Job Introduction
Swineshead St Mary's Church of England Primary School seeks a Head of School and SENDCO.
Our Head of School will support the Executive Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team in the creation and implementation of distinctly Christian vision. They will embed the Trust and School visions into every area of the role and will challenge and support others in achieving the same.
Our Head of School will promote the need for pupils to actively engage in Excellence, Exploration and Encouragement and support LAAT’s belief that all children need to
flourish in a creative environment that allows them to become all that God intended.
In our Trust, a Head of School provides professional leadership and is responsible for the efficient day to day management of the School as part of LAAT, leading the school community in promoting positive attitudes to learning throughout the whole community.
The Head of School will hold the post of School SENDCO.
The Head of School will work collaboratively as part of the wider Trust, with the understanding that it is one organisation working in partnership to achieve the best outcomes for all pupils.
The postholder may be required to work in any of the Trust schools as directed by the Deputy Chief Executive and in consultation with the Executive Headteacher.
Key Tasks and Responsibilities
This job description should be read in conjunction with the standards for Headteachers as set out in the latest version of the School Teacher and Pay Conditions Document and with the Trust Code of Conduct. A Head of School should support an ethos of integrity, compassion and excellence throughout the school and communities in which they serve.
The Head of School will ensure that their leadership demonstrates commitment to promoting and developing the existing good practice through the search for excellence in all areas of its work and in support of the Trust vision and values.
Key Accountabilities
- Creating the future of the Trust Schools
- Embed the Trust vision across the School.
- Work with the Executive Headteacher, local board and community to create a local vision for the School which is consistent with the Trust vision and values.
- Motivate others to create a shared learning culture and positive climate.
- Support the Executive Headteacher in implementing the vision into agreed objectives and operational plans.
- Develop school structures with the Executive Headteacher in order to maximise resources and where required, support and promote cross working across schools within the Trust.
- Support regular opportunities for cross-school and cross-leadership working to maximise strengths and develop further joint working.
- Leading teaching and learning/outcomes and standards across the School
- Support curriculum development and innovation to ensure a vibrant, locally relevant and engaging curriculum is in place to ensure children receive a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum that helps to prepare them for the next phase of their education.
- Ensure the continuous and consistent focus on pupils’ achievement, using data and benchmarks to monitor progress.
- Establish creative, responsive and effective approaches to learning and teaching.
- Set high expectations and set stretching targets for the school community.
- Monitor, evaluate and review school practices and promote improvement strategies.
- Robustly tackle under-performance.
- With the Operations Partner, manage the school environment efficiently and effectively to ensure that it meets the needs of the curriculum.
- Ensure that the range, quality and use of all available resources is monitored, evaluated and reviewed to improve the quality of education for all students and provide value for money.
- Lead the planning and delivery of Collective Worship.
- Developing self and working with others
- Display and live out Leadership Behaviours that act as a beacon of excellence for others and support the Trust values.
- Working within Trust policies and supported by the Colleague Services Partner, ensure the maintenance of effective strategies and procedures for staff induction, professional development, and performance review.
- Promote and maintain a culture of high expectations for self and others.
- Ensure clear delegation of tasks and responsibilities so that teams and individuals undertake effective planning, allocation, support, and evaluation of work.
- Regularly review own practice, set personal targets, and take responsibility for own development.
- Maintain a consistent and continuous focus on the development of staff and students
- Acknowledge responsibilities and celebrate achievements of teams and individuals to promote a positive successful culture across the school
- Actively manage own workload, setting a good example to others to allow a genuine culture of work/life balance.
- Attend training and development courses as prescribed by and required by the Trust
Managing the organisation
- Ensure the ongoing development and implementation of an organisational structures which reflect the visions of the Trust and enable effective and efficient operations
- Support the Executive Headteacher in developing a focussed School Development Plan, that articulates the core priorities, the timescales in which these will be achieved and the success criteria for each of these.
Securing accountability
- Consistent with the Trust vision, enable everyone to work collaboratively within the schools and across the wider Trust to achieve excellence for all.
- Ensure individual staff accountabilities are clearly defined, understood, agreed and recorded.
- Work with the local board to enable it to meet its responsibilities and those defined in the Scheme of Delegation.
- Ensure every individual child has access to high quality teaching and learning that allows them flourish and become all that God intended.
- Present a coherent and accurate account of the school’s educational performance to a range of audiences including the Executive Headteacher, the Trust Board and parents and carers.
Strengthening community
- The Head of School will be the primary contact for parents and carers.
