The Echelford Primary School

The Echelford Primary School DEPUTY HEADTEACHER JOB DESCRIPTION AND PERSON SPECIFICATION Park Road, Ashford, Middlesex, TW15 1EX www.echelford.ik.org

ECHELFORD PRIMARY : CHAIR OF GOVERNORS LETTER Dear Applicant We are delighted that you have shown an interest in the role of Deputy Headteacher at The Echelford Primary School. Echelford is an extremely popular and large primary school in Spelthorne, Surrey. Both geographically and socially it is at the heart of the Ashford community and enhanced by supportive Governors and parents through the PTFA. The school has extensive and well-managed facilities and grounds. Included are a large, modern ICT suite, separate gymnasium, hall, dining hall, kitchens, school vegetable plot, pond and apiary. A Speech, Language and Communication Needs Centre is an integral part of the school, and there is an independent pre-school Towntree, on the school site. At Echelford we aim to create a secure, pleasant, caring and disciplined environment in which the most effective learning can take place. Our mission is to foster in our children an understanding of true values and social and moral obligations. We also encourage the development of good manners, courtesy, self-discipline and healthy attitudes. The school has a high reputation within the community and visitors to Echelford regularly comment on the excellent behaviour of our pupils. We fully expect the staff, leadership team and Governing Body to assist you through the period of transition. Our current improvement priorities are to: Raise the standards of teaching and learning across the school Raise the standards of literacy and numeracy across the school Develop an effective SDP and self-evaluation processes Focus particularly on the development of children s writing Create new and effective policies for all curriculum areas We have just recruited a highly-successful and well-respected Headteacher Mr Dafydd Roberts to the school and the Governors are excited about the opportunity of completing the senior leadership team to develop and continue to improve the school. We are looking for a Deputy Headteacher with a proven track record of leadership and drive within his or her current and previous schools who can: Raise the academic standards for all pupils Provide vision and leadership, notably in raising standards of teaching and learning Demonstrate excellent communication skills Continue the existing strong, family traditions among all the members of the school community We are of course committed to fully supporting our new Deputy Headteacher in all necessary training requirements and ensuring that he or she maintains a good work/life balance. (continued overleaf) 2

ECHELFORD PRIMARY : CHAIR OF GOVERNORS LETTER The information in our application pack will support you in understanding the context of our school and our priorities. Please look very carefully at the job description and person specification for the relevant post. Your personal statement must relate to the specification and be personalised to demonstrate how you propose to address the priorities of our school. Please also check that we have the details of your referees, one of whom should be your current or most recent employer, and another should be someone who is able to comment on your performance at work from a position of responsibility, not as a peer. Please note that CVs will not be accepted as applications. A discretionary payment may be available depending on experience. We encourage you to visit the school. Senior staff will be available to show prospective candidates around in the weeks beginning 8th and 15th October. Please contact our School Business Manager to make arrangements. Please return completed applications to Gill Hicks, School Business Manager, either by email to gill.hicks@echelford.surrey.sch.uk or by post to the school address. The closing date for applications is noon on 18th October. Interviews will be held on 25th/26th October at the school. Thank you for your interest in these positions. I very much hope that you will consider making an application for one of these exciting opportunities. Yours sincerely, Chris Williamson Chair of Governors Our school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Appointment to this post will be subject to an enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check. 3

ECHELFORD PRIMARY : HEADTEACHERS MESSAGE Message from Dafydd Roberts, Headteacher In addition to the letter from our Chair of Governors, let me make a personal introduction. I have just started in my role as Headteacher of The Echelford Primary School in Ashford and am very ambitious about improving the quality of teaching and progress of our pupils. I am passionate about ensuring all children, regardless of their background achieve their maximum potential academically. By providing children with a broad educational diet, coupled with the highest expectations, I honestly believe that all children can make outstanding progress. My previous role was Headteacher at St. Peter s Primary in Farnham. That school, though smaller than Echelford, had similar challenges in that whilst there were strengths in terms of the arts and sports, academic progress was a significant issue. St. Peter s is not a typical Surrey School, before 2011 their Level 4+ average for Maths was 67% and Literacy 73%. By focussing relentlessly on the areas mentioned above, the school achieved their best KS2 SATs results in 2011, placing them in the top 5% of all Surrey schools and the following summer, 2012, exceeding those scores both in terms of progress and achievement. Between 2007-2009 I was Deputy Headteacher at a three form entry Junior School near Guildford, called Tillingbourne, where again there were similar learning issues and again standards were raised there. My time as class teacher was served at two Dorking schools. Redlands School (now St. John s) between 1995-2003 and St. Martin s between 2003-2007. Dafydd Roberts 4

