What skills and experience we're looking for
The Principal will be required to fulfil all relevant duties and responsibilities as set out in the current National Standards of Excellence for Headteachers, 2015.
The core purpose of the Principal is to provide professional leadership and management for Goffs-Churchgate Academy, working closely with the Trustees and Local Board, and all key stakeholders, to create a shared vision and strategic plan which inspires and motivates students, staff and all other members of the school community. This vision should express our core educational values and moral purpose and be inclusive of stakeholders’ values and beliefs.
The Principal will inspire, challenge, motivate and empower the whole school community to develop and uphold the vision and ethos of Goffs-Churchgate.
The duties and responsibilities of the Principal are:
To provide strategic leadership and vision
• To be a compelling ambassador for Goffs-Churchgate and the Trust, effectively communicating the vision and ethos of both to a wide range of external audiences
• To work with Trustees and staff to maintain a shared vision for Goffs-Churchgate
• To make effective use of data to ensure strategic decisions achieve our key target deliverables
• To set high standards for all students
In management of the school
• To work closely with the Trust’s Chief Financial Officer and Vice-Chief Executive Office to ensure effective financial and resource management
• To recruit, retain and develop high calibre staff
• To ensure that the school’s broad curriculum is delivered to the highest standard
• To ensure continuing professional development is an integral part of the school ethos
• To ensure that well-being of all stakeholders is at the heart of decision-making
In leadership of learning and teaching
• To be a visible presence in the school, encouraging and promoting quality first, innovative teaching
• To keep the debate about effective learning and teaching ever-present and develop relevant strategies for performance improvement
• To acknowledge and reward excellent teaching, and address poor performance in a fair and robust manner
• To implement the curriculum and ensure it is reviewed and developed to ensure students benefit from a stretching and supportive learning environment, with strategies for ensuring inclusion, diversity and access
In educational culture
• To ensure the development of the Goffs-Churchgate ethos, where all students are provided with the foundations for life and essential personal skills are taught alongside a broad education
• To be a visible, approachable figure among the student and staff bodies, investing time in building strong relationships
• To oversee the delivery of exceptional pastoral care, ensuring student welfare and personal, social and moral development is at the heart of all decision‑making
• To ensure the co-curricular life of the school is a distinctive strand of the school
In community engagement
• To build strong, trusting relationships with parents, carers and members of the community
• To actively engage in the school and Trust-wide income generation work
What the school offers its staff
Alongside our very strong focus on outstanding professional development and promotion opportunities, we also offer a range of benefits including:
Competitive base salary with a tailor-made development plan aimed at enhancing your future [earnings] potential through:
• High quality, personalised CPD;
• Bespoke leadership development programmes;
• Subsidies for Masters and Degree courses;
• Secondment and shadowing opportunities;
• As part of our Multi Academy Trust, “Generations”, potential to work across more than one school to develop career enhancing skills and knowledge.
• Supported Nursery provision with Ashbourne at any of their nurseries in the Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire, and Bedfordshire area:
• 15% discount for all Trust staff
• Term time only places are available.
• A school day would be 9.00am – 3.00pm
• “Sundries” would be applied to a child taking up a funded only space (e.g. 30 hours funding only). This covers the cost of: meals, snacks, nursery resources
• All staff have access to a wide range of health and wellbeing resources which includes an Employee Assistance Programme via Spectrum.Life who offer a wide range of health and wellbeing resources, plus access to counselling for staff and their immediate family. The EAP service is accessible 24/7, 365 days a year and is a completely free and confidential service;
• The MAT adheres to the STPCD for its teaching staff;
• Cycle to work scheme;
• Onsite car valeting at a reduced price for Trust staff;
• Substantially discounted membership to Lifestyle Fitness’s state of the art purpose built gym, at Goffs Academy.
Additional financial incentives and tax efficient benefits, including:
• Exam marker payment of £400 plus 2 days paid leave to do the marking (1styear);
• Payments for staff taking weekend sporting fixtures: staff paid £200 for leading a minimum of six Saturday fixtures plus 6 weekly training sessions;
• A daily allowance of £50 for school trips taken over a weekend or any school holiday;
• A £1,000 Employee Referral Scheme (i.e. finder’s fee) for any qualifying positions that you refer the successful candidate for: £500 on the person starting, and £500 if the person is still at the school 12 months later.
Access to a wide range of health and well-being resources including:
• New, professional, and fit for purpose working environments;
• Free use of a range of sports and leisure facilities including a fully equipped gym and swimming pool;
• Occupational Health & counselling support;
• Free flu jabs;
• Subsidised social events;
• Free tea, coffee, and milk for staff.
Commitment to safeguarding
Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment. Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance. Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant): childcare disqualification Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) medical online and social media prohibition from teaching right to work satisfactory references suitability to work with children You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.