SOUTHSEA INFANT

SCHOOL

HEADTEACHER RECRUITMENT

PACK

WELCOME

Letter from the Chair of Governors

Dear Applicant

On behalf of the Governing Body, I would like to thank you for your interest in the post of

Headteacher at our school. The governors are seeking to appoint an energetic and

inspirational leader to take over the position from the current Headteacher who has very

successfully led the school for 17 years. Southsea Infant School is a flourishing, inclusive

school with a consistently strong record of achievement upon which we are looking to build

further. We are also keen to maintain and enhance the well-established nurturing culture

which is deeply embedded throughout the school.

In accordance with our ethos, values and aspirations, Governors have produced a new

Vision for the school and are in the process of setting out clear Strategic Priorities for the

period ahead. Our Vision is one that is fully shared by the staff of the school who have been

closely involved in its creation. We wish to appoint a new leader who will wholeheartedly

pursue our ambitious Vision for the school and enthusiastically take the school forward.

In Summer 2018, the school again received a Good grading from Ofsted. Whilst mindful of

the challenges involved, we are looking to improve on this grade. We are searching for a

Headteacher who will ensure that we look to improve or at least maintain our record in

recent years of securing strong progress data compared to local and national averages, as

evidenced in the School Profile produced by Portsmouth City Council. We also want

someone who can lead the development of a distinctive and engaging school curriculum

which will be customarily delivered by exceptional teaching.

This position presents an excellent opportunity to develop your career in a highly regarded,

aspirational, caring school which has well-embedded values and a proven track record for

pupil attainment. The Governing Board will lend you its full support and is looking forward to

developing a strong relationship with the new Headteacher, built on its values of trust,

integrity and openness.

We would encourage you to visit our school. Please contact Alex Hipkin

administration@southsea.portsmouth.sch.uk to arrange a visit. We look forward to hearing

from you.

Dave Russell

Chair of Governors

ABOUT SOUTHSEA INFANT SCHOOL

Motto Southsea Infant... a village school in the city

Vision Our vision is of a caring school community where every child is happy, will achieve their best and will become confident, ambitious, responsible and independent. Through exceptional teaching and by knowing our children really well as individuals, we will nurture a lifelong love of learning and thirst for knowledge.

Key facts about our school: Maximum capacity 180 Inclusion Centre 8 Current NOR 185 Current Attendance 96.7% Number of EAL pupils 27.5% Percentage of SEND 9.1% Statement/EHCP 4.8% includes 7 children from Inclusion Centre Percentage of Pupil Premium 22.7%

Southsea Infants School is located in the south of Portsmouth in a densely populated area, which has its own distinctive character. The seafront, Albert Road shops, Wimbledon Park and the Kings Theatre are all within short walking distance from school. Our children come from a range of backgrounds reflected by our diverse catchment area. Of the 187 children on role approximately 35% of children come from ethnic minority groups and this provides many natural opportunities for us to celebrate cultural diversity. A total of 23 languages apart from English are currently represented with Bengali speakers being the largest group. We are proud of our old Victorian building which has been modified to meet the needs of a twenty first-century curriculum. Our classrooms are bright, colourful and well- resourced providing an ideal environment to motivate young children. Each of our main teaching bases have small purpose-built computer suites providing ample opportunities for children to develop their ICT skills. In addition, there is a Social Communication Inclusion Centre attached to mainstream school which we run on behalf of the City. There are places for 8 children all of whom have EHCP as an entry criteria. Places are allocated via the Inclusion Support Panel and the school received extra funding to run this provision. The children are included in mainstream activities as appropriate. Our main playground has a good variety of play opportunities, which are particularly enjoyed by the children during lunch break. An environmental area can be found at the front of the school offering a haven for wild life, whilst being rich in learning opportunities. The number on roll is subject to significant fluctuation and the socio-economic characteristics of each year group can vary quite radically. The school offers a wide range of out of school activities including Breakfast and After School care.

The staff are a very friendly hard working team and staff development is seen as an important aspect of school life The school is rated ‘good’ by OFSTED and has been for over 20 years. Attainment levels are in the top 20% in the Country.

