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Principal

Principal

Pioneer School

Essex

Salary:
L18 - L24, £61,860-£71,480 (London Fringe), further negotiations for the right candidate and a relocation package is available if required
Job type:
Full Time, Permanent
Start date:
January 2020
Apply by:
16 September 2019

Job overview

Inspire their remarkable with us

Pioneer School is an outstanding, purpose built mixed, day special school designated for children and young people aged 3 – 19 with severe and complex learning difficulties.  The remarkable school staff work with children with a variety of complex needs to ensure that they can develop the skills – and gain the life experiences – that will allow them to lead remarkable lives. It is a special place, that requires a special leader.

After taking the academy from strength to strength, our current Principal will be retiring at the end of December.  

This is an amazing opportunity to build on the exceptional practice and standards already in place and lead our vibrant, popular school into the future.

Within this role, you must be ambitious and able to:

  • Be brave, discover what’s possible, push the limits and be big-hearted.
  • Commit to each and every child being inspired to have a remarkable life.


Pioneer School is part of Academies Enterprise Trust (AET) national network of over 55 primary, secondary and special academies.

We passionately believe that every child can discover their own remarkable life. It is what motivates us. We know this vision requires something extra. Which is why at AET, you’ll find more. More opportunities, so you can forge your own path. More care and support, so you can prioritise what matters most. More purpose, for you and for the children we are inspiring. 

We offer

  • More like minded colleagues, so you can benefit from others’ experience - You’re connected to our network of over 55 academies and thousands of education professionals.
  • More opportunities, so you can forge your own path - As a large and expanding multi academy trust, there are ample opportunities for development and new experiences. 
  • More hands on support, so you can get on with what matters most - Expert operations support removes headaches, allowing you to focus on the children. 
  • More technology so you can make more impact - G Suite for Education embedded throughout. Collaborative cloud technology gives you access to the latest tools, when and where it suits you. More tech enabled classrooms mean less time spent on admin and more time teaching.     
  • More time - We strive to minimise unnecessary distractions so you can have energy for your job, and your life.


Our new Principal will enjoy the autonomy of leadership rooted in the local community, whilst working in partnership with the regional cluster of academies, AET’s Director of SEND, Maria Rodrigues and our National Director of Primary and SEND, Lauren Costello, with support from a committed local governing board.

Closing date: Monday 16 September 2019

Interview dates: Friday 20 September 2019 (Pioneer School) and Monday 23 September 2019 (London)

Come inspire their remarkable with us, apply today.

Visits to the academy are warmly welcomed and can be arranged by contacting Tanya Bentham, Head of Talent, on 07990 538911 or recruitment@academiesenterprisetrust.org.

For an informal discussion or for an application form, please contact Tanya Bentham on the contact details above.

We are committed to safeguarding and protecting the welfare of children and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.  A Disclosure and Barring Service Certificate will be required for all posts. This post will be subject to enhance checks as part of our Prevent Duty.

Attached documents

About Pioneer School

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  • Pioneer School
  • Pioneer School, Ghyllgrove, Basildon
  • Essex
  • SS14 2LA
  • United Kingdom
+44 1268 243300

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**Please scroll to the bottom of this page to view our live vacancies**

We are a successful, purpose built, mixed special school providing for children and young people between the ages of 3 – 19 with severe and complex learning difficulties.

With the exception of those pupils occasionally admitted in the Foundation Stage on an assessment basis all pupils have a statement of special educational need, falling principally into the categories of severe and complex or profound and multiple. A smaller number of students have moderate learning difficulties and a significant number have an additional diagnosis of autism.

The school experiences a variable pattern of referrals and admissions and whilst it is usual for children to be admitted at the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 age there are a significant number of children that are admitted at other ages. Admissions also take place regularly throughout the school year.

Although the catchment area for the school extends beyond the geographical boundaries of Basildon the vast majority of pupils live in the local area.

In January 2009 the school moved to new purpose built premises, which were further extended in September 2011 to provide even more specialist spaces. The school now has facilities that are second to none within the UK and we are regularly visited or consulted on matters of special school design.

Our vision is to continue developing and improving the quality of provision available to our students and our Academy Council, parents and staff are enthusiastic and committed to the proposed plans.  We believe that our proposals will enhance the education and quality of life for the children and young people currently in the school and lead to better outcomes for them in adult life.

