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Headteacher - East Tilbury Primary School

Job title

Headteacher

Main Purpose and Responsibilities:

The Headteacher will be responsible for the internal organisation, management and control of the school in accordance with applicable legislation, the policies of the Trust (including its annual budget) and the instrument and articles of governance of Osborne Co-operative Academy Trust.

The headteacher, working with the Local Governing Body, senior leadership team and school staff, will provide overall strategic leadership for the school. The headteacher will:

  • lead, develop and support the direction, vision, the Co-operative values and priorities of the school
  • develop, implement and evaluate the schools policies, practices and procedures
  • lead and manage teaching and learning throughout the school
  • ensure accurate school self-evaluation to inform school improvement planning
  • have overall responsibility and accountability for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils within the school

The job description should be read in conjunction with the contractual requirements and responsibilities of headteachers set out in the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document.

School culture

Headteachers:

  • establish and sustain the school’s ethos and strategic direction in partnership with those responsible for governance and through consultation with the school community
  • create a culture where pupils experience a positive and enriching school life
  • uphold ambitious educational standards which prepare pupils from all backgrounds for their next phase of education and life
  • promote positive and respectful relationships across the school community and a safe, orderly and inclusive environment
  • ensure a culture of high staff professionalism
  • ensure that the Co-operative values are embedded within the school

Teaching

Headteachers:

  • establish and sustain high-quality, expert teaching across all subjects and phases, built on an evidence-informed understanding of effective teaching and how pupils learn
  • ensure teaching is underpinned by high levels of subject expertise and approaches which respect the distinct nature of subject disciplines or specialist domains
  • ensure effective use is made of formative assessment

Curriculum and assessment

Headteachers:

  • ensure a broad, structured and coherent curriculum entitlement which sets out the knowledge, skills and values that will be taught
  • can lead the school to improve pupil outcomes, with a particular focus on improving pupil progress in all subjects
  • establish effective curricular leadership, developing subject leaders with high levels of relevant expertise with access to professional networks and communities
  • ensure that all pupils are taught to read through the provision of evidence-informed approaches to reading, particularly the use of systematic synthetic phonics in schools that teach early reading
  • ensure valid, reliable and proportionate approaches are used when assessing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the curriculum

Behaviour

Headteachers:

  • establish and sustain high expectations of behaviour for all pupils, built upon relationships, rules and routines, which are understood clearly by all staff and pupils
  • ensure high standards of pupil behaviour and courteous conduct in accordance with the school’s behaviour policy
  • implement consistent, fair and respectful approaches to managing behaviour
  • ensure that adults within the school model and teach the behaviour of a good citizen

Additional and special educational needs and disabilities

Headteachers:

  • ensure the school holds ambitious expectations for all pupils with additional and special educational needs and disabilities
  • establish and sustain culture and practices that enable pupils to access the curriculum and learn effectively
  • ensure the school works effectively in partnership with parents, carers and professionals, to identify the additional needs and special educational needs and disabilities of pupils, providing support and adaptation where appropriate
  • ensure the school fulfils its statutory duties with regard to the SEND code of practice

Professional development

Headteachers:

  • ensure staff have access to high-quality, sustained professional development opportunities, aligned to balance the priorities of whole-school improvement, team and individual needs
  • prioritise the professional development of staff, ensuring effective planning, delivery and evaluation which is consistent with the approaches laid out in the standard for teachers’ professional development
  • ensure that professional development opportunities draw on expert provision from beyond the school, as well as within it, including nationally recognised career and professional frameworks and programmes to build capacity and support succession planning

Organisational management

Headteachers:

  • ensure the protection and safety of pupils and staff through effective approaches to safeguarding, as part of the duty of care
  • prioritise and allocate financial resources appropriately, ensuring efficiency, effectiveness and probity in the use of public funds
  • ensure staff are deployed and managed well with due attention paid to workload
  • establish and oversee systems, processes and policies that enable the school to operate effectively and efficiently
  • ensure rigorous approaches to identifying, managing and mitigating risk

Continuous school improvement

Headteachers:

  • make use of effective and proportional processes of evaluation to identify and analyse complex or persistent problems and barriers which limit school effectiveness, and identify priority areas for improvement
  • develop appropriate evidence-informed strategies for improvement as part of well-targeted plans which are realistic, timely, appropriately sequenced and suited to the school’s context
  • ensure careful and effective implementation of improvement strategies, which lead to sustained school improvement over time

Working in partnership

Headteachers:

  • forge constructive relationships beyond the school, working in partnership with parents, careers and the local community
  • commit their school to work successfully with other schools and organisations in a climate of mutual challenge and support
  • establish and maintain working relationships with fellow professionals and colleagues across other public services to improve educational outcomes for all pupils

Governance and accountability

Headteachers:

  • understand and welcome the role of effective governance, upholding their obligation to give account and accept responsibility
  • establish and sustain professional working relationship with those responsible for governance
  • ensure that staff know and 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