Headteacher

To strategically lead and develop Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Catholic Primary School, in line with Our Lady’s values, to give every pupil the highest quality education and to ensure the highest possible standards of academic achievement and personal development, all underpinned by our Gospel values.

Key Accountabilities

Qualities & Knowledge / Leadership

Lead by example with integrity, creativity, resilience, and clarity, drawing on their own scholarship, expertise and skills, and that of those around them.

Hold and articulate clear values and moral purpose, focused on providing a world-class education.

Demonstrate optimistic personal behaviour, positive relationships and attitudes towards their pupils and staff, and towards parents/carers, governors, members of the local community.

Sustain wide, current knowledge and understanding of education and school systems, and regularly review own practice and pursue continuous professional development.

Communicate compellingly the school’s vision, so that it is understood and acted on effectively by all; motivate and work with others to empower all pupils and staff to excel

Work with the whole school community to translate the vision into evidence-based development plans and objectives, and to ensure their successful completion.

Demonstrate a passionate commitment to the school, its students, staff and community.

Students & Staff

Lead a creative, responsive and effective learning environment which sets high expectations and challenging targets to ensure a continuous and consistent school focus on progress and achievement.

Demand ambitious standards for all pupils, overcoming disadvantage and advancing equality, instilling a strong sense of accountability in staff for the impact of their work on pupils’ outcomes.

Secure excellent teaching through an analytical understanding of how pupils learn and of the core features of successful classroom practice and curriculum design; lead in the development of teaching and learning to secure excellent teaching across the school; act as a good role model to all staff within the school and reflect a high level of professional teaching standards.

Motivate and support all staff to develop their own skills and subject knowledge, and to support each other; monitor, evaluate and review classroom practice, and analyse and interpret school data, to inform and manage improvement strategies.

Ensure that staff roles and accountabilities are clearly defined and understood and hold all staff to account for their professional conduct and practice.

Systems & processes

Ensure that the school’s systems, organisation and processes are well considered, efficient and fit for purpose, upholding the principles of transparency, integrity and probity, and that functions carried out by the school are discharged with due regard to relevant statutory legislation, including that relating to health & safety, data protection and safeguarding.

Provide a safe, calm and well-ordered environment for all pupils and staff, focused on safeguarding pupils and developing their exemplary behaviour in school and in the wider society; ensure that the child protection policies and procedures adopted by the school governing board are fully implemented and followed by all staff, and that sufficient resources and time are allocated to enable staff to discharge their child protection related responsibilities effectively.

Establish rigorous, fair and transparent systems and measures for managing staff, including recruitment, induction, career professional development, managing performance & attendance, communication, motivation and retention.

Welcome strong governance and work with the Governing Board to enable them to deliver their functions effectively.

Exercise strategic, curriculum-led financial planning to ensure the equitable deployment of budgets and resources, in the best interests of pupils’ achievements.

Distribute leadership throughout the school, forging teams of colleagues who have distinct roles and responsibilities and hold each other to account for their decision making.

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, support & address staff underperformance.

The self-improving school system

Inspire and influence others- within and beyond the school- to believe in the fundamental importance of education in young people’s lives and to promote the value of education; creates and maintain partnerships with parents / carers to support and improve pupils’ achievement and personal development.

Create an outward-facing school which works with other schools and organisations in a climate of mutual challenge, developing effective relationships with fellow professionals and colleagues in other public services, and working to ensure learning experiences and opportunities for pupils are integrated into the wider community.

Ensure that the school plays an active role in its community, to maximise the potential of the school site and build the reputation of the school within the community.

Grow partnerships with parents and carers to support and improve student attendance, achievement and personal development.

Create and promote positive strategies for challenging racial, religious and other prejudice and be committed to equality, diversity and inclusion.

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.

Ensure high quality training and professional development for all staff

Core Duties

To work with the Governing Board, Liverpool Archdiocese and Halton Borough Council to provide vision, purpose and leadership for the school.

To secure highly effective teaching and successful learning and achievement by all pupils.

To systematically monitor the progress of all cohorts and to ensure that aspirational targets are set for every student’s learning and progress.

To ensure effective safeguarding of students

To promote a school ethos and management culture which enables everyone to work collaboratively, share knowledge and understanding, celebrate success and accept responsibility for outcomes.

To lead the school leadership team and contribute to the school’s vision.

To lead the annual self evaluation and School Improvement Plan processes which identify appropriate priorities and targets for ensuring that pupils are kept safe, well cared-for, and enjoy and make good progress in their learning.

To carry out daily line management of the SLT and implement Performance and Professional Development Review systems across the school, with the purpose of developing a culture of expertise within the staff team.

To lead the school through internal reviews and prepare for Ofsted inspections notwithstanding the school’s very recent ungraded Ofsted inspection. (December 2024)

To communicate effectively with parents, pupils, staff and other key partners of the school, so that positive relationships are maintained and created.

Oversee, monitor and implement the school’s budget and budget planning as agreed with the Governing Board

Lead the recruitment and retention of staff.

To monitor, evaluate, analyse and review the effectiveness of the school’s procedures, policies, practices and priorities.

To model the personal performance expected of all those who hold leadership positions within the school by being positive, optimistic, respectful, courteous, transparent and demonstrating integrity at all times.

To have due regard for the Headteachers’ Standards (2020), and to seek to develop the characteristics set out in each of the domains through continuous professional development.

Further information can be found on the CES website. Applications are to be made via the link below

For an informal chat about the role and the school, and/or to arrange a visit, please contact:

Mrs Stanley, Office Manager on sec.olpsprimary@haltonlearning.net

The closing date for applications is: Sunday 26th January 2025 at midnight.

Interview timetable

Interviews will take place on: Monday 10th February and Tuesday 11th February 2025