Principal in Craigavon

Qualifications

• Hold a teaching qualification which meets the requirements for recognition to teach in grant-aided schools in Northern Ireland.

Experience

• Minimum of 7 years post qualification teaching experience in primary education, and/or equivalent experience in an affiliated educational body working in an area that relates to the primary sector, within the last 12 years.
• Currently hold or have held for a minimum of 5 years AND within the last 10 years: A post with experience of strategic leadership or co-ordination of a whole school area at a minimum level of Subject Co-ordinator/Head of Key Stage/SMT/SLT to include monitoring and evaluation resulting in measurable school improvement; and/or A post of Principal or Vice-Principal; and/or A post with leadership and management experience within an affiliated body.
• Evidence of how your leadership has led to school improvement.
• Evidence of having held a leadership role in strategic planning and/or organisational management.
• Evidence of building a professional learning community within a school or other organisation.

Desirable

• Evidence of involvement in staff development within school/s.
• Experience of financial and/or budgetary management within school/s.
• Successfully completed an additional post graduate (or equivalent or higher) qualification in Education.

Essential Knowledge

• Extensive knowledge of the Northern Ireland Primary Curriculum and current policies and procedures.
• Current educational developments and the ability to evaluate and respond to new educational challenges and manage change effectively.
• Effective classroom pedagogy and how to ensure high standards of teaching, learning and achievement throughout the school.
• Effective data management.
• 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

• 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 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.
• Participating in any scheme of staff development and performance review of teachers who teach in the school.
• 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.
• Promoting effective relationships with persons and bodies outside the school.
• Advising and assisting the Board of Governors in the exercise of their functions.
• Maintaining liaison with other schools and institutions of further education.
• Allocating, controlling and accounting for those financial and material resources of the school.
• Making arrangements in co-operation with the employing authority for the security and effective supervision of the school buildings.
• Participating in any scheme of staff development and performance review of principals.
• Arranging for a Vice-Principal or another suitable person to assume responsibility for the discharge of his/her functions as principal at any time when he/she is absent from the school.
• Participating, to such extent as may be appropriate, in the teaching of the pupils at the school.

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.