Assistant Headteacher

ST MARY’S CATHOLIC SCHOOL

Newcastle upon Tyne

Headteacher: E Patterson NOR c.1450

Assistant Headteacher- Teaching and Learning

Assistant Headteacher- Pastoral 

L12-L16

Full-Time, Permanent Posts

Required from September 2021 

The Governors wish to appoint two Assistant Headteachers to play a key role in the senior leadership of St Mary’s Catholic School, an exceptionally high performing school.   Governors hope the posts will be attractive both to those seeking their first assistant headship and to serving Assistant Headteachers seeking a new challenge.  The posts will include wide-ranging leadership responsibilities across the school, including supporting and developing staff as a senior leadership team link, contributing to the wider life of the school and contributing to the strategic development of the school.   The posts have arisen due to the internal promotion of colleagues within the school.  These posts will provide excellent preparation for future progression and development within a Catholic School.

We have an experienced and flexible SLT, so specific responsibilities will be agreed with the successful candidates on appointment, however the broad areas of leadership for the two posts are:

• Assistant Headteacher- Teaching and Learning- leading Teaching and Learning and Departmental Academic Achievement in the school, working closely with the Head of Department team.  Ideally, the successful candidate would also be able to develop expertise in others areas of school life such as Curriculum Planning, with a view to potentially leading aspects of curriculum planning in the future.

• Assistant Headteacher- Pastoral- leading Pastoral Care, Safeguarding and support for disadvantaged and vulnerable students across Years 7-11. Ideally, the successful candidate would also be able to develop expertise in other areas of student support such as Information, Advice and Guidance for students, potentially leading other areas as part of this role or in the future. 

Further details regarding the broad responsibilities of the roles are outlined in the Job Description. The successful candidates should also be able to play a leading role in School to School support within the Bishop Bewick Catholic Trust as required.  Generic leadership qualities are just as important and our key priority, therefore, is to recruit the best senior leaders at this important time in the school’s continued development.  Full training and unstinting support will be given.  

St Mary’s is widely recognised as a consistently high performing school, rated Outstanding by the Diocese and Ofsted.  DfE Performance Tables confirm the school’s exceptional academic performance at each key stage and in each curriculum area.  Outcomes have been in the top 10% nationally consistently over many years.  We are very popular with parents and one of the most oversubscribed schools in the north-east.  We have around 1200 students in the main school and our Sixth Form of over 250 is expected to grow to around 300 in the next couple of years.  We have fantastic teaching and support staff and also benefit from superb facilities in a lovely building which opened in 2011 and has been subsequently extended.    We joined the Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust in June 2020. 

The Governors wish to appoint suitably experienced school leaders with:-

• A clear commitment to nurturing and promoting the school’s distinctive ethos.
• A passion for providing the best possible holistic education for all students.
• Excellent leadership qualities and management skills.
• A commitment to maximising achievement through excellence in teaching and learning.
• An excellent track record as a classroom teacher and school leader.

Application packs are available to download here, from our school website, or by e-mailing the Director of Finance and Support Services, louise.douds@st-marys.newcastle.sch.uk.  If you require any further information about the post, please do not hesitate to contact Suzanne Fisher, Acting Deputy Headteacher on 0191 215 3260.

Closing date is 9.00am on Friday 12th March 2021.  Interviews are likely to be held in the following week.

The school is fully committed to safeguarding and the welfare of children and young people.  This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check.