The appointment of a headteacher is amongst the most vital decisions a governing body must make.
Governors should inform the Diocesan Director of Education of Headteacher vacancies and the Director would hope to be involved in the selection process.
Contents:
2.1 Define the job and identify the skills required
3.1.1 The competencies required
3.1.4 Additional information for applicants
3.2.3 Looking at the application forms
3.2.4 Reaching the final decision
3.2.5 Confidential reports (References)
3.2.6 Visiting candidates in their own school
3.3.1 Candidates visiting the school
3.3.4 Interviewing the candidates
3.3.7 Maintaining attention and interest
3.5.1 The provisional oral offer
3.5.2 Ratification of appointment
3.5.3 The formal letter of appointment
Appendix 1: Example timetable for a headteacher appointment
Appendix 2: Selection criteria
Appendix 3: Example Job Description
Appendix 4: Example Person specification
Appendix 5: Example advertisement
Appendix 7: Example additional information for applicants
One of the major responsibilities of the governing body of a Church school is the nurture of the staff of the school. Governors must rely on the staff to:
deliver the overall management plan and policies that the governors have agreed;
develop, sustain and reflect the Christian ethos of the school;
provide the best possible education for the pupils in their care;
maintain a safe and stimulating working environment for pupils and colleagues.
Creating policies for the selection the staff and their professional development is arguably one of the most important tasks that governors undertake.
All of the tasks in relation to staff need to be undertaken in a context of a clear understanding of the nature of Christian leadership and of the priority of the school to serve the pupils. Christian leadership takes as its model the leadership of Christ and places the needs of others above selfish needs. It combines facing the difficult issues with courage and determination and with sensitivity to the needs and feelings of those affected by decisions that have to be made. Prayer sustains Christian leadership. The prayer life of the leader is important but so are the prayers of those who are supporting that leadership. Governors, the headteacher and members of the senior management team are all in positions of Christian leadership. They will need to reflect, from time to time, on the extent to which their leadership is exercised in accordance with this prayerful servant model. This model of leadership displays neither weakness nor a lacking in dynamism. Christian leadership should be clear, focused and energetic. It will keep the aims that are enshrined in the gospel and reflected in the school’s ethos statement and policies, clearly before all adult members of the school community. It will seek to encourage all the adults on the staff of the school to give of their best in service of the pupils.
Headteachers must give three months’ notice in the case of the autumn and spring terms and four months in the case of the summer term (i.e. Final dates for resignation are 31 September, 31 January, 30 April).
Teachers must give two months’ notice in the case of the autumn and spring terms and three months in the case of the summer term (i.e. Final dates for resignation are 31 October, 28/29 February, 31 May).
Governors should bear these dates in mind when they are drawing up the timetable for a new appointment.
An example timetable is provided in appendix 1.
Where a new headteacher is to be appointed the governing body should inform the LEA and the Diocesan Director of Education. No decisions should be taken about dates without prior consultation.
Governors should give careful consideration to the salary that they intend to offer the successful candidate. The individual school range (ISR) of the headteacher’s salary should be reconsidered, taking into account, amongst other things, the demands of the post, any difficulty in recruitment and the school’s budget. The advertisement must show the school’s ISR. Further advice can be obtained from Local Authority Officers and the Diocesan Director of Education.
The governing body must appoint a selection panel consisting of at least three governors (together with their advisers) and its members must be present at all stages of the appointments process. It is advised that an odd number of governors form the selection panel. Normally the panel will include a foundation governors.
There is no legislation which excludes staff governors from the process of appointment of a new headteacher, unless they have a direct personal interest in the outcome which is greater than the generality of other staff at the school. It is for the governing body to decide the make up of the selection panel.
The previous headteacher must not play any part in the recruitment of their successor.
The steps that need to be followed are:
2.1 Define the job and identify the skills required
The governing body or selection panel will meet, often with the Diocesan representative and the school’s adviser/inspector, to discuss the selection procedure, in particular:
Details of the appointment procedure;
The criteria for judging suitability of candidates;
Which governors will be selectors. It is essential that the interview panel is composed of members who are available for the whole of the interview process.
