Principal
Higford School
Shropshire
- Expired
- Salary:
- £70,000 - £90,000 per annum
- Job type:
- Full Time, Permanent
- Apply by:
- 29 August 2020
Job overview
Job Title: Principal
Salary: £70,000 - £90,000 dependent on experience
Location: Higford School
Hours: Full-Time
If you really want to make your mark in a rapidly growing business that is committed to improving the lives of children and young people, we have the role for you!
We are looking for a Principal to join our team at Higford School.
Someone who can deliver a holistic and integrated approach to care, education and clinical services would be perfect for this role.
About the School
Higford is a Special Educational Needs (SEN) School and Children’s home. We help care for and support young people who have complex needs and specialise in the communication and learning challenges associated with Autism.
The Site benefits form 28 acres, situation in Shropshire countryside, 10 minutes from Telford.
The aim of the school is to provide specialist individual support to each child, enabling them to reach their potential so they can live fulfilling and productive lives. We provide the young people with as much freedom as possible while offering a safe and supervised environment. This is achievable due to the dedication and support from a range of employed professionals who are passionate, reliable and understanding including dedicated education, care and clinical teams.
About the Group
We are part of Options Autism and can promise you plenty of challenges, and a rich variety of opportunities to develop your career.
We provide Education and Care across a number of schools and residential homes nationally. Our specialist SEN provision, coupled with our expertise within residential care means we offer thousands of vulnerable children and young people across the UK a holistic, wraparound care, residential and education service, empowering them with everything they need to flourish. It is by no accident that 94% of our schools and homes are rated as Outstanding or Good.
We welcome staff who share our commitment to help children experience better days and better lives. Through ongoing development and training, we ensure our staff are well prepared for their jobs and given every opportunity to extend their skills.
About the Role
The Principal will exercise strategic and operational leadership to ensure the full development of our vision for the Service. They will take full responsibility for the operational and financial performance of the Service with the support of the Board and key Senior Leaders.
The successful candidate will utilise their personal expertise, experience and contacts to ensure development and implementation of the strategy. They will be a direct line manager for the Head of Education who looks after the 38 week provision. Additionally be a line manager for our Head of Care in the 52 week provision and ensure appropriate standards are maintained in relation to care, education and clinical programmes. This will be achieved by working collaboratively with Senior Professional colleagues to ensure services are structured, staffed, trained and operated to deliver high quality, individually tailored programmes to meet the needs of each young person.
It is essential that we ensure that the Service operates in a commercial and cost-effective manner, meeting financial targets. The Head of Service will be responsible for operating to agreed budgets and contribute to keeping within these budgets as instructed.
Who we are looking for
We are looking for someone who has had extensive and successful experience as a senior leader within a children or young person’s environment, whether that be education or residential. This must include experience within the specialist area of working with young people with Autistic Spectrum disorders and/or challenging behaviour. You should have a positive work ethic and be able to work effectively to produce an effective leadership team.
You should have an extensive knowledge surrounding safeguarding of children and young people, as you will be ensuring that Senior Leaders are implementing safeguarding correctly. We want someone who places a focus on the positive outcomes of our children and adults and takes responsibility for helping improve the lives of our young people.
Essential Criteria
- Relevant experience in the specialist area of the service
- Experience at a Senior Manager level in the specific service area i.e. Education or Residential
- Managing budgets effectively and ensuring cost efficiency
- Effective leadership skills
- Good knowledge of Safeguarding procedures
- Good knowledge of relevant Regulatory Body regulations
- Driving licence
Why work for us
- Social activities
- "Your Wellbeing Matters"
- Employee Rewards Hub
- Pension
- No two days are ever the same
- Be part of a fantastic team who work hard together and support each other
- Opportunity to enrich the lives of young people and make a positive difference
- Continuous professional development and training for a clear career path
Applications are invited online though the Acorn Care and Education website www.acorncare.co.uk. If you have any further questions regarding how to apply please contact 01204 558055 or email recruitment@acorncare.co.uk.
Options Autism are committed to the safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All successful applicants will be subject to fully Enhanced DBS. We expect all our employees and volunteers to share this commitment and strive to achieve the best outcome possible for everybody in our care. A full application form must be completed with all employment dates accurate and gaps in employment accounted for
Attached documents
About Higford School
Higford is a DfE registered School, offering day and residential placements and has achieved Autism Accreditation with the National Autistic Society for Quality Autism provision. We offer adapted and differentiated access to the National Curriculum for students at key stage 2-4, supplemented by ASDAN programmes ‘New Horizons’ and ‘Transition Challenge’. For students at key stage 5 we offer a vocational and life-skills curriculum, based around the ASDAN ‘Personal Progress’ award, supplemented by additional units of work or accredited programmes as appropriate, including community
We offer an exceptional range of activities and amenities designed to promote the development of life skills and apply learning across a range of contexts. These include:
- Classrooms designed specifically for young people with autism and complex needs
- A ‘Sensory Hub’ made up of a range of different sensory rooms in which students can explore new sensory experiences and take control of their environments, including a water play room, wellbeing room, sensory room, health hub (incorporating sauna and gym) and soft play room
- A sports hall and ball-court for PE and sporting activities
- A bistro area for shared dining
- Outdoor facilities including a sunken trampoline, playground, climbing-frame, swings and extensive grounds where students can engage in adventurous physical activity
Our multi-disciplinary team approach offers a holistic service based on sound knowledge and understanding of autism and what works in supporting learning for people with Autism and additional needs. Our clinical team is based on-site and includes speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, psychology and nursing services. We offer a high ratio of staff to pupils, generally 1:1 support provided with a class of up to 5 students. All staff have comprehensive training, focusing on the specialist knowledge necessary to support the complex needs of our students.
We aim to ensure we support the development of young people who are: happy and confident with a positive self-esteem, able to learn independently and cooperatively, independent and sociable, able to communicate their feelings, wishes and needs and are able to make choices, manage their own behaviour and enjoy life.
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