Assistant Headteacher – Teaching and Learning

Swakeleys School for Girls is an oversubscribed girls’ school in Hillingdon where our focus is to ensure that students enjoy school, achieve well, aspire to fulfilling futures and feel happy and successful. The opportunity has arisen for a strong, enthusiastic and ambitious leader to become an Assistant Headteacher for the core business of our organisation – teaching and learning. Swakeleys School for Girls has an experienced and stable senior leadership group and we are looking for a candidate who is passionate about teaching and learning to move the school forward and support our students both within the classroom and beyond. The role is an exciting one with core responsibilities but also an opportunity to shape the role for the right candidate. If you have significant middle leader experience and a track record of improving outcomes for students and want to be part of our successful school then please consider applying. You will lead on crucial elements of teaching and learning, alongside the Deputy Headteacher and leadership group.

Key responsibilities:

• To lead on the introduction of Steplab coaching across the school and support staff to use it effectively.
• To constantly monitor research evidence regarding teaching and learning and use this information to support our teaching staff to provide a world class education to our students.
• To lead on the informal monitoring of teaching and learning via lesson visits and build up a profile of the strengths of teaching and learning across the school.
• Using evidence from lesson visits devise appropriate CPD for teaching and learning meetings throughout the academic year.
• Actively seek out feedback regarding teaching and learning meetings and ensure that they are meeting the needs of the teaching staff.
• Monitor the impact of CPD provided to staff in teaching and learning meetings and modify accordingly.
• Lead on the work scrutiny aspect of our monitoring processes and feed into monitoring reports created by the Deputy Headteacher.
• Lead on the development of beginner teachers across the school ensuring that there is strategic planning in terms of ensuring a stable team of subject specialists across Swakeleys School year on year.
• Monitor the impact of CPD provided to staff in teaching and learning meetings and modify accordingly.
• Champion teaching and learning using Rosenshine to develop a shared and codified language around teaching and learning.
• Work with middle leaders to support them in developing subject specific pedagogy within their teams.
• Contribute to the organisation and running of an annual whole school review and work on any areas of development identified linked to teaching and learning.
• Pilot instructional coaching with a view to introducing this more whole school.

General responsibilities:

The postholder will:

Play a major role under the overall direction of the Headteacher in:

• Formulating the aims and objectives of the school.
• Establishing the policies through which they shall be achieved.
• Managing staff and resources to that end.
• Monitoring progress towards their achievement.
• Promoting inclusion.

• Be responsible for playing a major role in the schools self-evaluation document and the SDP.

• Be responsible for using data to track academic progress and plan appropriate support/intervention for the departments/year groups that you line manage.

• Be responsible for line managing designated members of teaching and support staff.

• Be expected to play a full part in the life of the school community to support the Leadership Group.

Candidates should:

• Have QTS and five or more years of experience of working in a middle or senior leadership role in a maintained school/Academy.
• Be a fantastic teacher!
• Demonstrate a track record of stakeholder management; developing colleagues and being an approachable and collegiate leader.
• Have cutting edge knowledge of research informed practices around teaching and learning.
• Have an understanding of the educational landscape and effective change management within a busy school environment.
• Have the stamina and resilience to work hard in a fast moving and demanding school environment.
• Be computer literate with working knowledge of SIMS, Google Docs and Drive (or the ability to become quickly proficient in these packages).
• Possess a proven ability to lead complex initiatives and inspire confidence across the school community.
• Demonstrate success in improving operational effectiveness of a department/whole school area.
• Have the ability to manage a budget effectively.
• Have the ability to make accurate judgments with regard to strategic operational decisions and interventions.
• Be open to further professional development.
• Have good stamina, sense of humour and be a team player.
• Have integrity, reliability and evidence of a clear vision and philosophy of education.
• Be very organised, able to think creatively and have excellent time management skills.
• Have a commitment to equal opportunities and the aims and ethos of Swakeleys School for Girls and 6th Form@Swakeleys.

How to apply

Please use Quick Apply on TES - you need to write no more than two sides of A4 explaining why you are suited to the role and the impact that you have had in your current or previous roles. You will also need to complete a School application form (sorry but we do not accept CVs). We will use application letters to shortlist and unfortunately are unable to provide feedback on application forms.

Deadline to apply is noon, Wednesday 15 May 2024.

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted shortly after the advert closes with interviews scheduled for the week commencing 20th May. Swakeleys School reserves the right to close the advert early if a suitable candidate is found. 

If you have any further questions about this post or would like to arrange an informal conversation with the Headteacher or visit to the school then please feel free to contact her via her PA Zoe Wilkins.

Equal Opportunities and Safer Recruitment

Swakeleys School for Girls is an inclusive employer. We welcome applications from suitable candidates no matter their gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, or disability. Please note that Swakeleys School for Girls is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. The successful candidate must be able to satisfy successful references, an enhanced police / Security Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and right to work in the UK prior to starting employment with the School.

As part of our recruitment process we will also carry out an online search for information that is publicly available online. This will include social media accounts you may hold. This will only be carried out on shortlisted candidates and before the interview. This processing of data will be conducted under the legal basis of Article 6(e) public task in line with the guidance laid out in paragraph 221 of Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2023. Any data collected during this search will be retained in line with our retention schedule which is available on request.

If you want to work in a happy, purposeful School with a commitment to helping Swakeleys students succeed then we would welcome your application.