Head of English

The College has been serving the community since 1950 and continues to be a Good school after last being inspected in January 2016. 

Having taken over as Principal in August 2017 I am appreciative of all the work that has been done before my arrival which will allow me to grow the College even further. My desire is that we do not become a College that is driven by OFSTED and whether we are GOOD or OUTSTANDING. I want us to be at the forefront of educational excellence because we want to provide the best educational experience possible for the children in our care. This is extremely difficult in a climate of ever increasing accountability and diminishing resources. However I sincerely believe that if we lead this community by staying true to our values then it is possible.

I have therefore spent time with staff and exploring what it is we stand for and after a school wide consultation have decided that ASPIRATION, COMMITMENT AND SUCCESS are the three key drivers that will support the development of our pupils.

The successful candidate will be expected to teach English (Language and Literature) at Key Stages 3 and 4. Knowledge of Key Stage 5 would be advantageous in order to help our pupils rise to the level of demand required of them by the new GCSE specifications. For your information, the faculty currently uses the AQA GCSE specifications for Language and Literature and the Key Stage 3 curriculum in Years 7 and 8 pre-echoes these in terms of skills. At Crown Hills, we are seeking a creative and dynamic Head of Faculty who can lead and manage a team of dedicated English teachers while taking them (and their results) on a journey from good to great. An ability to plan and deliver effective strategies to raise the attainment and accelerate the progress of all pupils is essential. 

The faculty consists of 12 teachers at varying stages of their careers including one member of the Senior Leadership Team and other members of staff who hold TLR responsibilities in and out of the faculty. The ongoing development of teachers who are new to the profession as well as supporting more experienced teachers to refine their established practice is something for which you will be responsible. The English Faculty is part of the Expression Zone, which is made up of Art, Music, the Performing Arts (Dance and Drama) and Physical Education. All Heads of Faculty in the zone share an office both to facilitate informal support and the sharing of best practice. 

The successful applicant will be expected to work with the other Faculty Leaders within the zone to ensure smooth day to day running and to create and implement an annual zone improvement plan. S/he will also work as part of the wider Leadership Group to form and drive vision and policy across the college.  

We are very clear that the gender, background, colour, poverty, wealth or social status of a child should have no bearing on how well they perform and staff here work extremely hard in trying to close that gap between the different groups of pupils. We are currently around zero for P8 and have been for the past two years and we know that although our pupils end up in line with pupils nationally they are well below on entry. 

We have an outstanding reputation for our inclusive work with EAL and SEND pupils. However one of our key areas of development is nurturing and growing our high prior attainers, both academically and culturally. 

As a Faculty leader this role will require significant strategic as well operational leadership. We are looking for somebody who is innovative, willing to take risks and looking to create educational excellence by leading a team that delivers quality first teaching in the classroom on a daily basis. 

That process has already started and we have removed lesson observations from the appraisal process and linked it to professional development. Currently staff are entitled to ‘visits’ and entitled to a professional dialogue to improve their practice. That is a risk we have taken but it is aimed at creating a learning community where teachers can teach and learners can learn without fear.

If you have high aspirations for children from deprived backgrounds and want to support the leadership of excellence by improving pupil outcomes, then we would love to hear from you. 

Please read the attached job description and person specification. If you are interested in applying, please fill in the application form available on our website, please include e-mail addresses of all referees, and e-mail it together with a letter of application (no more than 2 sides of A4) outlining your skills, qualifications and experience relevant to this post by 9am on Monday 21st May 2018.  In particular, please tell us about any initiative or strategy you have introduced, led or used to raise achievement and the impact it had on outcomes.. 

Should you wish to visit the College please contact my PA Jo Amey by email

Please read the full Letter to Applicant attached.