Our Learning Powers

Our curriculum

Provision is made for the children’s intellectual, physical, social, emotional and spiritual development to help them develop an enthusiasm for learning and good interpersonal skills. Our curriculum is based on the needs of our children to engage in hands on practical experience to develop their understanding of the world around them and to develop core skills. We aim to provide a broad and balanced curriculum that includes the core subjects of Maths, English and Science, and the foundation subjects of History, Geography, Information Communication Technology, Design Technology, Art, Music and Physical Education of the National Curriculum. Our Personal & Social educational curriculum includes Health and Relationship Education. Every person in the school is expected to show respect to each other. The curriculum also includes an element which raises awareness of the diversity of cultural backgrounds in the school.

English We aim for the children to become fluent in spoken and written English. We achieve this by providing a wide variety of learning experiences. This includes daily literacy lessons for all age groups using the national curriulum and the national phonics programme, Letters and Sounds. The children are formally taught handwriting from the time they start school. Early on, children are given plenty of practice in developing hand control. Children in their final year are expected to be able to write a reasonable amount of free writing that is well formed and correctly spelt.

Links to topics in all year groups are made with literacy to give the children an interesting and relevant focus to their reading, writing and drama work.

Perseverance

Collaboration

Independence

Curiosity

Thinking

Creativity

Mathematics Children in Year R are taught mathematical skills in a practical way following the Early Years Foundation Stage profile. Children have mathematics lessons in Year 1 & 2 following the National Curriculum. We aim to ensure that children are given regular opportunities to become fluent in the key number facts in maths through regular practice .Our children develop their reasoning skills through following lines of enquiry and seeing relationships. They are encouraged to justify their answers or ‘prove it!’ We provide frequent opportunities for children to apply their skills through a range of problem solving tasks, deepening their understanding and allowing them to explain their methods and strategies.

Science Children are given the opportunity from the time they start school to cover the National Curriculum programmes of study. Science is incorporated into the curriculum either through a topic based approach or as a discreet block of work. We place a high priority on children learning through first hand experience. Children are given the opportunity to develop important scientific skills such as observation, classification, experimentation and prediction. Currently we are developing our links to work in the outside environment.

Computing Children in Yr 1 & 2 have daily access to small purpose built computer suites within their class base and both of our Yr R classes have mini suites of 3 computers in each classroom. There are Interactive Whiteboards in every class. They are also given the opportunity to use programmes and ICT skills which enhance their work in all other areas of the curriculum.

Religious Education

We teach the Portsmouth agreed syllabus, `Living Difference', consistent and reflect the multi-cultural nature of the local community and the school's strong commitment to inter-cultural education. The school is concerned to promote the spiritual and moral development of it's pupils, not just through the planned curriculum, but through assemblies and collective worship, through developing links with the local community and through the ethos and standards of the whole school.

Foundation subjects

History, Geography , Art and DT are taught through a topic approach and one or more of these subjects will often be the lead for a half term.

Southsea Infant School

Vision

Our Vision is of a caring school community where every child is happy, will achieve their best, become confident, ambitious, responsible and independent through exceptional teaching and by knowing our children really well as individuals, we will nurture a lifelong love of learning and a thirst for knowledge.

Draft Strategic Priorities 2020-2023

Standards and Curriculum

Foster and sustain exceptional teaching across the school.

Develop a distinctive and engaging curriculum.

Ensure pupils continue to make or exceed expected progress above local and national averages.

Become an outstanding school in Ofsted terms.

Finance and Staffing

Prioritise excellence in staffing and develop an effective performance management process for all staff.

Ensure staff at all levels are systematically engaged in personal and professional development.

Implement and monitor strong financial control mechanisms.

Further develop and implement efficient and effective administrative processes.

Partnerships

Strengthen the engagement between the school, parents and the community, including local businesses and voluntary organisations.

Listen, respond to and inform parents/carers through means of timely and more effective means of communication.

Further develop the partnership with

our local cluster schools.

Leadership and Governance

Develop and embed strong leadership and robust governance for the school.

Ensure leaders are ambitious and have the necessary drive to ensure the highest standards of care and achievement for all children.

Strongly support the participation of

school leaders in professional and

local networks.

Further develop the range of

relevant skills and expertise held

within the Governing Board.

The Role of the Headteacher at Southsea Infant School

Job Details

Post Title: Headteacher

Organisation: Maintained Infant School and Inclusion Centre

Accountable to: The Board of Governors

Salary Range: Group 2 School – Leadership Scale Point 15-21

Main Purpose of the Role.

