This appointment is with the governors of the school under the terms of the Catholic Education Service contract signed with the governors as employers. The governors will appoint a practising Catholic who, by personal example and professional leadership, will ensure that the Catholic ethos, rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church, permeates all aspects of the life of the school.

The appointment is subject to the current conditions of service for headteachers contained in the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions document and other current education and employment legislation. In carrying out his/her duties the headteacher shall consult, where appropriate, the governing body, the diocese, the local authority, the staff of the school, the parents of its pupils and the parish/es served by the school.

The core purpose of the headteacher is to provide professional leadership and management for a school. This will promote a secure foundation from which to achieve high standards in all areas of the school’s work. To gain this success a headteacher must establish high quality education by effectively managing teaching and learning and using personalised learning to realise the potential of all pupils. Headteachers must establish a culture that promotes excellence, equality and high expectations of all pupils. This will include ensuring that:

▪ the school is conducted as a Catholic school in accordance with the teachings of the Catholic Church and Canon Law, and in accordance with the Trust Deed of the Archdiocese of Birmingham;

▪ religious education is in accordance with the teachings, doctrines, discipline and general and particular norms of the Catholic Church;

▪ religious worship is in accordance with the rites, practices, discipline and liturgical norms of the Catholic Church;

▪ the school provides high quality teaching and learning that leads to successful outcomes for pupils in terms of spiritual and moral growth, achievement, attitudes to learning, behaviour and personal development;

▪ the school will promote and safeguard the welfare of all children, enabling every child, whatever their background or their circumstances, to have the support they need to develop fully as persons and to recognise their own dignity and the dignity of others as children of God;

▪ all statutory requirements are met and the work of the school is effectively monitored, evaluated and reviewed.

The headteacher is the leading professional in the school. Accountable to the governing body, the headteacher provides vision, leadership and direction for the school and ensures it is managed and organised to meet the aims and targets. The headteacher working with others is responsible for evaluating the school’s performance to identify the priorities for continuous improvement; raising standards; ensuring equality of opportunity for all; developing policies and practices; ensuring that resources are efficiently and effectively used to achieve the school’s aims and objectives and for the day to day management, organisation and administration of the school.

The headteacher, working with and through others, secures the commitment of the wider community to the school by developing and maintaining effective partnerships with, for example, schools, other services and agencies for children, the local authority, higher education institutions and employers. Through such partnerships and other activities, headteachers play a key role in contributing the development of the education system as a whole and collaborate with others to raise standards locally.

Drawing on the support provided by members of the school community, the headteacher is responsible for creating a productive learning environment, which is engaging and fulfilling for all pupils.