Principal
Columbus School and College
Chelmsford, Essex
- Expired
- Salary:
- Competitive salary dependant on experience
- Job type:
- Full Time, Permanent
- Start date:
- January 2018
- Apply by:
- 29 June 2017
Job overview
Come and see for yourself!
Columbus is an all-age special school for children and young people aged 3-19 with severe and profound learning difficulties. We pride ourselves on providing our children and young people with a sense of success and positive achievement in their personal and academic skills. This is approached by treating every student with unconditional support and nurture.
Our new Principal will build on the foundations already in place, harness the schools significant potential and provide the strategic vision and dynamic leadership that will lead it to a confident and successful future.
You will:
- Be creative and innovative, with the vision and drive to lead the next stage of Columbus School and College development
- Have the passion, enthusiasm and energy to inspire the children and young people and community at Columbus School and College to reach their full potential
- Rise to the challenge of maintaining and enhancing educational standards for the complex educational needs of our diverse range of children and young people
- Have an in-depth knowledge of SEN and knowledge of national education strategy and the wider context for Special Schools
- Be a System Leader, with the ability to contribute to the growth, development and reputation of Academies Enterprise Trust
This is undoubtedly a challenging role, but a hugely rewarding one. You will start with considerable advantages – a highly motivated and committed team, terrific pupils and an experienced network around you to support you in driving the improvements needed in the academy.
This genuinely is a fantastic opportunity which could lead to fast progression within the Group and we would invite you to grasp with great enthusiasm. There may be the opportunity of an Executive Principal post for the right candidate.
We are a proud member of Academies Enterprise Trust (AET) network of 66 primary, secondary and special academies.
The position is due to commence January 2018 or earlier if possible. Interviews will be held on Tuesday 4 July 2017.
Closing date: Friday 30 June 2017
Visits to the academy prior to application are warmly welcomed so you can see for yourself what makes Columbus School and College so special. To arrange a visit, organise an informal discussion or for an application pack please contact Tanya Bentham on 0203 874 3095 or email
recruitment@academiesenterprisetrust.orgTo apply:
https://www.hirewire.co.uk/SG/1058184/MS_JobDetails.aspx?JobID=77159
We are committed to safeguarding and protecting the welfare of children and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. A Disclosure and Barring Service Certificate will be required for all posts. This post will be subject to enhance checks as part of our Prevent Duty.
Attached documents
About Columbus School and College
**Please scroll to the bottom of this page to view our live vacancies**
Columbus School and College was formerly two separate special needs schools in Chelmsford –Woodlands School in Patching Hall Lane and The Hayward School in Maltese Road.
Woodlands School served children with profound and multiple learning difficulties and complex learning difficulties aged 3–19 years. The Hayward School served children with moderate learning difficulties and autism aged 4–16.
The two schools federated in 2005 to form Chelmsford New Model Special School with a single governing body. There were two campuses – Woodlands Campus and Hayward Campus.
On the 1 September 2009 the two schools formally amalgamated to form Columbus School and College. The School Campus in Patching Hall Lane currently has pupils aged from Nursery to Year 10 and the College Campus in Oliver Way currently has students from Years 10 to 14. There is an FE Department on College Campus which has students from Year 12 to Year 14.
Graded as 'outstanding' by Ofsted in 2010 and 2014, Columbus is a leading all age special school for children and young people with severe and profound learning difficulties. The school became part of Lift Schools in May 2012. Columbus delivers an outstanding education in its new, purpose-built environment.
Our Curriculum
Columbus offers a broad and varied curriculum for all children and young people. Whilst recognising the need to provide access to all the subjects and learning experiences from the National Curriculum, we acknowledge the need to combine this with a more holistic view of learning with a focus upon a number of skills that can be challenging for our young people.
Our Key Skills Curriculum is designed to support lifelong learning, enabling us to do just that by intertwining subject specific learning experiences with opportunities to develop communication skills, problem solving skills, motor development, independence and social skills. personal, social and health skills, communication skills, applying and using mathematics, motor development, information technology skills, study skills and problem solving skills.
Our subject specific, specialist learning environments, motor therapy suites and sensory rooms support the Columbus teaching and learning teams to focus intensively upon the individual sensitivities and impairments of each child and young person in a specifically designed, supportive space. The work done in these spaces is heavily supported by our resident Therapists and their Assistants with much of what is designed and delivered in these specialist rooms being transferred into the classroom throughout the school week.
Community-based learning features on every child and young person’s timetable every week. We believe that the earlier we start social and independence building skills, the more chance at success we have for the future. Community-based learning experiences include basic travel training, visits to the local shops, horse riding or perhaps even a visit to the hairdressers! For our younger children, we make visits that relate to early learning or mobility skills or visits to places that link to a topic or project.
Our older students access learning and social opportunities in the local community that will aid them to enter the world of work or help them to access independent or semi-independent living. Experiences for our older students include college placements, travel training, health and fitness, the exploration of new hobbies and interests as well as activities relating to independent living tasks and routines.
Columbus extends its curriculum to offer education journeys both abroad and within the UK in order to broaden our young people's learning and social experiences.
Who is Lift Schools?
Lift Schools is made up of 57 primary, secondary and special schools, educating more than 33,000 pupils across the country. We believe education can transform lives – and we want every child in our schools to achieve their full potential.
Our mission:
- We will provide an excellent education to every child, in every classroom, every day.
- With excellent leadership and teaching in every school, we will help children go on to lead successful and happy lives.
- We will work with others beyond our network to benefit more children and communities.
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