Vice Principal – Behaviour and Attitudes

Thank you for your interest in the post of Vice Principal here at Abbeyfield School.

I feel very privileged to be part of a very special community of committed staff and rewarding young people. Teamwork is central to the culture of the school and it is this, and a shared desire to support and challenge every student in order for them to achieve their personal best, which shapes everything we do at Abbeyfield. ’Leaders are determined to help pupils achieve their best’ (Ofsted 2021).

It is an exciting time to be joining Abbeyfield School as a Vice Principal for Behaviour and Attitudes. We are committing significant resourcing and approaches to be a market leader in our pastoral provision. This has involved increasing our already established structures to ensure that pastoral care and the highest of expectations can be an even bigger strength in years to come.

·        Our attendance team has increased to 5 staff members, including an Educational Welfare Officer

·        Our Safeguarding team has been given 4 active staff members, all without a teaching timetable, affording 200 hours of timetabled hours per fortnight

·        Recruitment for a school Counsellor for September 2023

·        School social worker and Trainee social worker team alongside pastoral support workers

·        Every year group assigned a Head of Year and Non Teaching Assistant Head of Year

·        Increasing our SEND provision with 2 Deputy SENDCo staff and additional Inclusion Assistants

We have very high expectations and aspirations of our students and of ourselves. This was highlighted in our most recent Ofsted report, “Leaders have high expectations of staff. They also care about staff well-being. Staff morale is high”. All staff play a key role at Abbeyfield in putting the needs of our students at the very heart of all we do.

Our focus on behaviour for learning is built upon ensuring high quality teaching and learning supported by an ambitious programme of pedagogical and subject specific CPD. Whilst academic achievement is fundamental, we believe that all staff have a vital role in students’ personal development. Allowing all to succeed and thrive is the desire.

We, like all schools in the Creative Education Trust, pursue a rigorous and continuous programme of educational improvement. This is alongside an aim to provide students with a rich programme of extra-curricular activities. Abbeyfield offers a varied diet of curriculum and enrichment opportunities, and students benefit from Trust organised events such as the key concept launch days, debate and essay writing competitions.

We also have our annual days of Shakespeare performance which are a visible example of the impact we can have on students’ creativity. We are often the host school for these events to allow students from all trust schools to work in a professional theatre space. We are always keen to expand further on the opportunities we provide for students to develop their creativity, resilience and independence. 

We very much welcome visits or calls in advance to discuss your interest, and look forward to receiving your application.

Kind Regards, 

Jay Kerby, Principal