Swyddi ar lein
Assistant Head of School Support
See Job Advertisement | Permanent
- Reference:
- 24-28131
- Job title:
- Assistant Head of School Support
- Directorate:
- Education
- Service:
- Management Unit
- Closing date:
- 28/03/2025 12:00
- Job type/Hours:
- Permanent | 37 Hour
- Salary:
- See Job Advertisement
- Pay Scale:
- 25-28/31
- Location(s):
- Caernarfon
Details
Job Advertisement
*PLEASE NOTE*
Cyngor Gwynedd is committed to being an inclusive employer, and to enhancing the diversity of the workforce.
Your application form will be assessed anonymously. Your title, name and email address will not be shared with the appointing panel for the purpose of shortlisting. You should carefully consider this when completing the further information section of the application form.
SALARY: SOULBURY 25-28 + 3 SPA (29/30/31) - £73,770 - £77,541 / £81,367
Gwynedd Council offers an attractive employment package, for more information please click on this Information Pack
Gwynedd Council operates internally through the medium of Welsh, and offers all its services bilingually. The applicant will be required to reach the linguistic level noted as one of the essential skills in the Person Specification.
We encourage everyone who applies for a job with Gwynedd Council to submit job applications in Welsh or bilingually.
(Applications submitted in English only or Welsh only will always be treated equally, but we ask applicants to consider carefully what the linguistic requirements of the job in question is and if it would be more appropriate to submit an application in Welsh.)
For further information about this post please contact Gwern Ap Rhisiart ar 01286 679958
Interviews to be held on the 9th of April.
Application forms and further details available from Support Service, Gwynedd Council, Council Offices, Caernarfon, LL55 1SH
Tel: 01286 679076
E-Mail: Swyddi@gwynedd.llyw.cymru
CLOSING DATE: 12.00 PM, FRIDAY, 28/03/2025
The Council will request a Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service for the successful candidate.
If you are successful to be short listed for an interview you will be contacted by E-MAIL using the address provided on your application form. You need to ensure that you check your email regularly.
Person Specification
PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
ESSENTIAL
Strong verbal and written skills with the ability to present key information in a clear, transparent and concise way.
Strong collaboration skills with the ability to show strong partnerships and collaborate with: School Staff, Headteachers, Governors, Regulatory Bodies, Elected Members and wider Local Authority Officers.
Ability to work under pressure and as part of a team.
An energetic and flexible person.
The ability to relate well to children.
A desire to continually develop professionally.
Ability to prioritise work as required, show innovation and meet specific deadlines.
A flexible attitude with the ability to work independently and strategically.
To think in an organised, correct and clear manner, especially under pressure and when facing conflicting priorities, as well as managing time effectively.
Ability to work in a sensitive manner and jointly with a range of partners and stakeholders to ensure positive change.
Place the learner's needs at the centre in education.
Has ambition for children and young people and the determination to improve their results.
DESIRABLE
-
RELEVANT QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING
ESSENTIAL
Qualified teacher status.
NPQH qualification.
Senior leadership experience at a relevant education location.
DESIRABLE
Evidence of further study e.g. masters qualification in leadership or education.
Managerial qualification.
Postgraduate qualification
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
ESSENTIAL
Experience of substantially improving school performance (in a leadership role in a school or as a professional worker in a Local Authority or Regional Consortia).
Has made a wider contribution to educational developments which has contributed to a substantial sustainable improvement.
Experience of managing budgets and vast experience of managing people.
Experience of working as part of a successful team.
Experience of working in partnership with other agencies.
Experience in a senior leadership role in a school or other educational setting e.g. Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher, Head of Department/Year etc.
Experience in a senior leadership role.
Have provided guidance and used management skills effectively at a senior level to support schools.
Have managed school interventions successfully which contributed towards significant sustainable improvement.
The ability to identify key themes for development and implement self-evaluation evidence and ensure that needs are fulfilled.
Experience of making extensive contribution to educational developments.
The ability to evaluate the effect and implementation of local and national strategies towards further school performance improvement.
Extensive experience of using and applying performance data.
The ability to challenge school performance, tracking procedures and setting targets and dealing with under-performance.
The ability to challenge bad practice and failure to transfer agreed necessary operations and hold senior managers and governors accountable.
Evidence of being able to manage and maintain change for improvement by fulfilling the role skilfully.
The ability to think and work flexibly, innovatively, independently and strategically while also possessing strong cooperation and logistical skills.
The ability to work under pressure and meet a tight schedule.
Willing to work outside usual working hours as required.
DESIRABLE
Experience of school improvement beyond own school or having been a professional education improvement worker at the time with significant leadership function in a school or local authority.
Vast experience of budget and staff management.
SKILLS AND SPECIALIST KNOWLEDGE
ESSENTIAL
Knowledge and understanding of the main issues and current educational developments including the new curriculum.
