INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES APPLYING FOR THE POSITION OF: HEAD OF COLSTON S LOWER SCHOOL, BRISTOL

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1 INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES APPLYING FOR THE POSITION OF: HEAD OF COLSTON S LOWER SCHOOL, BRISTOL

2 THE SCHOOL Colston s is a friendly, successful school with a strong focus on achieving individual academic potential within a holistic, educational framework and a caring and supportive environment. Situated two miles from the centre of the thriving city of Bristol, it sits on its own self-contained and green campus of 26 acres and provides a high quality and broad-based educational experience for 740 boys and girls aged 3 to 18. The Lower School is a happy and busy place of learning with to 11 year olds focused on their own site but sharing the facilities on the Upper School site just across the road. The School has an excellent reputation for relationships between pupils, teachers and parents. It is well known for the high standard of its pastoral care and support and the outstanding social and moral development of its pupils. Inspectors in 2011 commented most favourably on these aspects. Colston s has a distinctive identity within the competitive Bristol independent school market as an all age, co-educational and family school with a notable social and cultural diversity. The School is characterised by high expectations, clearly defined core values and exceptionally strong support from parents.

3 THE SCHOOL AIMS Colston s School Aims to: provide opportunities for its pupils to fulfil their full potential in all areas; academic, creative, sporting and social. encourage a spirit of service in its pupils, so that they may become confident, respectful and responsible citizens. prepare students for effective engagement in the next stage of their education, encouraging initiative, independence and providing opportunities for leadership. LOCATION Bristol is a bustling, commercial and creative city. As the most populous city in southwest England, it is a significant centre of culture, employment and education in the region. Located in Stapleton, on the north-eastern outskirts of the city and close to Junction 2 of the M32, the School is ideally situated for families in North Bristol and South Gloucestershire and it is well connected to the rest of the country with Bristol Parkway Station and the M4 and M5 close by. The School is only two miles from the city centre and is also only a mile from the border with South Gloucestershire, a unitary Authority in which the population and high-tech employment opportunities are expanding fast. In Bristol and South Gloucestershire there continues to be notable growth in media, electronics, aerospace and precision engineering. It is also a strong financial centre. Bristol University and the University of the West of England are close by and there are thriving theatres, art galleries and concert halls. It has a number of good regional shopping centres. Although surrounded by so much housing and business activity, the School occupies some 26 acres of its own land running down to the River Frome giving abundant facilities for sport and outdoor learning, particularly at the very successful Forest School. HISTORY The School was founded in 1710 by the Bristol philanthropist Edward Colston. He entrusted his school to the care of the Society of Merchant Venturers, which continues to play an active and supportive role in the School s affairs, nominating half of the Governing Body including the chairman from its members. The School moved from the centre of the city to the former palace of the Bishop of Bristol at Stapleton in Colston s was originally a school for boys until girls were admitted to the Sixth Form in It then became fully co-educational following its amalgamation in 1991 with the Collegiate School, Winterbourne, a school founded in Redland in The school is now fully co-educational from 3 to 18.

4 FACILITIES In recent years the strategic upgrading and development of academic facilities has been a major focus to ensure the school s continued success. This work comes under the supervision of the Facilities Director, and the school is fortunate to have all its amenities, including sports grounds, on one site. The Upper School classrooms and laboratories have been extensively refurbished and re-equipped in recent years and there is a sports hall, fully equipped theatre, concert hall, purpose-built Combined Cadet Force headquarters, floodlit Astroturf pitch and a Sixth Form Centre. On the spacious Lower School site there is a mix of newer and older buildings which provide an impressive range of facilities, including dedicated rooms for science, art, computing, music, DT and two libraries. The Science Lab and the Computer Suite have recently been upgraded and plans are progressing to build a new facility housing EYFS classrooms. A large playground with a grass area is available in the heart of the Lower school but most sport is undertaken on the Upper School site where full use is made of the sports pitches, astroturf and sports hall. In addition extensive use is made of the Harry Crook Theatre and the Chatterton Hall for drama and music performances. The school s major development priority is to re-provision the EYFS facilities and the successful candidate will have a major role to play in this project. STRUCTURE OF THE SCHOOL In the Lower School, which has over 230 pupils, teaching is delivered by individual class teachers, assisted, as appropriate, by subject specialists. The Lower School is divided into Pre-Prep (Nursery, Reception, Years 1 and 2) and Juniors (Years 3 6). Recent demand for places has been good and the numbers attending the Lower School have steadily risen over the last three years, although numbers are not evenly distributed across the year groups. This year an extra class has been added to the Junior Department to meet the demand for places. The Head of the Lower School is a member of IAPS and reports to the Headmaster of Colston s School. The vast majority of Lower School pupils move, aged 11, to the Upper School by means of an entry test open also to pupils from a wide range of feeder schools. This year s Year 7 of 80 comprises roughly 50:50 internal and external candidates.