ECHELFORD PRIMARY : SCHOOL PROFILE : 1 School Profile The school, which is a three form entry primary school, is situated on the northern fringe of Surrey close to the boundary with the London Borough of Hounslow. Children come from a variety of social backgrounds and from a mix of private and local authority housing. Due to the good reputation of the school, pupils are drawn from a very large local area. Each year the reception intake of 90 is full and many of these children have parents or grandparents who were pupils at the school. We offer full time attendance from the start of the Reception year for all pupils. Currently 66 children (11% of the school population) live outside Surrey. The Echelford School moved to the current building in 1973. Originally a Junior then Middle School for ages 7 12 it became an all through Primary school for ages 4+ 11 in 1993. It occupies an ex secondary school building on 3 floors and is in very good repair. There are currently 610 pupils on roll (294 girls and 316 boys). There have been many changes and additions to the building and grounds to accommodate the pupils and curriculum and to make Echelford one of the the largest primary school in Surrey. There are several specialist rooms including a modern and well equipped ICT suite, craft room, gym, dining hall and large hall with stage used for assemblies, PE, drama, concerts and school productions. Each classroom is equipped with an interactive whiteboard so that ICT forms an integral part of teaching and learning. Each class has an extensive library of reading books and there is a non-fiction library in both Infant and Junior departments. A large collection of graded readers for guided reading is available in both departments. The extensive school grounds consist of a very large playing field, 2 separate hard surface playgrounds, school garden with vegetable plots, and a fenced off pond and wildlife area. The school also has a collection of bee hives that the children help to look after. We produced 25lbs of honey last year. The large outside play area for EYFS children is connected to the school via a special canopied area so that the children can play and learn in an outside environment as well as the classroom. Lunches are provided and cooked on the premises. Echelford has a high reputation for its sporting achievements and for its orchestral, choral and dramatic excellence. There are a number of peripatetic music teachers who visit the school weekly and offer tuition in various musical instruments which support the operation of our school orchestra. The school choir performs at a variety of venues in the local area as well as giving concerts at the school. The community projects in the school include the Senior Citizens Christmas tea party, Spelthorne in Bloom, Golden Boot Challenge (walking to school), and Litter free Schools. Echelford also has links with the parish church of St Matthews to enrich our history and R.E.curriculum and as a venue for our Junior Harvest Festival. A link with a school in Uganda has recently been established. Echelford has achieved the following awards Activemark Gold, Artsmark Gold, Let s get Cooking, FMSIS and Get Set Network for London Olympics. Echelford is also a member of the local Spelthorne Schools Together Confederation. Echelford has links with all the local pre-school groups and there is an independent preschool on the school premises with whom we have a special relationship. The reception class teachers often visit the pre-schools in order to introduce themselves to the children and to make the transition to mainstream school easier. 5

ECHELFORD PRIMARY : SCHOOL PROFILE : 2 School & Management Structure Echelford currently has 610 children divided into 21 classes, 9 Infant and 12 Junior. There is also a Speech, Language and Communication Needs Centre which supports children with Statements of Educational Needs and which is an integral part of the school. This is run by a specialist teacher with support from a classroom assistant. The Leadership team currently consists of the Headteacher, Acting Deputy Headteacher with responsibility for Key Stage 2, an Acting Key Stage 1 Leader responsible for EYFS and KS1, the Inclusion Manager and the Maths Co-ordinator plus the School Business Manager. From January 2013, the Deputy Headteacher and Assistant Headteacher will have responsibility for either EYFS/KS1 or KS2. The key stage responsibility will be assigned to the post dependent on the applicants skills and experience. Currently there are 30 teachers working in the school, including the Senior Leadership Team. We also employ 37 support staff for teaching support and midday supervision. There are seven administrative support staff which include an ICT technician, Welfare Officer and Home School Link Worker/SEN Assistant. OUR STAFF MAKE US WHO WE ARE 6

ECHELFORD PRIMARY : SCHOOL PROFILE : 3 Characteristics of the School (from 2011 RAISEonline summary report) - Size of school is very large - Percentage of boys is slightly higher than girls (52%) - Percentage known eligible for FSM is low - Percentage ethnic minority is average - Percentage SEN pupils is average Academic Achievements National curriculum assessment results 2012 (SATS) KEY STAGE 1 Reading Writing Mathematics Percentage of children achieving Level 2 or more 92% 81% 92% Percentage of children achieving Level 3 or more 31% 9% 20% KEY STAGE 2 English Mathematics Percentage of children achieving Level 4 or more 83% 76% Percentage of children achieving Level 5 19% 40% Our Beliefs and Aims At Echelford the overriding aim is to create a secure, pleasant, caring and disciplined environment in which the most effective learning can take place and where children can enjoy their days in the primary school. We also try to encourage the development of good manners, courtesy, self discipline and healthy attitudes. We aim to foster a sense of true values and of social and moral obligations. 7

