Head of Year

Location: Barnet, London — a five minute walk from High Barnet tube station

Start: September 2019

 

Opportunity for an exceptional teacher to be a founding pastoral leader, shaping a brand new Ark secondary school in Barnet

 

Next September, Ark Pioneer, a non-selective secondary school, will open its doors to our brand new building in Barnet and welcome in our first year 7. By the time they reach year 13, we’ll have over a thousand pupils. We will deliver a standard of education matching the very best schools in the country. Our vision is that every pupil leaves Ark Pioneer with real options, be it embarking on the university course of their choice or starting out in their chosen career.

We are recruiting a highly effective pastoral leader to work closely with our founding team of staff to achieve this vision and develop a genuinely outstanding school. Together, we will create an environment that is calm, respectful and focussed on learning, set high standards for behaviour and develop a sense of responsibility in all of our pupils.

Pastoral leadership experience will not be a determining factor. The successful candidate will grow with our school: we will develop you, providing one-to-one support, coaching and access to extensive network training.  

The ideal candidate will

·         Have a strong academic background, with good A Levels or equivalent, and a good degree

·         Recognise the impact strong discipline in creating and sustaining an excellent school

·         Combine subject matter expertise with a passion for teaching their subject

·         Share the Ark Pioneer vision and be aligned with the six pillars underpinning it.

·         Value and support practices driving continued progress across the network of Ark schools.

Please submit your application by midnight on Thursday 17th January. For further information, a confidential discussion or any technical queries please contact Aishling Ryan, the principal, at aishling.ryan@arkonline.org 

Closing Date: Thursday 17^th January

Interviews: Thursday 7^th February

Salary: ARK MPS £28,286 - £39,937 / UPS £41,925 - £45,086 plus TLR 1a – 1c

Contract: Full-time hours, permanent contract

Job Description and Person Specification.pdf
Ark Pioneer Academy Vision.pdf

We value diversity and are committed to safeguarding and promoting child welfare. The successful candidate will be subject to DBS and any other relevant employment checks.

Job Description: Head of Year 7

 

Reports to:   Vice / Assistant Principal

Start date:    September 2019

Grade:            ARK MPS £28,286 - £39,937 / UPS £41,925 - £45,086 plus TLR 1a – 1c

 

The Role

As Head of Year 7, you will be responsible for ensuring Ark Pioneer offers outstanding pastoral support for all year 7 pupils, fostering a culture that enables all pupils to maximise their achievements across the spectrum of school life. You will be instrumental in our mission to provide every pupil with real options when they leave school, be it to go onto their chosen career or a course of their choice in university.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership and Management

·   Lead the management of all aspects of academy life for the year group

·   Organise and, through a team of tutors, implement a framework for daily tutor activities, tasks and assemblies

·   Lead, support and hold accountable a professional community of form tutors

·   Regularly analyse pupils’ pastoral data, reviewing behaviour, attendance and punctuality and take action to improve accordingly

·   Be proactive in the social, emotional and academic wellbeing of pupils, in collaboration with other staff members and other external agencies, as appropriate

Culture and Ethos

·      Set high standards for behaviour and explain clearly to parents and pupils how these standards are key in creating and sustaining an excellent school

·      Contribute to the development of clear systems for behaviour that enable pupils to reflect on and learn from their mistakes and develop their ability to make good decisions

·      Induct and practise pupils in routines for the school day so there is a positive climate for learning in every classroom and school is calm and orderly

·      Facilitate a positive transition between primary & secondary school

·      Foster a strong sense of school community and ethos among both staff and pupils

·      Act as a positive role model to staff and pupils, communicating the highest expectations of behaviour, attendance and punctuality

·      Establish positive working relationships with parents and carers of the year group and communicate regularly with them

Teaching Responsibilities

·      Set high expectations so that all pupils are inspired, motivated and challenged to reach their full potential

·      Create a positive climate for learning, by explicitly teaching lesson routines and applying behaviour systems consistently and fairly

·      Plan and teach well-structured, differentiated lessons which allow adequate time to embed new knowledge, understanding and skills

·      Nurture every pupil’s intellectual curiosity, asking pertinent questions to deepen pupils’ understanding

·      Systematically check pupils’ understanding and act to correct any misconceptions

·      Provide pupils with individual feedback aimed at moving his or her learning forward, developing a growth mindset in each pupil

·      Review and reflect on each assessment to identify gaps in pupil learning and take steps to address them

Other

·         Carry out other reasonable tasks as directed by the prinicpal 

 

Person Specification: Head of Year 7

Qualification Criteria

·         Qualified to teach and work in the UK

·         Strong A Levels, or equivalent

·         Degree in the main subject taught (or degree in a closely related subject)

 

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

·         Experience leading a team and/or working to support the significant success of others

·         Experience or understanding of how to improve and sustain an effective behaviour policy and/or teaching and learning in a challenging school

·         Experience of interpreting complex pupil data to drive lesson planning and pupil progress

·         A proven track record of providing excellent pastoral support as a form tutor

·         Excellent interpersonal, planning and organisational skills

·         Experience of raising attainment in a challenging classroom environment

·         Excellent understanding of both subject and general teaching pedagogy

·         Mastery of and enthusiasm for their subject

·         Effective and systematic behaviour management

·         Knowledge of the national secondary education system, examinations and curriculum

 Personal Characteristics

·         Genuine passion for and a belief in the potential of every pupil

·         Deep commitment to Ark’s mission of providing an excellent education to every pupil, regardless of background

·         Resilient, motivated and committed to achieving excellence to ensure all pupils succeed

·         Reflective and proactive in seeking feedback to constantly improve practice

·         Commitment to regular and on-going professional development and training to establish outstanding classroom practice

·         Commitment to and understanding of professionalism in line with the National Teaching Standards

 Other

·         Commitment to equality of opportunity and the safeguarding and welfare of all pupils

·         Willingness to undertake training

·         This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check

 

 

Ark is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in our academies.  In order to meet this responsibility, we follow a rigorous selection process. This process is outlined here, but can be provided in more detail if requested. All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.