Role Title:Head of Setting and School Effectiveness

ROLE PROFILE

Service Group:Children and Families

Accountable to:Corporate Director - People

Grade:N

Date:June 2015

JE code:JE1278

Purpose of job

To ensure that the Authority fulfills its legal, regulatory and statutory requirements in monitoring, challenging, supporting and intervening in schools and settings to secure the best possible educational outcomes and sufficiency for children and young people.
As a member of the Children and Families Senior Management Team, reporting directly to the Corporate Director of People and working with external and internal partners as appropriate, this post holder is the LA lead educational professional, responsible for leading and managing the education agenda; for ensuring the Council’s strategic requirements are translated into operational service delivery.
To be responsible for ensuring the delivery of high quality services, programmes and projects in line with national and local policy and relevant legislation, whilst meeting the agreed financial and service performance targets.

The post holder is fully accountable for the specific services listed below and responsible for providing strategic and operational leadership, effective challenge and performance management of all areas and all associated resources and for modelling behaviour that is consistent with the Council’s organisational values.

Key Objectives

1 / To respond strategically to the changing national educational agenda and be responsible for the development, implementation and impact of the Setting and School Improvement Strategy and capturing the vision and forward planning in the strategy policy documentation. Leading on intervention and standards in order to achieve good and outstanding Ofsted outcomes, improved test and examination results across all Key Stages and for developing effective services in all schools and settings across Milton Keynes.
2 / To ensure schools are compliant with safeguarding requirements, ensuring a high level of accountability and safeguarding for children and young people. To be the key point of contact for Ofsted and the Local Authority Designated Officer for safeguarding, when safeguarding issues arise or Ofsted complaints are received and to be the lead education professionalresponsible for investigating and officially responding to directly to Ofsted on behalf of the LA.
3 / Leading the Narrowing of the Gap agenda by targeting vulnerable and underperforming groups, with responsibility for ensuring improved outcomes for all vulnerable and underperforming groups including SEND, Children Looked After, those entitled to Pupil Premium, GRT, BME – supplementary schools and in doing so narrowing the gap in performance.
4 / To be the lead education professional in the strategic and operational work with the Teaching School Alliances, National College for Teaching and Leadership, Ofsted, Regional Commissioner for Schools, DfE, Dioceses, headteachers across all phases and provision in Milton Keynes. Also to lead the Workforce Development programme project group, working with aforementioned partners and Universities, Regeneration MK programme, National College for Teaching and Learning (NCTL), locally and nationally, to shape the provision of staff and staff development to ensure education is supported by a skilled and appropriate workforce.
5 / To ensure all statutory requirements are met with regard to: the conditions of being a Newly Qualified Teachers (NQT) Awarding Body, thereby supporting and sustaining high quality teaching across the LA and to be responsible for ensuring that all Assessment and Monitoring statutory conditions are met and that staff training, across the workforce, is up to date and compliant with statutory guidance, to ensure standards are maintained.
6 / To strategically lead the early years quality improvement service across all settings and schools, to ensure high quality outcomes and standards.
7 / To be the strategic lead for Leadership and Governance support and development, with responsibility for Governing Body support and development Strategy and capturing the vision and forward planning in the strategy policy documentation, to ensure effective governance in settings and schools. To shape, direct and manage the development of innovative and new approaches to attract and recruit early years practitioners, support staff, teachers and school leaders, to ensure a sufficient and well trained future workforce. To also develop the traded service model as required by the MKC developing agenda.
8 / To be responsible for the Council’s strategy for the Raising of the Participation Age agenda and the post 16 agenda, promoting adequate provision and good outcomes for young people, in particular Care Leavers and those at risk of becoming NEET.

