Curriculum Team Leader – E BACC Subjects

INFORMATION PACK FOR CANDIDATES

Dear Applicant

Thank you for your enquiry regarding the position of Curriculum Team Leader – E BACC Subjects at Oasis Community Learning.

I hope you find the information pack helpful. If you feel that that this is a post for which you would like to apply, please complete the Application Forms – Section A & B and Equal Opportunities monitoring (CVs are not required) and return it to Angela Kaye at Oasis Academy MediaCityUK, King William Street, Salford Quays, M50 3UQ or you can submit an electronic copy .

The closing deadline for applications is no later than: 12 noon Friday 8 May 2015.

Please ensure you provide the name, address and status of two referees, one of whom should be your current direct Manager. Candidates should be aware that referees will be approached prior to interview.

Interviews will be held on: Tuesday 12 May 2015

If you have not been invited to attend by Monday 11 May 2015 you should assume that your application has not been successful. Unfortunately, we will not be able to provide feedback on your application at this stage.

If you would like to know more about us before you apply please see our website mediacityuk.org, or if you are not clear about any aspect of the application procedure, do not hesitate to contact us for clarification

I wish you well and thank you once again for your interest in what we think will be a challenging and rewarding post.

Yours sincerely

Angela Kaye

HR Manager

Oasis Academy MediaCityUK

Welcome from the Principal, Fiona O’Sullivan

Thank you for your interest in applying for a position at Oasis Media City UK. Having taken up my post as Principal in June 2014, I am delighted to be leading the academy through a very exciting period of transformation. Our academy is at the heart of a vibrant urban community, where it is our aim to ensure that every student is known, valued and understood as they progress along their learning journey to a very bright future.

Our mission is to support and inspire all our students to develop the respect, resilience, skills and understanding to become independent learners and caring, responsible citizens. Achieving our mission requires a relentless focus on achieving the highest standards, creating strong, effective teams and partnerships and developing the character of all our young people.

Our staff have demonstrated great perseverance, determination and resilience as Oasis Academy Media City UK faced critical challenges resulting in the Ofsted judgement of special measures immediately prior to my arrival. This judgement provided a clear steer on what needs to be done and we have now achieved significant improvements in our journey to transform the academy which have been recognised by Ofsted and the DFE. We are not alone in our drive for improvement and are very well supported by Oasis Community Learning and several local outstanding schools and teaching schools.

Our staff and students are extremely fortunate to benefit from learning in our £25million building equipped with state of the art facilities, as well as a range of exciting partnerships with employers including the BBC, Damson Restaurant and Salford Red Devils Rugby Foundation and Greater Manchester Police .

Our staff are enthusiastic, supportive and dedicated to ensuring that every student grows in confidence to believe they can achieve their potential by being inspired by their teachers, academy partners and each other.

I hope that having read the information regarding the post, you will be inspired to complete an application and come and join us a member of the Oasis Academy Media City UK team and the wider Oasis family of 45 academies nationally.

If you are excited by the prospect of a new challenge, committed to transforming the lives of our young people including the most vulnerable, enjoy working as a member of newly established dynamic team and have the perseverance and sense of humour to succeed, we’d love to hear from you.

Should you wish to arrange an informal visit of the academy prior to application, I would be delighted to welcome you. Alternatively if you need further information please contact Angela Kaye our HR Manager at and we will be very pleased to get back to you.

I look forward to meeting you and receiving your application.

Yours sincerely,

Job Description Curriculum Team Leader

POST: Curriculum Team Leader – E BACC Subjects

RESPONSIBLE TO: Principal delegated to the Deputy Principal

GRADE:TLR 1B

KEY RELATIONSHIPS:Principal, Deputy Principal; Academy Leadership Team; relevant teaching and support staff; LA representatives and external agencies; parents

LOCATION:Oasis Academy MediaCityUK

WORKING PATTERN:Full-time and as described in the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document.

