Headteacher of The John Warner School
Line Manager: CEO
Work Pattern: Permanent
Weeks Worked: Full time
Pay Range: L29 to 35
Location: Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, EN11 0QF
Core Purpose
The Headteacher will be responsible for the successful strategic development and direction of the school, providing the vision and effective leadership that will ensure high quality education for all its students and excellent standards of learning and achievement. The Headteacher will also contribute to the Trust as part of the extended Senior Leadership Team.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
School Culture and Behaviour
Actively lead, contribute to and promote the overall ethos and values of the school and the wider Trust
Create and promote a culture where students experience a positive and enriching school life
Uphold educational standards in order to prepare students from all backgrounds for their next phase of education and life
Ensure a culture of staff professionalism
Encourage high standards of behaviour and attendance from students, built on rules and routines that are understood by staff, students and parents, underpinned by the schools' agreed values in their response to the needs of vulnerable and disadvantaged students
Use consistent and fair approaches to managing behaviour, in line with the school’s behaviour policy
Treat all people fairly, equitably and with dignity and respect to create and maintain a positive culture in line with the Trust and school’s agreed vision and values
Leading and managing the school
Take overall operational responsibility for the leadership, internal organisation, management and safe day to day running of the school and alert the CEO to any potential breaches of statutory responsibility, including Health and Safety and Safeguarding
Oversee recruitment and selection of staff to meet the short and longer term needs of the school and its students
Implement effective performance management processes with all school staff, proactively address underperformance at all levels and ensure effective corrective action and follow-up
Ensure staff and students’ safety and welfare through effective approaches to safeguarding, as part of an ongoing duty of care
Manage and organise accommodation efficiently and effectively to ensure it meets the needs of the curriculum and health and safety requirements and provides a positive learning environment that promotes the highest achievements
Manage the school’s financial and human resources effectively and efficiently to achieve the school’s educational goals and priorities
Ensure rigorous approaches to identifying, managing and mitigating risk
Ensure that school policies and practices take account of national and local circumstances and meet the Trust’s expectations.
Exercise the school’s duty of care regarding staff welfare
Teaching, curriculum and assessment
Establish and sustain high-quality teaching and learning across all subjects and phases that meets the needs of all students through the continuing development of a broad, balanced and stimulating curriculum
Ensure teaching is underpinned by subject expertise
Effectively use formative assessment to inform strategy and decisions including school improvement
Establish curriculum leadership, including subject leaders with relevant expertise and access to professional networks and communities
Use valid, reliable and proportionate approaches to assessing students’ knowledge and understanding of the curriculum
Ensure the use of evidence-informed approaches to reading so that all students are taught to read
Encourage a wide range of extra-curricular trips and activities that support and enhance a broad and balanced curriculum
Provide a safe and healthy environment in which students’ wellbeing and welfare are nurtured
Report each term on the school’s educational performance to the Trust
Additional and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
Promote a culture and practices that enables all students to access the curriculum
Have ambitious expectations for all students with SEND
Make sure the school works effectively with parents, carers and professionals to identify additional needs and provide support and adaptation where appropriate
Make sure the school fulfils statutory duties regarding the SEND code of practice
Professional development
Ensure staff have access to appropriate, high standard professional development opportunities
Keep up to date with developments in education
Seek training and continuing professional development to meet needs of all staff as part of a wider Trust focus
Governance, accountability and working in partnership
Understand and welcome the role of effective governance as part of the Trust scheme of delegation
Work with the Trust’s finance team to advise the Governing Body on the formulation of the annual budget in order to ensure that the school secures its objectives
Plan, manage and monitor the curriculum within the agreed budget; setting appropriate priorities for expenditure, allocating funds and ensuring effective administrative control
Ensure that all staff understand their professional responsibilities and are held to account
Ensure the school effectively and efficiently operates within the required regulatory frameworks and meets all statutory duties
Promote, encourage and support initiative and team working, both within the school and more widely with other schools across the Trust and with external organisations
Communications and Partnerships
Develop and maintain an effective partnership with parents and carers and be the senior point of contact for parents and carers who may need to discuss concerns about their child’s education
Ensure that parents and students are well informed about curriculum attainment and progress and are able to understand targets for improvement
Develop and encourage good relations between the school and the local community
Other Duties and Responsibilities
Maintain consistent high standards of professional conduct, tact and diplomacy at all times in dealing with students, parents, staff colleagues, external agencies and any other visitors to the school or wider Trust
Duties may be varied to meet changed circumstances in a manner compatible with the post held, at the reasonable direction of the Director of Education (Secondary) the CEO or the Trust Senior Leadership Team
Compliance
The post holder is required to be aware of and comply with policies and procedures relating to child protection; health and safety; confidentiality; and data protection and report all concerns to an appropriate person.
Safeguarding
We are committed to safeguarding and protecting the welfare of children and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. A Disclosure and Barring Service Certificate will be required for all posts.
The Headteacher under the guidance of the Governors and the Trust’s Executive Team, will be responsible for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of all children with whom they come into contact with, in accordance with the Trust and other relevant safeguarding policies.
Additional Information
All staff are required to participate in training and other learning activities and in performance management and development as required by the Trust’s policies and practices.
This job description is a guide to the duties the post holder will be expected to undertake. It is not intended to be exhaustive or exclusive and will be subject to change as working requirements dictate and to meet the organisational requirements of the Trust.
Supervision/Job Context
The post holder is line managed by the CEO and works closely with the Director of Education (Secondary).
Contacts
The post holder will work with the Senior Leadership Team, staff, students, parents, governors, other Trust staff including the CEO, Central Services Team, and key community stakeholders.
The John Warner School
Stanstead road, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, EN11 0QF
Stanstead road, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, EN11 0QF
Dr Josephine Valentine OBE
CEO
____________________________________________________________
Danes Educational Trust
C/o St Clement Danes School, Chenies Road, Chorleywood, Hertfordshire WD3 6EW
☎ 01923284169
✉ recruitment@danesedtrust.org.uk