Assistant Head Teacher
Samuel Pepys School
Cambridgeshire
- Expired
- Salary:
- L8 £46,799 to L12 £51,639
- Job type:
- Full Time, Permanent
- Start date:
- September 2018
- Apply by:
- 29 April 2018
Job overview
Our School
Samuel Pepys is a Cambridgeshire area special school for 108 pupils aged 3 to 19 living in St. Neots and the surrounding area. All pupils have an Education, Health and Care Plan to meet their severe and complex needs. Our pupils inspire and teach us a lot and we are committed to ensuring everyone achieves their full potential through fun, innovative, purposeful and engaging learning opportunities.
Due to the promotion of our Assistant Head Teacher to become our Deputy Head Teacher, the opportunity has arisen to join our forward thinking and friendly school from September 2018. The Governors looking to recruit an inspirational, dynamic leader to join our leadership team to raise standards further and work collaboratively to successfully implement our school improvement plan. This is an exciting opportunity to join a school that is constantly moving forward, well-networked and committed to high standards for every pupil and staff team member. The school is well supported by families, Governors and the local community.
The Job
As an Assistant Head Teacher you will work closely with the Head Teacher, Deputy, School Business Manager and other members of the leadership and management team to lead on the operational day-to-day leadership of a department within the school in addition to other specific leadership responsibilities and teaching commitment, which will be agreed in line with the skills and interests of the successful candidate.
We are looking for an Assistant Head Teacher who will:
- Ensure every pupil feels safe, happy and engaged in their learning at Samuel Pepys School
- Be an outstanding practitioner and an exceptional, positive role model, committed to developing the full potential of every pupil and have high expectations of achieving outcomes, making exceptional progress and supporting positive behaviour
- Be a highly motivated, reflective leader and team member with proven, relevant SEND experience who is positive about change
- Have highly developed people management and interpersonal skills and an ability to tackle issues and be accountable and responsible for making effective decisions
- Be able to work effectively in partnership with all members of the school community
- Inspire, support and coach teachers and teaching assistants to work at their best, plan and deliver high quality professional development opportunities
- Have vision, be creative and have the ability to innovate, motivate and inspire others
- Be a self-motivated task completer, also supporting others to work effectively within agreed time frames
- Take a full and active role in all aspects of school life
Our new Assistant Head Teacher can expect to:
- Work in a dynamic, busy and thriving school
- Work collaboratively in all aspects of leadership and management with like minded colleagues with a strong staff team ethos
- Be part of a friendly and outward looking school community with 108 wonderful pupils and their families
- Join a staff team committed to ensuring all pupils meet their full potential, develop as well rounded individuals and are well prepared for the next phase of their life
- Access high quality continued professional development and be encouraged to develop networking opportunities
- Be supported by a knowledgeable, motivated and pro-active Governing Body who strive to improve outcomes for children and are committed to the well-being of its staff
- Work in a well-resourced school with a dedicated leadership office and staff learning area
- Engage in great multi-disciplinary working, with on-site therapists and regular multi-disciplinary meetings
- Enjoy a new and rewarding challenge!
We would welcome the chance to meet you and would be delighted to show you around our school. We expect prospective applicants to visit the school before submitting their application. If you would like to talk informally about this exciting opportunity please contact Joanne Hardwick, Head Teacher on 01480 375012 or email head@samuelpepys.cambs.sch.uk
You are invited to look around the school and meet pupils and staff on Wednesday 25th April at 2.00pm
Please complete and return the application form with an accompanying letter of application, cross referenced to the person specification by 9.00am on Monday 30th April 2018
Interviews will be held Friday 4th May 2018
Samuel Pepys School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. All appointments are subject to successful pre-employment checks including an enhanced DBS, medical check and references, which will be requested prior to interview.
Attached documents
About Samuel Pepys School
Samuel Pepys is a mixed all-age (3-19) area special school maintained by Cambridgeshire County Council serving the needs of the second largest town in Cambridgeshire and the surrounding area. In September 2007 Samuel Pepys became a Specialist School for Cognition and Learning.
The school roll stands at 94 (Jan 08 PLASC), the place element is 103.
The students all have a statement and have a wide range of special educational needs, the majority having severe or profound and multiple learning difficulties; the students with moderate difficulties mainly have other complex needs. The majority of the students work within the P levels. Many students have additional medical, sensory, communication and physical difficulties and some display quite challenging behaviours. In recognition of this the funding formula allows us to maintain high levels of support.
Students come to us from a wide geographical area; most are brought to and from school on school transport, although we teach and encourage independent travel where possible.
Students come from an equally wide range of economic backgrounds. Parts of St Neots feature in the Indices of Deprivation as being areas of high need in terms of family income, health deprivation and disability income. The area has high rates of teenage pregnancy. Conversely the area also has areas of wealth, prosperity and high employment.
Currently 21% of students have free school meals, which shows a steady rise from 15% over the last three years.
Everyone at Samuel Pepys School is committed to the following aims:
• Promote personal, social and independence skills at all levels
• Develop communication skills
• Ensure all students realise their academic potential
• Prepare students for a life after school in which they can participate fully with a strong sense of personal identity.
These aims are clearly stated at the front of our prospectus. They were arrived at through consultation with parents, students, staff and governors.
The school has 11 class bases each with a team of committed and well trained teaching assistants working alongside a teacher. There are 5 primary classes and 5 senior classes. Many of our students spend 3 years in our Post 16 provision where we currently have 18 students. We have co-located rooms in the 6th form centre at St Neots Community College. This allows our KS5 students to work alongside their mainstream peers. Much emphasis is placed upon personalised learning and the curriculum and learning opportunities are well planned to ensure students maximise their potential. In all there are 16.4 Fte teachers and 43 teaching assistants.
The school has a range of specialist rooms providing for the wide and varied needs of the students. These include a Sensory Room, Soft Play, ICT, Food Tech with three kitchen areas for Life Skills, Art, Science, Music and a large gym, which is also used for whole school assemblies.
The school has an excellent reputation for partnership working with a range of professionals to ensure students and parents have access to services to meet their needs. The school benefits from a wide range of visiting professionals who speak highly of the provision at Samuel Pepys. Parents have regular access to professionals through the normal channels but in addition the school invites the Learning Disability Partnership, Connexions, School Nurse, Physiotherapist, Speech Therapist, Music Therapists, Scope, Sense, Governors and representatives from the Friends of Samuel Pepys parents group to parents’ evenings.
Teaching staff, students and parents are excellently well served by a team of admin staff led by the Bursar, Jane Buckham. The school also has a full time Site Officer.
There is an attractive play area with climbing frames, quiet spaces, sensory garden and pedal go-cart track. On the field there is a vegetable garden, football pitch and an activity trail.
…… and for the future, funds are in place and planning is going ahead to build our own Hydrotherapy Pool. A massive but much needed project!
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