5 ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT Although the Lower School s ability range is relatively wide, academic results are consistently pleasing. Summative assessments at the end of KS2 (Year 6) and KS1 (Year 2) indicate that Colston s pupils achieve well above national averages. In accordance with statutory regulations, base line assessments are being introduced to EYFS. A notable development over the last three years has been the successful expansion of our Forest School programme in a dedicated woodland area on the Upper School site. The freedom of the woodland allows the children to benefit from additional practical experiences that link closely to curriculum subject areas. Whilst strong emphasis is given in the Lower School to the acquisition of basic skills, the curriculum is broad and challenging and provides many opportunities for learning through the outdoor environment and the many trips and visits that are organised. PASTORAL CARE Colston s is recognised as having a very strong and effective pastoral structure, which provides excellent support for all boys and girls. The most recent ISI Inspection (2011) judged the development of pupils to be outstanding and noted the importance and prominence of the House system. Form teachers and Tutors are committed to the welfare of pupils, and parents are appreciative of the quality of care afforded by the School. The School encourages pupils to develop strong ethical and moral values, and religion is seen as something to explore and consider from a basis of knowledge, rather than being of a dogmatic nature. All pupils, of any religion or none, have points of view which are valued and considered. The Lower School is very proud of its highly supportive ethos within the school community, which helps all children to grow and flourish. All pupils, apart from Nursery children, are assigned to a House and they remain in this House throughout their time in the school. The Houses are Aldington, Dolphin, King s and Roundway. Although pupils in the Juniors will have different subject based teachers, all children have a Form Tutor and a class base where they start and end each day.

6 EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES Colston s places great emphasis on extra-curricular activities and an impressive range of clubs and societies is on offer to pupils each term. The choice ranges from Climbing to Gardening; from Choir, Art and Football to Table Tennis and Curling. Each pupil is expected to attend at least one activity per week and is encouraged to widen their horizons and grasp new opportunities. The Lower School has gained a good reputation for sporting success with recent notable achievements in rugby, hockey and netball. Whilst excellence is a major feature in the School s approach to sport, a sense of involvement, personal achievement and enjoyment is also nurtured. The Lower School has regular curriculum enrichment days where a wide range of activities focused on a particular theme are organised to involve the whole school. ISI INSPECTION Both the Lower and Upper School were inspected by ISI in March 2011 and a full copy of the Inspection Report is available on the school website. Many of the judgements, including the following, reflected the notable strengths of the School: Boys and girls at Colston s make particularly strong longterm progress relative to pupils of similar ability elsewhere The quality of teaching is good and a significant proportion is excellent Relationships between pupils, and with their teachers, are excellent and a strong feature of the learning ethos The standard of pastoral care and support for pupils is excellent The social and moral development of pupils of all ages at Colston s is outstanding The extra-curricular programme at Colston s is excellent and highly rated by pupils and parents Many features of the relationship with parents are excellent. They strongly approve of the range of activities offered at Colston s and the attitudes and values promoted by the school

7 FEES AND THE SCHOOL S FINANCES School tuition fees currently range from 2,310 in pre-prep to 3,190 per term for Years 5 and 6 in the Lower School. Tuition fees at the Senior School are 4,245 a term. On top of this, there is a 200 termly catering charge. There are automatic fee remissions for siblings and children of staff. Scholarship awards are made at Year 3 and Year 5 and tend to be fairly modest. The School does accept bursary applications but awards are normally limited to no more than 20% of tuition fees. These means tested applications are dealt with by the Director of Finance who is also responsible for dealing with parents directly in the event of non-payment of fees or other fee related matters. The school operates a direct debit scheme enabling parents to spread the school fees across the year and a popular advance payment of fees scheme. Staff are currently eligible to join an approved salary sacrifice scheme in respect of school fees. MARKETING, ADMISSIONS AND FUNDRAISING In the face of a changing market for independent education, the Governors and Headmaster have been committed to retaining the present ethos, identity and structure of the school. Recruitment, although challenging, is fuelled by strong word of mouth recommendation, the flow of siblings to the School and promotional activity. The next Head of the Lower School will want to ensure that the approach to external relations is pro-active, efficient and effective.

8 THE ROLE BACKGROUND TO THE APPOINTMENT The Headmaster of Colston s School invites applications for the position of Head of the Lower School, to take up post in September This position will become vacant following the departure of Stuart Smart in August 2016, after four years in post, when he takes up an exciting opportunity in school consultancy. OVERALL JOB PURPOSE The Head of the Lower School is appointed by the Headmaster of Colston s, Jeremy McCullough, and is responsible for helping to formulate and then implement and achieve the aims, policies and plans of the school. This involves transparent, formal and informal reporting upwards and an ability to manage and lead the school with the support of the Senior Management team and with other staff, sharing issues and tasks with them where possible and delegating to them where appropriate. The Head of the Lower School is responsible for appointing, leading and managing an excellent team of staff, and for creating an environment in which pupils and staff are inspired and empowered to develop their interests and to achieve their best. The next Lower School Head will want to build on recent success and celebrate the values of this rounded, family-oriented school. He or she will promote the School s distinctive and successful offer in its market and ensure that high standards are achieved in all aspects of school life.

