Assistant Headteacher

St Bede's and St Joseph's Catholic College are seeking to appoint a dynamic, high achieving graduate with excellent communication skills, who will provide ambitious strategic leadership to drive the College forward. They will work closely as part of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), responsible for driving improvements across the College and maintaining a culture of high expectations and excellence.

Responsibilities will be tailored to the strengths of the successful candidate and the needs of the College

The successful candidate will expect to meet the following Assistant Headteacher Standards:

Ethics And Professional Conduct

Assistant Headteachers in a Catholic school are expected to demonstrate consistently high standards of principled and professional conduct exemplified by the self-cultivation of virtues and qualities of character fundamental to the Catholic tradition: faith, hope, love, justice, solidarity, temperance, fortitude and practical wisdom.

Assistant Headteachers are expected to meet the teachers’ standards and be responsible for providing the conditions in which teachers can fulfil them.

In addition, Assistant Headteachers uphold and demonstrate the Seven Principles of Public Life at all times. Known as the Nolan principles, these form the basis of the ethical standards expected of public office holders:

• selflessness
• integrity
• objectivity
• accountability
• openness
• honesty
• leadership

School Culture

Assistant Headteachers assist in:

• supporting the Christ centered vision embodied in the school’s Catholic mission, ethos and strategic direction in partnership with the parish and Trust, those responsible for governance and through consultation with the school community and diocese
• supporting the Headteacher in creating a culture where students experience a positive and enriching school life enabling them to flourish
• upholding ambitious educational standards which reflect the distinctive characteristics of Catholic education and which prepare students from all backgrounds for their next phase of education and life
• promoting positive and respectful relationships across the school community and a safe, orderly and inclusive environment which recognizes and individual’s dignity
• ensuring a culture of high staff professionalism rooted in mutual respect, subsidiarity and the pursuit of excellence

Teaching

Assistant Headteachers assist in:

• establishing and sustaining high-quality, expert teaching across all subjects and phases, built on evidence-informed understanding of effective teaching and how students learn
• ensuring teaching is underpinned by high levels of subject expertise and approaches which respect the distinct nature of subject disciplines or specialist domains, and demonstrate how each discipline and domain contributes to the Christian vision of human flourishing to live life to the full
• ensuring effective use is made of formative assessment

Curriculum and Assessment

Assistant Headteachers assist in:

• ensuring a broad, structured and coherent curriculum entitlement rooted in the distinctive characteristics of Catholic education which sets out the knowledge, skills, values and virtues that will be taught
• establishing effective curriculum leadership, developing subject leaders with high levels of relevant expertise with access to professional and diocesan networks and communities
• ensuring that all students are taught to read through the provision of evidence-informed approaches to reading, particularly the use of systematic synthetic phonics in schools that teach early reading
• ensuring valid, reliable and proportionate approaches are used when accessing the students’ knowledge and understanding of the curriculum

Behaviour

Assistant Headteachers assist in:

• establishing and sustaining high expectations of behaviour for all students, rooted in love, justice and reconciliation and built upon relationships, rules and routines, which are understood clearly by all staff and students
• ensuring high standards of student behaviour through the promotion of the virtues and courteous conduct in accordance with the College’s behaviour policy
• implementing consistent, fair and respectful approaches to managing behaviour
• ensuring that all adults within the College lead by example and model and teach the virtues characteristic of a good citizen

Additional and Special Educational Needs And Disabilities

Assistant Headteachers assist in:

• ensuring the College holds ambitious expectations for all students with additional and special educational needs and disabilities in light of the principles of Catholic Social teaching
• establishing and sustaining ethos, culture and practices rooted in the distinctive characteristics of Catholic education that enables students to access the curriculum and learn effectively
• ensuring the College works effectively in partnership with parents, carers, parish and professionals, to identify the additional needs and special educational needs and disabilities of students, providing support and adaption where appropriate
• ensuring the College fulfils its statutory duties with regard to the SEND code of practice