Disclosure Level:Enhanced

JOB PURPOSE:

To be responsible to the Principal for leading the strategy to ensure that all our students achieve, if not surpass, the Academy’s targets within the curriculum area. To build and lead the curriculum team to ensure consistently high quality delivery of teaching, learning, assessment and achievement

Specific tasks related to job purpose:

  1. To work with the ALT team in developing and implementing a strategic plan that will ensure that the Academy becomes at least good in Ofsted terms by 2016 and a leading edge, innovative, high performing, and emotionally intelligent Academy fit for the 21st century.
  1. To lead on all matters concerning smooth and effective running of the Curriculum team on a day-to-day basis in:
  • Leading on the smooth co-ordination of the Curriculum team across all year groups, producing the highest quality of student progress.
  • Supporting the Deputy Principals in producing an integrated programme of student experiences that will enrich, broaden and strengthen each student’s personal development throughout their Academy life.
  • Driving the Academy towards consistently good outcomes for all students and the achievement, or surpassing, of its annual targets.
  1. To line manage the assistant curriculum leader, subject teachers and intervention staff to ensure that:
  • The Curriculum team is striving to ensure the highest possible standards in teaching and learning and assessment
  • The Curriculum team reviews are effective and efficient in ensuring the maintenance of high standards in teaching and learning and student progress
  • The Curriculum team engages effectively with the Academy’s CPD programme
  • Any additional identified CPD needs of curriculum team members are fully met
  • The Curriculum team achieves at least a good outcome in Ofsted terms by 2016.
  • To ensure that strategies for SEND, able and talented and pupil premium students are effective and regularly evaluated
  1. To work in conjunction with the ALT to ensure that:
  • Monitor the progress of students in all year groups and subjects and ensure that strategies are implemented to address any underachievement and ensure all students and groups of students are making good progress across the curriculum area.
  • That all support and intervention programmes are making a significant contribution to the Academy’s targets.
  • The internal and external examination systems for their subject areas are run effectively and efficiently to diagnose student needs and act as a benchmark for planning interventions.
  1. To line manage designated subject staff in ensuring that they are working collaboratively to:
  • Produce the highest quality of teaching and learning and all students make at least expected progress.
  • Ensure that their area of responsibility is striving towards the achievement of, or even surpassing, the Academy targets.
  • Drive the development of the curriculum area to ensure excellent practice through coaching and partnership working with Specialist leaders in education as well as National Teaching schools
  1. To lead on all matters concerning the use of data to :
  • Monitor the progress of the subjects within the Curriculum team towards their assessment point and annual targets
  • Identify and challenge underachievement of students in each of the subject areas and plan and deliver interventions
  • Detect good practice in terms of impact and disseminate that good practice across the Curriculum team and the Academy as a whole
  • Strategically plan using data available to improve the performance of the curriculum team
  1. To work with the data manager in preparing responses for the subject review process.
  1. To work in conjunction with the teacher cover manager in ensuring that all staff absence within the subject are:
  • Approved if known in advance.
  • Covered to the highest possible standard.
  1. To work with the Principal in ensuring that all absent staff within the Curriculum team undertake a ‘return to work’ interview
  1. To take on any whole school initiative or responsibility that the Principal may direct

Areas of Specific Accountability:

