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Head of School

Head of School

Compass Community School Aylward Park

Suffolk

  • £38,000 per year
  • Quick apply
  • Expired
Job type:
Full Time, Permanent
Apply by:
28 June 2022

Job overview

Compass Community School Aylward Park – Saxmundham, Suffolk 

SEMH – Head of School & DSL

Salary:

- Upwards of £38,000

Start Date:

- ASAP


Closing date 

– 24/05/2022

Who we are

Compass Community School Aylward Park is a part of a passionate, well respected and forward-thinking family of schools throughout the country. 

We are an independent specialist school providing high-quality, therapeutic and child-centred education for pupils aged from 11 to 17 years in Saxmundham, Suffolk. Our children come from a wide range of backgrounds but all have Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs (SEMH), and many will also have other Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) such as Autism, ADHD, and communication difficulties. Many will have suffered significant trauma and adverse childhood experiences and have social care involvement. 

We are part of a strong, supportive network, both locally and nationally, which is committed to providing a safe and inclusive learning environment where everyone is valued and encouraged to reach their full potential, regardless of their starting points or barriers to learning. Aspirations for both students and staff are incredibly high. 

The work we do is both varied and challenging and, as a trauma and attachment informed organisation, all staff are provided with extensive therapeutic training and support. Our closely triangulated approach places the child at the centre of decision making, ensuring that education and therapy professionals, parents/carers, local authority teams and, most importantly, our students can work together to secure outstanding outcomes for all. 

We place as much importance on academic and vocational excellence as we do on personal growth, resilience, self-regulation, and personal and character development. 

The Role 

Promote the vision and ethos of Compass Community Schools, ensuring it is clearly articulated, understood and acted upon effectively by all staff

Provide strategic leadership that constructively evaluates and then drives forwards our high standards for ‘Behaviour and Attitudes’ and ‘Personal Development’.

Drive and lead development towards Outstanding Quality of Education for all. 

Monitor and evaluate school performance to ensure that all practice is as good as our best.

Refine and sustain an ethos and structure for managing behaviour which ensures that pupils are independent and self-regulating, working closely with those responsible for the management of pastoral care and pupil welfare.

Maintain effective assessment, recording and reporting systems; both internally and externally.

Embed an ethos of high expectation and aspiration which results in staff setting and modelling challenge and expectation through teaching and interaction with pupils and guardians.

Demonstrate sustained determination to ensure and encourage good relations between Compass Community Schools and its families and carers, and the wider community.

Act as DSL within the school, and work closely with the  Deputy DSL (Executive Regional Headteacher) to contribute towards Compass Community School’s excellent culture of safeguarding, actively promoting welfare and adopting exceptional safeguarding practice.

The Right Person

Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)

A proven record of outstanding teaching practice.

An excellent, efficient and emotionally intelligent communicator. 

A strong desire to work inclusively within an emotionally literate environment, supporting children who have experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).

Experience of crisis-management/managing challenging behaviours and working with children with SEMH difficulties. 

A non-judgemental approach to behaviour management.

The ambition to progress professionally within an expanding, child-centred national organisation

Experience and skill in working with complex multi-agency professional networks

Experience of effective working with hard-to-reach or disengaged families

Proven experience of implementing a creative and academically engaging curriculum which meets the needs of individual pupils, whilst maintaining high standards of education

The desire to be engaged in all aspects of school life from the academic to the pastoral, as well as the leisure and extra-curricular. 

The ability to teach and work with pupils presenting with a wide range of emotional and attachment-based needs

A passion for making a difference to the education and lives of young people within the school and in building positive and supportive relationships

Emotional resilience and be motivated by challenge

The ability to be reflective, dynamic and creative in their practice and be willing to work within the Compass Community values and ethos.

We have a strong safeguarding culture and expect applicants to be committed to the safeguarding of children and eager to continually develop their practice in this area. An enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Certificate is required prior to commencement of this post.

Safeguarding

This role is subject to an enhanced DBS check.

Compass Community Schools are committed to safeguarding children and young people and we expect everyone who works in our school to share this commitment, including proprietors, governors and visitors.

Adults in our school take all welfare concerns seriously and encourage children and young people to talk to us about anything that worries them. We have an established culture of vigilance to protect children from harm. 

All children are taught about safeguarding, including online, through various teaching and learning opportunities, as part of providing a broad and balanced curriculum. Children are taught to recognise when they are at risk and how to get help when they need it.

We will always act in the best interest of the child.


Attached documents

About Compass Community School Aylward Park

About The School

Aylward Park is a small school based in the quiet town of Leiston, Suffolk. We have placements for 12 students both male and female. We offer a bespoke provision in a therapeutic environment.

We pride ourselves on offering our children a calm and engaging learning environment, allowing them to achieve well and fulfil their dreams. Our staff research, plan and teach exciting and relevant learning linked to the National Curriculum. The children are happy and thrive here.


Facilities

  • Therapy Room
  • 2 classrooms
  • Outside space
  • Lovely local community
  • Close to the beach

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Applications closed