Longhill High School
Rottingdean
Brighton
Information Pack 2014
Head of English
Senior Leadership Spine
-(Salary negotiable at Leadership Scale)
Longhill High School
February 2014
Dear Applicant
Thank you for your application to join the community at Longhill High School. I hope you find the contents of this pack both informative and engaging.
Please make every effort to find out all you can about the school to ensure that when you decide to continue your application you do so from a fully informed basis.
Shortlisting for interview will be based solely on the information you provide on the application form. Please include evidence of how you meet each of the criteria set out in the person specification, providing examples where possible.
Longhill is a forward thinking school, truly comprehensive with a lively and positive community who share a determination to be the best they can.
Your commitment and enthusiasm towards Longhill as well as the contribution you are able to bring to the school will be key in our decision making process.
Please return your application by e-mail to: or by post for the attention of Jayne Thrush, Personnel & Admin Manager, Longhill High School, Falmer Road, Rottingdean, Brighton BN2 7FR.
The deadline for receipt of your completed application is on 9.00am on Friday 28 March 2014.
We take the issue of safeguarding children very seriously and all applications are processed accordingly. Please note that any appointments are made subject to enhanced CRB clearance, identity checks, continuous employment / employment gaps checks and satisfactory written references which we will apply for prior to the interview.
Thank you for your interest and good luck.
Yours sincerely
Haydn Stride
Headteacher
Job Description
Job Title
Head of English Department
Overall Purpose
To work strategically to lead teachers and non-teachers in the Department, to ensure that successful teaching and learning takes place that leads to accelerated progress. To take on responsibilities within the Senior Leadership Team.
This postholder reports to:
· Deputy Headteacher
Key Accountabilities
For:
· Providing a strategic vision for the Department
· Raising standards of student attainment and achievement within the whole curriculum area by monitoring and supporting student progress
· Developing a broad, balanced and inclusive curriculum
· Ensuring that appropriate schemes of work, including related assessment processes, are in place and regularly reviewed
· Promoting a collegiate approach so that the staff in the Department work as an effective team; where appropriate, building with other leadership postholders
· Monitoring teachers’ classroom practice and students’ work, to ensure that successful teaching and learning are taking place
· Managing and deploying available resources (Teachers, Support staff, Capitation, Departmental areas, etc.)
· Ensuring that appropriate professional development takes place in the Department
Key tasks
· To ensure the smooth day-to-day running of the Department
· To keep up to date with national developments in the departmental area, and teaching practice and methodology
· To ensure that students are entered for appropriate examinations
· To lead appraisal for the whole department, including other team leaders
· To ensure that an environment conducive to learning is established in the departmental classrooms that allows for effective teaching and learning
· To establish practices that support colleagues in classroom and behaviour management and to act as a role model in their implementation
· To check that appropriate work has been set for classes when teachers are absent
· To work with the Head and SLT line manager in the recruitment of staff in the Department
· To construct an annual Departmental Development Plan, reflecting the SIP
· To monitor student data and to ensure that appropriate intervention strategies that raise overall standards are implemented
· To report annually to SLT on departmental exam performance
· When invited, to report to the Governors’ Curriculum Committee
· To incorporate the SEF questions in the Department’s Self Review process
· To manage departmental time to develop the skills and teamwork of the team
· To manage the departmental budget plan
Generic Responsibilities
· Responsibilities carried by all teachers in the school comply with the School Teachers Pay and Conditions (Publishes annually)
· Expectations regarding the mentor’s role for all teachers are contained within the school handbook
· To play a full part in the life of the school community, to support its ethos and to encourage staff and students to follow this example
Essential Criteria
1. Knowledge and Experience
· Proven knowledge and understanding of the curriculum area and its teaching
· Evidence of an active contribution to the development of the curriculum area across all age groups (sharing good practice, supporting the team)
· Evidence of commitment to personal CPD
2. Skills and Abilities
· The ability and commitment to:
· Think strategically
· Inspire, challenge and support other adults
· Inspire, challenge and support all students
