Head of Education

Role: Head of Education

Location: Blandford Forum

Salary: Up to £67,600 DOE per annum

Hours: 40 hours per week, 42 working weeks per annum

Closing Date: Friday 1st May

Are you passionate about equality of education? Are you committed to finding creative solutions to broaden experiences, outcomes and improve independence for all students enabling them to fulfil their potential and future career aspirations?

If you answered yes, we have an exciting opening for a Head of Education to join us at The Forum School.

The successful candidate will play a vital part in maintaining standards at the school and will have the full support of the Senior Leadership Team and from the wider Cambian group to drive further development.

You will lead with confidence and conviction, and will be passionate about the power of specialist and bespoke education to transform lives.

We are seeking an individual that can demonstrate unwavering determination, relentless optimism and unfailing commitment to raise aspirations for autistic young people.

As the Head of Education, you will lead by example and be a source of inspiration, support and guidance to colleagues along with having the highest expectations of every student, in terms of achievement, character and conduct.

Most of all, you will possess excellent communication and people management skills to get the best out of a superb team of professionals.

The Forum School

The Forum School and Residential Home is a 52-week residential and specialist school providing quality therapeutic care and education for young people with Autism, severe learning difficulties and challenging behaviour and complex needs. The children and young people that attend our school range between 7 and 19 years of age.

The key strategic responsibilities are:

• Quality of Education
• Assessment
• Staff development including ECT’s, unqualified teachers, SCITT trainees.
• Literacy and numeracy.
• Curriculum, schemes of learning and lesson planning.
• Public exams.

Person Specification

Essential

• Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)
• Higher degree or evidence of continuous professional study.
• Clean and current car driving licence.
• Willingness to complete the NPQH.
• Senior Leadership experience at Assistant/Deputy Head level in a special or mainstream setting.
• Thorough understanding of the Education Inspection Framework and National Curriculum at KS3 to 5.
• Experience of timetabling a curriculum.
• Experience of working with Governors, Trustees and/or a local advisory board.
• Knowledge of child and adult safeguarding procedures.
• Good understanding of the SEND Code of Practice.
• Understanding of pedagogy, best practice and research-informed teaching and learning strategies for young people with autism.
• Knowledge and experience of school improvement and change management.
• Commitment to inclusive education providing opportunity for achievement for all.
• High level of oral and written communication skills.
• Capacity to deputise for the Principal when required.
• Effective and skilled at implementing systematic behaviour management systems with clear boundaries, rewards and praise.

Desirable

• Evidence of leadership CPD at senior level – i.e. NPQSL, NPQH or similar.
• SEND specific qualifications such as SENCo.
• DSL training and safer recruitment training.
• Successful experience of working effectively within specialist education with autistic students.
• Experience of leading EIF Section 109 and/or inspection of Independent School Standards.
• Experience working with Local Authorities.
• Ability to coach, mention and deliver high quality training to ECT, unqualified teachers, instructors and SCITT trainees.
• Exams Officer/Head of Centre experience.

Requirements for an Enhanced DBS and reference checking will be undertaken in line with government regulations and safer recruitment best practice. Whilst we endeavour to keep the recruitment process as short as possible due to the nature of these important checks it may extend the processing time. All young people are equally entitled to have their needs met in a fair and balanced way. Cambian Group employees are responsible for promoting equal opportunities for all and for challenging behaviour or practice which discriminates against any young person or colleague on the grounds of race, religion, disability, age, gender, sexual orientation or any other perceived difference.

We will conduct online searches of shortlisted candidates. This check will be part of a safeguarding check, and the search will be purely based on whether an individual is suitable to work with children. As care must be taken to avoid unconscious bias and any risk of discrimination a person who will not be on the appointment panel will conduct the search and will only share information if and when findings are relevant and of concern.