The advertisement should be drawn up and a decision made as to where it should be placed.
The person specification and job
description:
Examples are given in the appendix 3 and
appendix 4.
Further particulars:
The governors should prepare further particulars to be despatched with the
job description, person specification and application forms to interested
candidates.
Longlisting
If there are not a great many applications, this stage may be omitted.
Completed application forms are examined by a selection panel usually with the
assistance of the Diocesan representative and an LEA Officer in order to draw
up a long list of candidates. Governors may decide to send for
confidential references on all longlisted candidates but it is more usual only
to request such reports for shortlisted candidates.
Shortlisting
The shortlist of candidates is arrived at by examining their application form
against the agreed criteria. This should be done in consultation with
officers of the LEA and the Diocesan Board of Education. Candidates who do
not meet essential criteria should not be interviewed (some of these, of
course, may not be capable of full evaluation until interview). References
(including the religious commitment reference) should be taken up if this has
not already been done. It is advisable to invite short-listed candidates to
visit the school.
Interviews
The venue for interviews should be arranged by the governors. The advice
of the school’s adviser/inspector and the Diocesan Director of Education
should be sought with regards to the actual interview process. Usually this
process will consist of more than a simple formal interview and takes a full
day.
Decision making
After all interviews the panel should
systematically assess each candidate’s performance at final interview and
review all the information accumulated through the selection process on each
candidate - making reference to the agreed criteria. The school’s
adviser/inspector and the Diocesan Director of Education will assist them in
this process. Following discussion the successful candidate will hopefully be
chosen.
3.1.1 Knowledge and skills candidates need to do the job successfully
Governors need to agree the person specification for the post.
See appendix 2 for a list of selection criteria, appendix 3 for an example job description and appendix 4 for a person specification. The job description will be based on the duties outlined in the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document, but should take account of the school’s Church foundation. Great care should be taken with the person specification to ensure this relates to the specific needs of the school. Governors should distinguish carefully between items which are essential and those which are desirable and how you will evaluate whether criteria are met. The National College for School Leadership has produced national standards for headship and governors may find it helpful to consul these. They are available on the NCSL website (www.ncsl.org.uk ). Advice should be sought from Diocesan and LEA officers.
Governors should liaise with both the Diocesan Director of Education and the appropriate LEA Officer before proceeding with either the drafting or the placing of the advertisement. The LEA will usually undertake the duty of placing advertisements for the governors. Governors should see and approve a draft before the advert is placed. It is entirely appropriate that the advertisement should appear in the Church press as well as elsewhere. The post should be advertised nationally.
See appendix 5 for an example advertisement.
Governors have the right to have regard to applicant’s ability and fitness to preserve and develop the religious character of the school.
3.1.4 Additional Information for Applicants
Information for applicants should be provided as follows:
A letter from the Chair of Governors
showing name, address & telephone number, thanking potential applicants for
their interest and the name and address of the school and of person to whom
completed applications should be sent.
Key features of the school
summarising its up to date position including both its positive features and
an honest picture of the task facing a new headteacher.
Information about the
appointment
Repeat the information provided in the advertisement, include the job
description, key tasks, person specification, application procedure, and
details of the recruitment and selection process.
Information about the LEA
This will be provided by the LEA
Information about the
Diocese
Example information is provided in appendix 7.
Expenses
Include information about repayment of interview expenses and whether the
school is willing to provide relocation expenses.
Appendices
Include relevant documentation which provides a picture of the school or has
been referred to in the information provided, for example:
Closing date for receipt of
applications.
Governors should allow at least two weeks for application forms to be returned
after the advertisement.
See appendix 7 for more information
Longlisting and/or shortlisting should not take place until the governors or the selection panel have fully discussed and formed a clear view of the demands of the post. The governing body should agree who will be involved in each stage of the process. The selection panel must consist of at least three governors (together with their advisers).
