Specialist Teacher Application Pack St John & St James CE Primary School
Contents Welcome
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About Us
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Working in Partnership
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Working in the Community
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National Teaching School
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Job Description/Person Specification
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Application Process
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Contact Information
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St John & St James CE Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share this commitment. We welcome applications from all sections of the community, regardless of gender, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or age.
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Welcome Dear Applicant,
Thank you very much for your interest in becoming a Specialist Teacher at St John & St James CE Primary. We are one of six primary schools who make up the Primary Advantage Federation. I hope you find the information in this pack a useful introduction to our school.
St John & St James is a one form entry primary school situated in the heart of Hackney. We are proud to say as a school we are an exciting and diverse school who are committed to learning and striving to be the best we can be.
We use a cooperative approach to support children from our rich and diverse community to achieve educational and personal success. We aim to create a safe and secure learning environment in which children are known and valued and motivated to learn.
We are looking for determined, committed and hardworking teacher who can provide the best support for our pupils.
For more information about our school and details on how to apply, please read our application pack. We encourage you to visit our school and our website to learn more about us.
Yours sincerely,
Jenna Clark Headteacher
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About Us St John and St James’ is a one form entry Church of England Primary School with a Nursery. The children in our care range from three to eleven years old. St John and St James’ is one of six schools within the Primary Advantage Federation which is in turn overseen by Executive Principal Sian Davies. Jenna Clark, our Head teacher, leads teaching and learning in the school and is supported by a strong Senior Leadership Team. The Senior Team acts as the point of contact for parents, children and staff.
OUR MISSION
Learn together, journey together, pray together We aim to express and celebrate our mission in every aspect of our school community. We learn together by creating a safe and secure learning environment in which every child is known and valued and motivated to learn. We aim to prepare our children for the world by bringing the world into the classroom. We journey together towards educational excellence, personal and spiritual fulfilment. We use a cooperative approach to support children from our rich, diverse community. We pray together and prepare our children for life with a strong set of values to enable them to reflect and make positive choices with confidence. We respect each other and we treat each other as we would like to be treated
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Working in Partnership Primary Advantage Federation St John & St James CE Primary School is a part of the Primary Advantage Federation. We are a group of schools working together because we believe our schools can gain many benefits from working collaboratively and can achieve more by working together. We have made a commitment to a shared responsibility to the wider education community, the provision of good quality education and the improvement of life chances for pupils in the community beyond that of our own schools. Teachers, support staff, school leaders and Governors have added expertise in working alongside colleagues to improve provision and outcomes for pupils. WHAT IS OUR APPROACH?
Every teacher is a good teacher; every school is a good school. Teachers who use the most effective teaching methods to motivate learners and raise aspirations. As a result all pupils will make good or better progress. Quality learning environments where pupils feel safe and secure, known and valued and motivated to learn. Robust teaching and application of ICT skills ensure our pupils are properly equipped for the next stage of learning. Curriculum provision which inspires and motivates pupils and broadens their horizons. Our curriculum supports community cohesion through an international curriculum strand.
We work in partnership, pooling our expertise and resources in order to achieve collectively what we may not be able to achieve individually.
We work with precision and move incrementally towards achieving outstanding grades in the majority of aspects of each school’s work.
We believe passionately in improving the life chances for our pupils.
Through pupil partnership work we continue to break down locally perceived boundaries and help pupils to work harmoniously with pupils from other areas of Hackney.
We do not tolerate low expectations. We match tried and tested strategies that we know work to the needs of the schools and use our experience of supporting schools in successfully implementing them. We promote a collaborative approach whilst developing the capacity of each school to serve its own community and retain its distinct identity.
We seek to maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of each school by capitalising on centralised services and sharing systems. Find out more about Primary Advantage Federation by visiting www.primaryadvantage.co.uk
We recognise the importance of individuality, spontaneity and creativity in developing innovation . WHAT OUTCOMES DO WE WANT? 5
Working in the Community
WITH ST JOHN-at-HACKNEY The school enjoys an active partnership with the local parish church, St John at Hackney. We frequently visit the church for assemblies, services, and celebrate important Christian festivals such as Christmas and Easter together. As a Church of England school, we have Christian teaching built into our curriculum and assemblies, and parents are asked to accept this when they send their children to St John and St James’ Primary School. Local clergy regularly come in to lead assemblies. We aim to teach children about the beliefs and customs of other faiths, to foster sensitivity and understanding towards those whose religion and cultures are different from their own.
WITH PARENTS AND FAMILIES We know that the most successful education takes place when parents/carers, staff and governors all work together. Parents and carers can be involved with the whole school community in a variety of ways:
Helping with visits out of class.
Supporting with fund raising events.
Attending curriculum evenings and school open mornings.
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Primary Advantage National Teaching Schools Primary Advantage National Teaching Schools Teaching schools are outstanding schools that work with others to provide high-quality training and development to new and experienced school staff. They are part of the government’s plan to give schools a central role in raising standards by developing a self-improving and sustainable school-led system. St John and St James, Holy Trinity and Springfield are designated teaching schools, working in collaboration with the other three schools in the federation; St Matthias, Morningside and St John the Baptist. The school works in partnership with primary schools across the borough and beyond and play a key role within the Primary Advantage National Teaching Schools Alliance. Primary Advantage is a federation of schools working together because we believe our schools can gain many benefits from working collaboratively. We have made a commitment to a shared responsibility to the wider school community, the provision of good quality education and the improvement of life chances for pupils in the community beyond that of our own schools. Our work on improving provision for children will continue to see us working in partnership with schools in Hackney, across London and into the County of Suffolk. We will be working closely with our strategic partners, The Institute of Education and Hackney Learning Trust, to effectively deliver Initial Teacher Training (School direct and PGCE), Continuous Professional Development, talent management, school to school support, the brokering of Specialist Leaders of Education and research and development. Primary Advantage National Teaching School Alliance will see all schools within the alliance achieving more together.