- Support and promote positive strategies for challenging any prejudice.
- Treat people equitably and with dignity and respect to create and maintain a positive school culture in line with the Trust’s ethos, values, and Code of Conduct.
- Ensure that the school collaborates with other agencies to promote the academic, spiritual, moral, social, emotional, and cultural wellbeing of students and their families.
- Support the development and implementation of a curriculum which supports the school culture and curriculum which consider the richness and diversity of the school’s communities, and of those around the school.
- Ensure a range of community-based learning experiences are available.
- Collaborate with other agencies to ensure pupil and community needs are met.
- Develop and implement strategies, to ensure strong community links are established and maintained.
- Support and lead joint community events that promote the ethos of the Trust.
- Market and promote schools and the Trust via social media and other communications, sharing its unique selling points, vision, and values.
- Support the Executive Headteacher in the preparation of an accurate School Self Evaluation (SEF) document that accurately reflects the current picture of the school with regards to Leadership, Quality of Education, Personal Development, Behaviour and Attitudes.
- Operationally manage the human, financial and physical resources of the school, supported by the central team
- Have an operational overview of all health and safety regulations to ensure that the school meets the needs of the curriculum and health and safety regulations
- Ensure that performance management processes are carried out for all staff and report performance management outcomes to the Executive Headteacher, ensuring staff are fully supported
- Ensure that the range, quality and use of all available resources is monitored, evaluated and reviewed to improve the quality of education for all students and provide value for money.
Securing accountability
- Consistent with the Trust vision, enable everyone to work collaboratively within the schools and across the wider Trust to achieve excellence for all.
- Ensure individual staff accountabilities are clearly defined, understood, agreed and recorded.
- Work with the local board to enable it to meet its responsibilities and those defined in the Scheme of Delegation.
- Ensure every individual child has access to high quality teaching and learning that allows them flourish and become all that God intended.
- Present a coherent and accurate account of the school’s educational performance to a range of audiences including the Executive Headteacher, the Trust Board and parents and carers.
Strengthening community
- The Head of School will be the primary contact for parents and carers.
- Support and promote positive strategies for challenging any prejudice.
- Treat people equitably and with dignity and respect to create and maintain a positive school culture in line with the Trust’s ethos, values, and Code of Conduct.
- Ensure that the school collaborates with other agencies to promote the academic, spiritual, moral, social, emotional, and cultural wellbeing of students and their families.
- Support the development and implementation of a curriculum which supports the school culture and curriculum which consider the richness and diversity of the school’s communities, and of those around the school.
- Ensure a range of community-based learning experiences are available.
- Collaborate with other agencies to ensure pupil and community needs are met.
- Develop and implement strategies, to ensure strong community links are established and maintained.
- Support and lead joint community events that promote the ethos of the Trust.
- Market and promote schools and the Trust via social media and other communications, sharing its unique selling points, vision, and values.
Safeguarding
- Be the Deputy Designated Safeguarding lead.
- Ensure that the school is a safe place for children, ensuring that all safeguarding procedures are of the highest standard.
- Oversee the recording and management of safeguarding concerns and ensure compliance with statutory guidance.
- Oversee the management of the Single Central Record (SCR).
- Ensure consistent and thorough procedures and practices of all staff in relation to being vigilant to the safeguarding of all children including liaison with outside agencies.
Other
The duties and responsibilities in this job description are not exhaustive. The postholder may be required to undertake other duties that may be required from time to time within the general scope of the post. Any such duties should not substantially change the general character of the post. Duties and responsibilities outside of the general scope of this grade of post will be with the consent of the postholder.
- The postholder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with LAAT Equal Opportunities policies.
- The postholder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the LAAT Health and Safety policies and procedures.
All employees need to be aware of the possible abuse of children and vulnerable adults and if you are concerned you need to follow the academy’s Safeguarding Policy. In addition, employees working with children have a responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of during their work.
For an informal discussion about the role, or to arrange a visit, please contact Claire Collett at enquiries@laat.co.uk.
To apply please go to https://thelaat.co.uk/opportunities/
Closing date: 04/07/25
The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will require the successful applicant to undertake an enhanced criminal record check via the DBS.
Fluency Duty
In accordance with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 (Fluency Duty), the ability to converse at ease with customers and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post.
The school advertising the vacancy will contact you directly regarding the outcome of your application and any interviews. When interviews are taking place schools will follow all Government and Public Health England Guidelines.
All shortlisted candidates will need to verify their eligibility to work in the UK at interview.
