IT Services Manager: Full time, full year. Salary Grade I (point 28 - 31) equates to salary scale of £32,234 – £34,728

The Post

The IT Services Manager will have overall responsibility for the IT infrastructure and the delivery of an outstanding and responsive support service to all staff and students at Lord Lawson of Beamish Academy.

The person in the role will be responsible for the selection, procurement, maintenance and scheduled renewal of the academy’s hardware, software and IT related services. 

As an IT professional with experience in a management position, you will demonstrate strong staff and resource management expertise with the skills to inspire, motivate and challenge what we currently do. You will work alongside all members of the academy’s staff and students. You will lead a small team of two technicians to successfully deliver projects and undertake daily tasks to maintain operations. You must be an individual driven by service improvements and have the vision and skills to be innovative and bring about the required change.

The Application

Shortlisting will be carried out according to criteria which will be assessed using the completed application form and the letter of application that should accompany it.  In this letter it would be helpful if you describe what skills you have to inspire and motivate your staff, and how you will challenge and improve our current practices.  In essence, we want to know what you can offer our academy and our students.

The Interview

Shortlisted candidates will be notified following shortlisting.  We have yet to finalise the arrangements for the interview but it is expected that the interview process will take place during Thursday 1 July 2021, and will be designed to give candidates every possible opportunity to demonstrate their strengths.  

The Academy

Lord Lawson of Beamish Academy is a successful and fully comprehensive school, well regarded by parents and the community.  We have over 1,450 students currently on roll, aged 11-19, with around two hundred students in the sixth form.  We received our Academy Order from the Secretary of State for Education in August 2011 and converted to an Academy on 1st March 2012.  We moved into brand new, custom designed and purpose built accommodation in September 2007, built by Sir Robert McAlpine under the Private Finance Initiative.  These are superb facilities for learning, set in immaculate grounds; both the estate and buildings are spacious and extremely well maintained: they provide a magnificent environment in which to work.

We are affiliated to national organisations such as the Schools Students and Teachers network (SSAT) as well as having close links with other outstanding schools and colleges in the region.

There’s a lot going for Lord Lawson! This is a school that has the clear potential to be very good indeed, and our ambition is to offer an outstanding education that engages and stretches all our students.  Our staff are energetic and adaptable, able and committed – this includes the teaching team and a superb range of support staff.  Responding to the emergencies and ever-changing demands of the COVID pandemic, I have been exceedingly proud of the way our colleagues have all pulled together to deliver the very best support and education for our children and our community.  What we have achieved together has been utterly amazing.  Our governors are supportive and engaged, and they have commended the school for its approach during these difficult times. 

Following two successive ‘requires improvement’ judgements from Ofsted, the school has developed a comprehensive programme of school improvement. This is being supported by a grant of £190k from the Department for Education’s Opportunity North East School Vision programme.  Our partners in school improvement are colleagues from Cardinal Hume Catholic School, an outstanding neighbouring academy.  We also work well with other external partners, including Gateshead Council.  On a recent monitoring inspection Ofsted noted that we have made substantial progress and improvements, and that leaders are taking effective action.  We know where we need to focus our efforts in improvement, and we have coherent and strategic plans.  Staff are willing and dedicated: together, we have achieved so much over the course of this challenging year, and there is much still to do.

We are a happy, secure academy with a very welcoming and open approach.  Everything we do is designed to make students feel confident, secure, well supported and happy during their time at Lord Lawson of Beamish.  

We are committed to improving our skills and offer a wide range of professional development opportunities for staff.  Many of our staff go on to promoted posts within the academy and elsewhere.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Applications to be submitted to:  recruitment@lordlawson.academy along with a covering letter.

Closing date for applications:  Monday 28 June 2021, 9:00am

Lord Lawson of Beamish Academy is an equal opportunities employer.  We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.