3.2.1 Issues of confidentiality
For all appointment procedures to be successful, it is essential that strict confidentiality be maintained throughout. The chairperson should always make this clear at the start. Candidates need to be certain that their applications are being considered in confidence; similarly, those supplying confidential references must know that the views and opinions offered will be shared only with those directly involved with the process.
In practice, this means that all discussions relating to applicants, at long listing, short-listing and the interview must remain confidential. Views expressed in confidential references and ensuing discussions should not be communicated beyond those participating in the appointment. Where a referee has been asked to express views in confidence it is essential that this be respected. Legislation on the appraisal process makes it clear that appraisal statements are confidential to the persons concerned and not for use in references.
An underlying principle here relates to the corporate nature of the governing body and its committees. Appointments are a corporate responsibility of the governing body and not at the discretion of the individuals within it. This means that, at every stage in the process, any disagreement within the governing body must not be allowed to become public. Even where the power to appoint is delegated to an individual (e.g. the headteacher), the result must be reported to the full governing body and remains, technically, a corporate decision. Reasons for particular decisions may, of course, be communicated at meetings of the full body, but individuals must be prepared to resist requests for gossip from outside the governing body. All final decisions must be implemented with the full support of every member of the governing body.
Where there are a large number of candidates it is common practice to prepare a longlist of candidates.
A summary sheet showing brief details of each candidate will usually have been produced prior to the longlisting. See appendix 6.
The evaluation of application forms calls for considerable experience and knowledge. This will be done by reference to criteria established by the governing body.
This task is performed by a selection panel constituted by the governing body with the Diocesan Director of Education and the LEA adviser/inspector.
Prior to this meeting the application forms of each longlisted candidate should be duplicated so that each of the selectors receives a copy in advance of the shortlisting meeting.
The application forms from all longlisted applicants should be read and carefully considered by each of the selectors before the shortlisting meeting, when it would be necessary for all selectors to have a working knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of each applicant in order to decide.
A Summary sheet is usually helpful. See appendix 6.
The LEA must be notified in writing of the candidates selected for interview. The LEA has seven days after receipt of this notification to make written representations if they consider any applicant to be unsuitable for appointment. It may be that the presence of an LEA adviser will satisfy this requirement, but the selection panel must check to ensure this is the case.
3.2.4 Looking at the application forms
At the meeting each longlisted (or shortlisted) applicant should be discussed individually. Decisions about their suitability for the job should be assessed on a systematic basis against the set of criteria produced by the governing body. Only some of the person specification criteria will be able to be measured from the application forms, and these should be clear from the outset.
3.2.5 Reaching the final decision
By reviewing the accumulated evidence objectively and measuring it against the agreed criteria for the job the candidates for interview will be chosen.
All applicants should be assessed according to the same criteria. If sufficient numbers of applicants meet the essential criteria then governors should use the desirable criteria to achieve a second level sift.
Governors may find it convenient to divide applicants into three groups:
those who do not meet the essential criteria and can be discarded (if every member of the panel agrees, these applicants can be discarded).
those who you may wish to interview;
those who you do wish to interview.
Governors should give careful consideration to the number of candidates that they wish to interview, considering the length of the process for each candidate. In the case of headteachers, it is difficult to interview more than four prospective candidates. The high level of concentration that is required for each candidate would result in governors being unable to give equal attention to their later candidates. It is advisable to arrive at a shortlist of four candidates. If the selection panel decides to invite more candidates it is advisable to have a process of reducing the number during the interview process. The shortlisted candidates should be informed and called for interview. They will need to be given information about how the interview process will be structured.
3.2.6 Confidential reports (References)
Governors should decide how they intend to use such reports.
They represent one individual’s view of another individual. As each candidate will have different referees, each report comes from a different frame of reference and it is therefore usually impossible to compare like with like. Consequently their value should not be overestimated.
The “message’’ in the last line is often crucial, and the advice of LEA and Diocesan advisers is most useful in interpreting such references.
