Assistant Principal in Arlesey

Location: Etonbury Academy

Salary / Grade Range: L10 – L14

Liaising With: Principal, Senior Leadership Team, teaching and support staff, external agencies and parents.

Purpose of Role: The Assistant Principal will work closely with the Principal to build an exceptional school focused on excellent teaching & learning driven by the latest educational research. In addition, you will play an important role in the overall leadership and management of the academy. You will assist the Principal in leading and managing the academy by contributing to the vision and strategic direction of the academy to ensure improvement.

Formulating and reviewing the Academy Improvement Plan and its aims and objectives by:

• Developing and reviewing the policies through which they will be achieved.
• Leading and managing staff resources.
• Monitoring and evaluating progress towards staff and pupil achievement.
• Assisting in the day‑to‑day running of the academy.
• Maintaining a high profile around the academy.
• Leading on delegated areas of responsibility.
• Contributing to the safeguarding and promotion of the welfare and personal well‑being and care of students with regard to safeguarding procedures.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Support practices that improve provision across the Academy, in particular in relation to teaching and learning.
• Embed the Academy vision for exemplary Teaching and Learning and contribute to the annual school evaluation and development planning.
• Coach and/or mentor staff as required.
• Commit to the professional development of self and others, contributing towards the annual overall SEF.
• Lead and develop relevant aspects of student and parental involvement in learning.
• Develop practice in the planning and delivery of lessons and be able to demonstrate and share this practice.
• Recognise areas of best practice and promote them with the teaching teams.
• Implement strategies which secure high quality of teaching and learning.
• Ensure a clear plan is in place for the staff around briefings and weekly meetings.
• Work with the Principal to ensure all aspects of weak teaching and learning are identified and colleagues are supported and challenged through a robust and rigorous process.
• Be a role model for good classroom practice.
• Contribute to the development of clear systems to establish and maintain a positive and purposeful climate for learning in classrooms and around the school.
• Complete duties around the school, modelling best practice for all staff.

Key Accountabilities, Strategic Direction and Development:

• Contribute to a clear vision for an effective academy.
• Initiate and manage change and improvement to develop the academy and staff.
• Contribute to curriculum design and development ensuring that it meets the needs of our students, enables continuity of learning and effective progression of achievement, including all related policies.
• Advise and assist the Governing Board as required in the exercise of its functions, including attendance at meetings and preparation of reports.
• Contribute to the formulation, monitoring, evaluation and implementation of the Academy Improvement Plan.

Leadership and Management:

• Ensure all students make at least good progress and the proportion that exceeds this is above the national average.
• Inspire, challenge, motivate and empower others to attain challenging outcomes.
• Line management of specified senior/middle leaders, offering support and challenge.
• Ensure that all whole academy targets are met and establish clear expectations and constructive working relationships among staff.
• Initiate and manage change and improvement to develop the academy and its staff, ensuring positive staff participation and effective communication and procedures.
• Maintain high expectations of all staff and challenge poor performance.
• Act as line manager and mentor to designated subject areas and Heads of Year, supporting as appropriate and aiding the development of key documentation and implementation of policy.
• Demonstrate high professional standards.
• Support and assist the Principal in planning, managing and monitoring the use of finances and resources effectively to achieve the aims of the academy.
• Develop and promote effective partnerships with parents, carers, staff and students so they are highly positive about the academy in terms of achievement, teaching and learning, behaviour and safety.

General Duties:

• Teach as directed by the Principal.
• Lead a duty team and a lunch duty team.
• Attend and contribute to parents’ evenings, school events, productions and performances.
• Monitor the work of the school via observations, learning walks and work samples.
• Contribute positively to SLT, and Governors’ meetings; to lead specific items and presentations.
• Lead a department where necessary.
• Promote equal opportunities, high achievement and the academy's mission statement in all areas of the school.
• Improve and develop teaching and learning in all its aspects through the use of observation, feedback and advice.

Other Responsibilities:

• Undertake other various responsibilities as directed by the Principal.
• The postholder must be flexible to ensure that the operational needs of the academy are met.
• Responsibilities will be rotated periodically to provide professional development and to enable preparation for promotion.
• This job description will be reviewed annually.
• While every effort has been made to explain the duties and responsibilities of the post, each individual task undertaken may not be identified.
• Employees will be expected to comply with any reasonable request from the Principal to undertake work of a similar level that is not specified in this job description.

Person Specification:

Education & Qualifications:

• Qualified Teacher Status.
• Degree.
• Professional Development in preparation for Senior leader.
• Additional professional qualifications, e.g., NPQSL.

Leadership and Management Experience:

• Successfully led, planned, managed and evaluated change which has had a significant impact at whole school level.
• Demonstrated the ability to work strategically and successfully at a senior leadership level, specifically with curriculum and timetable design.
• Experience as a Senior Leader or equivalent.
• Working successfully with other education partners and providers.

Teaching Experience:

• Demonstrated outstanding, sustained, and successful experience as a teacher in a secondary context.
• Substantial experience of teaching pupils at Key Stage 3, 4 & 5.

Shaping the Future:

• Can demonstrate strategic thinking and planning that builds, communicates and carries forward a coherent and shared vision.
• Promote high expectations for attainment and progress.
• Establish short, medium and long term plans to raise achievement across the school.
• Monitor the progress made in achieving subject/area plans and targets, and evaluate the effect on teaching and learning.

Leading Teaching and Learning:

• Experience of implementing strategies for improving the quality of teaching and learning, including promoting excellence and challenging poor performance.
• Experience of monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of teaching and learning, including its outcomes in terms of standards and achievement and personal development and well-being.

Developing Self and Working With Others:

• Understands the significance of interpersonal relationships and strategies for promoting individual and team development.
• Knows how to promote an open, fair and equitable culture.
• Has a clear understanding of the impact of change and different leadership styles on individuals and organisations.

Managing the Organisation:

• Successful experience of the delegation of leadership responsibilities and management tasks as appropriate, and monitoring their implementation.
• Understands how to establish and sustain effective organisational structures, systems, policy and practice.
• Knowledge of and commitment to the implementation of the safeguarding agenda.

Securing Accountability:

• Demonstrates a clear understanding of the principles and practice of quality assurance systems, including school review, self‑evaluation and performance management and have experience of these.
• Shows a practical understanding of how to analyse and use the full range of evidence, including performance data and external evaluations, to support, monitor, evaluate and improve aspects of the school, including challenging poor performance.
• Experience of holding individuals, teams and whole school to account for pupil learning outcomes.

Strengthening Community:

• Understands the importance of listening to, reflecting and acting on community feedback.
• Experience of strategies that encourage parents and carers to support their children’s learning.
• Experience of building and sustaining effective relationships with parents, carers, other schools and partners and the broader community that enhance the education of pupils.

Personal Attributes:

• Embed successful change across the school by effectively completing tasks and evaluating outcomes within agreed timescales.
• Inspire, challenge, motivate and empower teams and individuals to achieve high goals.
• Demonstrate personal enthusiasm and commitment to leadership aimed at making a positive difference to children and young people.
• Demonstrate personal and professional integrity, including modelling values and vision.
• Think analytically and creatively and demonstrate initiative in solving problems.
• Be aware of their own strengths and areas for development and listen to, and reflect constructively and act upon as appropriate, feedback from others.
• Demonstrate resilience and optimism.

Other:

• Strong recommendation from all referees, including current employer.