Head of Year

Purpose of the Job

The purpose of the post is to monitor and support the academic progress of students in a defined year group of the school and to support their welfare and conduct, including promoting the highest levels of attendance and punctuality.

The Head of Year will also lead a team of tutors in implementing and maintaining a system of academic monitoring, as well as monitoring the behaviour of students in the year group, referring students to the Assistant Headteacher as appropriate.

Contribute to the safeguarding and promotion of the welfare and personal care of children and young people with regard to the area child protection procedures.

General Accountabilities:

•  Use effective analysis of data to identify patterns and trends in achievement that relate to overall performance of the year group to secure excellent progress for all.
• Implement strategies to raise standards and monitor for impact (interventions) and academic mentoring.
• Identify and track the performance of key groups.
• Liaise with classroom teachers to support their identification of short-term targets for underperforming students and work with them to ensure success.
• Liaise with parents where necessary.
• Support the delivery of teaching and learning strategies.
• Maintain accurate records of communications and interventions relating to student progress and pastoral care.
• Promote a culture of achievement through valuing success, endeavour and progress through assemblies, rewards and displays.
• Be accountable for promoting and safeguarding students’ welfare and personal development as part of the whole school approach.
• Deliver pastoral care to students on a day-to-day basis.
• Co-ordinate the pastoral care plans for identified individual students, including co-ordinating work provided for prolonged absence and liaising with others as appropriate.
• Monitor conduct, attendance and punctuality, ensuring consistent implementation of whole school policies.
• Keep appropriate records relating to student welfare, conduct and communication with parents.
• Devise, co-ordinate and quality assure the tutorial and PSHE programme, including leading a team of tutors to deliver pastoral and academic care.
• Liaise closely with and support other Heads of Year and SLT to ensure continuity and the smooth transition between Key Stages, including preparation for the Options processes.
• Monitor the effectiveness of homework and interventions.
• Work with the team to organise the year group and key stage enrichment programme to include charitable work, mentoring and events and track students’ involvement in these enrichment activities
• Lead on destinations, specifically UCAS preparation and delivery, including planning and overseeing all relevant events, and on opportunities and support for those taking non-university pathways.
• Lead on co-ordinating, developing and extending the wider educational provision of students through the coordination and delivery of the Extended Project Qualification across both year groups.

Whilst every effort has been made to explain the main duties and responsibilities of the post, each individual task may not have been identified; therefore, employees will be expected to comply with any reasonable request from a manager, including ad hoc projects, to undertake work of a similar level that is not specified in the job description.

Please see appendix for examples of tasks you may be asked to undertake.

Appendix

• to liaise with the relevant Assistant Headteacher regarding the academic needs of students in the relevant cohort on a fortnightly basis;
• to liaise with teaching staff and HoDs regarding student progress as necessary and to take appropriate action where monitoring and evaluation reveal underachievement or particular issues;
• to effectively use non-contact time to focus on activities which will support students in their academic and pastoral progress and to evaluate the impact of these;
• to liaise with the relevant member of the senior leadership team to ensure that Curriculum booklets for the cohorts are distributed to all parents and students and to monitor their impact and use;
• to enhance the learning of students in the relevant year groups through the promotion of activities beyond the classroom;
• to oversee, monitor and evaluate the work of the tutors in the delivery of the PSHE Programme;
• to carry out a termly Self Evaluation activity, after discussion with the relevant Assistant Headteacher, as a means of improving team practice and identifying areas for development;
• to present at assessment analysis meetings after each calendared assessment point;
• to monitor student standards and attainment against school targets;
• to implement effective intervention strategies to ensure that all students are supported in achieving their potential;
• to communicate effectively with parents/carers, teachers and senior leaders in relation to students’ attainment and progress and relevant intervention strategies;
• to promote rewards strategies for students making good/improved progress;
• to ensure that students understand how prior attainment data is used by staff to set academic targets and that they are skilled in the use of this data to set their own academic targets;
• to support students in the setting of SMART action targets following each assessment point;
• to oversee, monitor and evaluate a comprehensive mentoring system for supporting students in the relevant year group;
• to organise effective Year Team meetings (held weekly / fortnightly);
• to oversee effective strategies for raising attendance and punctuality in the year group and to eliminate truancy;
• to set and maintain high standards of behaviour from students in the year group by effective role modelling, supporting tutors and liaising with Heads of Department;
• to intervene when issues and incidents arise, including taking the lead with students who are causing concern across the curriculum and liaising with parents, staff, governors; and external agencies as appropriate;
• to take responsibility for following up any behavioural incidents which occur at breaks and lunchtimes;
• to ensure that tutors have an effective programme of tutorial activities , to support them in the delivery of tutorial activities and to monitor and evaluate the programmes;
• to support tutors in the consistent implementation of whole school policies, rules and procedures;
• to induct new tutors and give guidance and support to all tutors on the effective development of students in their care;
• to attend all Inclusion Team meetings to represent the interests of the year team at these meetings and to feedback from these meetings to the tutor team;
• to support appropriate arrangements for classes during registration and tutor periods when staff are absent from the team; 

Delivering Student Relationships, along with Parental communication.

Footnote: This job description is provided to assist the job holder to know what his/her main duties are. It may be amended from time to time without change to the level of responsibility appropriate to the grade of post.