Head of Academic Advancement

Manor House School is set in seventeen acres of magical gardens, woodlands and sports fields that make it a truly wonderful school to work in.

The Academic Advancement department provides individual and small group support to girls with a variety of learning difficulties, mostly dyslexia. Currently thirty-eight girls have passports with targets specific to their needs and receive some sort of support. We are a small department who work closely together to ensure that all the girls achieve their potential. Over the last five years, despite having some significant difficulties to overcome, all the girls who have taken GCSEs have achieved as well as their peers and this is testament to their determination and hard work as well as their trust in the staff who work with them. We aim to build resilience and independence in all girls, but especially those who require that little bit extra to get them through. 

There is a large element of pastoral work involved in the role, as many of the girls find that one-to-one sessions are an opportunity to discuss other issues that may be holding them back. It is therefore important that the applicant has pastoral experience and, as the current SENCO is able to carry out educational psychology assessments, if the person appointed was able to do this, or was willing to be trained, then this would also be advantageous. 

The ability to appraise a small group of staff and work with the wider school community is essential.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership

• Provide effective coordination and leadership of the School’s SEN and disability provision 
• To work with the Senior Leadership Team and the school governors to ensure the school is compliant with the SEND Code of Practice (January 2015) and the Equality Act 2010 by providing effective coordination and leadership of the school’s SEN provision
• Coordinate and lead on annual reviews of EHCP’s 
• Be responsible for the preparation of the annual SEN information report and the preparation of reports to the governing body 
• Analyse data generated by school assessments effectively to inform future pupil progress and strategies for such. Liaise with other areas of the school (HOY/HOD/SLT etc.) to ensure this information is accurate and acted upon.

Learning and Teaching

• Be responsible for the day-to-day operation of SEN policy and co-ordination of specific provision made to support individual pupils with SEN, including those who have EHC plans (currently 1 child and 1 pending)
• Be responsible for ensuring that a child with SEN gets the right support they need at the right time by liaising effectively with parents and staff across the school
• Ensure that students with SEN are fully involved in the life of the school alongside pupils who do not have SEN 
• Teach an appropriate lesson load, as appropriate to skills and qualifications 
• Work with the Exams Officer to ensure that access arrangements are applied for, in good time, and in place as required 
• Being able to report on progress being made by SEND students across the school as required
• Undertake professional development as agreed with school leaders
• Ensure that an accurate SEN register is kept up to date by effective identification and monitoring of progress and development of all pupils 

School improvement and quality assurance

• Update the school SEND policy at regular intervals
• Oversee the planning, production and renewal of Learning Passports and their dissemination to all relevant staff 
• Lead on the development and implementation of inclusive practice throughout the school, including ensuring that appropriate training occurs where necessary 
• Work with the Deputy Head and Head of the Prep School to ensure that that staff are guided on the choice of appropriate teaching and learning methods to meet the needs of pupils 

Pupil Support

• Work with individuals and small groups to deliver programmes to support learning, liaising with teachers and other staff as required 
• Meet with parents as necessary 
• Be responsible for the baseline assessment of new students to aid early identification of SEN 
• Review SEN information presented for applicants to the school and advise the Headteacher on the school’s ability to meet their specific learning needs. 

For a complete description and person specification please download the attached pack.

Interviews will be late January 2018.