Head of School
Aurora Brooklands School
Lancashire
- £65,286 - £72,162 per year
- Expired
- Job type:
- Full Time, Permanent
- Apply by:
- 10 October 2024
Job overview
Overview and Responsibilities
Head of School. Aurora Brooklands
Location: Leyland, nr Preston, Lancashire
Salary: L12 (£65,286) – L16 (£72,162)
Hours: 40 hours per week – Term Time Only
Close date: Thursday 10th October
The Aurora Group
The Aurora Group is an innovative provider of education and care for children, young people and adults with special educational needs and disabilities. Aurora Brooklands School is an independent day school in Lancashire providing specialist education for young people with Social, Emotional and Mental Health difficulties (SEMH).
You can find out more about Aurora Brooklands on our website here: Brooklands School
The main purpose of the role:
The Head of School will be accountable for the day to day operational responsibility of the school and will have a leadership role in assisting the Principal to develop the school in accordance with its shared values and school development plans.
Key duties and responsibilities:
- Establish and sustain the school’s ethos and strategic direction together with the Principal and governing board and through consultation with the school community
- Establish and oversee systems, processes and policies so the school can operate effectively
- Identify problems and barriers to school effectiveness, and develop strategies for school improvement that are realistic, timely and suited to the school’s context
- Make sure the school improvement strategies are effectively implemented
- Allocate financial resources appropriately, efficiently and effectively
- Undertake safeguarding duties supported by the Principal which will entail reporting and following up incidents in a timely manner and where appropriate liaising with both internal and external stakeholders
- Create a culture where pupils experience a positive and enriching school life
- Uphold educational standards in order to prepare pupils from all backgrounds for their next phase of education and life
- Ensure a culture of staff professionalism and wellbeing
- Continue to maintain and sustain high-quality teaching across all subjects and phases, based on evidence
- Promote and model good relationships with parents and carers, which are based on partnerships to support and improve pupils’ attendance, well-being, learning and achievement
Skills and Qualifications
Skills, Qualifications and experience required:
- Qualified Teacher status (QTLS or QTS)
- Recent management/leadership training (Desirable)
- Accredited training in specific areas of special education (Desirable)
- At least 3 years successful and demonstrable leadership and management experience in a school
- Experience of teaching in a specialist SEMH Environment.
- Involvement in school self-evaluation and development planning
- Demonstrable experience of successful line management and staff development
- Experience of working with and involving school governors/trustees or executives
- Data analysis skills, and the ability to use data to set targets and identify weaknesses
- Understanding of high-quality teaching based on evidence, and the ability to model this for others and support others to improve
- Effective communication and interpersonal skills
- Ability to build effective working relationships
- Up to date knowledge of statutory regulations and guidance relating to the post including understanding of OFSTED requirements and latest developments in special education.
- A commitment to getting the best outcomes for all pupils and promoting the ethos and values of the school
- Ability to work under pressure and prioritise effectively
- Commitment to maintaining confidentiality at all times
- Commitment to safeguarding and equality, ensuring that personal beliefs are not expressed in ways that exploit the positions
Benefits and Additional Information
What’s on offer?
- Training and Development
Within Aurora, we strongly believe that learning and development should not be limited to just the children and young people we support. We offer wide range of programmes and opportunities to all our employees to improve your skills and further your career.
- Save money on your bills!!
With the cost of living rising we have a fantastic benefit through Perkbox to help with cutting costs and help make your money go further. Perkbox is a free app for you to use on the go wherever you are. You can get deals and discounts to save money on things like your weekly food bill, phone plans, internet, eating out, gym memberships, insurance and more. You can also use Perkbox for our cycle to work scheme and car scheme.
- Competitive Pay and Reward
Every year we compare the market rates of pay and rewards to insure they are comparable or better to other similar organisations. We also offer Enhanced Annual Leave, Company Sick Pay, Pension and Life Assurance.
- UK Health Cash Plan
This plan can help cover your day to day healthcare expenditure such as optician and dental bills. You and your children are covered on this plan and you can also choose to upgrade and add a partner to enjoy the benefits with you.
- Employee Assistance Programme
Your health and wellbeing is very important to us and we have support available on a wide variety of issues, helping you with online tools, information and via a freephone counselling service available 24/7.
- Refer a friend for £1,000
We’ll reward you for recommending friends and family to come and join the company (*terms apply)
How to apply?