· Understand and demonstrate the principles and practice of effective Teaching and Learning
· Challenge poor performance and offer constructive feedback
· Review and plan your own CPD
· Engage your department members in systematic and rigorous self-evaluation
Longhill High School
Person Specification
Head of English Department
Qualifications / Development / Essential / DesirableQTS / ü
Graduate / ü
Further Professional Qualifications / ü
Evidence of appropriate Professional Development / ü
Knowledge / Skills / Essential / Desirable
Evidence of having the skills to be an outstanding/good classroom practitioner. / ü
Ability to teach across the full age/ ability range / ü
Ability to implement strategies to raise achievement within a team / ü
Ability to contribute to the positive management of student behaviour within a team and whole school / ü
CPD of self and others / ü
Coaching within a team / ü
Ability to inspire both adults and young people / ü
Excellent communicator / ü
Confident user of ICT and leading others / ü
Intervention strategies for those at risk of under achievement / ü
Experienced in the production of schemes of work and leading effective lesson planning / ü
Sound practitioner of AFL and leading others. / ü
Use and impact of data on learning at strategic level / ü
Leading whole school productions / ü
Experience / Essential / Desirable
Effective team leadership which includes the empowerment of others / ü
Track record of leading the raising of achievement and attainment. / ü
Experience of writing a SEF and resultant action plan / ü
Experience of producing performance management targets with a team of staff / ü
Experience of monitoring set targets in a specified action plan to evaluate and ensure progress / ü
Managing the professional development with a team of colleagues / ü
Management of a team to ensure at least good student provision / ü
Leading the implementation and development of curriculum initiatives and the Secondary Strategy / ü
Experience of effective leadership of student behaviour for learning / ü
Recent and successful experience in challenging circumstances in secondary education / ü
Effective practitioner at both KS3 and KS4 and leading others practice / ü
Personal Qualities / Essential / Desirable
To have a love of and infectious enthusiasm for teaching / ü
Lead by example / ü
Meet deadlines and manage a fluctuating workload / ü
Honesty and integrity / ü
Work actively and productively as part of a team / ü
Outstanding interpersonal skills and the ability to relate well to a wide range of people / ü
Excellent sense of humour / ü
Willingness to innovate / ü
Strategic thinker / ü
Ability to support and challenge others / ü
Belief and commitment to comprehensive education, inclusion, community cohesion and the ECM agenda / ü
High personal standards / ü
Optimism / ü
Willingness to engage students outside of hours / ü
A determination for self and others to be the best you can / ü
Equalities and Safer Recruitment / Essential / Desirable
Ability to demonstrate a commitment to the principles of Equalities and to be able to carry out duties in accordance with the Council’s Equalities Policy. / ü
Ability to demonstrate an understanding of the importance of forming and maintaining appropriate relationships and personal boundaries with children and young people. / ü
Ability to demonstrate emotional resilience in working with challenging behaviours / ü
Longhill High School
Dept Information
Head of English Department
English Profile 2014
The Team
The team consists of a total of 10 staff and 3 Higher Level Teaching Assistant.
Some staff teach in other areas of the curriculum such as Opening Minds and Media Studies.
The Department has an Advanced Skills Teacher and a Second in Department with other members of the team with a wide range of experiences.
Attainment and Achievement
The Department is currently on a 3 year improving trend, with 2013 results 63% A-C Language and 88% for Literature.
The 2014 forecast are set for improvement to approximately 70% A-C in Language and 93% A-C in Literature.
Progress levels are at 58% against FFT(D) target of 68% in 2013.
2014 forecast predicts progress at 3 levels of 69% against FFT(D) of 70%.
KS3 Progress
KS3 progress is in line with National levels at the end of Year 9.
Curriculum
We examine in EdExcel English Literature and Language and EdExcel English only at KS4.
KS3 curriculum is in line with National Guidelines with APP on the main driver behind student progress.
Closing the Gap
We have a 3 year improving trend between Non-Pupil Premium and Pupil Premium, especially for the students entering on high level 4 or level 5 at KS2.
The gap between students on Non-Pupil Premium and Pupil Premium is still too wide with students entering KS2 on level 3 and low level 4.
Monitoring
We have outstanding data sets at Longhill High School.
We use data effectively to target students and groups of students and ensure effective intervention.
Learning Walks and Work Scrutinies are embedded in school practice. These enable Leaders to monitor progress efficiently and effectively in their Departments.