Strong communication skills to be able to develop delivery and engagement including digital approaches.
Knowledge and understanding of current government policy regarding looked after children.
Knowledge and understanding of the implications of legislation and current educational frameworks, especially those that focus on improving schools and to interpret various regulations/guidelines to provide advice and relevant guidance to service users.
Knowledge and understanding of the implications of legislation and current educational frameworks including improving schools facing difficulties.
Robust knowledge of what impacts quality in educational provision, the characteristics of effective schools and the strategies for improvement of effective teaching practice and pupils' successes.
Robust understanding of what is effective school management, including employment law, equal opportunities and disability legislation, personnel and finance.
Knowledge and understanding of equal opportunities legislation and the matters relating to achieving different groups of pupils.
Possess knowledge of how to cooperate with key partners, agencies and support services contributing towards the improvement of schools.
Ability to work with others and show willingness to share skills, expertise, information and ability whilst acknowledging professional boundaries.
Able to resolve problems and show diplomacy when dealing with sensitive matters.
Skilful when evaluating and analysing performance indicators and note the factors which promote or hinder progress.
Contribute towards the Business Planning of the Educational Service which includes noting targets and risks, as well as monitoring its implementation.
Able to create connections and establish partnerships, including community partnerships and with other relevant services.
Good knowledge and understanding of information technology.
DESIRABLE
Experience of dealing with trade unions to encourage change and positive support for schools and leaders.
Understanding of the Welsh Government Hub platform.
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS
Listening and Speaking
Able to present all aspects of the job verbally and confidently through the medium of Welsh and English to the same standard.
Reading and Comprehension
Able to use and interpret any information from various sources correctly in English and Welsh in order to fulfil all aspects of the post.
Writing
Able to present information in writing through the medium of Welsh and English in a confident manner and use the most appropriate language and method for the subject and audience.
Those attributes expected of the post-holder should be described. These will be used as criteria when assessing each applicant.
Job Description
Purpose of Post
• Ensure that the people of Gwynedd are at the heart of everything we do.
• In collaboration with the Head of Education, lead on the strategic direction of the Education Department in relation to standards, provision and leadership to support statutory and non-statutory education aspects at every educational location in Gwynedd.
• Lead a team of School Support Officers.
• Lead the school support team to provide appropriate challenge and support to promote and maintain improvements and ensure an effective challenge to fulfil the Local Authority's statutory duties.
• Ensure high-quality education for every child and young person by working with school leaders and others to contribute towards school effectiveness, improvement and development.
• Work in partnership locally and regionally to provide advice and guidance to schools and the Authority on education.
• Lead on developing a positive culture which is supportive and challenge every Gwynedd school in an open and transparent way.
• Deputise on behalf of the Head of Education in accordance with the requirement.
Responsibility for Resources. e.g. staff, budgets, equipment
Responsibility for a team of School Support Officers.
Responsibility for the Youth Service.
Responsibility for the provision to support the Welsh language.
Responsibility for prioritising and planning use of specific grants within the field.
Responsibility for maintaining standards, leadership, governance and the management of a number of specific schools.
Computer and mobile phone.
Main Duties.
The Assistant Head of School Support is expected to develop a good knowledge of Gwynedd schools, ensuring that the support team acts in accordance with the need on a full range of aspects which ensures that pupils achieve the expected progress.
The Assistant Head of School Support and the team that they will be leading are expected to support Gwynedd Headteachers by working alongside them to overcome a vast range of challenges which our schools face on a daily basis. The Assistant Head of School Support is expected to lead the team so that they are available and respond promptly and offer quality guidance.
The Assistant Head of School Support is expected to ensure that the Youth Service meets the needs of Gwynedd's young people and the statutory expectations associated with this important provision.
The Assistant Head of School Support is expected to have an overview on the support for the Welsh language in its educational organisations, including an overview on the immersion provision, language charter and the progress against the field's strategic plans.
The Assistant Head of School Support is expected, in collaboration with the Head of Education, to foster the culture where schools support each other, with everyone's focus on ensuring that the children of Gwynedd are making progress and reach their full potential.
The Assistant Head of School Support is expected to fulfil the post by referring directly to the Education Acts, the School Improvement Framework, Regulations, Codes of Practice and the associated legislation relating to the post.
It is a challenging post, and the Assistant Head of School Support is expected to have high levels of specialist knowledge, interpersonal skills, communication and leadership, as defined by the National Standards.
The post-holder could be asked to adopt responsibility and strategic management on a whole service level of some aspects in terms of the education services in Gwynedd as appointed by the Head of Education and the Assistant Head of School Support.
To be effective, the Assistant Head of School Support needs to:
• have relevant experience and credibility that comes from successfully leading in a school;
• relate well with others, reflecting the culture that we wish to foster in Gwynedd;
• show the ability to influence and persuade others to act, and also show promotion skills at a high level, often under challenging circumstances, and
• exhibit the standards required to manage and support the individuals and the teams to deliver the general aims of the Education Service in Gwynedd.