A. Strategic Direction and Development

  1. To lead the development of a dynamic and supportive Curriculum team, playing an important role in its drive to become a leading edge, innovative, high performing, and emotionally intelligent Academy fit for the 21st century.
  1. To make a significant and notable contribution to the strategic development of the Curriculum as well as taking personal responsibility for the monitoring and successful completion of the Curriculum team strategic plan and the quality assurance cycle of monitoring, evaluation and review
  1. To energetically support the management of an agenda of significant change to raise standards and outcomes for all students
  1. To actively support as well as strategically developing and maintaining Academy policies and practices that promotes high expectations, high achievement and inclusion through effective teaching, learning and behaviour modification within their area of responsibility.
  1. To work at the direction of, and in conjunction with, the Principal in drawing up the termly strategic plan; determining strand ownership and setting challenging targets for the Curriculum team.
  1. To strategically plan and implement a regular series of meetings with subject staff to ensure that they are working collaboratively and effectively to:
  • Produce the highest quality of teaching and learning within their area of responsibility.
  • Ensure that their area of responsibility is striving towards achievement of, or even surpassing, the Academy targets
  • Drive both the subject area and the Academy towards achieving consistently good outcomes
  1. To strategically prepare, in conjunction with the Data Manager, on the preparation of the data needed for the Curriculum team response at each subject review meeting in order to drive the subject area towards the achievement , or surpassing, of its annual targets.
  1. To work with the Deputy Principal and other Curriculum Leaders to ensure that students are on course to achieve the EBACC and developing cohesive intervention plans that allow students to achieve their potential
  1. To lead on the strategic planning of the Curriculum team calendar whilst ensuring that its scheduling of meetings is in accord with the national regulations regarding workload
  1. To strategically lead on the monitoring of staff absence within the subject ensuring that all absent staff complete a return to work interview on their first day back at the Academy.
  1. To assist the Principal, or her delegated person, in dealing with underperforming staff within the subject.
  1. To actively engage and liaise effectively with all stakeholders relevant to the work of the subject, including parents, members of the Academy Council, feeder schools, secondary schools and colleges, business and community partners, and the wider community as appropriate, all in line with Academy strategic objectives.
  1. To be actively involved in networking with other innovative and high achieving subjects within Oasis Community Learning and other relevant networks; in order to learn more about the ways that other institutions are effecting change and transformation.

B. Teaching and Learning

  1. To secure and sustain good and outstanding teaching by, working in conjunction with the ALT, leading the Curriculum team in implementing the monitoring, evaluating and reviewing of teaching and learning.
  1. To actively seek opportunities to collaborate with other innovative and high achieving within Oasis Community Learning and other relevant networks to share and develop excellent pedagogies.
  1. To actively liaise with inspectors, advisors, consultants and relevant outside agencies in ensuring the highest possible practices in teaching and learning.
  1. To ensure that within his/her area of responsibility all Academy policies regarding the establishment and maintenance of high quality teaching and learning are fully implemented.
  1. To ensure that the highest standards in teaching, learning and assessment are continually modelled to all staff to help improve their personal classroom performance.
  1. To work with the ALT in actively and continuously improving the overall quality of teaching and learning in the classroom.
  1. To work with the ALT in ensuring that the subject review process is effective in raising standards of performance in the classroom.
  1. To work with the ALT in ensuring that the Academy’s appraisal process is effective in raising standards of performance in the classroom.
  1. To work with the ALT to ensure that all programmes of study within their area of responsibility are accredited and contribute to the Academy’s drive to ensure that each student fulfils his / her potential.
  1. To actively work with staff whose classroom performance does not meet the Academy’s minimum standards in order that they may improve their performance.
  1. To have a teaching commitment in line with other Curriculum Team Leaders within the Academy.

C. Leading and Managing Staff

  1. To set high standards as a middle leader modelling, at all times, the highest possible standards of professionalism, ethical leadership, dress sense and personal behaviour.
  1. To work actively in monitoring the performance of both professional and support staff in line with the Academy’s performance management policies, strategies and practices.
  1. To work, through the Academy’s line management system, with appropriate staff in ensuring a safe working and learning environment through application of appropriate risk assessment and adherence to current safeguarding and Health & Safety regulations.

D. Accountability

  1. To have overall accountability for the smooth, effective and efficient functioning of their Curriculum team and strategically lead all subjects within the curriculum team.
  1. To be accountable for the Curriculum team’s performance in terms of the achievement, or surpassing, of its annual targets.

E. Working with the community

  1. To form a fulfilling and trusting partnership with parents and carers that will actively and positively contribute to the successful education of their child.
  1. To liaise with local primary schools in ensuring continuity of curriculum upon transfer as well as the spreading of good practice and expertise.
  1. To actively support the Hub Leader and the Hub team in planning and implementing events designed to both involve and strengthen the Academy’s local community.

F. Other Duties

  • The post holder will be subject to performance objectives agreed annually.
  • The person undertaking this role is expected to work within the policies, ethos and aims of the Academy and to carry out such other duties as may reasonably be assigned by the Principal.
  • To take on any whole school initiative or responsibility that the Principal may direct.
  • All teachers take an active role in the Academy’s care and guidance of students and may be expected to fulfil the role of form tutor or similar role as determined by the Academy
  • The duties of this post may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the post or level of responsibility entailed.
  • All teachers actively support and contribute, as required, to the Academy’s programme for Initial Teacher education trainees.

