Trust Assistant Principal/Director of Arts

Central Region Schools Trust is seeking to appoint a Trust Assistant Principal/Director of Arts from January 2025.

The pay range for our Assistant Principals is L11-15 but the salary is negotiable and will be commensurate with the successful candidate’s skills and experience. A recruitment and retention allowance will be considered for suitable candidates.

We are very excited to offer this opportunity for a leader to develop the Arts provision across the Trust and play a key role in ensuring that every student achieves outstanding outcomes.

This role offers an excellent career opportunity for a proven, successful middle leader who is ready to progress to a senior leadership role and continue their professional passion for the Arts.

This position offers an exciting opportunity for a proven and committed subject specialist to work with the Trust’s School Improvement Team and other subject leads to pioneer curriculum collaboration and be the lead professional in the Trust for Arts.

The successful candidate will initially be based at Gospel Oak School, although will be expected to travel regularly to the other schools in the Trust to meet the requirements of the role. Initially, the Director of Arts aspect will be a part-time role with the remaining time allocated to whole school responsibilities as an Assistant Principal at Gospel Oak School.

We expect the postholder to lead all aspects of collaboration in curriculum development and teaching of arts and support the development of subject expertise in all schools in the Trust through professional networks and sharing of best practice.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Further information and an application form are available on the Trust’s website (Vacancies – Central Region Schools Trust). Application forms should be completed by Thursday 17th October at 10am. Interviews will take place during the week beginning Monday 21st October. However, early applications are encouraged as we reserve the right to interview earlier for this post should suitable candidates apply.

Job description

The Assistant Principal/Director of Arts will play a key role in delivering on the Trust’s vision of providing the best possible curriculum experience in each of the subjects that we teach in our schools. He/She will be the lead professional within the Trust for the subject and must possess and maintain the necessary expertise that the responsibility requires.

Outline of responsibilities and tasks:

The Director of Arts will also hold a substantive senior leadership post in one of the schools within the Trust. The following job description is indicative of the work required in this specific aspect of the postholder’s duties:

• Lead on ensuring Art and Design flourishes in all schools within the Trust.
• Create subject networks across the Trust to promote the sharing of best practice and professional development of all subject teachers.
• Prepare and implement an annual schedule of professional development to be used in all schools within the Trust.
• Prepare and implement annual plans (including resourcing) for sustained curriculum development that aligns approaches in all schools within the Trust.
• Lead on joint approaches to assessment and/or moderation across the Trust.
• Lead on joint approaches to subject transition materials (from KS2-3, KS3-4 and KS4-5) across the Trust.
• Support subject leaders with the necessary expertise to secure strong teaching and learning and high achievement in the subject area.
• Support subject leaders to monitor and evaluate the quality of the curriculum, taking action to strengthen both the curriculum and teaching community through a continuous cycle of evidence-based improvement.
• Maintain an up-to-date understanding of best practice, debate and research on curriculum design, curriculum leadership, and teacher development within the subject.
• Cultivate strong relationships with education associations and learned societies, universities and other bodies on behalf of the subject community.
• Develop partnerships that support the Arts within the Trust.
• Maintain appropriate records of work undertaken and report orally and in writing in a manner which ensures high levels of accountability.
• Liaise with senior leaders and the Trust’s School Improvement Team to advise on all matters relating to the quality of teaching and learning and achievement within the subject area.
• Liaise with other members of the Trust’s School Improvement Team to secure best practice and consistency in approaches to collaboration and curriculum development.
• Contribute to the wider development of the Trust’s curriculum collaboration and CPD across schools.

Whilst every effort has been made to explain the main duties and responsibilities of the post, each individual task undertaken may not be identified. Staff will be expected to comply with any reasonable request from a manager to undertake work of a similar level that is not specified in this job description. This job description will be reviewed annually and leaders reserve the right to alter the content of this job description, after consultation with the post-holder, to reflect changes to the job or services provided, without altering the general character or level of responsibility.