Education Authority Northern Ireland
Senior Teacher – Exceptional Teaching Arrangements: TOPS Beechcroft & Beechcroft In-Patient Education Unit
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Senior Teacher – Exceptional Teaching Arrangements: TOPS Beechcroft & Beechcroft In-Patient Education Unit
JOB TITLE: Senior Teacher – Exceptional Teaching Arrangements: TOPS Beechcroft & Beechcroft In-Patient Education Unit
Reports To: Head of Service ETA
Responsible for: ETA/EOTAS offers a truly multi-disciplinary approach across professionals working with young people. The team consists of teachers, support staff, and wider agencies to enhance the learning process for pupils and provide an exciting curriculum based on the individual needs of pupils.
About the Role
We are looking to appoint an enthusiastic, self-driven, flexible senior teacher to manage the ETA/EOTAS TOPS Beechcroft programme and support a phased retirement in Beechcroft In-Patient Education Unit. You must be able to manage teaching staff who deliver a bespoke curriculum to young people who have a range of abilities, monitor and assess progress to ensure the best possible outcomes for individuals, and offer support to pupils through their learning. You will have a commitment to developing outstanding practice and a passion for making a difference to the education and lives of our young people by building positive, supportive, and nurturing relationships.
Successful applications will be expected to play a full part in supporting and shaping the ETA EOTAS provision. This role includes:
- Leading a staff team and ensuring a consistent, cohesive, and comprehensive approach to the education of young people who are unable to attend mainstream schools
- Securing student commitment and regular attendance at the support programmes offered
- Supporting the educational, social, and personal development of students
- Working directly with CAMHS to create Risk Assessment/Management Plans to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all pupils
Information about ETA/EOTAS Beechcroft, Belfast
ETA/EOTAS TOPS Beechcroft & In-Patient Education Unit forms part of the EA’s Exceptional Teaching Arrangements service to schools for pupils with social, emotional, and well-being difficulties at KS4. Pupils accessing TOPS Beechcroft and the in-patient education unit are referred via Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and In-Patient Medical Services. Pupils that take up a placement within any of the ETA EOTAS programmes also remain on the register of their mainstream school.
The support offered will include:
- Centre-based curriculum
- Multidisciplinary work is an essential part of the work in each programme
- Collaborative working with schools is an essential element of the work within the ETA EOTAS programmes
Hours of work will be teacher terms and conditions, but because of the nature of the work, there is a need for flexibility to enable the senior teacher to perform all the necessary duties in connection with ETA/EOTAS.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
Key Responsibility Areas
- Day-to-day management of the designated ETA staff and provision
- Risk Assessment & Risk Management Planning in line with medical advice and partnership working
- Delivery of training, advice, and support to students and staff of the Service within the designated area
- Completion of PRSD/Annual Appraisal with identified staff
- Liaison with senior management of ETA and other professionals as appropriate
- Liaison with parents/carers
- Maintenance of appropriate records in respect of students and staff
- Maintenance and updating of Policies for ETA & Beechcroft TOPS
- Collaboration with a range of providers from a multi-agency perspective
- Responsibility for the management and oversight of exams within the centre in partnership with the ETA Regional Exams Officer
- Collaboration with a range of providers from a multi-agency perspective
- Development of self in order to enhance performance
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Key Tasks
- Support the academic and pastoral development of students, including teaching a reduced timetable in key subject area/preventative curriculum
- Support the safety and wellbeing of pupils via Risk Assessment & Risk Management Planning in line with medical advice and partnership working
- Work with teaching staff, parents/carers, and other parties to negotiate appropriate individualized programmes of support for each student
- Secure regular attendance/commitment and track the educational achievement and accreditation of students
- Organize and facilitate pupils/parent review meetings
- Maintain effective and efficient records of pupils’ attendance, attainment, and progress
- Report as required to the Head of Service and participate in management meetings as required
- Participate and lead in continuing professional development activities, including PRSD
- Carry out PRSD review/staff appraisals with identified staff, within designated timescales
This job description will be subject to review in light of changing circumstances and is not intended to be rigid and inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the individual works. Other duties of a similar nature and appropriate to the grade may be assigned from time to time.