ECHELFORD PRIMARY : SCHOOL PROFILE : 4 Curriculum Our curriculum is broad, balanced and based on our principal aim, which is to enable every child to reach their full potential. Our intention is: 1. To have a curriculum which is broad enough to provide all pupils with a good general education and which will leave them well equipped to face the challenge of life in the secondary school and beyond. 2. To have a curriculum which is flexible enough to respond to the need for change. 3. To help pupils acquire knowledge, skills and practical abilities including those of problem solving and decision making and to foster the effective use of language. 4. To help pupils appreciate achievement in art, music, science, technology and literature and to encourage excellence in all its forms. 5. To help all children understand something of the world in which they live. 6. To foster the skills and understanding needed for them to take their place successfully in society. 7. To encourage respect for religious and moral values. Moving On At the end of year 6 the children move on to a variety of local secondary schools. This important step includes a number of visits and activities organised both in school and at the secondary school in order to make the transition a smooth and stress-free process for pupils and parents. Such activities include special science days, sports days, taster days and visits by secondary teachers to the pupils in the primary school. The transition is usually an easier process for our pupils because of the size of Echelford and its building and the movement of classes around the school to our specialist rooms. PTFA There is a strong and active PTFA which has purchased many extra items for the school and currently pay for the upkeep of the 2 mini-buses. These were purchased by the PTFA in the past and are used to transport children to weekly swimming lessons and a variety of other sporting activities. The PTFA also organise many social activities that are well attended and supported by the parents. 8

LISTED BELOW ARE THE REQUIREMENTS WHICH THE ECHELFORD GOVERNING BODY CONSIDER TO BE NECESSARY IN UNDERTAKING THE ROLE OF DEPUTY HEADTEACHER IN OUR SCHOOL Person Specification for Deputy Headteacher ECHELFORD PRIMARY : PERSON SPECIFICATION : 1 Essential Desirable Qualifications The successful applicant must have: A relevant degree Qualified Teacher Status Child Protection Training NPQH CPLO Professional Development The successful applicant must have: Clear evidence of ambitious career progression plans Evidence of having undertaken recent and relevant professional development Understanding of the principles and a commitment to the use of ICT throughout the school Experience The successful applicant must have: Led English or Maths successfully in a school Proven and demonstrable excellence as a classroom teacher across primary age ranges Evidence of having maintained a successful inclusion strategy Experience of liaison with external agencies Proven high professional standards through performance management Experience in KS1, KS2 & the Early Years Foundation Stage Experience of English subject leadership Managing a whole school in the absence of the Headteacher Leadership and Management Skills and Abilities (the ability to lead and manage people to work towards a common goal) The successful applicant must be able to show appropriate leadership styles in different situations: Have a proven record of impact through leadership Create a clear and secure vision for our school Motivate, inspire and promote effective working partnerships Successfully initiate and manage change and improvement in pursuit of objectives Raise standards and provide a role model for pupils and staff Display experience of observing lessons and giving effective feedback Experience of leading a performance management interview. Show ability to deal sensitively with people and resolve conflicts Show ability to promote collaboration at all levels, internally and externally, as a fundamental element of school improvement in a supportive atmostphere with clear lines of empowered responsibility Experience of developing, leading and supporting a high performing team Devolve responsibilities, delegate tasks and monitor and evaluate practices to see that they are being carried out and are effective 9

ECHELFORD PRIMARY : PERSON SPECIFICATION : 2 Person Specification for Deputy Headteacher (continued) Essential Desirable Decision Making The successful applicant must be able to: Make decisions based on analysis, interpretation and understanding of relevant data information Think creatively and imaginatively to anticipate and solve problems and identify opportunities Demonstrate excellent judgement Have knowledge of RAISE online Have experience of budget planning to ensure best value Communication Skills & Abilities (the ability to investigate, solve problems and make decisions) The successful applicant must be able to: Communicate effectively to a range of audiences including staff, pupils, parents, Governors and LA representatives Negotiate and consult effectively Demonstrate successful involvement in staff recruiting, appointment and induction Develop, maintain and use effective network of contacts, particularly with local schools, the LA and the wider educational community Manage good communication systems Inspire and motivate stakeholders Chair meetings effectively Have excellent strong written and oral communication skills Is able to demonstrate methods of facilitating pupil voice in the school environment Self Management Skills & Abilities (the ability to make points clearly and understand the views of others) The successful applicant must be able to: Prioritise and manage their own time effectively Work under pressure, to deadlines and remain positive and enthusiastic Achieve challenging and professional goals Take responsibility for own professional development Attributes The successful applicant must display: Belief in inclusive education A passion for learning and for enabling students to develop as effective and enthusiastic learners A concern for pastoral and spiritual welfare for all students and staff Integrity Self confidence, personal impact, resilience and intellectual ability High expectations of self, staff and pupils Ability to foster a culture of respect, openness and caring Adaptability to changing circumstances and new ideas A friendly and approachable style, while maintaining professional boundaries An ability to be curious, imaginative, creative, resourceful, resilient, challenging, ambitious and reflective 10