The above responsibilities are subject to the general duties and responsibilities contained in the Statement of Conditions of Employment

Person Specification

Curriculum team Leader – EBACC Subjects

Our Purpose

Oasis Academies exist to provide a rich and balanced educational environment which caters for the whole person - academically, vocationally, socially, morally, spiritually, physically, emotionally and environmentally. Our task is to serve our students as well as to provide a learning hub for the entire community. In this way we will raise aspirations, unlock potential and work to achieve excellence through encouraging a ‘can do’ culture which nurtures confident and competent people.

Oasis Community Learning Ethos

Our ethos is an expression of our character - it is a statement of who we are and therefore the lens through which we assess all we do. Our work is motivated and inspired by the life, message and example of Christ, which shapes and guides every aspect of each of our schools. This is foundational to our belief that all people are created and loved by God as equal and unique beings, and to our commitment to model inclusion and compassion throughout all the aspects of the life and culture of each Academy community.

  • Essential

Qualifications /
  • Qualified Teacher Status
  • A degree in relevant or related subject
  • Evidence of a commitment to own professional development
  • Recent relevant in-service training in the subject area and or middle leadership
  • Recent relevant training in the Leadership of learning

Experience, Skills & Knowledge / Ability to
  • Teach consistently high quality lessons at KS3 and 4
  • Line manage colleagues to ensure a co-coherent and effective team
Successful experience of:
  • Developing the curriculum and teaching of subject area
  • Line management / or co-ordination
  • Holding a position of responsibility
  • Achieving good student outcomes across Key Stages 3 and 4
  • Developing Schemes of Learning across Key Stages 3 and 4
  • Working effectively as a Form Tutor
  • Involvement in school improvement initiatives
  • Making effective use of Assessment for Learning to engage students as partners in their learning
  • Leading a major development within a team
  • Supporting the professional development of colleagues
  • Leading effective interventions designed to raise levels of attainment
  • Use of assessment and attainment information to improve practice and raise standards
  • An understanding of improving student performance through Literacy and numeracy strategies
  • Good understanding of the Ofsted inspection framework and of subject-level self-evaluation processes
  • Use of strategies to promote good student relationships and high attainment in an inclusive environment
  • Vision for the teaching of the subject
  • Secure knowledge of programmes of study for the subject at KS3 and KS4
  • Good knowledge of strategies to enhance teaching and learning of ICT within the subject area
  • An understanding of Health and Safety and safeguarding regulations affecting the curriculum area
  • An enthusiastic and effective leader and manager
  • Ability to use and promote a wide range of teaching methodologies
  • Excellent communication and presentation skills
  • Competent user of ICT
  • Ability to motivate, coach, mentor and deliver training to staff
  • Ability to plan and resource effective interventions to meet curricular objectives
  • Ability to assess the performance of others and respond appropriately
  • Ability to form and promote positive relationships with staff, students, parents, the local community and outside agencies
  • Ability to form and maintain appropriate relationships and personal boundaries with children and young people
  • Emotional resilience in working with challenging behaviours and attitudes
  • Well-developed emotional intelligence

Personal Qualities /
  • Commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.
  • Commitment to the value and promotion of vocational and work related learning
  • Willingness to undergo appropriate checks, including enhanced DBS checks.
  • Ability to form positive and productive relationships with students, colleagues, parents/carers and other stakeholders
  • Actively supports the Academy’s aims and ethos
  • Active participation in Academy developments
  • Commitment to leading extra-curricular activities/ educational visits/out-of-hours learning
  • Commitment to innovative curriculum development and partnership with other schools and the wider community including business and industry links
  • A willingness to demonstrate commitment to the values and behaviours which flow from the Oasis ethos.

The Faithworks Charter

Motivated by our Christian faith we commit ourselves to serve others by aspiring to the following standards in all our community work.