Assistant Headteacher & DSL

Staff management and professional development

• Performance-manage designated staff, 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-quality 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

• 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:

Assistant headteachers may be required to lead on a particular area of school leadership, as outlined below. This list is not exhaustive and may be subject to change:

Designated Safeguarding Lead

The assistant headteacher will:

• Maintain and review annually the Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy for the school.
• Be the key advisor to staff regarding safeguarding, including online safety, supporting in recognising and acting on concerns.
• Keep detailed, confidential records of all concerns, decisions, actions and referrals.
• Monitor patterns in safeguarding referrals and risk indicators. Where required report trends and compliance to the School SLT, the Education Director and Governors.
• Lead safeguarding audits and school self-evaluation, feeding into the school’s action plan.
• Manage safeguarding referrals appropriately to external stakeholders including: Children’s Social Care, PREVENT and the Police.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with key staff from Children’s Social Care, the Police, CAMH’s and the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).
• Deliver, record and monitor annual safeguarding training for all school staff, including updates to key pieces of legislation such as Keeping Children Safe in Education.
• Actively participate in Safeguarding strategy meetings and Child Protection conferences, which are held locally and nationally.
• Promote a school-wide trauma-informed, emotionally safe environment, especially tailored to SEMH learners.
• Advise on behaviour interventions and attendance strategies.

Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO)

Pastoral

Lead on the whole-school assessment strategy

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Qualifications & Training:

• Qualified teacher status [essential requirement under SEND Code of Conduct if duties include SENCO responsibilities]
• Degree
• Professional development in preparation for a leadership role
• Additional qualifications in trauma informed practice, behaviour management, or therapeutic interventions
• DSL and Safeguarding Level 3 trained and updated safeguarding training at least every two years [essential for those undertaking DSL responsibilities]

Experience:

• Senior leadership experience or equivalent, ideally with a background in safeguarding, social work, education leadership, or SEMH contexts.
• Experience managing inclusion, behaviour, or attendance in special education contexts.
• Experience of working with or preparing for Ofsted or other inspection frameworks.
• Teaching experience
• Involvement in school self-evaluation and development planning
• Line management experience
• Demonstrable experience of successful line management and staff development
• National Award for SEN Co-ordination, or a willingness to complete it within 3 years of appointment [essential requirement under the SEND Code of Practice]

Skills & Knowledge:

• Understanding of high-quality teaching, and the ability to model this for others and support others to improve
• Understanding of school finances
• Thorough knowledge of statutory frameworks such as Keeping Children Safe in Education.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to communicate a vision and inspire others

Benefits

• A competitive salary between £51,807 and £54,417, reviewed annually
• Enrolment into the Esland education pension scheme, which is double matched up to 20%, meaning at total pension contribution of up to 30%
• Company sick pay
• Life insurance to the value of 4 times your basic salary
• Comprehensive, paid induction training and ongoing training within the role
• Fantastic opportunities for career development, we promoted over 100 colleagues last year
• Cycle to work scheme
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) including our Online GP 24/7, 365 days a year
• Access to our Green Hybrid and EV car scheme
• A £500 bonus via our 'Refer a Friend’ scheme
• Monthly recognition awards
• Access to big-brand deals and discounts via our employee benefits scheme E-Together
• The opportunity to make a real difference to a child's life!