Provide strong and inspirational leadership, and clear strategic direction for the

school.

Ensure the school vision is clearly articulated, shared, understood and actively

pursued.

Be responsible for the day to day management of the school and Inclusion Centre,

the quality of the education provided, the progress of pupils and the achievement of

high levels of attainment.

Lead by example and model good practice regarding professional conduct, workload

management and personal development.

Maintain a safe, happy, and caring environment, sustain a nurturing culture

throughout the school and a strong commitment to the safeguarding and well-being

of all pupils.

Work with teachers, subject leaders and governors on the development of plans and

appropriate targets for the school.

Manage staff resources and school finances efficiently and effectively.

Promote good relationships amongst the pupils, staff, parents and carers and the

wider community.

Work collaboratively with members of the Governing Board, Local Authority and the

local Cluster schools.

Duties and Responsibilities

Vision and Strategic Leadership

Communicate the school’s vision enthusiastically and systematically pursue the

associated strategic priorities.

Work with the Governing Board to set the strategic direction of the school.

In consultation with the Governing Board, lead the process of strategic planning and

the production of the School Improvement Plan.

Produce and implement clear, well-informed plans for the development of the school

and its facilities, taking account of national and local contexts.

Managing the School

Manage the school’s financial and human resources efficiently and effectively.

Recruit, retain and deploy staff appropriately to achieve the school’s vision and

goals.

Implement systems and processes for managing the performance of all staff.

Ensure that resources are used effectively to improve the quality of education for

pupils and to secure value for money

Effectively manage and monitor the school budget and ensure regular reports are

provided for the Governing Board.

Manage the school environment efficiently and effectively, ensuring it meets the

needs of the curriculum and health and safety regulations.

Provide a safe, calm and well-ordered environment for all pupils and staff, focused

on safeguarding pupils and developing good behaviour.

Ensure the school has in place appropriate policies and procedures to meet all

statutory requirements.

Work with the Governing Board as appropriate, providing the information it needs to

govern effectively in a timely manner.

Facilitate governor involvement in the life and work of the school.

Maintain strong links with feeder pre-schools, nurseries and the local cluster of

schools.

Work with parents and carers in developing pupils’ skills, confidence and appetite for

knowledge and further strengthen links between home and school.

Leading Learning and Teaching

Secure a consistent and sustained focus on pupil progress and attainment using

data and benchmarks to monitor progress in every child’s learning.

Establish high expectations for the whole school and ambitious standards for all

pupils

Foster a drive to secure exceptional teaching across the school.

Enable the pursuit of excellence through access to high quality training and

professional development, including the provision of coaching and mentoring.

Monitor, evaluate and review classroom practice, promoting continuous improvement

Promote creative, innovative and effective approaches to learning and teaching.

Further develop a distinctive and engaging school curriculum which is broad,

balanced and relevant.

Developing Self and Working with Others

Lead by example, provide inspiration, motivation, drive and purpose for all staff and

pupils.

Model innovative approaches to school leadership and professional development.

Foster a shared commitment and responsibility for the success of the school through

teamwork, distributed leadership and professional reflection.

Create an ethos within which all staff are motivated and supported to develop their

professional skills and knowledge.

Identify emerging talents, mentor and coach current and aspiring leaders.

Challenge underperformance at all levels and in all areas of the school and ensure

effective remedial action is taken, including the use of coaching and mentoring.

Treat colleagues fairly, equitably and with respect, to sustain a supportive and caring

school culture.

Safeguarding and Promoting the Well-Being of Children

Ensure a safe and nurturing school culture.

Ensure safeguarding policies and procedures are implemented rigorously and

reviewed at regular intervals.

Act as the Designated Safeguarding lead for the school, attending any relevant

training and meetings.

Co-operate and work with external agencies to protect children.

Arrange appropriate and timely staff training on safeguarding.

Data Protection

Act as the Data Protection Officer for the school.

Review the school’s policy and update when required.

Ensure all personal data is collected, stored and processed in accordance with the

General Data Protection Regulations and Data Protection Legislation.

Be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the school’s policy and

monitoring compliance with data protection legislation.

Ensure staff undertake relevant training and updating when necessary.

Pupil Premium Lead

Ensure Pupil Premium funding is spent appropriately as set out in DfE guidelines.

