Headteacher

New Headteacher required from Easter 2020 to set up a brand new 420 place primary school opening in September 2020 with a nursery (Bright Sparks) for 60 children from 2 years old. Two new housing developments on the edge of Wellington have given rise to the need for a new primary school in the market town of Wellington, which nestles in the  beautiful rural countryside between the Blackdown Hills and Exmoor, within 5 minutes of the M5. The new headteacher will be involved in the design and setting up of the new school, recruiting staff and governors, and every step of the pre-opening stage.

IKB is a free school supported by the Local Authority and with support from the other local primary schools with whom we work closely. Good relationships with other schools in the area are very important and we share CPD and INSET. STEM is one of the key strands of our curriculum and ethos for IKB, hence the name, and children will know that learning is about trying things, learning why things don’t always go right straight away and developing resilience through STEM activities and enrichment.

As part of The Castle Partnership Trust, our vision is for every child is to achieve, belong and to participate in learning, enrichment and community.  This is an exciting opportunity for an ambitious, inspirational and talented leader who will relentlessly focus on providing the best possible education for our children and ensure that our children can be the very best they can be. The Headteachers in the Trust are not expected to have a teaching commitment but to be able to focus on school improvement and staff and children’s wellbeing.

If you have the drive, determination and energy to build a brand new school within the Trust, working with neighbouring schools and heads and enriching to Wellington as a community, and with deep commitment to the wellbeing of children, then we want to hear from you!

We offer the successful candidate:

• The exciting opportunity to set up a school from the very start
• The support and resources from a warm and supportive Trust
• The opportunity to develop professionally and personally
• A dedicated, innovative and focused team of Trust staff and directors who share the same passion of ensuring that every child achieves their full potential and beyond, that every child belongs and has self-esteem and that every child participates in learning, enrichment and the community.
• Professional support from the MAT and the Local Authority and well-established school to school collaboration

We are looking for a candidate who:

• Will empower and inspire staff and children to be the best they can be
• Is able to sustain and accelerate progress in raising standards of teaching and learning
• Drives the development of a curriculum rooted in STEM, Arts and Humanities as well as English and Maths, that both engages and challenges children
• Strives for ambitious standards for all children with a range of challenges within a nurturing and inclusive environment
• Will develop and widen parental involvement
• Is visible, approachable and has the resilience to meet the day to day challenges of headship
• Has personal and professional integrity and is not afraid to challenge when appropriate in the best interests of our children

If you would like to speak to Sarah Watson, CEO The Castle Partnership Trust, about the role please email jgregory@castle.somerset.sch.uk  or phone 01823 274073.

For further information about the job and the school please visit www.ikbschool.co.uk  

To make an application for this role please complete an application form with a covering letter by 9am on Wednesday 22 January 2020. The covering letter can either be written in Section F of the application form or as a separate document.

In your letter of application please include:

• A statement of your vision and values and what it is that appeals to you about this post.
• The story of your career so far
• Evidence of impact – this should make up the main part of your letter and demonstrate your leadership in whatever areas you have experience. I am always interested in what impact you have had on young people so data is important- if you have had responsibility for attendance, behaviour and/or participation this is as important as achievement so please include data from your own classes as well as whatever whole school data you have contributed to.

Please ensure your covering letter is no more than 2 sides of A4 in total and in Arial font size 12. We do not need a personal statement in addition to the letter. 

Please note that covering letters from candidates who are shortlisted for interview will be sent to their referees for comment as part of the reference process.

Applications should be emailed to Recruitment@castle.somerset.sch.uk  or posted to:

Mr Rob Trowbridge, Assistant Business Manager, The Castle School, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 5AU.

The timeline for recruitment is as follows:

• Closing date for applications is 9am Wednesday 22 January 2020

• Shortlisting will take place by 23 January

• Invitations for interview will be sent 23 January

• References will be taken up at this point

• Interviews will be held on 29 & 30 January with a variety of tasks and panel interviews.

Closing Date: 9am on Wednesday 22 January 2020 

Interviews: Wednesday 29 & Thursday 30 January 2020