6-form entry 11-19 co-educational community. school and when full there will be 1260 students on roll including 360 in the Sixth Form. Derby Cathedral School will be a Church of England school and will be Collaborative working fully inclusive, welcoming pupils of all abilities, from all The DDAT family of schools is growing and as a key backgrounds, of all faiths and none. Acts of collective part of our strategic plans we wish to establish a strong worship and religious education, to which pupils and community hub of schools in the centre of Derby City, staff have a right of withdrawal, will reflect the ethos of centred around our new proposed Cathedral Secondary the school. Free school. As DDAT becomes more firmly established, The school will be a designated Church of England our good and outstanding schools have offered their faith school but with completely open admissions services as we expand so that we provide an integrated, being available to students of all faiths and no faith. whole system challenge and support team for our Drawing upon the distinctively Christian nature of the newly-joined and existing schools to improve further school, Christian values and Character will be strongly and faster. We want to use the strong, established emphasized through an explicit focus on Character and ambitious expertise within our schools as an Education. This will provide a strong ethos across opportunity to increase our capacity and capability to the curriculum – both in lessons, in enrichment and firmly embed excellence in the system. through the extra-curricular life of the school, to support the development of core British values applicable to pupils of all faiths and none.
The school will equip students with skills and qualifications that will enable them to access high- quality careers in and around the City. The curriculum offer will be broad and balanced and our specialism in Mathematics and Music will be enhanced by strong links with the Cathedral Choir and Music Department, which has a track record of music tutelage – in Growth Structure of the school by pupil numbers
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Year 7 180 180 180 180 180 180 180
Year 8 180 180 180 180 180 180
Year 9 180 180 180 180 180
Year 10 180 180 180 180
Year 11 180 180 180
Year 12 180 180
Year 13 180
Totals 180 360 540 720 900 1080 1260
Once viable, a vertical grouping system will operate with tutor groups associated with one of three Houses.
Key Priorities
These will include: In the medium-term: Working closely with DDAT and Derby Cathedral to Lead the school to a successful first Ofsted inspection ensure that the school opens on time, Establishing the Embed and establish the school as an influence school community, student recruitment, overseeing the in Derby ensuring its seamless integration into the building of the new school educational landscape Recruiting the first wave of staff Establish strong and productive links with local Developing the curriculum in alignment with the employers such as Bombardier, Rolls Royce and Toyota vision Embed the school specialisms of music and maths Developing policies and procedures for the school In the long-term: Continue to successfully establish the school until it reaches capacity in 2024
Establish a strong sixth form provision
Embed the school’s reputation locally ensuring high standards and success for its students
Location Just on the edge of the Peak District, Derby is just 15 minutes from the M1 junction 24 and accessible via the A6, A50, A38 and A52. Derby Cathedral School: Headteacher Job Description
Main Purpose Provide strategic leadership for the school. Devise, Develop a culture of pastoral care that nurtures agree and implement a post-opening strategic plan physical health, emotional maturity and spiritual richness that realises and sustains the Governors’ vision for Derby and fosters self-confidence Cathedral School as a secondary school which: Ensure that the school experiences of all students from n Provides a balanced and broadly-based education all backgrounds and from all faiths and those of no faith designed to enable all students to discover their are as high as possible, by providing high standards of strengths and to make the most of their talents; and teaching and pastoral care while ensuring good n Engenders respect for individuality, difference, the relations between staff, parents and the wider importance of teamwork and the contribution that community each student makes to the life of the school and local Manage the school Senior Management Team and put community in place an effective system of appraisal and professional n Secure & sustain excellence in safeguarding students’ development for all staff health and well-being Continuously monitor, evaluate and review every n Embeds the ethos of the school as a Church of aspect of school life, reporting to Governors as required. England school with an inclusive and supportive Work towards quickly achieving and then sustaining Christian ethos which welcomes, values and nurtures Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ status all students regardless of background and of faith / no With Trustees and Governors, ensure that all statutory faith requirements are met in relation to the operation of n Develops the school’s value-added curriculum focus Derby Cathedral School, in particular ensuring at all on music and mathematics in order to establish a times that the requirements of the Children’s Acts (1989, centre of curriculum and scholastic excellence in the 2004), the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, focus subjects which is also capable of