Headteacher

The Governors of Rice Lane Primary School are looking to recruit a Headteacher following the decision of our current Headteacher to retire this summer. This is a fantastic opportunity for either an existing Headteacher/Head of School, or a highly experienced Deputy Headteacher with a proven record in school improvement and strong leadership skills, to lead our school.

Situated in North Liverpool our school is a thriving and inclusive Local Authority maintained school. We currently have just over 630 pupils including a large nursery. We have a large building with limited grounds but we do regularly use our local city farm for Forest School with our younger children. 

Rice Lane Primary School is a three-form entry school which caters for children between the ages of three and eleven. We are delighted to have inquisitive and happy children, a friendly, hardworking and professional team of staff, together with engaged and supportive parents. We currently operate two ‘in-house’ support bases for SEND children. Everyone that visits the school will experience the warmth and sense of community, and that we pride ourselves in being a happy and successful place where expectations are high, individuals are valued and a wide range of educational opportunities are available to every member of our local community. Our Mission Statement is ‘Be Happy Together, Believe Together, Achieve Together’ and we are committed to working with our children and families to support the child to be the best they can be.

Our school is an excellent blend of existing traditional buildings and modern extensions, and each area is used to its optimal potential to encourage our children’s attitudes to learning, achievement, behaviour and development. Our recent experiences during this pandemic have shown the importance of team work and the well-being of children, staff and parents and the new Headteacher will need to ensure that this continues to be given priority. 

We also benefit from strong relationships with the wider community including working closely with local schools and the range of colleagues working in Liverpool. Liverpool Primary Headteachers are a collaborative and supportive group and a mentoring programme is in place for newly appointed Headteachers.

Our children are delightful and their behaviour was praised during the last Ofsted. They are generally confident, respectful and happy to learn. 

We belong to a network of five schools and work collaboratively as a SEND Consortia and also a support mechanism group for general issues. 

Our school is popular locally with families and is the first choice of school for most of our pupils. The school was judged to be ‘Good’ by Ofsted in June 2018. This is an exciting opportunity at a challenging time to join and lead our school as we strive to continue our journey of improving excellence and raising standards.

We are looking for a Headteacher who:

• Can secure and sustain outstanding teaching and learning embracing new developments and changes in the educational landscape;
• Is able to plan strategically and create a longer-term vision for our school;
• Is passionate about making a positive difference to our pupils’ lives within an inclusive environment; someone who is ambitious for all our pupils;
• Is empathetic, yet empowering; someone who works well in collaboration with other schools and with other relevant service providers;
• Can provide dynamic leadership to drive the school further forward on its journey to ‘Outstanding’;
• Has strong interpersonal skills and is a good communicator;
• Has experience in coaching others and so facilitating and securing the best from all stakeholders;
• Is resilient, adaptable and able to deal with complexity and challenge;
• Is outward looking and strong on innovation and able to keep up with cutting edge developments in pedagogy and leadership techniques.

We can offer:

• A school with a real sense of community and inclusivity; where everyone works together to secure the best outcomes for our pupils;
• Happy, enthusiastic and well-behaved pupils who are keen to learn;
• Supportive, dedicated, hardworking and friendly staff who are committed to the school’s further improvement;
• A strong Governing Body who provide both challenge and support;
• Strong partnerships with other local schools;
• A commitment to support your induction to this role as well as continuous professional development.

Applications

If you would like an informal discussion about this role please email c.sharkey@ricelane.liverpool.sch.uk who will send an invite out for a virtual tour and meeting with the Headteacher (date and times to be arranged).

For further information about our school and an application pack, please use the link below to our website: 

https://www.ricelaneprimary.co.uk/vacancies/

Rice Lane Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We require all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All posts are subject to pre-employment checks. References will be sought and the successful applicant will be required to apply for an Enhanced Disclosure from the DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service).

Rice Lane Primary School is an equal opportunities employer and promotes the elimination of discrimination in employment. If you do have a disability and would need us to make any adjustments, if shortlisted, for you to attend interview, then please do let us know when you submit your application.

Please send completed application forms to: k.bennett@ricelane.liverpool.sch.uk

Closing date: Friday 19 March 2021 at 12 noon

Shortlisting to take place the week beginning 22 March 2021

Interviews to be held week beginning 19 April 2021

Start date: 1st September 2021.

Supporting documents:

·        Job Description

·        Person Specification

·        Welcome Letter, February 2021

·        Application Form

·        Guidance for completing an Application Form

·        Equal Opportunities Form