The best advice that can be given is to base any decision on other available evidence and use the reference to confirm or contradict your decision. It is also recommended that the governors do not rely solely on the formal interview alone, but consider as much additional information as is available to them.
3.2.7 Visiting candidates in their own school
Governors sometimes decide to visit candidates in their present post. If this is to be done, the same person must visit all candidates and the permission of the headteacher of the school concerned must be obtained. The circumstances of the school and current position must be taken into consideration when comparing candidates. Unless all candidates can be visited it is not appropriate to visit any.
3.3.1 Candidates visiting the school
It is usual for candidates to visit the school prior to the interview. Governors should decide if this visit should be informal or whether all candidates should be invited at the same time. It is usual to arrange to show all candidates around at the same time as this ensures that all candidates can receive the same information. This should not form part of the interview process. One or two governors should undertake this task.
It is better to have more evidence from the interview than that which can be obtained from the formal process. The process is likely to take a full day and governors need to give thought to the provision of lunch and refreshments for candidates and everyone on the interview panel. Governors will need to consider if they are going to ask candidates to stay and wait for the decision or whether they will contact candidates later in the day (which is now more usual).
Successful ways of accumulating useful evidence could include:
(a) Requesting candidates to give a presentation.
Candidates are requested to give a timed presentation (e.g. 10 minutes) on a topic provided by the governors. This can be illustrated by relevant and recent work produced by children in their class. Some candidates bring along photographs and use various techniques in the course of the presentation. A suitable area could be chosen and the candidates asked to answer a pertinent question. The advisers will help with a suitable topic and the formulation of the question. The governors will be looking for a concise, jargon-free presentation that indicates a clear philosophy of education and they will expect the candidate to adhere to the time stated. The topic can either be given to the candidates when they are invited to interview, or provided when they arrive (usually giving them 30 minutes to prepare – this needs careful timing to ensure all candidates receive the same time).
This process gives governors a number of valuable insights:
the communication skills of candidates;
their philosophy and understanding of the area in question;
some information about candidates’ classrooms and their attitude to children;
effective use of allotted time;
personal qualities;
skills of analysis;
ability to withstand pressure.
It is usual only to ask questions about the presentation if this is to clarify what the candidate has said.
When governors wish to see more than four candidates the number can be reduced after seeing all the candidates’ presentations and before the formal interview.
(b) Single-topic interviews
A very successful way of gathering information is to divide the interview panel into a number of groups. Each group can then concentrate on a particular area and interview each candidate separately. Candidates move from interview to interview and the presentation can be part of this cycle. Suitable areas could be:
Management issues;
Curriculum issues;
Parental issues;
Pastoral issues;
Others of particular interest to the school (e.g. small school issues);
Foundation issues.
This method is most frequently used when governors wish to see more than four candidates and reduce the number before the interview with the full panel. The groups come together after all candidates have been seen and select which candidates should remain for final interview.
Using a series of groups is very labour intensive and it is desirable to have an adviser in each group.
(c) In-tray exercise
Candidates are given “the day’s post” (prepared letters, telephone messages, memos etc) and must prioritise, deciding what to do with each item; advisers will usually provide these. They are given time to look through the items and then inform the panel of their priorities and how they would deal with each item. The length of time given depends upon the items they are given and how much detail is required in their answer.
(d) Letter writing
Candidates are asked to assume they have been appointed and must write a letter to parents introducing themselves.
Selectors should re-read the applications from the shortlisted candidates. They may find it useful to prepare a candidate summary chart to enable useful comparative information about each candidate’s strengths and weaknesses to be easily seen.
If there are any inconsistencies on the application forms, or educational jargon that is not understood, these points should be clarified before the interviews.
Selectors should agree on the following before the interviews:
Areas for questioning;
Who will ask the questions;
How a decision will be made.
3.3.4 Interviewing the candidates
Selectors have three main responsibilities:
To secure the best possible person for the job;
To give each candidate a fair chance;
To select a person in full sympathy with the aims of a Church Controlled School.
