About the Role
Key Accountabilities
Qualities & knowledge / Leadership
- Drive strategic leadership within the academy, and lead by example with integrity, creativity, resilience and clarity
- Demonstrate a passionate commitment to the academy, its pupils, staff and community and to the Trust
- Motivate and work with others (including the Local Governing Body and Sponsor) to create a shared culture and positive environment, based on co-operative values, ensuring that equality and diversity is reflected in school culture and practice and the learner is at the heart of everything we do
- Communicate clearly and compellingly the Trust and academy’s vision and values so that it is shared, understood and acted upon by all
- Work with the whole school community to translate the vision into agreed objectives and evidence-based school development plans and policies for the organisation and its facilities, collaborating with stakeholders to set, and work to secure, school improvement objectives and ensuring that learning is at the centre of all strategic planning and resource management
- Sustain own knowledge and understanding of the education system and translate Trust and national policy in to the academy’s context
- Regularly review own practice and, alongside the Chair of Governors and Director of the Trust (and headteacher colleagues if applicable), and taking account of feedback from others and the national standards of excellence for headteachers, set personal targets and take responsibility for own development
Pupils & Staff
- Demand ambitious standards for all pupils, overcoming disadvantage and advancing equality
- Implement strategies, and support, motivate & challenge staff, to ensure that the school delivers the highest standards of learning and care and implements a rich curriculum which is continually assessed to ensure impact on learning
- Work collaboratively with other CAT academies to build the community of schools and share and develop good educational development strategies and practice
- Lead a creative, responsive and effective learning environment which sets high expectations and challenging targets to ensure a continuous and consistent school-wide focus on pupil achievement, using data and assessment tools to monitor progress
- Ensure staff roles, responsibilities and accountabilities are clearly defined, understood and agreed, and that there is effective planning, allocation and evaluation of work for teams and individuals
- Hold staff to account for their professional conduct and practice, and encourage and support them to develop their own skills and subject knowledge, and to support each other.
Systems & processes
- Provide a safe, calm and well-ordered environment for all pupils and staff, focused on safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and developing their behaviour in school and in the wider society
- Work with the Local Governing Body (LGB) and Director of the Trust, to enable the academy trust to meet its statutory responsibilities and improvement targets. Welcome strong governance and active support from the LGB.
- Provide an accurate account of the schools performance to a range of audiences, upholding the principles of transparency, integrity and probity
- Ensure that all functions carried out by the school are discharged with due regard to relevant statutory legislation, including that relating to health and safety, data protection and safeguarding
- Manage the school’s human, financial and physical resources effectively to achieve the school development plan
- Maintain an agreed school organisational structure, which enables effective and efficient operational practice. Recruit, retain and deploy staff appropriately; maintain effective strategies and procedures for staff induction and professional development
- Monitor, evaluate and review classroom practice to embed improvement strategies and consistently and systematically raise the quality of teaching. Use the performance management system to challenge and develop staff and, where required, tackle staff under-performance
The self-improving school system
- Ensure that the school plays an active role in its community, collaborating with other stakeholders and agencies to ensure pupil and community needs are met and build the reputation of the school and the Trust within the community
- Grow partnerships with parents and carers to support and improve pupil achievement and personal development
- Create and promote positive strategies for challenging racial, religious and other prejudice
- Maximise the potential of the school site to provide stimulating learning environments and community facilities, and develop a vision to improve premises through consultation with stakeholders
- Provide high quality training and professional development for all staff