ECHELFORD PRIMARY : JOB PROFILE : 1 Post Title: Deputy Headteacher Salary: Leadership Spine Range L13-L17 Responsible to: Headteacher Job Purpose to support the Headteacher in providing the vision and leadership for the school, creating, maintaining and developing the conditions which enable pupils and teachers to achieve effective learning so that the school s aims and objectives are implemented in accordance with the policies of the governing body and national and local education strategy. to work closely with the other members of the Leadership Team to ensure the daily smooth running of the school to carry out the duties of a Deputy Headteacher as set out in Part 10 of the current school teachers pay and conditions document to act for the Headteacher in any aspect of school life whenever needed where appropriate, to teach a class or specific groups of pupils taking responsibility for their learning in accordance with the legal requirements of all teachers as contained in the regulations for Teachers Pay and Conditions. to exceed the new standards of competence and conduct with effect from September 2012. Key Accountabilities A. Leadership and Management to support the Headteacher in leading, motivating, supporting, challenging and developing staff in order to secure and sustain continuous improvement and staff well-being and to be committed to own continuing professional development. being aware of staff issues and maintaining, through effective communication, a positive staff ethos throughout the school. allocating routine management jobs and responsibilities to staff members as appropriate following consultation with the Headteacher. contributing to the management of staff development throughout school. assisting if necessary with the mentoring of NQTs. liaising with regards to pupils welfare and/ or other issues with other professionals including Headteacher, fellow staff and colleagues from external agencies, attending meetings as required. being involved with other members of the Leadership Team in all school matters including financial, organisational, resource and personnel issues. assisting in the training for and implementation of the performance management and appraisal processes. assisting the Headteacher in the monitoring and evaluation of children s learning. taking collective responsibility with other members of the Senior Leadership Team for the collation and analysis of school performance data and in consequence set targets and develop policies for school improvement. taking a leading role, in conjunction with the Headteacher in the overall running and development of the school to include - maintaining a positive ethos - promoting excellent standards of behaviour - formulating the school s vision - developing community links - managing financial resources - establishing parental links - supporting subject leaders in developing curriculum and policies and standards of teaching and learning - consistently working towards school improvement planning and evaluation procedures including writing the SEF - supporting school events and the work of the PTFA. 11

ECHELFORD PRIMARY : JOB PROFILE : 2 assisting in the drawing up of rotas, timetables, the deployment of support staff and the management of staff absences and P.P.A. time. attending and/ or leading whole staff, Key Stage, Year group and ensuring minutes are kept taking a lead role in the conducting of School assemblies. liaising with governors/ attending governors meetings as required. when required, assisting in the employment and induction of new members of staff. enabling subject leaders in promoting quality mark programmes such as Basic Skills, Healthy Schools, Investors in People etc. undertaking the leadership of any given area on a permanent or temporary basis according to need. undertaking any other professional duties reasonably delegated by the Headteacher. B. Teaching, Learning and Achievement to support the Headteacher in securing and sustaining effective teaching and learning throughout the school, monitoring and evaluating the quality of provision and using available data to set priorities for improvement with the Senior Leadership Team, planning the strategic overview of the year s work, and monitoring progress against the school improvement plan, in relation to identified school priorities. providing overall co-ordination of all faculty areas with specific reference to Foundation and Key Stage 1 and 2. helping the Headteacher, Senior Leadership Team and subject leaders to develop a whole school curriculum in line with the National Curriculum and local agenda to meet the needs of individual children, taking into account the whole range of abilities and experience including the gifted and talented and transitional issues. being an outstanding classroom practitioner able to implement and evaluate changes in accordance with emerging developments in education and to lead by example. having high expectations for all children in terms of academic and personal achievements. C. Professional Development promoting own professional development by participation in appropriate in-service training. supporting staff professional development through involvement in the school s performance management procedure. ensuring knowledge, skills and understanding gained from courses are disseminated in school. providing in-service support for members of staff. D. Parental Involvement actively promoting effective communication and involvement with Parents and the wider community and addressing specific issues as the need arises. E. Equal Opportunities assisting in the identification of children who may have Special Educational Needs working with the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator when necessary. supporting the identification of more able pupils and working with all staff in supporting these pupils. assisting the staff in ensuring that the individual and particular needs of all children and staff are catered for.. recognising responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and staff at The Echelford Primary School ensuring that health and safety issues are addressed and risk assessments undertaken when appropriate. 12