Scope

To provide strategic leadership and direction to the service area, shaping national agendas into a local model to ensure a coherent and coordinated response to the Council’s priorities and outcomes for children and young people. This role demands the highest levels of leadership and expansive experience in settings and school improvement.
To ensure that the quality of services are of the highest possible standard and that the Council’s statutory duties are met so that children and young people achieve well and fulfill their potential, as defined by section 13A of the 1996 education Act. In addition, to work with the Corporate Director - People, Heads of Sufficiency and Access, Capital and Infrastructure, Setting and School Effectiveness Support Services, SEND, Corporate Parenting, Safeguarding and Children’s Social Workto ensure a collaborative and coordinated provision for children and young people.
To be responsible for providing strategic expert advice to the Corporate Director - People and to the Lead Member with regard to all early years, primary, secondary and special education.
To challenge and support early years settings and schools to improve outcomes for vulnerable and underperforming groups of children and young people, working closely with the Senior Management Team within Children and Families.
To establish, develop and maintain effective working arrangements with partners and stakeholders including over 600 early years settings, 110 schools, (including academies, Teaching Schools), elected members, officers from across the organisation and within partner organisations - locally and nationally (e.g. Ofsted, Regional Commissioner for Schools, Department of Education, National College for Teaching and Learning, Education Funding Agency, Regional Assistant Directors Education network).
As part of the Children and Families Senior Management Team contribute to the strategic leadership, deputising for the Director of People in areas of own responsibility and on relevant strategic developments.
Lead, motivate and develop managers and other professional staff across the service area, ensuring performance management arrangements are in place and service plan targets are met.
Ensure the effective and efficient management of all assigned revenue (general fund and dedicated schools grant) and compliance with the Council’s financial and programme management policies and procedures.
Oversee the development of strategic and operational policies and procedures within the education business area, including policies and procedures aimed at settings and schools as well as those for use within the organisation.Develop new partnerships and innovative approaches to supporting and challenging educational provision to ensure the Council continues to be able to champion improvement within a context of a more autonomous and self improving setting and school system.
To ensure that in the context of a growing and increasingly diverse population that there is sufficient high quality educational provision within Milton Keynes for all children and young people, securing additional funding and resources where possible and appropriate, in partnership with the Schools Forum ensuring that revenue funding is used appropriately across the sectors and provision type.
Co-ordinate the Council’s response to setting and school inspection, providing support for schools causing concern as set out in Part 4 of the Education and Inspections Act 2004, brokering alternative leadership and governance models where necessary.
To chair the MKSSEPB Deployment Board, working in partnership with all teaching schools, to commission school to school support and LA wide projects. To deliver operational services based on the MKSSEPB strategic plans.
To develop a traded service model, as appropriate and as required by MKC policy.

People

Direct Reports: 10

The role has significant scope and a very wide range of stakeholders. Including:

Internal: HR, Finance, Leadership and Governance, Governors Services,

Virtual School, Early Years, EMA, GRT, School Improvement, NQT Awarding Body, Assessment and Moderation, Workforce

Development, Post 16.

Local:Over 600 early years’ settings, 110 schools, 4 Teaching Schools, NLEs, LLEs and a number of other education providers such as Academy chains.

National:Ofsted, Department for Education, Regional Commissioner for Schools, Education Funding Agency, National College for Teaching and Learning, Assistant Directors Education regional network

Financial

Approximate numbers across the service area: 49

Direct budget with sole responsibility for approximately £3m, of which approximately £2m would be staffcosts.

Overview, scrutiny and responsibility for 7 SSE team budgets.

Staff:

10 Professional Partners plus 4 teams

Key outputs specific to the role:

To deliver an effective and efficient service that delivers improved

outcomes for children and young people.

To provide educational leadershipacross the community, settings and schools promoting highexpectations and high standards and being responsible for schoolimprovement services.
To ensure that all elements of the SSE operate as a coherent and coordinatedteam working together to achieve the common goals as setout in the Children and Families Plan.
To promote and enable close and co-operative working with all

partners.

To effectively identify schools and settings vulnerable to

underperformance and manage rapid support and intervention to

prevent such judgements or categorisation of causing concern

To be accountable for working in partnerships fornarrowing the gap for groups of children and young people with thegreatest need
To develop programmes to support the raising of achievement levels

across schools and settings by working in partnership with other

agencies, schools, settings and support services.