leveraging the national School Admissions Code and Appeals whole-school performance Code, the current SEND Code of Practice, the Disability Discrimination Acts (1995, 2005), SENDA (2001), the n Achieves Ofsted inspection judgements of Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act (2006), the Equality ‘Outstanding’ and at least ‘Good’ Act (2010), the Academies Act (2010) and the Children n Acts successfully as a community hub, including and Families Act (2014) are satisfied through appropriate use of school facilities by Liaise with all relevant external agencies at both community groups, and promoting community national and local levels as may be required from time to cohesion time Ensure that learning is at the heart of everything the school does by developing a school culture that Planning and setting expectations: promotes inspired teaching and effective learning and Adopt, take forward and develop the vision and ethos taking a strategic role in the development and use of of the school as set out by proposers existing and emerging learning resources to ensure Set the tone of the school in keeping with its character continuous improvement in the learning experiences of as an all-ability co-educational secondary Free School students at Derby Cathedral School Lead and manage strategic planning, which identifies priorities and sets targets to ensure that all students make excellent progress and achieve high standards and that staff work to their maximum potential towards these aims Carry out effective monitoring, evaluating and reviewing procedures to manage whole school improvement, intervening as required to ensure high quality experiences in school and high level outcomes for students Think creatively and imaginatively to anticipate and solve problems and identify opportunities Derby Cathedral School: Headteacher Job Description
Teaching, and planning student learning: Relations with parents / carers and the wider Create and maintain a climate for learning and code community: of conduct in keeping with the values, aims and ethos Account for the efficiency and effectiveness of the of the school which promote and secure successful school to the governors and others including students, learning through effective teaching. parents, staff, and the local community, as well as DfE and EFA Sustain high standards of achievement and promote positive behaviour through an effective whole school Develop positive relationships with the community, behaviour management policy and associated including voluntary groups, school neighbours, business procedures and industry, to extend the curriculum and enhance learning and teaching. Determine, organise and implement an appropriate curriculum to meet the needs of all students in the Create and maintain a successful partnership context of the character of the school with parents and the wider community to support and improve students’ achievement and personal Operate and sustain monitoring and assessment development and to foster the good name of the school procedures, acting upon any identified areas for development and improvement Maintain liaison with other secondary schools, primary schools, FE, HE and relevant agencies Monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching, student progress and the standards of students’ learning Present a coherent and accurate account of the outcomes including those identified as being LAC or school’s performance in order to inform a range of PLAC, Gifted and Talented, EAL, E6FSM, BME, Roma audiences, including governors, the DfE, the local children and other travellers, and those with Special community and Ofsted Educational Needs and/or Disabilities, in order to set Ensure that parents and students are well-informed and meet challenging targets for student progress about the curriculum, progress and attainment and and outcomes including narrowing and ultimately about their shared responsibilities as members of the elimination of achievement gaps which may be present school’s learning community in pupil-level data including for boys and girls Ensure high standards of SMSC education for all Managing own performance and development: students Participate in arrangements for Performance Promote positive practices for developing good race Management and take responsibility for own professional relations and dealing with racial harassment development Oversee a culture of equality ensuring this permeates Prioritise and manage own time effectively through all areas of the school. Work under pressure and to deadlines Ensure that students develop study skills and achieve Sustain their own motivation and high performance personal development outcomes in order to learn more level effectively and with increasing independence Managing and developing staff and other adults: Assessment and evaluation Line manage the SLT, SBM and other senior staff as Monitor, evaluate and review the effects of policies, required from time to time priorities and targets and take action as necessary to Implement and sustain effective performance achieve and sustain outstanding performance levels management systems, delegating performance reviews Ensure the effective use of comparative data, where appropriate including at whole-school, Key Stage, subject, sub-group Support and co-ordinate high quality professional and student levels, in order to establish appropriate development to enable staff to fulfil their roles to the benchmarks and agree challenging targets for best of their abilities improvement (working with Governors) Maximise the contribution of staff to improve the Student achievement: quality of education provided and standards achieved Make explicit to students, parents, teachers and the and ensure that constructive working relationships are wider community, the school’s high expectations for all sustained between staff and students children Plan, allocate, support and evaluate work undertaken Ensure that resourcing and staffing are dedicated to by groups, teams and individuals, ensuring clear achieving the maximum progress and highest standards delegation of tasks and devolution of responsibilities for all students Lead professional development of staff through Ensure that effective mentoring and tutorial systems example. are in place to support student achievement, personal development and well-being Derby Cathedral School: Headteacher Job Description