Responsibilities and Duties
To have direct responsibility for the following services;
• Gwynedd Youth Service
• School Support Service
• The Welsh Language
Act as Line Manager to a team of School Support Officers.
Ensure that School Support Officers provide guidance to Headteachers' enquiries in an effective and efficient manner.
Encourage the School Support Officers to share expertise and overcome challenges by working together. The School Support Officers are not expected to be experts in every field.
Lead on developing our use of performance data on every level to allow intentional and effective planning.
Plan and ensure formal collaboration between schools to implement good and excellent practice by promoting the concept of a learning organisation.
Ensure that the School Support Officers promote collaboration consistently.
Ensure that the School Support Officers receive guidance and support to ensure that they are able to offer support and set a challenge to learning and teaching in the classroom (pedagogy). Provide support for them to advise on learning methods, teaching and skills, and on evaluating the quality of the learning and teaching, as well as note effective learning and teaching practices that could be shared within and across Gwynedd.
Contribute to planning and providing a Professional Learning Offer to ensure School Improvements across Gwynedd in response to local, regional and national priorities.
Coordinate curriculum support which will develop and improve it.
Carefully plan an annual programme that will be presented by the School Support Officers which will provide support and professional challenges across key fields, namely:
• The progress of each Learner (including groups of learners namely ALN, FSM etc.).
• Leadership and Management
• Governance
• Teaching and Learning
• Planning and Supporting the Curriculum.
Work with the Assistant Head of ALN and Inclusion to ensure guidance on aspects of the Additional Learning Needs, Inclusion and Well-being field, ensuring the input of specialists where appropriate.
Responsibility for ensuring that the Local Authority fulfils its statutory duties by supervising self-evaluation, improvement planning and quality assurance processes.
Lead the work of drawing up post-inspection improvement plans, ensuring that the Education Authority's input is clear and effective to ensure progress.
Commission support that would contribute towards solving specific issues. This could include commissioning external support.
Lead on ensuring quick and effective implementation when monitoring standards and progress in schools and to broker additional effective support for schools, as required. This includes leading on support plans for schools that were agreed on.
Coordinate the work of having team members leading on an agreed aspect to improve schools across Gwynedd and, if required, Isle of Anglesey. Lead on the work of appointing who leads on what based on experience and expertise across the team.
Foster, maintain and develop effective work relationships with regional, national and other external bodies' strategies, prepare and present information for external monitoring as appropriate, including an Estyn inspection of the Education Service and the Youth Service.
Work with school leaders to prepare for Estyn visits (school and Local Authority) and contribute towards them, and to support any relevant follow-up activity.
Lead on establishing and maintaining extremely effective partnership work with Headteachers and Governing Bodies to ensure that development is enriched by the expertise already present in schools.
Ensure that we provide advice and recommendations on appointing, performance management (PDR) and mentoring Headteachers, including supporting governing bodies with the above processes.
Contribute strategically to school modernisation plans, ensuring that these are fulfilled effectively.
In collaboration with the Youth Service Manager, ensure the quality of the Youth Service's work by ensuring compliance with the statutory requirements and provision.
In collaboration with the Head of Immersion System, ensure the quality and progress of the provision to support the Welsh language, ensuring compliance with the provision and statutory requirements and the Gwynedd language strategy.
Ensure that complaints/enquiries are dealt with efficiently and advice is given to Headteachers, Governors, stakeholders and members of the public in an appropriate and timely manner.
Additional
• The nature of the work means that the post-holder will deliver work outside normal working hours.
• Responsibility for self-development.
• The post-holder may be required from time to time to attend training courses, conferences, seminars or other meetings as necessary due to his/her training needs and Service needs.
• Ensure compliance with Health and Safety rules in the workplace in accordance with the responsibilities noted in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Council’s Health and Safety Policy.
• Operate within the Council’s policies in relation to equal opportunities and equality.
• Responsibility for managing information in accordance with the Council’s information management standards and guidelines. Ensure that personal information is handled in accordance with Data Protection legislation.
• Commitment to reducing the Council’s carbon emissions in accordance with the Carbon Management Plan, and to encourage others to act positively towards reducing the Council’s Carbon Footprint.
• Undertake any other reasonable duty which corresponds to the salary and responsibility level of the post.
• Responsible for reporting any concern or doubt that a child or vulnerable adult is being abused.
Special Circumstances e.g. the need to work unsociable hours, special working arrangements etc.
The need to work unsociable hours.
The above is only an outline of the duties of the post to provide an idea of the responsibility levels associated with the post. This job description is not comprehensive and the duties of the post could change from time to time without changing its basic nature and level of responsibility.
