Assistant Head Teacher

The Governors wish to appoint an experienced, highly motivated and enthusiastic excellent primary practitioner, to help ‘Grow the seeds for lifelong learning’ and raise standards in learning and teaching. You must have a passion for learning and a commitment to improving pupil outcomes. This is an excellent opportunity if you are looking to further develop your experience of leadership or just looking for that next challenge. Grange was judged Good in its last Ofsted inspection (December 2022). Grange Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We value and celebrate the cultural diversity of our school community. We seek to promote equality of opportunity for all applicants.

Job Purpose

To support the headteacher’s overall leadership, development and management of the teaching and learning of all pupils; to have a teaching responsibility and be able to teach in both key stages; to take a leading role in the monitoring and evaluation of standards across the whole school and to be a leading professional, actively promoting effective teaching and learning practices across the school. The post will require you to work in partnership with the headteacher, governors and staff to ensure the continuous improvement of the school.

Main Expectations of the Role

• Formulating the aims and objectives of the school
• Establishing the policies through which they should be achieved
• Managing staff and resources to that end
• Monitoring progress towards their achievement

1. Organisation

• To assist the headteacher in the day to day running of the school ensuring all personnel are well informed and have all the information they need in order to carry out their professional duties effectively.
• To assist the headteacher in the deployment of staff, making necessary arrangements to cover absent teachers.

2. Shaping the Future

• Support the headteacher and Governors in promoting and developing a vision for the future of the school; demonstrating inspirational leadership and creativity.
• Play a significant role in school improvement planning, taking account of the agreed priorities of the school and reflecting specifically on personal areas of responsibility.
• Contribute to the identification of key areas of strength and weakness in the school with detailed reflection on day to day working knowledge of the school’s policies and practices.
• Exemplify the application of agreed policies, priorities and expectations, so as to set a good example to other colleagues.
• Develop and enhance a culture of teamwork, in which views of members of the school community are valued and taken into account.
• Contribute to the self-evaluation of the school.

3. Leading Learning and Teaching

• Maintain a high profile as an example of best and leading practice within the classroom and foster the high expectations to which the school aspires.
• Support the development of effective timetabling, which meets and responds to the needs of pupils within the statutory frameworks and the resources available.
• Be involved in the analysis of key school performance data, to ensure priorities are appropriate and improvement in standards is promoted.
• Through liaison and guidance, work closely with curriculum leaders to ensure the best learning opportunities for children.
• Actively include pupils to further enhance their learning opportunities and personal development.
• To advise on teaching and learning strategies and to implement strategies to support teacher development.
• Devise and implement coaching and mentoring sessions across the school between staff.
• Implement strategies to promote high standards of behaviour.
• Seek to develop and enhance a broad and rich curriculum which meets the needs of the range of pupils in the school.
• Monitor and evaluate outcomes achieved from classroom practice.
• Take a role in the development of quality and manageable assessment practices.
• Be involved in collaborative projects, such as ‘Newham Learning’.

4a. Curriculum

• To devise a curriculum that has clear educational purpose, recognising the particular needs of our children and the community, but at its heart, provides the fundamental knowledge and skills required for further educational success.
• To provide a broad and balanced curriculum which is relevant, well-resourced and differentiated, whilst delivering the requirements of the National Curriculum.
• To ensure a curriculum is delivered with imagination and innovation, in which key skills and knowledge are taught with clarity and depth.
• To ensure the curriculum stimulates, inspires and provokes deep thinking within children’s young minds, using real experiences that provide meaning for all.
• To be an excellent classroom practitioner, acting as a role model for quality first teaching and learning (teaching across the school as necessary).
• To keep abreast of local and national initiatives, analysing their impact and where appropriate lead strategically on implementing them within the school.

4b. Curriculum Co-ordination

• The AHT Curriculum will be accountable for proactively developing and supporting all curriculum post-holders, process, policy, system or activity that promotes the raising of attainment and achievement.
• To lead, guide, support and motivate staff.

5. Developing self and managing others

• Contribute to the creation of a positive school ethos, in which every individual is treated with dignity and respect and promote safeguarding to ensure the welfare of children and young people is paramount.
• Make a distinctive contribution to the wider school team and continued development of the school.
• Contribute to the development of collaborative approaches to learning within the school and beyond.
• Monitor the effectiveness of colleagues’ teaching and wider professional impact and report the evaluation to the headteacher.
• Lead, manage and organise meetings as appropriate in support of the school's aims.
• Set high expectations for your own performance and that of others.
• Engage in relevant professional development activity as necessary.

6. Managing the organization

• Manage the day to day activities of the delegated areas of responsibility to ensure the school meets statutory requirements in a highly effective and efficient manner.
• Develop action plans in specified areas of responsibility, in order to bring about improvements.
• Contribute to the planning process for the distribution of resources, to ensure they meet the school's identified priorities.
• Contribute to regular evaluation of the impact of the use of resources in relation to the quality of education of the pupils and value for money.
• Ensure that equal opportunities for pupils and staff are effectively promoted.

7. Securing Accountability

• Work alongside the headteacher to secure improvement through Appraisal; take responsibility for the Appraisal of identified staff.
• Support staff in understanding their own accountability, and develop approaches to its review and evaluation.
• To work alongside the Headteacher to use a range of data sources to set realistic yet challenging targets for pupils, analysing outcomes for individuals and groups; use this information to implement appropriate curriculum pathways and intervention programmes and identify priorities for the school improvement plan.
• Contribute to the reporting of the performance of the school to parents, carers, governors and other key partners as necessary.

8. Strengthening Community

• Support the development of the school within the community; strengthening partnerships with other schools and services thus enhancing community cohesion.
• Respond to an understanding of the diversity of the school community.
• Contribute to policies and practices which promote equality of opportunity and tackle prejudice.
• Evaluate and enhance the development of a curriculum which provides pupils with opportunities to enhance their learning within the wider community.
• Promote and model good relationships with parents, which are based on partnerships to support and improve pupils’ achievement, involving parents as true partners in the education of their children.
• To ensure that parents are well informed about all matters relating to the curriculum of their children.
• To meet individual parents if necessary giving them support and advice.

9. Performance Measures

Appraisal will be based on the responsibilities listed above and judgements will be made against these as part of the school’s Appraisal cycle.

10. Pupil Progress

Demonstrate that, as a result of your teaching, your pupils achieve well relative to prior attainment, making progress as good as or better than similar pupils nationally. (This should be shown in marks or grades in any relevant national tests or examinations, or school-based assessment for pupils where national tests and examinations are not taken.)

11. Professional Characteristics

• Inspiring trust and confidence
• Building team commitment
• Engaging and motivating pupils
• Analytical thinking
• Taking positive action to improve the quality of pupils’ learning

12. Safeguarding Children

To work closely with the headteacher and other members of the Senior Leadership Team to ensure policies and procedures related to child protection are enacted. The school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will require an enhanced DBS Clearance.