Head of School Improvement

School Improvement Service London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Candidate information

Helping others make a difference

Barking and Dagenham Children’s Services and partners

Job title: Grade:

are working to improve the lives of children, young people and their families.

Part of that commitment includes improving the quality of education throughout the borough. Working as a senior adviser in the School Improvement Service, you will have the opportunity to be part of a team dedicated to driving up standards within schools.

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Head of School Improvement Soulbury 42-45 plus inner London allowance and casual car allowance

Section:

Education

Department: Reports to:

Children’s Services Divisional Director Education

We are looking for an outstanding leader to help meet the two overarching objectives for education in Barking and Dagenham: • Every school a good or outstanding school; • Reaching national standards and beyond. As an experienced school improvement professional you will have a strong track record of leading improvements as a headteacher in one or more primary schools. Credibility, ambition for all young people and tenacity will be key to your success as you lead and support improvements across the family of schools, drawing on the strengths already in our schools to further improve outcomes for our young people. This is a rewarding opportunity to work strongly in partnership with headteachers and others in education to build on the achievements of schools to date. Shortlisted candidates will have the opportunity to visit London Borough of Barking and Dagenham on the afternoon of 25 February.

The School Improvement Service of Barking and Dagenham The School Improvement Service in Barking and Dagenham is long established and well regarded. In line with many local authorities it has reduced in recent years to a core of five Principal/Senior Advisers who are all experienced school improvement professionals with a mix of headship and Ofsted inspection backgrounds. With the support of schools the traded services is healthy and this provides additional posts which cover advisory support for core subjects, support for governor services and recruitment and retention. The service has a long and well respected history of pedagogical and curriculum innovation, and over the years members of the service have held subject posts at a national level. Research and project links with universities are strong, particularly for maths and English/literacy. Members of the service have worked productively and successfully to develop and maintain research and development links, to seek funding for schools to participate in leading edge projects and we consider this an important strand of the work of the person appointed.

Two important current projects are in reading comprehension (Schools’ Forum funded) – Year 3 and Year 4 in conjunction with Cambridge Institute of Education and the University of East London; and high achievement in mathematics (Transition Project). In addition the Schools’ Forum is supporting a number of literacy and numeracy initiatives to help low attaining pupils to catch up with their peers. The work of the Education Inclusion Team, led by a Principal Adviser, is closely aligned to that of School Improvement with a programme of termly inclusion link adviser visits which focus on the achievement of children and young people with SEN and other vulnerable groups.

Partnership with schools is strong. All schools receive a minimum of two School Improvement Link Adviser visits per year and Education Inclusion Link Adviser visits. Standards on the headline measures are at the national for eleven year olds and above national for 16 year olds – with well above national performance in English at GCSE. Whilst this is an important milestone in the context of disadvantage, unprecedented growth and considerable mobility, schools and officers are determined to keep improving outcomes for all young people. For a summary analysis of the current performance and priorities please see London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Education Strategy Summer 2013 Review at http://www. lbbd.gov.uk/Education/Documents/ EducationStrategy.pdf The School Improvement Service is based in a modern, recently refurbished office near Barking Town Centre. This is easily accessible by public transport and there is car parking nearby.

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Job description Context • This role is highly placed within the Council in terms of its strategic accountability, operational profile and targeted aims and objectives. • By deploying their advanced and high level specialist knowledge and skills to the best advantage of the Council, the role holder will lead on the construction of innovative solutions to highly complex and/or contentious issues. • Also through ongoing work with senior colleagues across schools and the Council, the role holder will work collaboratively and creatively to deliver a range of projects which contribute to children’s achievement and the wider objectives of the Children and Young People’s Plan. • The role holder will undertake high level representative duties and will ensure that services meet the diverse needs of the community the Council serves in terms of efficiency and value for money. Purpose of the job • To provide inspirational leadership and robust management that results in the best possible set of outcomes achieved by all young people in the borough. • To lead the implementation of the Council’s strategy for school improvement and inclusion to ensure that all schools in the authority provide a good or outstanding inclusive education and further improve outcomes for children and young people. • To maintain and develop partnerships across the borough to maximise the potential of school to school support and collaborative working to improve opportunities and outcomes for children and young people.

