The Pilgrim Federation Executive Headteacher Application Pack ‘We all play our part to achieve excellence in everything’ EXECUTIVE HEADTEACHER APPLICATION PACK Contents 1. Welcome letter from Chair of Governors 2. Message from our departing Executive Headteacher 3. About our Schools 4. Our current Schools’ Action and Development Plan 5. Church and School 6. Parents and Friends 7. Governance 8. Job Description 9. Person Specification 10. Advertisement 1 Welcome letter from Chair of Governors Dear Candidate, Thank you for your interest in the position of Executive Headteacher at the Pilgrim Federation. We are a group of four North Norfolk Church of England Primary Schools: Blakeney, Hindringham, Kelling and Walsingham. We came together as a Federation in 2013, under the leadership of one Executive Headteacher, one Governing Body, and a Deputy Headteacher who leads on Teaching and Learning. The Christian values of love and compassion for others, kindness, tolerance and respect for others are at the heart of our Federation community. Our schools work together to provide the best possible education for each child: each school benefits from collaborative working, as do our dedicated and committed staff. At the same time each school preserves and enhances its own unique identity whilst contributing to our overall aim, “We all play our part to achieve excellence in everything”. The retirement of our current Executive Headteacher, Miss Mary Dolan, offers an outstanding opportunity for a dedicated and inspiring candidate to build on the foundations she has laid and lead our schools into an exciting future. This candidate pack includes information on all aspects of our schools, in addition to details of the application and selection processes. We hope it encourages you to apply. John Burrows, Chair of Governors 2 A message from our departing Executive Headteacher I have had the privilege of being the Executive Headteacher of The Pilgrim Federation since it first began in April 2013. The governors of the four schools had the foresight to create the Federation as they wanted the schools not only to survive, but to positively thrive, and this has certainly been the case. Having been an experienced head of a single school, I was excited about leading four schools, but was unsure how it would work, as a new venture for myself, governors, staff and parents: we all worked together, and together we made the Federation really successful. Our Federation motto is ‘We all play our part to achieve excellence in everything’ and that has certainly been the case. The Federation also works in partnership with the local communities of the schools and of course the churches. The staff at the four schools all train together and share their expertise and resources. They have also been involved in developing Federation policies and practices. Our mantra is ‘to make learning irresistible’ and the staff all work tirelessly to try and achieve this, removing barriers to learning and going the extra mile. The governing body are proactive and fully involved in the lives of the school; I have enjoyed working closely with them to lead and manage the Federation. The children at the four schools get together regularly, so whilst benefitting from being part of a small school family, they are also part of something bigger; they are proud to be part of their own school and part of The Pilgrim Federation. After a long career as a teacher, I will be retiring at the end of August 2021. I look forward to passing the Federation on to the successful candidate for the next part of the Pilgrim Federation journey. Mary Dolan, retiring Executive Headteacher 3 About our schools All four of our schools are embedded in flourishing and supportive village communities; the most recent (2011) census figures for each village are: Blakeney 801; Hindringham 457; Kelling 177; Walsingham 819. Each school attracts children from several neighbouring villages in addition to its own, and most Federation children progress to secondary schools in either Wells or Sheringham. Information about each school can be found on its website: see http://www.blakeney.norfolk.sch.uk/ http://www.hindringham.norfolk.sch.uk/ http://www.kelling.norfolk.sch.uk/ http://www.walsingham.norfolk.sch.uk/ The four schools share resources as well as a common ethos and aspiration. The Executive Headteacher and Deputy Head set shared goals and standards and divide their time equally between the schools. The teachers are in regular contact with each other, some of the teaching assistants work across more than one school, while the children themselves meet each other for Federation-wide events as well as sporting and other appropriate year group projects and activities. At the same time, each school preserves its own unique