Head of Sixth Form

The Headmaster invites applications for the influential post of Head of Sixth Form. A dynamic, innovative and experienced teacher is sought to lead our successful Sixth Form, inspiring our post-sixteen students and staff as a member of the School’s extended Senior Management Team.

Our staff are committed and inspirational, transforming the futures of pupils with literacy and language-related additional challenges, by empowering them.

About this post:

Following current incumbent’s eight highly successful years in post, we now seek to appoint a dynamic, innovative and enthusiastic Head of Sixth Form to lead pupils and colleagues.

Committed to our shared school values and mission, our new Head of Sixth Form will work closely with the Headmaster and senior colleagues to build an inspirational post-sixteen environment for students and staff, characterised by high aspiration and achievement. Supported by the newly-created role of Deputy Head of Sixth Form, the Head of Sixth Form’s priorities will be the promotion of a safe and studious atmosphere in which independent learning and healthy social relationships characterise students’ experiences. In so doing, the Head of Sixth Form will display highly developed leadership skills, including as an effective and engaging communicator, securing the commitment of all staff to a shared vision for Sixth Form excellence.

The Head of Sixth Form is a member of the School’s extended Senior Management Team, contributing to the School’s operational management, self-evaluation processes and strategic development planning.

Specific duties include:

• ensuring the safety, happiness and good order of students, especially in the Sixth Form building, Crosslanes, and surrounding areas, working with senior colleagues to ensure appropriate supervision of students at all times and leading the response to significant or persistent breaches of student-conduct expectations;
• promoting More House School and the Sixth Form as a centre of excellence to external audiences and to younger pupils and their families, working closely with the Admissions and Marketing departments;
• overall responsibility for the design and delivery of Sixth Form enrichment and social development programmes, working closely with the Director of PSHE and the Careers Advisor;
• monitoring and promoting Sixth Form students’ academic and social progress, coordinating excellent communication between students, school staff, students’ parents and external professionals, as appropriate, to realise the best possible outcomes for each student;
• oversight of the operation of the Sixth Form-run School Tuck Shop;
• with the Deputy Head of Sixth Form, leading the Sixth Form tutor team, promoting effective collaborative planning and promoting equity in delivering the highest standards of pastoral care, mentoring, careers support and social development for all students;
• planning and delivering the Sixth Form assemblies programme, including arranging external speakers as appropriate;
• promoting the highest levels of student attendance, making sure that comprehensive and accurate records of attendance and absence within the year group are maintained, all absences investigated, and data is used to monitor trends and inform interventions;
• liaising closely with the Deputy Head (Academic) to plan for the strategic development of the Sixth Form’s academic curriculum, and to support individual and wider pupils’ academic progress in all aspects of the curriculum;
• liaising closely with the Deputy Head (Pastoral), the Deputy Head (Head of Residential), the Head of Safeguarding (DSL) and other agencies when required, to ensure the best support for the pastoral needs of individual pupils, to promote their mental, physical and social wellbeing, and to plan for the strategic development of Sixth Form pastoral provision;
• co-ordinating Sixth Form parent-teacher consultation evenings, including parents’ information briefings and all other Sixth Form events;
• ensuring the best possible arrangements for supporting students’ applications to courses or employment post-More House, including UCAS;
• with other senior staff, participating in the Individual Support on-call system as required;
• conducting annual review meetings, both private and EHCP (training provided), ensuring the timely collation and submission of reports, and updating colleagues regarding pupils’ progress, future development plans and annual targets;
• promoting good relations with other schools’ sixth forms, embracing opportunities for collaboration to enhance opportunities for students;

An experienced teacher, the Head of Sixth Form will teach a reduced contact-hours timetable in their subject-specialisms or as agreed otherwise. S/he will participate in the supervision-duty programme, responsible within a team of staff allocated to duties at lunch and break-times, and other times as is necessary. The writing of reports and completion of other records, and attendance at parent-teacher consultation evenings are elements of the role.

The above list of duties is not exhaustive, and the post-holder may be required to perform such other duties as may be, from time to time, deemed necessary and appropriate by the Headmaster. This is a non-residential post.

A full job description can be found

Hours:

8.20am until 4.30pm four days a week during term-time and 8.20am until 5.30pm one day a week during term-time (involvement in the after-School clubs programme). Additionally, within the first three terms only, new staff are required to attend the Monday afternoon induction training programme, from 4.30pm until 5.30pm).

(Note: academic terms are typically shorter than those in the state-maintained sector, and School holidays are therefore significantly longer).

Attendance at school events outside these hours from time to time, as well as a few INSET days towards the beginning or end of school holidays. It is expected that some time will be spent during school holiday periods in developing the department and preparing teaching opportunities and materials.

Safeguarding:

This role is deemed to be one of working in regulated activity, meaning that the post-holder may expect to come into unsupervised contact with children and young people frequently in the discharge of their duties on-campus. As such, the expectations of conduct, required of all adults working at More House School, apply to this position, as does a full Safer-Recruitment vetting process of any appointee. A key responsibility of all adults working within the School is that of ensuring the effective safeguarding of all children and young people, through adherence to the School’s policies; full training is given.

To Apply:

Please visit our website and complete the online application form

Interested candidates are welcome to make an appointment to visit the school for an informal visit in order to learn more about the role and setting.

Closing date for applications: Sunday 2nd June 2024

Interviews expected to be held on: Thursday 13th June 2024

Interested candidates are welcome to make an appointment to visit the school for an informal visit.

The School reserves the right to interview appropriate candidates in advance of the above-named dates, and to appoint. Interested candidates are therefore strongly urged to submit their application as soon as possible.

NB – if shortlisted you will be invited to attend a face-to-face interview at the school, at your own expense.

This post is subject to an Enhanced DBS clearance and the receipt of satisfactory references before a formal job offer is confirmed.

More House School is firmly committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.