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• To ensure that the advice, guidance and challenge provided to all primary schools through school improvement services is of a high standard and improves outcomes for children and young people.

Main activities • Lead and manage the School Improvement Service, ensuring statutory responsibilities are carried out to a high standard and that the School Improvement and Inclusion teams work together effectively to maximise outcomes for children and young people.

You will be responsible for • The school improvement strategy, quality assurance procedures and systematic visit programme.

• Make a major contribution to the priorities set out in Barking and Dagenham’s Education Strategy and to meeting the standards agreed with schools.

• Developing the school improvement team professionally so that they are able both to support schools effectively and to contribute creatively and intelligently to developments in pedagogy and curriculum which support outcomes for children.

• Actively support and develop partnerships with and across the local family of schools; encourage, develop and broker school to school support both within and beyond borough boundaries so that sustained capacity for improvement is developed.

• Further raising levels of achievement and outcomes for young people (with the London average as the next milestone).

• Ensure that local and national educational expertise is drawn upon strategically and effectively, so that local teaching schools, NLEs, federations and networks all contribute to the improvement agenda.

• Implementing and further developing the borough’s Inclusion Strategy so that as far as possible children and young people are educated in high quality local provision. • The services to governing bodies, and other traded/commissioned services. • Community Music Service and Outdoor Education Centre (in conjunction with Management Committees). • Statutory provisions relating to the SACRE. • Oversight of all School Improvement budgets, including those which are traded, ensuring budgets are managed effectively and confirm to the Council’s rules.

• Ensure that robust and effective quality assurance procedures are in place, based upon sound knowledge of educational performance and that the arrangements contribute to the raising of achievement for children and young people in the borough. • Take strategic responsibility for arrangements for schools which cause concern to the local authority, ensuring effective challenge, support and monitoring is in place so that schools are helped to make rapid improvements. • As the lead primary practitioner make an expert contribution to developing leadership and management, the quality of teaching and the curriculum in primary phase schools in particular and more broadly across all provisions.

• Ensure that high quality professional development is available locally to schools and service staff. • Provide strategic leadership to support governance through access to effective services and a high quality training programme. • Support governing bodies in the recruitment of headteachers.

Customer care

• Undertake staff management and supervisory responsibilities, including the recording of absences, appraisal, recruitment, development, welfare, discipline, deployment, motivation, etc. • Foster teamwork involvement with staff to increase performance. Create an environment for ideas and innovations to be explored and work practices challenged. Encourage staff to meet their full potential. • Make sure that full confidentiality is respected by all staff.

• Provide services that are fair and accessible to all. Statutory requirements Financial management • Oversee and manage school improvement budgets, including traded services.

• This post carries a requirement to have a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for either Adults, Children’s or both. • A Safer People for Safer Services form has been completed for this post.

People management • Management / supervisory responsibility for approximately 80 staff. • Ensure that staff assigned (directly and indirectly), understand the priorities, objectives and policies of the Council, Department and Division and are able to successfully implement decisions. • Responsible for setting clear objectives for these staff, and annually review performance against these objectives.

• Undertakes a proactive, committed approach towards the Council’s Best Value ethos. • Ensure compliance with and actively promote the Council’s Equalities and Diversity policies and strategies. • Ensure compliance with and actively promote Health and Safety at work legislation, Council and Departmental H&S policies and procedures. • Comply with the competencies and standard requisites agreed by the Council as relevant to your post. • Comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 (all employees of the Council will not disclose or make use of, for their private advantage, any information held on manual or computer records, which are not available to the public, however acquired). • Take responsibility for continuing selfdevelopment and participate in training and development activities.

General accountabilities and responsibilities • Ensure compliance with appropriate legislation, Council Policies, the Council Constitution, Financial Rules and other requirements of the Council. • Promote the development of a high quality individual need led service, to comply at all times with the Council’s policies and procedures, particularly those regarding Data Protection, Equalities and Diversity and Health and Safety.