To develop appropriate quality assurance procedures across the full

range of provision including childminders, children’s centres, settings

and schools

Work Profile

1. To be responsible for all aspects of service delivery within this service area, ensuring the highest professional practice, providing expert, trusted advice and guidance to colleagues and modelling appropriate behaviours, by making a leading contribution to our work to improve outcomes for children andyoung people through:

Providing effective leadership to create and sustain the platform on whichstrong local partnerships can be built
Challenging all schools, settings and services to be outstanding, enabling them to take the lead in driving up standards and only intervening whenoutcomes are not good enough or where schools and settings are unableto help each other improve
Developing and maintaining effective services and interventions that

enable those children and young people who face barriers to participationto successfully overcome them

Developing and maintaining effective services and interventions that

prevent the most vulnerable children and young people in our communityfrom experiencing additional difficulties and prevent them from sufferingsignificant harm.

2. To anticipate the needs of elected members regarding priorities and issues for targeted support with the education strategy, provide member briefings and attendance at relevant council committees.

3. To be fully responsible for operational services relating to education performance and for ensuring the effective management of all services, resources (people and finance), programmes and projects.

4. To be a major contributor to the delivery of the Council’s services to the public, with an impact on the quality of services delivered, public perception of the Council and its brand and the level of complaints and criticism, comments and compliments received.

5. To be an effective member of the Children and Families Senior Management Team and other teams as appropriate, with responsibility for delivery of the Council’s corporate objectives and priorities, for contributing to the development of the Council’s change agenda, recognising good practice, challenging and managing poor performance and ensuring the Council culture is embedded within the Settings and School Effectiveness service area.

6. To ensure that quality, efficacy and thevalue for money of services are evaluated and continuously improved andthat practice changes as a result of learning, development or innovation.

7. To set high expectations and to support and challenge all relevant staff to

continuously develop and improve through effective performance

management in line with the council’s agreed framework.

8. To actively promote integrated working within and across service groups andwith partner organisations.

9. To manage the recruitment and selection process for all members of staff

within the areas of responsibility being fully responsible for safer recruitment.

10. To anticipate the needs of colleagues and stakeholders when providing

information and drafting reports so that they are accurate, timely, analytical

and supportive of future decision making.

11. To exercise robust risk management, taking full account of the council’s

agreed procedures such as GRACE (Risk Management System).

12. To take a leading responsibility in business planning and financial

management so that resources are deployed as effectively as possible.

13. To ensure that appropriate health and safety policy and procedures are

adhered to.

14. To build an effective customer focus in line with the council’s public access strategy, and ensure the views and feedback from children and families is used to improve services.

15. To implement the Council’s equalities policies and in particular, to understandthe implications of equalities policies in the context of children, young peopleand families.

16. To undertake any duties of a similar nature commensurate with the grade asmay be required from time to time.

17. To be fully accountable to the Corporate Director - People and Lead Members forthe effective delivery of the service.

Job Context

PERSON SPECIFICATION

In this section the Skills, Knowledge, Qualificationand Competency requirements to perform the role to a satisfactory standard are set out. The extent, nature and level of the role holder’s knowledge and skills should be specified

Awarenesssome knowledge or skills sufficient to show aptitude and the ability to learn in the particular work area

Significant knowledge and skills gained through practice and/or qualification sufficient to fulfill the role requirements

Extensiveknowledge and skills gained through practice and/ or qualification to fulfill the role requirements and contribute to training others and developing policy and practice in the work area