Our most recent successful Ofsted inspection recognised that we are an Outstanding school, commenting 'The quality of education for pupils with profound and multiple special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is excellent. Pupils thrive in this high-quality learning environment. '

Values and Ethos

We are committed to providing all our pupils with an excellent educational

experience that supports them in becoming confident, respectful and caring individuals.

We do this by providing:

  • A stimulating and exciting curriculum
  • A safe, stimulating learning environment offering therapeutic, sensory and
  • medical interventions when needed
  • Skilled staff who have access to high quality training
  • Partnerships with parents and positive links with the community
  • An environment where everyone is of equal worth and is treated with dignity and respect

Community Code

We have a Community Code that underpins our values.

Care for each other

  • Be helpful to others
  • Be generous in thoughts and actions
  • Give consideration to the needs of others
  • Be charitable
  • Show compassion and kindness

Show respect

  • Show understanding and tolerance towards each other
  • Be kind and polite
  • Value the views of others
  • Demonstrate fairness in your actions

Have confidence

  • Be self assuredShow dedication and the will to succeed
    Trust in those who support you
    Have the courage to persevere

Aims

Entitlement - all children are entitled to equality of opportunity and high quality learning experiences;

Empowerment - all children are people first and have a basic human need for realising their self-worth and raising self-esteem;

Enablement - all children have potential to learn from quality learning experiences.

It is the aim of Pioneer School Staff, with the help of our multi-agency partners, to provide children and young people with the highest possible standard of education and care through recognition of their individual needs, thus enabling them to realise their full potential.

We are committed to offering our pupils access and entitlement to a broad differentiated and relevant curriculum which meets their individual needs and which prepares them realistically for the future.

Our Curriculum

To view our curriculum please click here 

Ofsted

At the recent Ofsted inspection (30 -1 May 2019) inspectors found that Pupils make substantial progress, personally and academically, across the full curriculum during their time at the school. This is because of the high-quality teaching they receive. Pupils make remarkable progress in communication, reading, writing and mathematics they join in lessons with enthusiasm; lessons proceed easily and well.

The report also complimented the way that teachers and teaching assistants met the wide range of needs within classes. Commenting that 'Teaching captures pupils’ interests. Pupils often experience a sense of awe and wonder when learning. For example, the immersive room is an excellent provision for pupils to fully experience different and engaging environments.'

Inspectors were also impressed by the attitude of the students. They felt that behaviour of pupils was outstanding. Inspectors also felt that the school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.

To view the full Ofsted report please click  https://sites.google.com/aetinet.org/pioneer-school/statutory-information/ofsted-reports

WHY JOIN OUR ACADEMY?

Staff Benefits

Development:

We are committed to developing all staff at all levels through high quality development opportunities, resources, and experiences  that will support you on your professional learning journey with AET.

Lifestyle:

We champion agile/flexible working across the Trust to help our people achieve an optimal work/life balance.

Money:

All staff have access to our pension schemes (Local Government Pension Scheme and Teachers’ Pension Scheme).  Everyone has free access to financial advice & support and can access a wide range of retail discounts through our AET Benefits scheme. We also offer Technology Loans to help with any big digital purchases.

Wellbeing:

We recognise that mental wellbeing is just as important as physical health and have set up employee assistance programmes which offer free and confidential counselling 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Our employees can access our health cash place scheme from BHSF.

OUR TRUST

This is a hugely exciting time to be joining the organisation, and as we pivot from being in turnaround mode to becoming a high performance organisation on the pathway to sustainable excellence. This will see us building our in-house education improvement capacity and expertise, making sure that our schools have all the support they need to deliver an excellent education for every child, every day.

Our people are our single greatest resource and we want to make sure we are creating the optimum environment and conditions so that everyone in AET can do their very best work. We will only deliver on our promise of excellence for all of our children if we attract, develop and retain the very best talent in the country and surround them with exceptional development throughout their careers.

We want people on our team who are excited by scale and the prospect of having a deep and lasting impact on the lives of tens of thousands of children. We also want people who are intellectually rigorous, stay curious, and generous enough to be committed to the messy challenge of collaboration.

AET has an exciting future ahead and by joining us on this journey, you will have an unparalleled opportunity to make a lasting and meaningful impact on the children and young people in our schools.

Equality, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

At AET, we want all of our employees to feel included bringing their passion, creativity and individuality to work. We value all cultures, backgrounds and experiences, and we truly believe that diversity drives innovation.

We also offer teacher training programmes across our network. For more information please click here.

To find out more about AET please click here.

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Applications closed