As the leader of the school community, you will model and promote positive attitudes and relationships amongst staff, children, local committee members and parents in keeping with the Trust’s vision and values. You will be an outstanding practitioner with strong leadership skills and a proven track record for raising progress and attainment.

The successful candidate will work with the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Education Officer and the other schools in the hub to improve outcomes for children within St Paul's C of E Primary school and across the Trust. 

Main Purpose of the job:              

To carry out the duties of a Headteacher recognising the unique features of our school. This is in accordance with the Headteachers’ Standards (2020). 

Strategic direction and development of the school  

Work with the Local Committee to review and develop the strategic vision for the school in its community, and analyse and plan for the future needs and further development of the school  

• Provide vision and direction to secure effective teaching, successful learning and achievement by pupils and sustained improvement in their social, moral, cultural, spiritual, and physical development to prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life  

• Ensure that a School Development Plan, based on robust self-evaluation, is in place and is delivered and impacts on school improvement  

• Enable the Local Committee to challenge and support the school effectively to enable it to meet its responsibilities, by attending meetings and providing timely and relevant information on:  

• Progress against School Development Plan  

• Pupil attainment, progress and achievement and quality of teaching and learning  

• Action arising from any recent audits  

• Child safeguarding, bullying, exclusions, and attendance  

• Such other matters as the Local Committee needs to be informed about in order to be effective  

• Working with your SBM, propose to the Trust a balanced budget that meets the needs and addresses the priorities within the School Development Plan across the planning period.  

• Ensure creativity, continuous improvement and the use of appropriate technologies to achieve excellence and a broad curriculum, equipping pupils well for their next stage of education  

• Promote the vision and values of the school and demonstrate them in everyday work and practice to allow both children and adults to flourish  

• Promote an inclusive environment and positive and respectful relationships across the school community 

 Leading teaching and learning  

 Work with staff and the Local Committee and sustain effective learning throughout the school  

• Monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching and standards of pupils’ achievement across the school, using benchmarks and rigorous analysis of data to identify priorities for school development and setting targets for improvement  

• Establish creative, responsive and effective approaches to learning and teaching  

• Demonstrate and articulate high expectations and set stretching targets for the whole school community  

• Implement strategies which secure high standards of behaviour and attendance  

• Ensure a diverse, creative, flexible curriculum  

• Implement an effective assessment framework  

• Embody excellent leadership together with confident, clear and sensitive oral and written communication skills  

• Work in partnership with staff, the wider community and other service providers to maintain and extend the curriculum and sustain a variety of after school provision. 

Managing the school  

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

• Create an organisational structure which reflects the school’s vision and values and enables the management systems, structures and processes to work effectively in line with legal requirements  

• Recruit, retain, develop and deploy staff effectively in order to maintain the highest quality of education and to achieve the vision and goals of the school 

• Ensure rigorous approaches to identifying, managing and mitigating risk  

• Develop and present a coherent, understandable and accurate account of the school’s performance to a range of audiences including the Trust, parents and carers, to ensure that they are well informed about the curriculum, attainment and progress and about the contribution that they can make to achieving the school’s targets. 

Leading and Managing Staff  

• Plan, allocate, support and evaluate the work undertaken by all staff, ensuring clear and appropriate delegation of tasks and devolution of responsibilities  

• Work closely with the administrative staff to ensure the smooth running of the school  

• Put in place effective means of communication with staff that provides them with support, and the information needed to help them in carrying out their duties effectively  

• Implement and sustain effective strategies and processes for staff induction and the performance management of staff, including the appraisal process, ensuring it is balanced and robust  

• Support subject leaders in the development of core and foundation subjects  

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

• Ensure that trainees and early career teachers are appropriately trained, monitored, supported and assessed in relation to all relevant standards  

• Manage staff with due attention to workload and broader wellbeing  

• Maintain a culture of high staff professionalism, ensuring staff understand their professional responsibilities and are held to account  

• Sustain a culture of trust and mutual support from the SLT through to all staff  

• Demonstrate strong commitment to their own professional development.  

Safeguarding  

• Promote and uphold a strong safeguarding culture across the school community, ensuring current good practice is sustained and continues to evolve to remain up to date  

• Ensure the policies and procedures relating to safeguarding and safer recruitment are adopted by the Local Committee and are fully implemented and followed by all staff  

• Ensure sufficient resources and time are allocated to enable the designated person and other staff to discharge their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding, including taking part in strategy discussions and other inter-agency meetings, and contributing to the assessment of children  

• Ensure all staff and volunteers feel able to raise concerns about poor and unsafe practice in regard to children and that such concerns are addressed sensitively and effectively in a timely manner in accordance with agreed whistleblowing policies. 

Prospective applicants are welcomed and encouraged to visit the schools by appointment. To arrange a visit, please contact Ann Alden, Headteacher Head@stpauls-dorking.surrey.sch.uk.

Closing date: Monday 28^th April 2025 5pm            

Interview dates: W/c 19^th May 2025 

Tenable: 1^st September 2025 

This job description is not necessarily a comprehensive definition of the post, and the post holder will be required to undertake other duties appropriate to the grade and character of the work as directed. The post holder’s responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and young people with whom they come into contact will be to adhere to and always ensure compliance with the Trust’s safeguarding policies. 

Equality  

Equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are critical components of a healthy organisational culture. The postholder will support us to create a welcoming, supportive environment where every student and staff member can thrive. 

Safeguarding 

The Good Shepherd Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We ensure that all our employment practices reflect this commitment. All appointments are made subject to an enhanced DBS clearance (Disclosure and Barring Service), satisfactory references and qualification checks. The postholder will be required to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people and follow Trust policies and the staff code of conduct.