Co-Principal in Belfast

Nursery Principal – Person Specification

Essential Qualifications

• Applicants must hold a teaching qualification which meets the requirements for recognition to teach in grant-aided schools in Northern Ireland.
• Preference may be given to those applicants who have successfully completed an additional post graduate (or equivalent or higher) qualification in Education.

Experience

• Have a minimum of 7 years’ post qualification teaching experience in the Nursery or Foundation Stage sector and/or relevant early years’ experience in an affiliated educational body working in an area that relates to the Early Years/Pre School Curriculum, within the last 12 years.
• Evidence of successfully leading and managing an aspect of school improvement.
• Evidence of leading staff development at a strategic level.
• Preference may be given to those applicants who have a minimum of one year’s experience in a leadership role either in a nursery, Foundation Stage or early years setting.

Essential Knowledge

• The Curricular Guidance for Pre-school Education and relevant policies and procedures.
• Current educational developments and the ability to evaluate and respond to new educational challenges and manage change effectively.
• Effective early years pedagogy and how to ensure high standards of teaching, learning and achievement throughout the school.
• Effective organisational management including the appropriate deployment of resources.
• Effective financial management.
• Sound financial governance.

Skills

• Lead, motivate, manage, challenge and enthuse others.
• Create an ethos and articulate vision for the future of the school.
• Develop good relationships at all levels and promote a collaborative and team approach among staff, pupils, parents and governors.
• Lead strategically and develop self and others in order to achieve outcomes.
• Promote, achieve, monitor and evaluate high standards of teaching, learning and achievement throughout the school.
• Develop effective partnerships between the school and the local community.
• Communicate effectively orally and in writing.
• Organise and prioritise workload effectively.
• Deal with staffing matters in accordance with EA policies and procedures.
• Manage time effectively.

Personal Qualities

• Vision.
• A sound value system.
• Enthusiasm and motivation.
• Assertiveness and confidence.
• A caring child centred approach.
• Integrity.
• Advocacy and empathy.
• Discretion.
• An ability to cope under pressure.
• Tact and diplomacy.
• Decisiveness.
• Adaptability.

The Board of Governors reserves the right to enhance the essential criteria if necessary in order to facilitate a manageable shortlist. Applicants must be registered with the General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland (GTCNI) upon taking up employment. Please note the onus is on candidates to provide sufficient detailed information on their application forms in order to demonstrate how they meet each of the criteria. Failure to do so may result in a candidate not being shortlisted since selection panels cannot make assumptions in the absence of essential information.

Disclosure of Criminal Background

The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 defines working directly with children or young people or in specified places as ‘regulated activity’. In the event that you are recommended for appointed to a post that involves ‘regulated activity’, the Education Authority will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure of Criminal Background. Please note that you WILL be expected to meet the cost of an Enhanced Disclosure Certificate. Details of how to make payment will be sent to you at the pre-employment stage.

Professional Duties of a Principal

A Principal shall be required to carry out his/her professional duties in accordance with the school’s policy and objectives as determined by the employing authority and, in the case of a controlled school, the Board of Governors and shall obey the reasonable directions of the employing authority and, in the case of a controlled school, the Board of Governors.

In carrying out his/her duties the Principal shall consult, where this is appropriate, with the employing authority, the staff of the school and, in the case of a controlled school, the Board of Governors.

Professional Duties

• Formulating the overall aims and objectives of the school and policies for their implementation.
• Participating in the selection and appointment of the teaching and non-teaching staff of the school.
• Deploying and managing all teaching and non-teaching staff of the school and allocating particular duties to them.
• Ensuring that the duty of providing cover for absent teachers is shared equitably among all teachers in the school.
• Maintaining relationships, as appropriate, with organisations representing teachers and other persons on the staff of the school.
• Determining, organising and implementing an appropriate curriculum for the school.
• Keeping under review the work and organisation of the school.
• Evaluating the standards of teaching and learning in the school.
• Providing information about the work and performance of the staff employed at the school.
• Ensuring that all staff in the school have access to advice and training appropriate to their needs.
• Ensuring that the progress of the pupils of the school is monitored and recorded.
• Determining and ensuring the implementation of a policy for the pastoral care of the pupils.
• Making arrangements for parents to be given regular information about the school curriculum, the progress of their children and other matters affecting the school.
• Promoting effective relationships with persons and bodies outside the school.
• Advising and assisting the Board of Governors in the exercise of their functions.
• Providing for liaison and co-operation with the employing authority.
• Maintaining liaison with other schools and institutions of further education.
• Allocating, controlling and accounting for those financial and material resources of the school which are under the control of the Principal.
• Making arrangements for the security and effective supervision of the school buildings and their contents.
• Arranging for a Vice-Principal or another suitable person to assume responsibility for the discharge of his/her functions at any time when he/she is absent from the school.
• Participating, to such extent as may be appropriate having regard to his/her other duties, in the teaching of the pupils at the school.
• To participate in the Performance Review and Staff Development (PRSD) for Principals.

Conditions of Service

The Conditions of Service for this post will be in accordance with the Regulations of the Department of Education for Northern Ireland. This job description will be subject to review in light of changing circumstances and is not intended to be rigid and inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the individual works.