There is rarely conflict between these aims, but the good of the school must take priority.
The aim of the interview is to assess each candidate’s ability to do the job. Interviewers need evidence in order to make their ratings of the candidates against each criterion set out in the person specification.
Good selection techniques are not based on personal intuition, which some have and others do not, but on a systematic collection of information about each candidate’s abilities in relation to the requirements of the job. It is the task of the selectors to assess each candidate’s potential, aptitude, knowledge, skills and personality in relation to the job. There are certain procedures and techniques which can be adopted which enable selectors to make satisfactory predictions about each candidate’s suitability for the job and avoid the “Shot in the Dark” technique which can end in a mediocre appointment. Haphazard interviewing does not produce satisfactory results. Selectors interviewing with different objectives will arrive at different conclusions. It is important to keep in mind the agreed criteria.
At the end of the interviews the selectors should be able to answer specific questions about the suitability of each candidate.
The suggested techniques offered here are a method of impartial assessment which will enable governors to gather evidence of a candidate’s ability to do the job and also adopt a systematic framework for objective selection where the needs of the post are paramount. Each stage of the selection procedure generates information on each candidate and this ultimately combines to enable the selectors to make a successful appointment.
It is a good idea at this stage to re-read the selection criteria agreed.
Assess the competency of each candidate
By reference to the person specification
By reviewing proven ability based on the candidate’s experience and known professional skills
By assessing how the candidate will perform in a new situation.
Accumulate and evaluate the information
From objective evidence:
Curriculum Vitae;
Biographical information from application forms;
References - professional and clerical.
From subjective evidence:
Gained from interview and assessing how a candidate will perform in a new situation.
The candidate must do most of the talking (65-80%) because the primary aim of the interview is to find out about the candidate. This can only be achieved by:
asking the right kind of questions
listening carefully to the replies
following up and probing further.
Questions should be designed to help candidates give pointers to their:
Ability to do the job;
Achievements in past and present jobs;
Relationships with colleagues;
Teaching style;
Potential to develop;
Capacity for self evaluation;
Religious stance.
3.3.7 Maintaining attention and interest
Unless governors have experienced interviewing, they will be surprised at the difficulty in maintaining concentration on the interviewee and what is being said. It is essential to be aware of and, and far as possible, eliminate distractions.
Distractions can come from heat, cold and other environmental effects, aches, pains, hunger, fatigue etc, or the mind wandering on to other problems, reviewing previous information, etc.
Any interview is reactive, that is to say the interviewer's behaviour influences the behaviour of the interviewee and vice versa. If the interviewer appears attentive, the interviewee will respond better and produce material which helps the interviewer to be more attentive and so on. The interviewer can express his/her attention and interest non-verbally (by eye contact, smiling, nodding, leaning towards, using an open, relaxed, square-on posture; by sympathetic variation of facial expression, hand movement etc, and by encouraging grunts) and verbally (by open questioning, simple responses, summarising and perceptive probing). Simple responses (‘Yes, I see, OK, I understand, fine, good,’ etc) can be useful but must not be overdone. Another method is to reflect back to the candidate (‘What you seem to be saying is....,’ ‘Have I got this right.....?’). This improves the interviewer's empathy with the candidate.
Interviews should have a good balance between factual questions about candidates’ experiences and behaviours and subjective (or speculative) questions about candidates’ thoughts, views and attitudes (‘How do you feel....?’, ‘What are the chances of ....?’, ‘How do you think the staff would feel about....?’). Generally, factual probing should precede the more subjective and speculative questions.
Open - ended questions can open up an area without biasing the response. These are the questions which begin ‘How....?’, ‘What....?’, ‘Why....?’, ‘Where....?’ and ‘Tell me about...’. It requires considerable discipline on the interviewer’s part to phrase questions in this way.
