Religious Education and Catholic Life Advisor
Plymouth CAST
Ashburton, Devon
- Quick apply
- Expired
- Salary:
- L3-L7 (£41,367-£45,742)
- Job type:
- Full Time, Permanent
- Apply by:
- 8 October 2018
Job overview
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION AND CATHOLIC LIFE ADVISER
Full-time, permanent role L3-7 (£41,367 - £45,742), - based at St. Boniface House, Ashburton, Devon, with frequent travel throughout the Diocese of Plymouth.
This is a key role for the Trust and will focus on:-
Enhancing the Catholic life of our schools, in particular by developing religious education, collective worship, chaplaincy and readiness for Section 48 inspection.
Supporting our schools in providing appropriate personal and professional development opportunities for all adults with faith formation responsibilities.
Supporting our schools in developing their understanding of Catholic ethos and their contribution to the mission and ministry of the Catholic Church.
Qualifications and experience:-
To have the ability to assimilate quickly and accurately:
- the detail and philosophy of the key RE programmes that are followed in this Diocese and respond positively to any changes introduced by the Bishops’ Conference, the Diocese or the Plymouth CAST Board
- relevant national initiatives in RE and adult formation.
- an understanding of:
a) Diocesan and LEA structures and systems for support and administration of schools.
b) the range and nature of concerns facing RE teachers and other staff in Catholic schools.
c) the broad teaching of the Catholic Church in areas relevant to this work and of what can support or obstruct people’s growth in faith.
d) the structure and processes of children’s faith formation opportunities offered within parishes.
- Be a practising Catholic with a mature commitment to the Gospel
- Hold a current driving licence and ability to provide own transport
- Must have Qualified Teacher Status
- Must be educated to degree level or equivalent
- Must have experience at senior level in Catholic education
Key Skills:-
- Organisational Skills – to plan, prioritise and manage time effectively;
- Interpersonal Skills – to build relationships, develop trust and establish credibility with Head Teachers;
- Communication – confident communicator with the ability to engage appropriately at all levels;
- IT Skills – to include effective presentation based on use of PowerPoint;
- Team worker – to work as part of a team, but also work alone in setting and delivering priorities;
- Integrity – able to maintain a high level of confidentiality;
- Knowledge – commitment to self-development and best practice;
- Flexibility willingness to work flexible hours – some evenings and weekends, and respond to ‘urgent’ needs when required.
Given the need to make regular visits to our 36 schools across the counties of Cornwall, Devon and Dorset you must hold a current driving licence and provide your own transport. There may be a need to respond to urgent needs when required, which will require a flexible approach to hours of work. Some evening and weekend work may be necessary.
To request an application form & job description, please email: careers@plymouthcast.org.uk, and send completed forms by post to Richard Thorns at Plymouth CAST, St Boniface House, Ashburton, Devon TQ13 7JL or by email to careers@plymouthcast.org.uk
Closing date Monday 8 October 2018 midday. Interview date Thursday 18 October 2018 at St Boniface House, Ashburton, Devon.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. An enhanced DBS Disclosure is required.
Attached documents
About Plymouth CAST
- Plymouth CAST
- Edmund Rice Building, St, Boniface College, 21 Boniface, Lane, Manadon Park, Crownhill, Plymouth
- Devon
- PL5 3AG
- United Kingdom
Plymouth CAST is a trust set up by the Catholic Diocese of Plymouth to support and develop its schools. Plymouth CAST is a genuine 'multi academy trust’ in that the constituent schools are all part of a single company with a central Board of Directors, rather than each being an academy company in its own right. The Diocese of Plymouth covers the traditional counties of Cornwall, Devon and Dorset and therefore also includes the newer unitary authorities of Plymouth, Torbay, Poole & Bournemouth. Altogether there are 35 schools within the Trust spread from Penzance in the West to Bournemouth in the East. Together CAST employs 1300 staff and provides for 7000 pupils. As with all academies, Plymouth CAST is a company limited by guarantee and an exempt charity.
Purpose
The formation of CAST does not represent a change in direction for the schools. As Catholic schools, our fundamental mission has always derived from the wider mission of the Catholic Church and the particular emphases of the diocesan Bishop. However, it was decided that changing our legal structure from multiple, autonomous Voluntary Aided schools into a single corporate legal entity would enhance our capacity to fulfil our shared mission. This is enabled both by the structures of CAST (see below) and by the new 'cultural' expectations on all concerned. These include a shared responsibility for standards across all the schools and increased levels of transparency, particularly among head teachers, about strengths and weaknesses. Alongside this is an increased emphasis on early identification of underperformance in all aspects of a school's provision (Catholic life, educational standards, pupil and staff well-being, financial stability, school environment and community relations) and focused strategies to respond quickly and effectively.
Structure
Consistent with the purpose summarised above, the most important elements within CAST's structure are the schools themselves. The 35 schools are each has a local governing body with a delegated budget and delegated powers to allow it to operate as the local 'steward' of overall mission. The Board of Directors does not seek to manage the individual schools but does carry the overall responsibilities and liabilities for the network as a whole. On the surface, the day to day operation of the schools has not changed since becoming part of CAST and parents experience a seamless transition, as do their children.
CAST operates within three local 'Area Councils'. The schools table identifies their Areas and each has either 11 or 12 schools. Each Area has a dedicated 'Area Adviser' whose role is manifold but includes:
- ensuring that the Board of Directors is fully aware of any school performance issues;
- working with the head teachers and governing bodies of each of their Area schools to ensure that they have an up to date and accurate picture of all aspects of their school's strengths and weaknesses;
- working with the relevant personnel from each school to identify effective strategic responses to their development needs;
- brokering school-to-school and external support for the improvement strategies that have been formulated.
Whilst local governing bodies have delegated authority from the Board of Directors (much the same as that enjoyed by Voluntary Aided school governing bodies) Plymouth CAST also has an agreed Intervention Protocol which provides the basis for the Board of Directors to intervene directly in any school where the internal resources are not being successful in securing required improvements within an acceptable time scale.
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