character and traditions: • Blakeney School maintains a historic tradition of ‘ringing out’ leavers at the end of the year; the school has access to the adjacent Plantation, a grove of mature trees amongst which the children have recently planted hundreds of new saplings. • Hindringham School occupies a relatively modern building (completed in 1962), with spacious outdoor areas for play and sport; a recent initiative here has seen the establishment of a nursery class, and a thriving toddler group meets here once a week. • For some families, the third or fourth generation of children is now attending Kelling School; traditional school bells are still used; it’s very picturesque, with attractive Victorian buildings set in plenty of green space, near the sea at Kelling Hard; the school preserves an archive of diaries from the first headmaster of the school, dating from 1877. • At Walsingham School the annual Christmas carolling is a great tradition. Every year the children practise new carols, complete with actions; they then perform for Christmas shoppers in Fakenham as well as at Walsingham Parish Church. Key information and statistics Pupil numbers on roll School Sept Sept Sept Sept Sept Sept Sept 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Blakeney 50 44 43 43 42 35 29 Hindringham 44 52 56 54 28 20 16 Kelling 59 63 53 54 55 51 55 Walsingham 33 28 23 24 33 31 37 186 187 175 175 158 137 137 Pupil Numbers October 2020 Pupil numbers Blakeney Hindringham Kelling Walsingham R 5 0 8 4 17 1 2 3 11 5 21 2 6 3 5 3 17 3 6 0 5 5 16 4 4 3 7 8 22 5 2 2 9 6 19 6 4 5 10 6 25 Total 29 16 55 37 137 Looked After Children: 0 Post looked after children/Special Guardianship: 3 Pupils with English as an additional language (EAL) School June Sept June Sept June Sept June Sept number 17 17 18 18 19 19 20 20 Blakeney 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Kelling 8 6 5 6 5 4 4 3 Hindringham 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 Walsingham 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Pupil Premium Numbers School Jan June Oct 20 20 20 Blakeney 3 5 5 Kelling 9 10 6 Hindringham 6 6 6 Walsingham 10 10 11 Hindringham Nursery (Our first 3 year old joined us in November 19.) Jan June Oct 20 20 20 Number 3 4 6 of children on role Staffing structure: Blakeney Hindringham Walsingham Kelling Class 1 Class 2 Class 1 Class 2 Class 1 Class 2 Class 1 Class 2 Class 3 Full time Full time Full time Full time Full time Full time Full time Full time Full time teacher Senior teacher Senior Job share Senior Senior Job share teacher Teacher Teacher X 2 staff Teacher Teacher X 2 staff 5 days 5 days 5 days 5 days 5 days 5 days 5 days 5 days 5days TA TA TA TA TA TA TA TA TA including including including including including including including including including 2.5 HLTA 5 HLTA 2.5 HLTA 5 HLTA 2.5 HLTA 5 HLTA 5 HLTA 2.5 5 HLTA hours hours hours hours hours hours hours HLTA hours hours (NQT) OFSTED status: All four schools currently enjoy a ‘Good’ OFSTED rating: OFSTED reports are available on each school’s website, or: for Blakeney (Sept. 2016) see https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/21/121108 for Hindringham (July 2018) see https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/21/121086 for Kelling (December 2017) see https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/21/138796 for Walsingham (May 2018) see https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/21/138797 4 Action Plan on a Page for 2020-21 5 Church and School Each of the four schools benefits from a good working relationship with the Parish Church to which it is attached. Representatives of the respective PCCs, together with certain members of the clergy, serve on the Governing Body. The Education Department of the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham also provides a member of staff to serve as a Governor. Clergy together with volunteers provide weekly collective worship in different ways, including 'Open the Book'. Often local churches are used to hold services for Harvest, Christmas, Easter, and for the Annual Federation Celebration Day held during the summer term. Local churches also provide enhancement to the children's well-being and spiritual development through the provision of after school clubs, Sunday schools and Messy Church. Through a variety of means, the members of the local churches seek to support the Pilgrim Federation in its desire to maintain and promote Christian values within the daily rhythm of school life. 6 Message from the Parents, Teachers and Friends Associations The Pilgrim Federation has active Parent, Teachers and Friends Associations across all four schools. Their main aim is to provide support, raise funds and offer additional extracurricular activities for the pupils.