Main purpose

The assistant headteacher will support the head of school in:

·   Communicating the school’s vision compellingly and supporting the head of school’s strategic leadership

·   The day-to-day management of the school

·   Formulating the aims and objectives of the school

·   Establishing policies for achieving these aims and objectives

·   Managing staff and resources to that end

·   Monitoring progress towards meeting the school’s aims and objectives

The assistant headteacher will also be required to cover lessons, as needed and comply with the Teachers’ Standards and modelling best practice for others.

They may also be required to undertake any of the duties delegated by the head of school.

Qualities

The assistant headteacher will:

·   Uphold public trust in school leadership and maintain high standards of ethics, behaviour and professional conduct

·   Build positive and respectful relationships across the school community

·   Serve in the best interests of the school’s pupils

Duties and responsibilities

School culture and behaviour

Under the direction of the head of school, the assistant headteacher will:

·   Create a culture where pupils experience a positive and enriching school life

·   Uphold educational standards in order to prepare pupils from all backgrounds for their next phase of education and life

·   Ensure a culture of staff professionalism

·   Encourage high standards of behaviour from pupils, built on rules and routines that are understood by staff and pupils and clearly demonstrated by all adults in school

·   Use consistent and fair approaches to managing behaviour, in line with the school’s behaviour policy

·   Encourage high levels of pupil attendance and help to uphold a school culture of safety, enjoyment, and engagement with learning to support attendance

Teaching, curriculum and assessment

Under the direction of the head of school, the assistant headteacher will:

·         Establish and sustain high-quality teaching across subjects and phases, based on evidence

·         Ensure the teaching of a broad, structured and coherent curriculum

·         Establish curriculum leadership, including subject leaders with relevant expertise and access to professional networks and communities

·         Use valid, reliable and proportionate approaches to assessing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the curriculum

·         Ensure the use of evidence-informed approaches to reading so all pupils are taught to read

Additional and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)

Under the direction of the head of school, the assistant headteacher will:

·         Promote a culture and practices that allow all pupils to access the curriculum

·         Have ambitious expectations for all pupils with SEN and disabilities

·         Make sure the school works effectively with parents, carers and professionals to identify additional needs, and provide support and adaptation where appropriate

·         Make sure the school fulfils statutory duties regarding the SEND Code of Practice

Organisational management and school improvement

Under the direction of the head of school, the assistant headteacher will:

·         Establish and oversee systems, processes and policies so the school can operate effectively and efficiently

·         Ensure staff and pupils’ safety and welfare through effective approaches to safeguarding, as part of duty of care

·         Ensure rigorous approaches to identifying, managing and mitigating risk

·         Ensure effective use of budgets and resources

·         Identify problems and barriers to school effectiveness, and develop strategies for school improvement that are realistic, timely and suited to the school’s context

·         Make sure school improvement strategies are effectively implemented

Staff management and professional development

Under the direction of the head of school, the assistant headteacher will:

·   Performance-manage middle leaders, including carrying out appraisals and holding staff to account for their performance

·   Manage staff well, with due attention to workload

·   Ensure staff have access to appropriate, high-standard professional development opportunities

·   Keep up to date with developments in education

·   Seek training and continuing professional development to meet their own needs

Governance, accountability and working in partnership

Under the direction of the head of school, the assistant headteacher will:

·   Work with the governing board as appropriate

·   Make sure the school effectively and efficiently operates within the required regulatory frameworks and meets all statutory duties

·   Work successfully with other schools and organisations

·   Maintain working relationships with fellow professionals and colleagues to improve educational outcomes for all pupils

Other areas of responsibility

Please note that this is illustrative of the general nature and level of responsibility of the role. It’s not a comprehensive list of all tasks that the assistant headteacher will carry out. The postholder may be required to do other duties appropriate to the level of the role.

Pupil Premium

• To ensure that the pupil premium funding reaches the groups of pupils for whom it is intended and that it makes a significant impact on their education.
• To Identify disadvantaged pupils’ barriers to learning in order to coordinate appropriate intervention strategies.
• To Provide a clear and ambitious action plan for pupil premium pupils
• To assess and evaluate the effectiveness of provision for pupil premium and review the action plan as appropriate.
• To ensure that staff are aware of pupil premium, their progress and their needs.
• To provide highly visible support for the school’s pupil premium policy around the school.
• To support, educate and liaise with parents/carers to create and promote positive working relationships and to raise aspirations.
• To provide a summary of pupil progress and strategies for the next academic year for the annual pupil premium report to be published on the school website as required by the conditions of the pupil premium grant.
• To interact on a professional level with colleagues in order to promote a mutual understanding of identified pupil premium and closing the gap priorities, with the aim of improving teaching and learning across the school, leading to the raising of attainment for disadvantaged pupils.
• To devise a pupil premium action plan to achieve agreed objectives to raise outcomes for pupil premium and vulnerable pupils. Consider successful local and national strategies and research/evidence from agencies such as the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF).
• To assist with control of a clearly identifiable budget for pupil premium pupils and ensure the effective use of the budget to achieve the objectives of the pupil premium action plan and school development plan.
• To liaise with other staff responsible for interventions and pupil progress, for example Assessment Manager, SEND and Safeguarding and Pastoral Lead.
• To co-ordinate the organisation of all staff involved in implementing the above.
• To evaluate the impact of intervention strategies; for example, through pupil voice, data analysis, teacher feedback and parent/carer feedback.
• To provide termly reports to the governing body.

For the  person specification please see attached document.