9 KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES Work with the Headmaster and Governors to implement a vision for the future. The Head of Lower School has full delegated responsibility for the management of the Lower School, being accountable in this to the Headmaster and the Governors. Work with the Headmaster and Governors to review, define and agree the aims, mission and policies of the school Maintain a development planning regime which identifies short-term and long-term targets and deadlines and provides mechanisms for monitoring progress Understand and attempt to predict, changes, challenges and opportunities in the market, and develop a compelling strategic vision for ensuring the school s success in that context Ensure that the school complies with all relevant legislation and maintains a healthy and safe environment for pupils, staff and all visitors Take a lead on the identification, financing, and progression of new capital and refurbishment projects, as part of a long-term vision for the school s buildings infrastructure, IT and other facilities Ensure the delivery of a high quality education Lead a top quality team of teaching staff, take responsibility for their training, development and motivation, in order to maintain the highest standards in all areas of school life Review structures and ensure that staff are deployed to best advantage, in clear and coherent roles which are consistent with their skills, acting with compassion, rigour and the best interests of the children, when changes are required Monitor and evaluate standards of teaching and learning, ensuring that the progress of both teachers and pupils is assessed and recorded and that high standards are maintained Continually evaluate the school curriculum to ensure that it remains appropriate to the needs of pupils, gives due regard to their academic and pastoral development and stimulates learning and the development of character, while differentiating the school from its competitors Maintain a wide range of extra-curricular activities and to promote and pursue a holistic approach to education Maintain the friendly and purposeful atmosphere and high standards of discipline which are a source of pride and nurture a culture in the school which celebrates diversity, values and respects the needs of others and is energetic, fun, supportive and caring Ensure that the Lower School and Upper School work effectively together for a greater common purpose, as they do at present Where possible, strive to achieve a gender balance in the school as far as staffing and the student body are concerned Promote the School and its unique offer As the school s chief ambassador, promote the values, aims and unique character of the school vigorously and effectively to internal and external stakeholders Market the school effectively to maintain healthy numbers of the range of pupils it wishes to recruit Foster strong relationships with parents, ensure they receive regular feedback on the progress of their children and encourage their strong involvement in the life of the school Personally support the busy and varied life at the school, being visible and approachable

10 THE PERSON SPECIFICATION It is expected that the next Head of Colston s Lower School will demonstrate many of the qualities and skills and demonstrate much of the experience outlined below. Leadership Inspirational, with the vision and strategic insight to map out a successful future for the school and the skills to implement the plan, working through others Committed to the values and culture of the school and an understanding of the environment in which it operates and the market it serves Excellent communication and ambassadorial skills with the stature to work effectively with parents, staff, pupils, governors and other members of the wider Colston s community Academic and Pastoral Understands trends and statutory requirements in curriculum development Has an impressive teaching record Understands the characteristics of an effective school and strategies to improve performance Is interested in a wide range of arts, sports and other extracurricular activity Managerial Well organised, a good planner and delegator and experienced at achieving measurable targets Track record of managing a large team effectively High standards of written and verbal communication for a variety of audiences IT literate with an appreciation of how IT can be used to improve effectiveness Personal characteristics A candidate who displays the following personal characteristics is likely to be well suited to leading Colston s Lower School and also able to build on its current success: An over-riding commitment to the development and well-being of each pupil Lively and approachable Visionary, imaginative and persuasive Open to different perspectives and a good listener Displaying honesty and integrity Socially at ease with people from a wide range of backgrounds Decisive, yet measured A good sense of humour Qualifications and school experience The successful candidate will: Have a strong academic background and the relevant educational qualifications Be able to provide evidence of continuing professional development Have experience of working at a senior level in a school, and of working in schools which share key characteristics with Colston s EMPLOYMENT TERMS AND CONDITIONS The Governors of Colston s School are prepared to offer a competitive salary to attract and retain the very best candidate. In addition to other benefits, which can be discussed at a later stage in the process, the successful candidate will be provided with family accommodation adjacent to the School.

11 THE APPLICATION PROCESS The deadline for receipt of applications is 10am on Friday 22nd January Candidates should complete their application form electronically and it to RSAcademics, together with a short covering letter which explains their reasons for applying. There is no need to submit a CV. Please your completed application form and covering letter (both as PDF files please) to our Recruitment Administration Manager, Alice Matcham, at: recruitment@rsacademics.co.uk Alice can also be reached by calling our Head Office on All applications will be acknowledged by . If you have not received acknowledgement that your application has been received within two working days of sending it, please contact our Head Office by telephone. Long list interviews with the Headmaster will take place at the School on 28th January and 29th January; candidates will only be required for part of one of those days. Short list interviews will take place at the School with the Headmaster and Governors selection panel on 5th February. Candidates will be required for the day and there will be an informal opportunity for candidates and, where applicable, their partners to join members of the school for supper the evening before. The appointment is subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks in accordance with DfE guidance, to satisfactory references, satisfactory clearance from the DBS, proof of identity and qualifications and a satisfactory medical report.