School Improvement and Excellence Lead

Job description

Job responsibilities

These are high profile roles within the local authority and will have regular contact with senior managers across the council, elected members, headteachers, unions, relevant school boards and forums.

With responsibility for a specific region, postholders will be the strategic lead for school standards and improvement for all primary, secondary and special schools within their area (up to 80 schools).

Commissioning and coordinating specialist support from colleagues within the school effectiveness team and the wider education and skills directorate, as well as brokering support from other providers, the postholder will lead, develop and promote the Local Authoritys agenda for raising standards and eliminating achievement gaps across all phases.

The postholder will provide the leadership, support and challenge required to support all schools in their region to achieve the aim of at least good in Ofsted inspections.

By developing, using and improving quality assurance processes, including the use of data and other intelligence, the postholder will identify where school effectiveness at all phases is in decline to enable early intervention and action to be taken.

They will lead on the identification and deployment of appropriate risk management activity, ensuring the appropriate level of support and challenge is provided including school intervention.

The postholders will work together to ensure information sharing is effective across regions, within the School Effectiveness team across other council services and across the wider partnership to ensure a joined up approach to improvement.

Specific duties and responsibilities include:

• Commissioning and coordinating support as required, lead on specific school improvement work in schools that have been identified as vulnerable to failure and decline.

• Ensure each school has

• effective challenge and support and that improvements are effective resulting in rapid improvement,

• alternative and adaptable solutions are sought to maximise improvements,

• principles of improvement are applied but are adapted in light of new or changing circumstances.

• Take the overall lead and responsibility for ensuring that the strategic framework for securing high quality provision in primary and special schools is effective, including where relevant the use of the LAs powers of intervention, including warning notices and other statutory intervention powers.

• Analyse school improvement needs accurately, assess and develop the specific actions to bring about improvement, support the implementation of the plan with school leadership and evaluate the impact accurately.

• Confidently and credibly challenge and communicate to school leaders and governors where implementation is ineffective and/or difficult messages need to be given. Be an ambassador for, and the voice of, the Local Authority.

• Lead and manage the monitoring and evaluation of school results for the region, providing an accurate risk assessment and ensuring high quality improvement provision which is coherent and effective to secure improvement, including leading on quality management processes. This includes monitoring schools below the DfE floor and coasting standards.

• Develop the quality of governance and leadership within schools, including supporting leadership development and collaboration / school to school support.

• Have line management responsibility for, and monitor the quality of, the work of School Improvement Advisers working with schools within the region, ensuring outcomes are being achieved and consistent approaches are being applied.

• Have lead responsibility for safeguarding, undertaking audits at regional level, addressing individual safeguarding concerns in school and being accountable for outcomes in the region.

• Working as part of the senior team within the school effectiveness service, drive high standards and promote innovative, transformative ways of working to deliver excellence in school and good outcomes for all families and children in Wiltshire, with a strong focus on social mobility and inclusion. Use regional knowledge to make a significant input to the school Effectiveness Strategic plan to raise overall standards in Wiltshire and lead on identified aspects.

• As an inspirational leader, support staff engagement initiatives and a culture of continuous development, learning and improvement across the service and wider partnership.

• Work with the Head of School Effectiveness and wider team to ensure that the service delivers in support of the Councils wider corporate business plan and vision, fulfilling its statutory requirements and responsibilities.

• As required, represent Wiltshires interests at regional and national events to effectively communicate and share best practice and actively promote partnership activity.

• Advise and deputise for the Head of School Effectiveness when required.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Qualified teacher status with significant post qualification experience.
• Recent headship or senior strategic school effectiveness experience within a school or local authority.
• Degree level qualification together with post graduate qualifications or equivalent relevant experience.
• Expert knowledge and high level of proven experience of supporting and challenging schools leading to success in raising standards and securing school improvement.
• Evidence of taking a creative and innovative approach to support delivery of results.
• A good knowledge and understanding of working with MATs, standalones, maintained and community schools including primary, secondary and special schools.
• Expert knowledge of school improvement and effectiveness, including the characteristics and systems of effective schools and school evaluation linked with the Ofsted inspection framework.
• Up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation and guidance in relation to working with, and the protection of, children and young people.
• Experience of quality improvement and working to Ofsted standards including use of performance data and lesson observation.
• Knowledge of the statutory roles and responsibilities of the Local Authorities regarding schools and education, with an understanding of, and ability to navigate, the complexities of the current educational landscape.
• Knowledge and experience of developing partnerships and working within and between schools and other agencies, with a good track record of working closely with and actively engaging headteachers and school senior leaders.
• Strong influencing and negotiating skills in relation to complex and technical issues.
• Successful experience of leading and managing teams at senior level in the primary and/or secondary phase or within a Local Authority setting.
• Successful experience of managing, motivating and challenging other skilled professionals.
• Experience of meeting deadlines, setting targets and/or managing change.
• High level of interpersonal skills with the ability to develop positive relationships.
• Ability to both work as part of a team and on own initiative.
• Ability to respond flexibly to changing demands and manage own workload.
• Confident user of ICT.
• Ability to work well under pressure and to deadlines.
• Excellent oral and written communication and presentation skills.

Desirable

• Desirable
• Ofsted Inspector or completion of Ofsted training

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Wiltshire Council

Address

County Hall

Bythesea Rd

Trowbridge

Wiltshire

BA14 8JN

Employer's website

http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)