Head of Computing and ICT

Dear prospective applicant, 

Thank you for expressing an interest in this key vacancy at our college. This post has become vacant due to the retirement of the current post-holder. In addition to this letter I would also urge you to look at our website and the video about what it is we stand for and why you would want to join us - https://www.crownhills.com/join-us/

The College has been serving the community since 1950 and continues to be a Good school after last being inspected in January 2016. 

My desire is that we do not become a College that is driven by OFSTED and whether we are GOOD or OUTSTANDING. I want us to be at the forefront of educational excellence because we want to provide the best educational experience possible for the children in our care.  This is extremely difficult in a climate of ever increasing accountability and diminishing resources. However I sincerely believe that if we lead this community by staying true to our values then it is possible.

I have therefore spent time with staff and exploring what it is we stand for and after a school wide consultation have decided that ASPIRATION, COMMITMENT AND SUCCESS are the three key drivers that will support the development of our pupils.

The successful candidate will be expected to teach ICT and computing at Key Stages 3 and 4. Knowledge of Key Stage 5 would be advantageous in order to help our pupils rise to the level of demand required of them by the new GCSE specifications. For your information, the faculty currently uses the CIDA qualification for the 2019 Yr 11 cohort. The cohorts for 2020 and beyond are following the OCR Creative iMedia course.  There are also 2 smaller classes of students in Yr. 9 following a Computing course. This is a growth area for the Faculty.

At Crown Hills, we are seeking a creative and dynamic Head of Faculty who can lead and manage a team of dedicated ICT and Computing teachers while taking them (and their results) on a journey from good to great. An ability to plan and deliver effective strategies to raise the attainment and accelerate the progress of all pupils is essential. 

The faculty consists of 4 teachers at varying stages of their careers including one Head of Year and 2 other members of staff who hold TLR responsibilities in the faculty. The ongoing development of teachers who are new to the profession as well as supporting more experienced teachers to refine their established practice is something for which you will be responsible. 

The ICT Faculty is part of the Exploration Zone, which is made up of Modern Foreign Languages, Humanities, Lifeskills and ICT. All Heads of Faculty in the zone share an office both to facilitate informal support and the sharing of best practice.

The successful candidate must be able to build on the faculty’s relative successes and move it forward. In doing so, you will be able to draw on the expertise and support of Senior Leaders, other Middle Leaders and various colleagues across the school and use its state-of-the-art facilities to effect the necessary changes which we will empower you to make.

The successful applicant will be expected to work with the other Faculty Leaders within the zone to ensure smooth day to day running and to create and implement an annual zone improvement plan. S/he will also work as part of the wider Leadership Group to form and drive vision and policy across the college. Further information about the college’s aims and values can be found on our website at www.crownhills.com.  We expect applicants to be committed to equal opportunities, multi-cultural education and team-working.  

The successful applicant will not be given a tutorial role but we expect all staff to help students in their wider social and personal education. The successful candidate will be linked to a specific year group to support student achievement.  Crown Hills has a strong commitment to C.P.D.  This is an excellent place in which to further a career in leadership.

We are very clear that the gender, background, colour, poverty, wealth or social status of a child should have no bearing on how well they perform and staff here work extremely hard in trying to close that gap between the different groups of pupils. 

2018 saw us record our best results for progress with a score of +0.25. This places us in the top 25% of schools nationally for progress. This means that our students make significant progress as they arrive below national on entry but well above national when they leave us.

As a Faculty leader this role will require significant strategic as well operational leadership. We are looking for somebody who is innovative, willing to take risks and looking to create educational excellence by leading a team that delivers quality first teaching in the classroom on a daily basis. 

That process has already started and we have removed lesson observations from the appraisal process and linked it to professional development. Currently staff are entitled to ‘visits’ and entitled to a professional dialogue to improve their practice. That is a risk we have taken but it is aimed at creating a learning community where teachers can teach and learners can learn without fear.

We want to build a learning community that is built on trust and continuous professional development. 

If you have high aspirations for children from deprived backgrounds and want to support the leadership of excellence by improving pupil outcomes, then we would love to hear from you. 

Please read the attached job description and person specification.  If you are interested in applying, please fill in the application form available on our website: www.crownhills.com, please include e-mail addresses of all referees, and e-mail it together with a letter of application (no more than 2 sides of A4) outlining your skills, qualifications and experience relevant to this post to jamey@crownhills.leicester.sch.uk by 9am on Friday 22nd March 2019. 

In particular, please tell us about any initiative or strategy you have introduced, led or used to raise achievement and the impact it had on outcomes.  

Interviews are due to take place on the 28th or 29th March 2019. 

Should you wish to visit the College please contact my PA Jo Amey by email jamey@crownhills.leicester.sch.uk

I look forward to meeting you and receiving your application.

Yours sincerely, 

Mr F Adam

Principal