Please complete an online application form in full, remembering to include all employment and education details. If you need any assistance or would like any more information please contact Karen in the Aurora Group Recruitment Team at karen.barnfield@the-aurora-group.com
Successful applicants will be subject to pre-employment safeguarding checks including an enhanced disclosure and barring service (DBS) check.
The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Aurora Group is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions (including those which are "spent" unless they are "protected" under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children.
The Aurora Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children and young adults in our care and is a disability confident and equal opportunities employer.
This advert could be taken down at any point in time without prior notice if the position is filled.
Please note that candidates that are shortlisted might be subject to an online search.
Attached documents
About Aurora Brooklands School
- Aurora Brooklands School
- 9 Longmeanygate, Leyland
- Lancashire
- PR26 7TB
- United Kingdom
Aurora Brooklands
Specialist academic and therapeutic support in a welcoming environment, for students aged 9-16 who face challenges associated with social, emotional and mental health needs.
Welcome to our Special Needs School in Leyland, Lancashire
All of us here at Aurora Brooklands are delighted that you are considering our school for your child.
We understand that your experience of mainstream education may not always have been positive, so we are committed to providing a nurturing, welcoming environment for your whole family.
The school offers small class sizes of no more than 8 students, supported by a teacher and a teaching assistant. We are also able to offer input from our onsite psychology and intervention services to support social, emotional and mental health wellbeing and ensure that Education, Health and Care Plan targets are achieved.
At Aurora Brooklands, your child will not be lost in the crowd.
Instead, they will become part of a unique and creative learning community, in which everyone feels cared for, challenged and inspired.
Our School
Aurora Brooklands is an independent specialist day school, offering personalised academic and therapeutic support to young people aged 9-16 who face various challenges associated with social, emotional and mental health needs.
Many of the young people who come to us have had a poor experience of formal educational settings in the past, and may face significant barriers to learning. But with the support of our skilled and experienced teaching and therapeutic staff, they are able to overcome these barriers and to develop the skills they need to thrive in their lives beyond school.
We focus on providing a creative and stimulating learning environment while building genuine trust between our students and the adults that work with them.
This approach inspires high levels of engagement, facilitating achievement and progress for every student – whatever their background.
Our Facilities
Situated in a semi-rural location just outside of the small town of Leyland, Aurora Brooklands makes extensive use of both on-site and local facilities to enrich learning experiences.
Our school is housed across two buildings and has a range of learning spaces and classrooms, including those resourced specifically for computing, science, art, music, food technology and sports.
Students have access to ‘anytime, anywhere’ learning on our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), as well as personal laptops and a large interactive screen in each class.
Elsewhere on the school site, our students enjoy use of a private wooded area, a multi-use outdoor games area and a number of gardens, which are used for both relaxation and for our Horticultural Studies programme.
Our Curriculum
We offer a unique curriculum based around the core subjects of Maths, English, Science and Computing, alongside a range of foundation subjects selected to provide a balanced, well-rounded education for life. Embedded within the curriculum are a range of ‘life skills’ development opportunities, to fulfil our students’ social and emotional needs and to help them achieve independence.
Our classes are organised according to each student’s needs and abilities, identified through regular assessment and monitoring. We also consider social and emotional factors when establishing classes, to ensure an optimum fit between different members of the group. Some of our students may follow a bespoke learning pathway taking into account their prior attainment, their ability to engage, and any other specific barriers to learning.
For those who require additional academic support, we offer small-group interventions focusing on achievable targets that can be applied back in the classroom.
We also provide support in reading, writing and numeracy through specialist intervention.
We have our own Special Educational Needs and Disability coordinator, weekly access to the services of a Clinical Psychologist, and a full-time Assistant Psychologist on site.
Qualifications
Regardless of the level of a young person’s starting point when they arrive at Aurora Brooklands, we support them to gain appropriate and meaningful qualifications and skills in line with their abilities and interests.
We currently offer GCSEs in Maths, English Language, English Literature, Science, History and Statistics, and functional skills in Maths, English and ICT. Additional courses provide accreditation in PSHE, PE, Humanities and Art.
Students wishing to pursue a vocational route can gain BTEC (or equivalent Level 1 and 2) qualifications in the following areas:
· Motor Mechanics
· Construction
· Sports Studies
· Horticulture
· Land-based Management
· Food Technology
· Catering and Hospitality
Our Outcomes
100% of year 11 students in 2020 progressed into further education or apprenticeships
Zero NEET leavers in 2020
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