Managing resources: Strategic Leadership: Work with governors and senior colleagues to recruit Provide direction to secure the highest level of staff of the highest quality to all posts within the school achievement for each student; sustain the growth of their spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical Work with senior colleagues to deploy all staff development and prepare them for the opportunities, effectively in order to improve and sustain the high responsibilities and experiences of future life including quality of education provided higher education and employment Work with the senior and middle leaders and teachers Present a coherent and accurate account of capacity to to secure the highest standards of Collective Worship improve the school’s performance in a form appropriate and Religious Education to a range of audiences, including trustees, governors, Set appropriate priorities for expenditure, allocate the DfE, EFA, the office of the RSC, the local community funds and ensure effective administrative control over and Ofsted total school resources Lead by example, provide inspiration and motivation, Manage and organise accommodation efficiently and and embody for the students, staff, governors and appropriately to ensure that the needs of the curriculum parents the reality of the school’s vision and aims as set and health and safety regulations are met out by proposers and developed by Governors Manage, monitor and review the range, quality, Ensure that all those involved in the school are quantity and use of all resources in order to improve committed to its aims and are accountable in meeting students’ achievements and secure value for money in long, medium and short-term objectives to sustain how the school’s funding from all sources is used school improvement Lead and manage probity and ethics in school Ensure that the management, organisation and operations administration of the school support its vision and aims
Designated Safeguarding Lead: Provide information, objective advice and support to the Governing Body to enable it to meet its statutory Possess the skills and ability to identify abuse; responsibilities to provide effective learning and Know how to refer concerns to the appropriate teaching, improve standards of achievement and secure investigating agencies; excellent value for money Maintain detailed and accurate written records of child Lead and manage relationships within the local family protection concerns; of schools Support, advise and share expertise with all members Pre-opening Phase of the school staff; Work with Proposers & PMC to recruit teaching and Ensure staff members have access to and understand support staff the school’s safeguarding policies and procedures, and any local procedures; Liaise with contractors and EFA/DfE including in terms of site and buildings development, ICT procurement/ Ensure child protection training is part of the induction installation and financial planning for all new staff and that relevant training is provided where necessary; Participate in consultation and marketing activities involving prospective parents and carers, students, Annually review and update the school’s safeguarding community members and all stakeholders policies and procedures in light of any new guidance, and present them to the Governing Body for approval; Develop college documentation including policies and education planning e.g. the Education Brief and initial Provide a copy of the child protection policies and 3-year SDP procedures to parents who request to see them; Assist fully with preparation for, and participation in, Contribute towards local child protection policy free school processes for Registration as an Independent and groups by actively attending and contributing to School, the Pre-opening Ofsted visit and the Readiness meetings; to Open meeting Provide written reports to the Governing Body in a No job description can account fully for all tasks timely manner; needing to be performed by a headteacher, and as Ensure that the Governing Body is updated on a such the contents of this document should not be regular basis regarding all child protection issues and seen as exhaustive. The headteacher will be required investigations; to carry out any and all duties reasonably required by Ensure that relevant safeguarding files are copied and Governors in the conscientious execution of their duties forwarded, in line with data protection law, when a pupil as headteacher at Derby Cathedral School. transfers to another school; Lead a team reviewing and monitoring any causes of concern relating to pupils. Derby Cathedral School: Headteacher Person Specification
Accountable to: Governors/Trustees
Category Essential Desirable
Church School The requirement to be a baptised person who is a communicant member of the Church of England is a desirable but not essential attribute.
