Headteacher
The Castle School
Taunton, Somerset
- Expired
- Salary:
- L33 – L39
- Job type:
- Full Time, Permanent
- Start date:
- January 2021
- Apply by:
- 24 June 2020
Job overview
Do you have ambition for every child? The Castle School, Taunton, seeks an inspirational, strategic Headteacher with a proven record of impact and success to join us from January 2021. You will be ambitious for every child to achieve his or her full potential, to have a strong sense of belonging and community, and to participate in learning and enrichment. You will build on our outstanding success for many years, and to continue the constant drive for improvement in standards, achievements and aspirations of all its students.
About The Castle School
The School has approximately 1200 students and is heavily over-subscribed every year with over twice the number of applications made as places and a significant number of appeals. Its reputation is excellent and it has had a national profile for many years. Recently awarded the Regional Computing Hub, it leads in many fields of excellence and we will expect this to continue. Its reputation for Sports is equalled by the Arts and MFL and the investment made in these areas has yielded outstanding results both academically and in the quality of the enrichment it provides. The school has benefitted significantly from the Academy Condition Improvement Fund and recently we have opened a new state-of-the-art DT building, and a new dining room which will be completed by the summer. What distinguishes The Castle School however, is the quality of relationships; we carefully tend the positive and warm community where everyone is valued and treated fairly. Parents and students are highly appreciative of what we do for them and we have frequent compliments.
We are now seeking a new Headteacher who must ensure the school continues to move forwards. The successful candidate will have an exciting opportunity to lead the school in the next stage of its development. We welcome applications from serving Headteachers and Deputy Heads.
About the Trust
As the Headteacher of The Castle School, you will be part of The Castle Partnership Trust. We are small but perfectly formed with two secondaries and two primaries currently. There is a highly collaborative and supportive partnership between our Headteachers and we are committed to Headteachers’ autonomy for their own schools. As a group of Headteachers, we make decisions together and have a very good and enjoyable working relationship. The Trust is exceptionally supportive, with a core of excellent directors who have long service as governors and who understand and appreciate the work of schools, and challenge is welcomed. We work to create strong governance that is able to be a good critical friend.
Living and Working in Somerset
Somerset is a beautiful county. It is full of pretty villages and bustling market towns. It sits perfectly between Exeter and Bristol, both excellent shopping and entertainment centres, and between the Blackdown Hills, an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and Exmoor. Beaches and the South-West coast path are within easy reach. Taunton itself is a thriving market town with superb connections to other parts of the UK and Bristol airport is an easy drive.
The closing date for applications is the 25th of June 2020 with interviews due to be held on the 6th and 7th of July 2020.
While the Trust intends to invite shortlisted candidates to the school for interview, we fully appreciate that personal circumstances and Government guidance surrounding COVID-19 may dictate that this may not be possible for some candidates. The Trust will therefore endeavour to make alternative arrangements for anyone who is unable to attend in person. Any activities within the school will be fully risk assessed and appropriate safe distancing will be assured.
For application packs and more information about The Castle Partnership Trust, please visit www.castleschool.co.uk . Candidates who wish to arrange a discussion regarding the position are encouraged to contact Julie Gregory, Trust CEOs PA, on 01823 274073.
Thank you for your interest and we look forward to receiving your application.
The Castle Partnership Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all who work here to share this commitment. The successful candidates will be subject to enhanced DBS disclosures.
We are equally committed to eliminating discrimination and encouraging diversity. We aim for our workforce to be representative of society and that each employee feels respected and able to give their best.
About The Castle School
Situated in Taunton, the historic county town of Somerset, The Castle School is an outstanding and over-subscribed academy with an enviable record of academic success over many years. Our students achieve some of the best exam results in the UK and we continue to achieve the top attendance rate in Somerset. We are equally proud of the varied and vibrant extra-curricular life of our school which enriches the experience of our students.
The enhancement of the school's reputation has inevitably led to growth in student numbers and it is a very busy and lively place. It is even more important therefore, never to lose sight of the individuality of each student and the Houses, Lancaster, Balmoral, Sandringham, Caernarvon, Windsor and Buckingham, play an important part is ensuring that no child is invisible at The Castle School. The Houses give students a strong sense of inclusion and a confidence which helps them to meet the challenges of the wider world when they leave us. Many of our students join the House that their siblings belong to and this strengthens the strong sense of family and tradition that we engender at the school.
Our belief is that every child should Achieve, Belong and Participate, and that staff should be supported to fulfil their potential and aspirations, whatever those might be.
We invest heavily in our staff and have a superb reputation for outstanding support and development for teachers, particularly for ECTs. Whatever stage you are at now, whether you are focused on your classroom practice or if you are looking to further your career, we have a superb CPD programme for everyone.
Headteacher
Mr James Lamb
Values and vision
The most important thing for our children is their safety. We foster a culture of vigilance amongst staff, students and parents. We always listen to children and take their concerns seriously. The Blackdown Education Partnership is committed to safeguarding and all staff have a duty of care towards our young people. All complaints and concerns are fully investigated. Please note that for posts working with children the successful candidate will be required to undergo Disclosure and Barring Service checks in line with the Local Authority and School Child Safeguarding Policy.
The history and tradition of The Castle School is what makes it such a privilege to be part of this family. We have over 1200 on roll and we are a 11-16 fully comprehensive secondary school.
Our aim continues to be for every child to achieve, belong and participate and this is at the heart of everything we do. Rated as Outstanding in all areas by Ofsted in October 2023, we have been for some years now, not only at the top of the performance table in Somerset, and we are proud of our achievements nationally. You can see our latest exam results on our website.
At The Castle School our priority is our student’s education: their academic and pastoral outcomes. We focus on high quality teaching and learning, ongoing curriculum refinement and promote a climate of success and achievement for every student. Our teaching and support staff are our greatest resource and colleagues thrive in an environment of high support and high challenge, where they go above and beyond for our students.
We are passionate about equity for all. We have a passion for and a commitment to the core purpose of education and focus relentlessly on each student’s right to the very best provision. We are committed to fostering self-confidence, enthusiasm, perseverance, and integrity, but also kind empathetic young adults. We aim to ensure that students leave The Castle School very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training, or employment, and educated so that they enjoy life and live well.
Ofsted report
“Teaching is outstanding, better than the school’s relatively modest judgement. This is because the highly positive impact on students’ learning has increased markedly this year, as the full effect of initiatives to involve students more effectively in the teaching and learning process has become evident. Teachers are very confident, prepared to take innovative risk in their teaching.”
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