Probing questions enable the interviewer to get to reliable information and evidence about the candidate. Funnelling starts with a broad open-ended question such as ‘Tell me about your main duties...’. From the fairly broad response, the interviewer can select the area to be probed further and follow the initial question with ‘.....give me an example of that aspect of your job.....’, or ‘What does that involve?’. Further probing with questions which begin with why, what, where, when and how will clarify the area under consideration.
Leading questions should usually be avoided. The interviewer makes it clear from the way it the question is expressed what would count as an acceptable answer. There are obvious leading questions, such as: ‘Do you agree with me that the government’s national curriculum is too burdensome for teachers?’ and less obvious leads such as: ‘Why is it important that our pupils wear their school uniform?’
Closed questions can clarify detail or provide a nervous candidate with an easy question. These should be used as little as possible. They invite a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer which does not help the interviewer very much unless it is to confirm statements which have already been made.
Multiple questions can lead to problems. It is better if the interviewer asks one question at a time and listens to the reply - they should not feel the need to answer the questions themselves, or be tempted to jump to the next question if there is a silence.
Hypothetical questions can sometimes be used, but these can be difficult to interpret. They normally describe a hypothetical situation and then ask how the candidate would deal with it. It is often better to get the candidate to describe their actual experience (‘give me an example of...’) rather than have them respond to a ‘what would you do if....’ type of question.
Questions should:
Be broadly the same for each candidate
Be succinct in order to give all candidates the maximum time for reply
Be framed in a way which is likely to elicit a considered reply
Enable candidates to communicate their ideas about the way in which they would plan to do the job
Possible areas for questions would include:
Educational - this is mainly covered by the LEA and/or the Diocesan Officers, but governors should ascertain through their own questioning the personal philosophy of each candidate: whether it fits the school, and will further the work of the school team.
Personal relationships - how each candidate would view their relationships with the professional and ancillary staff of the school.
Relationship with the governing body - how each candidate reviews the role of governors in the life of the school.
Home/School relationships - how each candidate would establish and foster good and continuing relationships between the School and Community or with the parents of children.
School to school liaison - how each candidate would plan to liaise with other schools and playgroups.
Christian concern - the views of each candidate about School Worship in a Church Controlled School; Church, School and Parish relationships
What they see as the purpose of a Church controlled school
Motivation
Behaviour management of pupils
Relevance of professional and personal interests
Selectors should be aware that there are certain questions that may not be asked at interviews. Interviewers should avoid asking questions about personal circumstances which are unrelated to the job. These include:
age
disability
marital status
children or other dependants
politics
ethnic origins
sexual orientation
It is usual for the Chairman of the selection panel to ask some final questions:
‘Are there any questions you would like to ask?’
‘Is there anything more you would like to add which you haven't covered in your answers?’
‘Are you still a firm candidate for the post?’ (checking salary expectations)
The interview should conclude with ensuring that the candidate knows what will happen next, and when decisions will be made. The interview should end courteously and, after the candidate has left, panel members must complete their notes and assessment.
After each candidate has been seen, the difficult work begins!
It may be worthwhile immediately seeing if there is one or more candidates the entire panel feel can be discounted. If any single member dissents to someone being discarded, they should remain in consideration at this stage. This can be done with a minimum of discussion.
It is usual for one of the advisers to sum up the evidence for each candidate. If both the LEA and Diocesan adviser are present it is usual for the LEA adviser to lead with the Diocesan adviser adding points and commenting on Foundation matters.
After the summing up is complete, the Chairman should lead discussion on each candidate. Governors should bear in mind the following:
When trying to choose the right person it is important to remain objective otherwise an inappropriate appointment can very easily be made. Remember the school could have the newly appointed person for many years.
Be sure to take account of the views of other governors and the professional officers of the LEA and Diocese whose comments can contribute much to a fuller understanding of what each candidate has to offer
Systematically review the accumulated evidence from all sources and relate it to the set of criteria specified by the governing body at the outset. It is this evidence, rather than personal impressions and idiosyncratic judgements that should form the basis of your final decision.
Selectors should measure each candidate against the needs of the job and not against each other. Therefore it is possible that the best candidate might not be the right person for your school.