1. Qualifications Honours degree from a recognised university • Qualified teacher status • NPQH • Masters or equivalent in relevant discipline 2. Experience • Experience of Senior Leadership in a secondary school as a • Teaching and/or school Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher or Assistant Headteacher in leadership experience a Good or Outstanding school across the independent and • Successful experience of managing significant organisational maintained sectors change in a school leadership role • Experience of leading and • Experience of providing high standards of pastoral care managing capital projects • Experience of curriculum development
3. Professional • Evidence of continuing professional development relating • Experience of working with Development and to school leadership and management, and curriculum / other schools/organisations / Experiential Learning teaching and learning agencies • Knowledge of the Free School education context • Experience of leading/ • Knowledge of free school environments in terms of particular co-ordinating professional requirements and responsibilities arising for leadership and development opportunities governance • Ability to identify own learning needs and to support others in identifying their learning needs
4. Strategic • Ability to articulate and develop proposers’ vision within the • Evidence of having Leadership context of Free School expectations successfully translated a vision • Ability to inspire and motivate staff, students, parents and into reality at whole-school governors to achieve the proposers’ aims of the school and level meet their high expectations • Evidence of successful strategies for implementing whole- school plans • Ability to analyse data, develop strategic plans, set targets and monitor/evaluate progress towards challenging targets • Knowledge of what constitutes quality in 11-18 educational provision, the characteristics of effective schools and strategies for raising standards and the achievement of all students • Understanding of and commitment to promoting safeguarding of students Category Essential Desirable 5. Teaching and • Knowledge and experience of successful teaching and • Experience as a provider of Learning learning strategies in order to meet the needs of all students professional development to in Derby Cathedral School other teachers and school • A secure understanding of assessment strategies leaders • Experience of effective monitoring / evaluation of, and intervention in, teaching and learning • Understanding of the characteristics of an effective learning environment and the key elements of successful behaviour
6. Leading and • Experience of working in and leading staff teams • Successful involvement Managing Staff • Ability to delegate work and support colleagues in in staff recruitment, undertaking responsibilities appointment /induction • Experience of working with governors to enable them to fulfil their responsibilities • Experience of performance management as reviewer and reviewee and supporting CPD needs of colleagues arising • Understanding of effective budget planning and resource deployment as enablers in terms of achieving educational priorities
7. Accountability • Ability to communicate on school performance effectively, • Experience of offering orally and in writing to a range of audiences challenge and support to • Experience of whole-school self-evaluation and improvement improve performance e.g. SIP strategies role • Ability to provide clear information and advice to staff and • Experience of leading governors sessions to inform parents and carers on aspects of • Awareness of DfE / EFA performance measures applicable to school performance the school • Experience of school inspection via Ofsted or Independent Schools Inspections
8. Skills, Qualities & • High quality teaching skills • Ability to manage public Abilities: professional • Excellent school leadership ability relations effectively including and personal high profile contexts • Ability to diagnose and intervene wisely when solving attributes problems • Strong commitment to the vision and ethos of Derby Cathedral School • Commitment to their own professional development • Commitment to developing the whole-school team at Derby Cathedral School • Total commitment to the school and its future success • Ability to build and maintain good relationships with a range of stakeholders • Ability to remain positive and enthusiastic when working under pressure • Ability to organise work, prioritise tasks, make decisions and manage time effectively including in relation to the work of others • Ability to delegate appropriately • Empathy with children • Excellent communication and negotiation skills • Excellent presentational skills • Excellent problem-solving skills • Stamina and resilience • Self-confidence www.derbycathedralschool.org.uk