Take account of research on the most effective use of Pupil Premium funding.

Monitor and report annually on the impact of Pupil Premium funding on pupil

progress and achievement.

Liaise with the Pupil Premium governor.

Person Specification

Criteria Essential or

Desirable

Evidenced by

Professional Qualifications Application form

References

Qualified Teacher Status E

NPQH/Masters D

Evidence of significant and relevant continued professional development in school leadership, management and/or infant education

Designated Child Protection Officer trained

D

Safer Recruitment Trained D

Leadership and

Management

Experience as a successful Headteacher or Deputy Headteacher at either Infant/Junior or Primary School

E

Application Form

References

Interview

Proven track record of raising standards

E

Substantial involvement in school improvement planning, including its implementation, monitoring and evaluation

E

Experience of leading and managing staff

E

Able to direct and co-ordinate the work of others, motivating, inspiring and supporting staff in all matters of classroom practice, organisation, management and teaching methods

E

Experience of leading staff professional development linked to school improvement and school priorities

E

Experience of reviewing the performance of staff, acknowledging excellent and

E

challenging poor performance

Experience of contributing to management of whole school budgets in accordance with the priorities of the school

D

Experience of working with the Governing Board to set and implement the strategic direction of the school

E

Teaching and Learning

Significant teaching experience in different year groups

E Application form

References

Experience of having taught in more than one school

D

Track record of excellent classroom practice and innovative curriculum development

E

Understanding the curriculum and its assessments across year groups

E

Interview

Effectively analyse and interpret data to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the school and drive school improvement

E

Evidence of using data to monitor children’s progress in learning. Ability to review, monitor and evaluate progress and attainment and have impact on further strategies to accelerate learning

E

Experience of effective benchmarking and assessment

E

Accountability and

Partnership Working

Experience of using local, national and school data to monitor, evaluate and improve school performance

E Application Form

References

Ability to communicate the aims, objectives and values of the school to parents, pupils, staff, Governors and the community

E

Able to demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to the role of the Governing Board and the ability to work in partnership

E

with Governors

Interview

Able to demonstrate an understanding of national policy and the statutory framework for education

E

Experience of working with feeder schools and receiver nurseries to ensure continuity of learning for all children

E

Personal Skills and

Attributes

Have vision and enthusiasm with high expectations of pupils

E Application Form

References

Interview

Ability to be reflective and self-critical

E

Personal impact, presence and excellent interpersonal skills

E

Approachable, adaptable, flexible and resilient

E

Application and Selection Procedures

This is an exciting opportunity to lead our school. The Headteacher at Southsea Infant School should be able to demonstrate a strong career path and an ability to inspire and motivate pupils, staff and all other members of our school community. If you believe you have the right skills and experience for this post, we would be delighted to show you around our school. Please contact Alex Hipkin on 023 9282 8176 or admin@southsea.portsmouth.sch.uk to arrange a visit to the school.

Your application should relate specifically to the Person Specification and draw out the following: Your education philosophy. Your view on the role of Headteacher at Southsea Infant School. What qualities in particular you would bring to Southsea Infant School. What professional development support you would require in the first 12 months.

Please complete the form and no later than Sunday15th March 2020

By post to: Lee Brown Recruitment Officer, Recruitment, Civic Offices, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth PO1 2EP Tel: 023 9284 1567

Or email to: lee.brown@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

References will be taken up immediately after shortlisting. Candidates are asked to ensure that their referees are advised of this. For candidates who work in a local authority school it is expected that one of the references will be the Head of Education or q equivalent. Candidates shortlisted will be invited to spend Day One of the selection process at the school. During the day you will be able to meet the children, staff and governors of our school, and have more opportunity to gain more information about what Southsea Infant School can offer you. At the end of the day the governors will decide which candidates are invited to attend for the second day. Day Two will take place away from the school and will involve a presentation (with Q&As) and a formal interview for each candidate. The title of the presentation will be given when candidates are initially informed about being shortlisted.

Safer Recruitment Portsmouth Local Authority and Southsea Infant School are committed to safeguarding and promoting the well-being of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance at Enhanced Level will be required prior to any offer of employment.

Data Protection Act 1998 You should be aware that the information you provide will be stored on Portsmouth City Council’s secure recruitment database and will only be used to process your application. It will not be passed on to any other organisation.