Individual differences show in the use people make of the opportunities offered to them. But there is the highest probability that a person will repeat past patterns of behaviour and practice in any future appointment.
Selectors should be satisfied that the person appointed is capable of leading the work of a Church Controlled School and will be challenged by the job, to make the appointment worthwhile for the individual and the school.
Try not to:
Trade off and compromise as a basis of selection decisions;
Modify the agreed criteria without due cause and consultation;
Allow image stereotypes to rule the decision making.
It may be that the panel reaches a consensus on whom to appoint. If this is not occurring after discussion, the Chairman may decide it is necessary to move to some kind of formal or informal voting procedure. The candidate who is selected might not be everyone’s personal choice. Nevertheless, if the proceedings have been fairly conducted, and the interests of the school taken into account, it is the duty of the selection panel to support the majority decision.
Remember it is always better to make no appointment and to go through the procedure again rather than to make an appointment when it is obvious that no candidate fulfils the criteria for the job.
If the candidates have remained, one of the officers present will inform the successful candidate and offer advice to the unsuccessful ones. There should only be sufficient discussion about the unsuccessful candidates to ensure that they can expect satisfactory feedback on their performance.
3.5.1 The provisional oral offer
The successful candidate should be brought back into the room or contacted on the telephone and verbally offered the position. This is a provisional oral offer, which if accepted is regarded as an agreement that binds both parties. The selection panel is entitled to insist that the candidate makes a decision immediately about whether they will accept the position. Any subsequent withdrawal is regarded as unprofessional conduct. If the candidates are contacted by telephone, it is better to wait until the full governing body have ratified the decision later in the day.
3.5.2 Ratification of appointment
The panel’s decision must be ratified by a quorate meeting of the full governing body. If the LEA has notified the school in writing that they consider any candidate unsuitable for the post, this person should not be recommended for appointment, unless the selection panel have considered the representation and notified the LEA of their response in writing. The governing body must then be provided with a copy of the LEA’s representations and the panel’s response.
3.5.3 The formal letter of appointment
This follows after the provisional oral offer of employment has been made. An example letter is provided in appendix 8. This formal offer is made subject to personal checks with regard to health and criminal background. These are often undertaken before the formal interview if LEA officers are assisting in the process.
CHECKLIST OF SELECTION CRITERIA
1. Qualifications
Qualified Teacher Status
(good honours) degree
post entry certificate/diploma
NPQH (except for candidates who are already or have been headteachers)
Church Colleges Certificate in Church School Studies/MA in Church School Education
2. Experience
minimum number of years teaching experience … (specify)
experience in more than one school
experience of age ranges taught … (specify which key stages)
management responsibility/experience (specify minimum level)
3. Faith commitment
support for the aims and ethos of a Church school
ability and fitness to preserve and develop the religious character of the school
4. Knowledge, skills, expertise
excellent classroom teacher
curriculum subjects…
assessment, reporting, records
spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
experience of leading collective worship
able to meet the needs of the full ability range
special needs
multi-faith/ethnic
pastoral/PSE
extra curricular activities
city/rural/other (specify)
5. Management experience/expertise
curriculum development
assessment and recording procedures
pastoral
performance management
staff development/INSET
school development
planning and monitoring
managing finance/resources
parent/church/community links
work with governing body/committees
6. Personal qualities
leadership/vision
sensitivity/communication skills
understanding/successful relationships with:
pupils
staff
parents/community
church/parish/diocese
7. Philosophy and commitment
Letter of application should demonstrate:
philosophy linked to practical requirements of post
reference to Church nature of the school
concise, clear, well organised
JOB DESCRIPTION: HEADTEACHER
This appointment is with the governors of the school under the terms of the National Society contract signed with the governors as employers. It is also subject to current conditions of employment of headteachers, contained in the Schoolteachers’ Pay and Conditions Document and other current educational and employment legislation. In carrying out her/his duties the headteacher shall consult, where appropriate with the governing body, Chester Diocesan Board of Education, the local authority, the staff of the school, the parents of its pupils and the parish/es served.