The above mentioned duties are neither exclusive nor exhaustive and the postholder may be called upon to carry out such other appropriate duties as may be required by the Line Manager within the grading level of the post and the competence of the postholder. 5

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Person specification Attributes

Minimum criteria

Desirable criteria

Method of assessment

Experience QTS

Yes

Application

Degree or equivalent

Yes

Application

Evidence of post qualification study

Yes

Application

Ofsted accreditation

Yes

Application

Has successfully led one or more primary schools inclusively

Yes

Application and Interview

Evidence of successful leadership and impact in school improvement work

Yes

Application and Interview

Understands how to raise standards and has success in doing so

Yes

Application and Interview

Has successfully worked with partnership of schools to improve outcomes for children and young people

Yes

Application and Interview

Successful experience of working inclusively and improving achievement in a challenging context

Yes

Application and Interview

Successful experience of leading professional development programmes

Yes

Application and Interview

Relationships Strong interpersonal skills and ability to forge professional relationships and develop partnership working

Yes

Application and Interview

Able to recognise and use people’s strengths and support areas for development

Yes

Application and Interview

Ability to maintain professional relationships and manage performance sensitively and firmly

Yes

Application and Interview

Equalities and diversity Evidence of commitment to equalities and diversity

Yes

Application and Interview

Evidence of successful inclusive practice

Yes

Application and Interview

Skills and knowledge Knowledge of statutory requirements and requirements for LA and schools

Yes

Application and Interview

Up-to-date knowledge of what constituents effective school improvement and the role of the local authority

Yes

Application and Interview

High level knowledge of best practice in education, particularly teaching and learning together with the skills to develop others as educators

Yes

Application and Interview

Able to think and work strategically and lead others to work collaboratively in pursuit of common goals

Yes

Application and Interview

Shows resilience and perseverance in pursuit of goals

Yes

Application and Interview

Management e.g. people, finance and skills Evidence of effective management of budget and teams in school/school improvement context

Yes

Application and Interview

Communication Excellent spoken, written and analytical skills

Yes

Application, Interview and Test

Please note, if you are a disabled person or have an impairment it will only be necessary to meet the minimum criteria for shortlisting purposes

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Ten key facts about Barking and Dagenham’s children, young people and schools 1

Barking and Dagenham is home to 60,000 children and young people, 31% of the total population of 191,000.

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The borough is experiencing one of the fastest rising birth rates in the country. In September 2012, one thousand more children entered Reception than left Year 6 to go to secondary school. Our forecasts indicate that the combined primary and secondary populations (Year R to Year 11) will grow by around 10,000 over the coming five years to 2017/18.

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46% of all primary aged children and 33% of all pupils at secondary school in Barking and Dagenham do not hold English as a first language. The average for England is 17% and 13% respectively.

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Approximately one in three children in Barking and Dagenham is born into poverty, higher than the national average of one in five.

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There are 43 primary phase schools, 10 secondary schools, one special school and one pupil referral unit in Barking and Dagenham. One primary school is an academy and one secondary is a free school.

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There are 10 maintained schools with sixth forms, (including one special school), one further education college, a technical skills academy and one adult college.

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Barking and Dagenham is ranked 90 out of 152 local authorities for attainment at age 11 and 84 out of 151 at age 16. (2013 performance)

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68% of Disadvantaged* pupils and 81% of Other** pupils in Barking and Dagenham achieved the expected level in reading, writing and maths at age 11, compared with 63% and 81% nationally for each group. Barking and Dagenham is ranked 23 out of 152 local authorities for attainment at 11 for pupils on free school meals.

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50% of Disadvantaged* pupils and 68% of Other** pupils in Barking and Dagenham achieved five A* to C GCSEs or equivalent, including English and maths, compared with 41% and 68% nationally. Barking and Dagenham is ranked 17 out of 151 local authorities for achievement of pupils on free school meals at 16.

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Currently (June 2013) 0.8% (43) of 16 to 17 year olds in Barking and Dagenham are in employment without any training opportunities associated with their job while 5.3% (280) are not in any kind of employment or training.

School Improvement Service Children’s Services, Education Roycraft House 15 Linton Road Barking IG11 8HE 8