Headteacher
John Ball Primary School
Blackheath
- Expired
- Salary:
- (L22-L28) - £74,565 – £85,167
- Job type:
- Full Time, Permanent
- Start date:
- September 2019
- Apply by:
- 17 March 2019
Job overview
John Ball Primary School, an Ofsted outstanding three form entry school in the heart of Blackheath Village, is seeking a new headteacher to commence in September 2019 following the decision of our current headteacher to return to his home city with his new family after ten successful years leading our school.
During the last decade our school has proactively responded to the national challenge of increasing primary places by undertaking two major building projects that has expanded the school to three form entry. With a current cohort of 612 pupils from 29 countries speaking 31 languages, the school will reach its maximum expanded capacity of 700 pupils over the next three years. The school has preserved its unique character comprising of generous teaching and non-teaching facilities, a spacious wooded KS2 playground, separate KS1 and EYFS playgrounds, a staff of 84, and a comfortable current and predicted budget surplus. This academic year we received 329 applications for 90 places. We have built a team of passionate and hardworking staff who have a collaborative approach, share best practice and have a deep commitment to providing the best education for the children. We also have a strong and supportive governing body, an engaged parent body, an incredibly active PTA, and are committed to professional development opportunities.
We are searching for an inspirational and strategic leader to work alongside our exceptionally talented team to build on our achievements and broad curriculum, maintain and improve our high standards whilst steering the school forward as we reach full capacity of 700 pupils in 2022.
Our ideal candidate will be a senior leader with a variety of experience, understanding and passion for outstanding teaching and learning across all nursery and primary key stages. We are looking for someone who has:
- proven strategic leadership and management skills in a senior leadership position;
- an excellent track record in continuous school improvement;
- the ability to respond strategically to the rapidly changing primary education environment and an excellent grasp of the wider educational landscape;
- passion, enthusiasm and energy to develop a varied and exciting curriculum catering for all the children’s needs in partnership with staff, pupils, parents, carers and governors;
- the ability to encourage, support and develop teachers, guiding them to become outstanding;
- knowledge of what it takes to retain a schools “outstanding” Ofsted rating;
- high expectations of pupil behaviours, their achievements, and the need to ensure they reach their full potential;
- the desire and ability to maintain current John Ball values and create a nurturing, respectful and welcoming environment for pupils, staff and the extended school community;
- an understanding of the importance of promoting the principles of inclusion and safeguarding;
- excellent communication skills.
Potential candidates are strongly encouraged to visit the school. Visits can be arranged during the week commencing 11th March by contacting Maria Valkova at the John Ball School Office on 020 8852 1601 or htvacancy@johnball.lewisham.sch.uk
Application forms can be obtained by emailing htvacancy@johnball.lewisham.sch.uk
Closing Date: 11:59 pm Sunday 17th March 2019
Shortlisting: Tuesday 19th March 2019
Interviews: Week commencing 25th March 2019
Further information on our school can be found on our website http://www.johnball.lewisham.sch.uk/ or by following our twitter account @JBPrimary.
Attached documents
About John Ball Primary School
Our School
Our School John Ball School is sited on the edge of the Blackheath Ward in the London Borough of Lewisham. The school is 3 form entry with 612 pupils on roll with a bulge year group in YR3 for 2018/2019. The school has been through two major building programmes to accommodate the extra classes. The School and LA were granted funding from the DfE’s Basic Need Fund to permanently expand the school to 3 form entry.
The most distinctive characteristic of John Ball Primary School is the exceptionally diverse economic, social and cultural backgrounds of its children and the community it serves. The main aim and overriding ethos of the school is to address this diversity of context and to be a consistently inclusive school under the motto “Achievement, ambition and progress for all…”
John Ball is one of the highest performing schools in Lewisham and England. Additionally, our Early Learning and KS1 outcomes are consistently above the Local Authority and National averages.
John Ball — Our Approach
First and foremost people learn best when they feel safe, secure and happy. Our staff prioritise positive relationships with our pupils as the bedrock of all that we do. From there we focus on learning to learn. We then develop the skills our young people need to be successful learners and confident individuals.
Without the ability to read, to write and to work with numbers, people can never take advantage of what education and the wider world has to offer. At John Ball we make sure that all of our pupils are taught these basic skills rigorously.
Our pupils learn in a variety of ways and we believe in varying the learning experiences we offer them in order to best meet their needs. Our curriculum is rich, engaging and exciting; designed to reflect the world and community our children live in. Our pupils will experience high quality direct teaching where they are expected to interact with the teacher through quality questioning. At times they will learn independently, collaboratively and actively through play, discovery, innovation, design and essentially through talking and listening.
We teach skills and knowledge to children in discrete subject areas and also through the wider curriculum where we group learning together. Our staff are very skilled at taking subject areas and linking them. We also endeavour to ensure that pupils have the chance to appreciate how what they are learning relates to the wider world and their future. We have worked hard to provide our young people with a highly stimulating learning environment.
We are unique and lucky as an inner London school to have the extensive grounds that we do. Our pupils have a wonderfully green, wooded environment to play and learn in. How many schools can boast having a half acre wood in their grounds?
Equal Opportunities
At John Ball, we are committed to developing and maintaining the highest standards of respect and justice for all our pupils and their families. Our pupils come from many cultural and religious backgrounds, reflecting the diversity within our local community. We are constantly striving for this diversity to be reflected by both staff and governors.
We oppose and challenge discrimination on any basis. We work in partnership with parents/carers to ensure awareness and understanding of the different beliefs and traditions which co-exist within the school and community. We endeavour to ensure that our resources, code of conduct, school organisation and recruitment policies reflect our determination to ensure equal opportunity for all.
The School Community
Staff
The Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher and Assistant Headteacher lead the school assisted by a Management Team of senior teachers. In addition to this, most members of the teaching staff hold leadership responsibility for a specialist area of the curriculum. We are also very fortunate to have a highly trained group of support, office and premises staff to aid in the effective and smooth running of the school.
Governors
Our Governors are representatives of the local community, parents/carers and school staff. They bring a range of interests, knowledge and skills to this role. They have responsibility for overseeing the organisation, curriculum and budget of the school. Governors meet four times a year and more regularly in smaller sub-committees.
Friends of John Ball
Friends of John Ball is a registered charity. It is a group made up of parents/carers, friends and staff who co-ordinate social and fundraising events during the year. Meetings are held regularly to plan whole school events and to decide where best to target funds raised. All parents/carers and staff are automatically members and your skills and support would be very much welcomed.
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