MAIN PURPOSE:
To be the prime mover in creating, inspiring and embodying the Christian ethos
and culture of this Church school, securing its Mission Statement with all
members of the school community and ensuring an environment for teaching and
learning which guarantees the success and improvement of the school and
standards of achievement.
or
Church school headteachers are spiritual and academic leaders of the school.
Excellence in headship requires visionary, inspired leadership and management
centred on school as a worshipping community, where educational and academic
excellence for all pupils is pursued in a Christian context.
RESPONSIBLE TO: The governing body
MAIN DUTIES:
1 Shaping the future – critical to the role of the headship is working with the governing body and others to create a shared vision (within a Christian context) and strategic plan which inspires and motivates pupils, staff and all other members of the school community. This vision should express core educational values and moral (Christian) purpose and be inclusive of stakeholders’ values and beliefs. The strategic planning process is critical to sustaining school improvement and ensuring that the school moves forward for the benefit of its pupils.
Actions
Ensures the Christian vision for the school is clearly articulated, shared, understood and acted upon effectively by all
Works within the school community including the church, to translate the vision into agreed objectives and operational plans which will promote and sustain school improvement
Demonstrates the distinctive vision and values in everyday work and practice
Motivates and works with others, including clergy to create a shared culture, ethos and positive climate
Ensures creativity, innovation and the use of appropriate new technologies to achieve excellence
Ensures that strategic planning takes account of the diversity, values and experience of the school and community at large whilst maintaining the distinctive Church of England nature of the school.
2 Leading Learning and Teaching – headteachers have a central responsibility for raising the quality of teaching and learning and for pupils’ achievement. This implies setting high expectations within a Christian context and monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of learning outcomes. A successful learning culture will enable pupils to become effective, enthusiastic, independent learners, committed to life-long learning.
Actions
Ensures a consistent and continuous school-wide focus on pupils’ achievements, using data and benchmarks to monitor progress in every child’s learning
Ensures that learning is at the centre of strategic planning and resource management
Establishes creative, responsive and effective approaches to learning and teaching
Ensures a culture and ethos of challenge and support where all pupils can achieve success and become engaged in their own learning
Demonstrate and articulates high expectations and sets stretching targets for the whole school community
Implements strategies which secure high standards of behaviour and attendance within the ethos of a church school
Determines, organises and implements a diverse, flexible curriculum and implements an effective assessment framework
Takes a strategic role in the development of new and emerging technologies to enhance and extend the learning experience of pupils
Monitors, evaluates and reviews classroom practice and promotes improvement strategies
Challenges underperformance at all levels and ensures effective corrective action and follow up
3
Developing
self and working with others
– effective relationships and
communication are important in headship as headteachers work with and through
others. Effective headteachers manage themselves and their relationships well.
Headship is about building a professional learning community, which enables
others to achieve. Through performance management and effective continuing
professional development practice, the headteacher supports all staff to achieve
high standards. To equip themselves with the capacity to deal with the
complexity of the role and the range of leadership skills and actions required
of them, headteachers should be committed to their own continuing professional
development, including distinctive training and development in Church school
issues
Actions
Treats people fairly, equitably and with dignity and respect to create and maintain a positive school culture within a Christian context
Builds a collaborative learning culture within the school and actively engages other schools to build effective learning communities
Develops and maintains effective strategies and procedures for staff induction, professional development and performance review
Ensure effective planning, allocation, support and evaluation of work undertaken by teams and individuals, ensuring clear delegation of tasks and devolution of responsibilities
Acknowledges the responsibilities and celebrates the achievements of individuals and teams
Develops and maintains a culture of high expectations for self and for others and takes appropriate action when performance is unsatisfactory
Regularly reviews own practice, sets personal targets and takes responsibility for own personal development
Manages own workload and that of others to allow an appropriate work/life balance
4 Managing the Organisation