Associate Assistant Headteacher: Mathematics

The Priory School is a thriving learning community which seeks to appoint an Associate Assistant Headteacher for Mathematics. We are looking for an inspirational, innovative and passionate Middle Leader who has the career aspiration to drive the standards of maths to outstanding. We are a forward thinking school with a positive learning environment; we will provide you with the right balance of support, time, challenge and stimulation for both job satisfaction and career development.

The Priory School:

• is oversubscribed
• is a Good school (March 2017) and will be an Outstanding school at the next Ofsted inspection
• has happy, disciplined students who are eager to achieve their best
• is situated on an attractive greenbelt campus in Hitchin with excellent transport links
• actively promotes staff wellbeing
• is a school that is committed to innovation and excellence

Job Description

Specific Responsibilities

The postholder will be responsible to the Headteacher and will demonstrate a genuine commitment to our Equality Policy and to the wellbeing of all students. This job description will be reviewed annually and will form the basis of the Performance Appraisal Review procedure. Any issues relating to the review of this job description should be brought to the Headteacher’s notice by the postholder. The postholder will undertake the following specific responsibilities in order to fulfill our statutory requirements, school aims, policies and targets.

Job Purpose

• To lead the Mathematics Department.
• Co-ordinate mathematical understanding and development by working with key partner organisations; Hitchin Post 16 consortium, North Hertfordshire Teaching Alliance and the Hitchin Primary school network.
• To contribute fully to effective corporate leadership of the school leading to improved standards of all aspects of the school’s work.
• To provide leadership of and take accountability for designated areas of the school’s work, leading to measureable improvement.
• To line manage a range of staff (where relevant) ensuring that those staff work to effect continuous improvement.
• To contribute to the school’s ethos, ensuring that it is a disciplined, well-ordered place for purposeful learning.
• To ensure that the school aims are put into practice and lead the drive for continuous improvement.
• To teach designated classes according to the requirements of the school timetable.

Key Processes

All members of the School Leadership Team are expected to contribute to the following processes:

• Strategic planning.
• Standards monitoring, performance tracking and intervention.
• Effective line management, including appraisal.
• Assisting the Headteacher with staff recruitment in their areas of responsibility.
• Assisting the Headteacher with staff capability or disciplinary procedures in their areas of responsibility.
• Effective deployment of resources.
• Administration and organisation.
• Production of reports for the governing body and attendance at full governing board meetings or committee meetings as required.
• Promotion of the school.
• Celebrating success and challenging inappropriate expectations, if necessary.

Key Areas of Responsibility

The post holder will, under the Headteacher’s overall direction, be expected to contribute to the leadership of the school on a range of issues. It is school policy to review and redistribute specific responsibilities within the SLT periodically.

The responsibilities of this post are;

• To lead the Mathematics Department.
• To co-ordinate The Priory School outreach work to develop Mathematical understanding with key partner organisations.
• To raise the aspirations of students by proactively engaging with The Priory School STEM strategy.

This job description should be read in conjunction with;

• The Statutory Requirements contained in the current version of the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions document
• The Teachers’ Standards
• The Priory School Professional skills level descriptors (career stage expectations)
• The Priory Professional Code of Conduct

Person Specification

1. Educational Qualifications/Training

• Honours Degree
• DfE recognised Qualified Teacher Status
• Relevant and recent CPD
• Further degree/professional qualification

2. Professional Experience

• An outstanding teacher with at least 5 years successful teaching experience (all ability, 11-18 age range)
• 3 years of more experience of middle leadership
• Proven track record of working through others to raise standards of student achievement
• Experience of managing a delegated budget
• Experience of managing student behaviour
• Experience of constructive co-operation with parents and governors
• Experience of working with local, regional and national organisations that promote and support the development of young people
• Leading/managing a whole school initiative/whole school change
• Experience in the use of ICT as a management and communication tool.

3. Professional Knowledge and Understanding

The successful application will need to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• What makes an outstanding school
• Strategies for raising student achievement
• Effective practice and approaches to teaching and learning
• How to lead whole school improvement and change
• Current educational trends and thinking
• School self-evaluation processes and standards monitoring
• Data and information to effect school improvement
• Ofsted framework for school inspection/self-evaluation
• Effective working relationships with the LA/outside agencies
• Successful team leadership and performance appraisal
• Staff development and Performance appraisal
• Use of the stakeholder voice to inform school improvement initiatives.

4. Personal Qualities and Skills We are looking for someone who:

• Has a strong track record of effecting improvement
• Can lead, motivate, enthuse and inspire staff and students, and win the confidence of parents and governors
• Has the ability to think strategically with imagination, vision, creativity and originality
• Is able to use ICT confidently
• Is reflective, self-critical, motivated and ambitious
• Has passion and believes that every student can succeed at The Priory School
• Is an effective communicator and presenter
• Can plan, organise and delegate effectively
• Possesses excellent inter-personal skills and can get people on board easily
• Can make tough decisions

The law requires this position to have an enhanced criminal background check. This is to protect children and vulnerable adults and to safeguard positions of trust. The position is, therefore, exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. If your application is taken further you will be asked to declare details of any criminal record, even convictions that are ‘spent’ according to the act. If you are offered the post this information will be checked against Criminal Records Bureau files. You will be provided with full information at each stage.

The Priory School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Please note that The Priory School operates a no smoking policy.

Please contact the school office for further details and an application form. Alternatively, these can be downloaded from the school’s website. If you would like a conversation about the post, or would like to visit the school in advance of applying, please contact Nicola Blake, Personnel Manager by email: nicola.blake@priory.herts.sch.uk.

Please return the completed forms and enclosing a letter of application addressed to Geraint Edwards, Headteacher, by 3:30pm on Wednesday 10th May 2017. Interviews will take place week commencing Monday 15th May 2017.

Closing date: 10/05/2017 15:30:00
Interview date: Week commencing 15th May 2017

We are a popular and successful 11-18 non-selective school co-educational foundation school. The school is oversubscribed with 1,120 students on roll and we are well placed for future expansion. Hitchin, is an attractive historic market town with a population of 34,000, forty minutes by train to central London and Cambridge. We are fortunate to possess extensive grounds and excellent facilities, offering a brand new teaching block, an extended Sixth Form, a recent extension to our Café and refurbished Art rooms. All other teaching areas are resourced and furnished to a very high standard.

We have created a learning environment which promotes high aspirations, expectations and academic success. Our aim is to provide a caring, safe and disciplined school in which our students can flourish physically, emotionally and academically. At The Priory School all teachers and support staff believe that every child has the right and ability to succeed. To embed our students’ learning, we need to ensure that we have strong partnerships with parents and carers. By sharing the same educational goals and working collaboratively together, we will be able to lay the foundations for the future success of our students.

In 2013 Ofsted identified that we were a 'good' school - "Students are keen to learn and they behave well in lessons and when moving around the school. They say they feel valued and respected and appreciate the range of activities available to them". New colleagues will join a rapidly improving school which has a dynamic, positive learning environment. We will provide the right balance of support, challenge and stimulation for both job satisfaction and career development.

The Priory School:

• is oversubscribed
• has happy, disciplined students who are eager to achieve their best
• is situated on an attractive greenbelt campus in Hitchin with excellent transport links
• actively promotes staff wellbeing
• is a school that is committed to innovation and excellence

For more information and to apply online : www.teachinherts.com