In accordance with Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998), the post-holder is expected to promote good relations, equality of opportunity, and pay due regard for equality legislation at all times.
NB The above is an exemplar of the major tasks and activities of the post. It is not intended as an exhaustive list of every one of the post holder’s duties. The full professional duties of the post are as set out in Schedule 3 of the Teachers’ (Terms and Conditions of Employment) regulations (NI) 1987
Person Specification
Notes to Job Applicants
You must clearly demonstrate on your application form under each question, how, and to what extent you meet the required criteria as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. You should clearly demonstrate this for both the essential and desirable criteria, where relevant.
You must demonstrate how you meet the criteria by the closing date for applications, unless the criteria state otherwise.
The stage in the process when the criteria will be measured is outlined in the table below.
Shortlisting will be carried out on the basis of the essential criteria set out in Section 1 below, using the information provided by you on your application form.
Please note that the Selection Panel reserves the right to shortlist only those applicants that it believes most strongly meet the criteria for the role.
In the event of an excessive number of applications, the Selection Panel also reserves the right to apply any desirable criteria as outlined in Section 3 at shortlisting, in which case these will be applied in the order listed. It is important therefore that you also clearly demonstrate on your application form how you meet any desirable criteria.
Section 1 - Essential Criteria
The following are essential criteria which will initially be measured at the shortlisting stage and which may also be further explored during the interview/selection stage. You should therefore make it clear on your application form how, and to what extent you meet these criteria. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted.
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Factor | Essential Criteria | Method of Assessment
Qualifications/Experience | Hold a teaching qualification which meets the requirements for recognition to teach in grant-aided schools in Northern Ireland (Date of award, name of awarding body/university) | Shortlisting by Application Form
Qualifications/Experience | Have minimum of three years’ demonstrable experience within the last eight years as: A. a member of a school Senior Management Team with responsibility for Management Issues e.g. Special Educational Needs, Pastoral Care, Positive Behaviour, OR B. Have experience of managing a team and/or a curriculum area. | Shortlisting by Application Form
Qualifications/Experience | Have a minimum of three years’ demonstrable experience within the last eight years of teaching pupils with special educational needs, including those with (SBEW) social, behavioural, emotional wellbeing needs to include demonstrable knowledge of writing and implementing Risk Assessments and Risk Management Plans. | Shortlisting by Application Form
Qualifications/Experience | Demonstrable experience in the effective use of ICT within an educational setting. This should include proficiency in C2K systems, Microsoft Teams, Google Classroom, and other relevant software to support the management and delivery of school/service operations, including use of data to inform planning, service delivery, monitoring, evaluation, and review. | Shortlisting by Application Form
Other | The successful candidate will be required: to have access to a suitable vehicle (appropriately maintained and insured for Education Authority business) that will enable them to carry out the mobility requirements of the post in an efficient and effective manner and thus meet this essential criterion; OR be able to provide sufficient information on the application form that will satisfy the employer that he/she has access to an appropriate alternative form of transport that will enable them to carry out the mobility requirements of the post in an efficient and effective manner and thus meet this essential criterion. | Shortlisting by Application Form
Pre-employment Check | Be registered with the General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland (GTCNI) before taking up post | Pre-employment Check
Section 2 - Essential Criteria
The following are additional essential criteria which will be measured during the interview/selection stage in line with EA’s Game Changing People Model.
Factor | Essential Criteria | Method of Assessment
Knowledge | Knowledge of the curriculum in general and specifically within the area of social, behavioural, and emotional wellbeing needs. (SBEW) Knowledge of current educational developments within the area of SEN. Knowledge of school/service development planning including implementation and review. Knowledge of the evaluation of teaching and learning through monitoring activities including: Scrutiny of planning Analysis of results and assessment data Attending planning meetings Leading staff training Knowledge of Microsoft Teams and other software systems. Knowledge of the PRSD scheme including Review. | Interview
Skills/Abilities | Have the ability to lead and work effectively with an inter-agency team. Be a highly motivated team player with a proactive and flexible approach with the ability to work on own initiative. Possess good presentation, written, and oral communication skills; Ability to
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