Head Of School at Silverwood School, Maryland

Job Description

• The successful candidate will work closely under the direction of the Executive Director and will have a part-time teaching commitment.
• The person appointed is expected to approach this post in the light of the statement of the vision of Silverwood School Maryland.
•  The Head of School will be expected to maintain and develop an atmosphere and structures where all children and adults are valued and enables them to fulfill the school’s high expectations.

Silverwood Ethos:

• To reflect and develop of Learn Today Lead Tomorrow.
• To maintain an ethos in which all individuals feel valued and where personal endeavor and responsibility are fostered.
• To maintain high personal moral standards and to set an example of these standards to others whilst demonstrating high quality leadership of the school.
• To ensure that the vision of Silverwood School is reflected in strategic and development planning, and in a performance management structure which, is supported by consistent and coherent procedures and protocols.

Curriculum:

• To be responsible for maintaining and developing a broad, balanced and cohesive curriculum suitable for all of the children and meeting national guidelines.
• To ensure that the curriculum is regularly reviewed, evaluated and applied.
• To ensure that the assessment requirements of the curriculum are appropriately carried out.

Children:

• To ensure that children receive high quality education designed to promote excitement, enjoyment and enthusiasm in learning, leading to the pursuit of excellence.
• To ensure equality of opportunity for all, through the school’s policies, procedures and practices.
• To ensure that the progress of each child is monitored and recorded so that the most appropriate decisions can be taken with regard to the next step in his/her education.
• To ensure that the activities in which children are engaged are conducted in a caring, disciplined, safe and healthy environment.
• To ensure all children are valued as individuals and ensure that all children are confident and able to achieve their full potential.
• To maintain a school environment in which the needs and value of individual children are recognised and which also contribute positively towards their spiritual, social, cultural and moral development.

Leadership:

• To share the strategic vision of the school and assist the Executive Director in the translation and execution of this vision at Silverwood School
• Responsible, with the Executive Director, for the appointment of teaching and non-teaching staff and all related personnel issues.
• To ensure levels of performance necessary to achieve the agreed aims and objectives of Silverwood School Maryland.
• To lead, motivate, encourage, support, monitor and evaluate to ensure continuing school improvement.
• To ensure that all staff have access to regular advice and have a training and development plan in place appropriate to the needs of the school and to their stage of development.
• To be responsible for the annual performance management cycle for all teachers and to report to the Governing Body on the professional development of all teachers in the school.
• To ensure all staff are valued as individuals and receive courtesy and respect at all times.

Teaching:

• To contribute to the teaching programme of the school and to encourage the development of outstanding teaching practice.
• To contribute to and ensure monitoring of classroom practice and the appraisal of the overall quality of teaching in the school at regular intervals.

Safeguarding:

• To ensure that safeguarding is of paramount importance in our school.
• To ensure the commitment of the Governing Body to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people is at the heart of the school and to ensure that all staff and volunteers share this commitment.

Health and Safety:

• To undertake Health and Safety policy making and management throughout the school.
• To ensure the maintenance of high standard of care in the school environment, including the grounds, buildings, furniture, equipment and learning materials.
• To ensure that health and safety, the wellbeing of staff and children and safeguarding, emergency and contingency planning are carried out to the highest standards.

Governing Body:

• To advise, assist and inform the Governing Body in the fulfilment of its responsibilities, demonstrating an understanding of their statutory roles.
• The Governing Body is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
• To have a firm commitment to working in partnership with the Governing Body.
• To assist the Executive Director to formulate a strategic plan for the school and to secure its implementation with the collective support of the school staff, parents and children; to ensure all necessary resources are in place to support the plan.

Finance:

• To assist with the day to day management responsibility for the allocation of the delegated budget to all areas of school life and to operate within the strategic vision of the Executive Director with the Governing Body,
• To ensure the day to day financial management of the school is conducted in accordance with the Financial Regulations of the State.

Parents, Parish & Community:

• To encourage and develop positive co-operation between the school, home and the wider community.
• To ensure that parents have timely access to appropriate information about the school and the curriculum.
• To maintain accessibility to parents, particularly at the end of the school day, where possible.
• To ensure participation in the activities and programmes
• To maintain effective relationships with, the local community and other agencies.

Personal Development:

• In co-operation with the Executive Director, to have a responsibility for their own personal development plan.
• As the leader of the school community must also be aware of his, or her, own requirement to understanding in order to effectively discharge the responsibilities of Head of School.

General:

• To take overall responsibility for the organization, management and conduct of the school in accordance with the laid down policies and statutory Conditions of Employment of Headteachers.
• To understand the appropriate levels of responsibility and accountability to the Executive director and the Governing Body.