PERSON SPECIFICATION / Examples specific to role / Required / Level / Method of Assessment application form, interview, testing, reference
Essential / Desirable / Awareness / Significant / Extensive
SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE
Technical knowledge and qualifications / Appropriate graduate qualification or
equivalent
Post Graduate qualification
Qualified Teacher Status or equivalent professional
Ofsted accreditation
Detailed knowledge and experience of Ofsted inspection processes
Substantial and effective teaching experience
Detailed knowledge and clear understanding of current education legislation and DfE guidance in relation toschools, settings, governance and CLA
Evidence of deep knowledge and understanding of children’s learning across all phases, including mainstream and special schools.
Good understanding and ability to work effectivelyin the political context and environment of local government, providing balanced advice and guidance on strategic and operational issues.
Senior leadership experience in one or more of the coreservices
Experience of effective working at a strategic and operationallevel with partners and agencies
Substantial evidence of significant contribution and improved outcomes to schools or settings
Track record of leading and managing change in a major organisation
Experience of managing teams and individuals from a diverse
range of backgrounds
Ability to analyse and interrogate complex data, but also to hypothesise and reason
Proven ability to use data to measure and forecast outcomes, understanding implications for deployment of resources / X
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Planning and organising work / Thinks and acts strategically.
Shapes and drives the strategic planning and delivery of the service, ensuring operational planning and service area targets and objectives are developed, implemented and monitored effectively.
Works strategically across Council and with partners, internal and external, to achieve positive service outcomes
Highly developed and effective oral, written communication and influencing skills used effectively to deliver high quality outcomes.
Ensure performance and development reviews and appraisals are completed to required standards and timescales and targets are set in line with council objectives / X
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Planning capacity and resources / Direct, control and influence the financial expenditure and integrity of the service ensuring budget and financial risk are monitored and managed in compliance with Council requirements.
Able to plan and set budgets and use resources flexibly
Able to analyse and act upon data and complex information to inform planning and deployment of teams work
To monitor performance and outcomes and respond appropriately to achieve the best quality educational provision across the LA
Able to engage and work together with partners, schools and
settings, including those in the voluntary sector, at regional and national level, to achieve positive service delivery outcomes / X
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Influencing and interpersonal skills / Requires excellent influencing, negotiatingand advocacy skills with proven ability to communicate effectively and persuasively to a wide range of audiences.
Manage confidential, challenging and highly sensitive issues, often requiring significant negotiation.
Shows leadership within the Council and with partners, locally, regionally and nationally.
Able to lead and motivate staff
Authority and credibility to work effectively in a senior and political environment and establish productive and positive relationships with stakeholders, colleagues and partners.
Demonstrates strong commitment to public service.
Has a high degree of integrity.
Demonstrates strong interpersonal and networking styles
Demonstrates strong commitment to the promotion of equal
opportunities.
Uses political judgment and sensitivity.
Showshigh resilience and toughness under pressure, particularly when dealing with complex and highly emotional situations.
Shows a high drive for achievement.
Shows a high degree of awareness and sensitivity towards the needs ofservice users. / X
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PROBLEM-SOLVING
Using initiative to overcome problems / Ability to use complex, highly developed analytical skills, with particular reference to data, statutory legislation and in the development of strategic documentation.
Able to harness resources and think creatively to find effective and appropriate solutions to varied, complex problems and issues.
To be able to challenge ‘traditional thinking’ and respond creatively by developing and implementing innovative solutions / X
X
X / X
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Managing risk / Able to direct and implement corporate risk processes and identify mitigation for high risk areas / X / X / I
Managing change / Proven track record of accountability for and success in driving major organisational change in education
Able to ensure the capacity to respond positively to change is enhanced, ‘traditional thinking’ is challenged and innovative solutions are pursued throughout the service area. / X
X / X
X / I
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ACCOUNTABILITY and RESPONSIBILITY
Undertakes tasks without supervision / Works at a strategic level locally, regionally and nationally, representing the LA
Undertakes advanced and complex tasks and areas of responsibility and high accountability without supervision
Assumes accountability for overall performance of service area
Ensures all statutory obligations are met
Develops and implements clear accountability process
Delivers results on time and to a high standard
Ensures the development of policy, systems, processes, performance criteria and procedures within the service area meet strategic and operational requirements, internal and external reporting procedures and ensure compliance with external legislation and regulations. / X
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Managing people / Manages confidential, challenging and highly sensitive issues, often requiring significant negotiation.
Supports and motivates staff to strive for aspirational but achievable outcomes
Ensures staff have skills for the job and training is up to date
Deals effectively with poor performance
Ability to demonstrate awareness/understanding of equal opportunities and sensitive to individual needs and requirements / X
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Managing financial resources / Experience of managing significant financial budgets
Direct, control and influence the financial expenditure and integrity of the service ensuring budget and financial risk are monitored and managed in compliance with organisation requirements.
Deliver cost effective services ensuring the Council and stakeholders receive value for money. / X
X / X
X / I
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COMPETENCIES REQUIRED – All post holders must be able to comply with the Council’s core competency requirements,Leading Change, Focus on the Customer, Team Working, Delivering Performance, Motivation, and Managing Resources. Enhanced DBS required.