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Specialist Teacher Role Summary: 1.1 The current School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions document describes duties which are required to be undertaken by teachers in the course of their employment. In addition certain particular duties are reasonably required to be exercised, and completed in a satisfactory manner. It is the contractual duty of the class teacher to ensure that his/her professional duties are discharged effectively. 1.2 This job description sets out the duties to be undertaken and performed to the satisfaction of the Executive Principal/Headteacher and governing body by the class teacher. The duties set out below relate to the overall class teaching requirements and related expectations of a class teacher.
Job Title: Specialist Teacher (Primary School)
To monitor and report the quality of
pupil attainment in all subjects to the Executive Principal/Headteacher and governing body.
Reports to: Governing Body, Executive Principal/Headteacher and To assist in the selection of Members of Senior Management resources for the curriculum. team Direct Reports: Ancillary staff when based in their classroom Key Contacts: Internal: Other Teachers within the school, Executive Principal, Headteacher & Assistant Head. External: Church, Local Community, Parents & Agencies relevant to duties. ensure these are shared in a timely and appropriate manner.
Monitor and assess own
performance and take a proactive approach to professional development. Effectively manage pupil behaviour,
encouraging a high standard of behaviour and mutual respect between pupils and all members of the school community. To promote and facilitate parental
involvement in teaching and learning through a shared school/ home approach.
To maintain an accurate caseload at To work with support staff and other all times and review this on a regular teachers in the classroom to Key Tasks and activities: basis. effectively plan for a range of needs To develop and deliver training and To support mainstream teachers, and be supportive of and sensitive to to support schools to build capacity teaching assistants and SENCOs to the needs of other colleagues. in meeting the needs of children and differentiate the curriculum to meet Encourage interaction and young people with significant the needs of children and young teamwork within the school, share learning difficulties. This might take people with autism and other ideas and new initiatives and identify the form of whole school, group and learning difficulties by providing new ways of teaching the individual specific training to support specialist advice and appropriate curriculum. When required, take a children and young people with resources. leading role in an area of school Autism and other learning To maintain a highly specialised development. difficulties. knowledge base in the field of To advise other staff including NQTs, To attend relevant team meetings Autism and associated health and and students on teaching practice, around the child, annual reviews and other interventions, to be aware of and to assist with inset for staff and other meetings when appropriate. the research basis for these governors when required to do so. interventions and to update this To consult and / or work in knowledge regularly. To participate To work with Hackney LEA on local partnership and jointly with multiand national initiatives for all in the dissemination of evidencedisciplinary professionals to ensure subjects of the National Curriculum. based practice developments there is a coordinated approach to internally and externally as required. To work across the federated schools supporting children, young people with autism and other significant learning diffuculties and their families. To write reports on children who are
referred to the outreach team and
To keep under review the methods
schools if and when required.
of planning and delivery of the curriculum, recording pupils’ progress and make any required assessments.
To demonstrate and model best
practice in the quality of teaching of pupils with SEN for teachers and support staff 8
St John & St James - Personal Specification
Requirements Qualifications Degree level qualification. Postgraduate professional Qualification e.g. Postgraduate Certificate in Education. Minimum of 6 years teaching experience. Experience with significant and mild learning difficulties in a main stream and specialist setting. Experience of working with outside agencies. Desirable: QTS (including skills tests) Communication Applies effective verbal communication skills. Presents information and ideas clearly, by using language appropriate to the audience. Positively influences the opinions of others through factual discussion. Adapts personal style to suit individual situation and needs. Creates an environment of trust by delivering on promises. Utilises report-writing skills to accurately reflect a situation through positive language. Confident in leading staff meetings as appropriate. Other Skills Required for the Role Demonstrates excellent classroom practice Exercises flexibility in order to accommodate changes in work priorities. Balances tasks and resources in the organisation of a wide range of activities. Provides contingencies to deal with the unexpected. Thinks clearly and logically in working through a problem making referrals as appropriate. Anticipates workload and plans ahead. Monitors progress against key performance indicators. Enthusiastic and positive attitude. Awareness of the needs of children who have a variety of needs. Understand the nature of a Church of England Primary School and be willing to teach R.E. and attend collective worship to meet the expectation of the Governing Body. Accountability/Freedom to Act Makes routine decisions based upon guidelines and procedures laid down in the established framework. Contributes towards the effective delivery of performance targets, objectives and standards. Leads by example in standards of behaviour in the work environment. Leadership/Management skills Ability to lead school based projects or developments
General Comments The Classroom Teacher within a Primary school teaches classes of approximately 30 children aged 5 - 11 years. To be successful in this role they must readily adapt to constantly changing curriculum, modifying lesson preparation and delivery accordingly. 9
Application Process Applicants are asked to complete all the standard information required on the Primary Advantage application form, and to submit a supporting statement, addressing all the criteria identified in the person specification. Please specify the role you are applying for i.e Specialist Teacher. The reference number for this application is: SP Teacher 1/15. Candidates are advised that when completing the references section on the application form to please ensure that: • Your first referee must be your current, or most recent, employer • You provide a referee who can confirm your ability for the role Shortlisted candidates will be asked to teach an activity or lesson and will be advised of the details of the lesson observation prior to interview.
Successful Candidates Candidates must ensure that if they are successful at interview, that they are able to provide evidence of their Right to Work and Remain in the UK. The school is not able to employ any person who cannot validate their Right to Work and Remain in the UK in the line with the Asylum, Immigration and Nationality Act 2000. Successful candidates will be required to apply for an enhanced Criminal Record Check via the DBS. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our children and expect all members of staff to share this commitment.
Completed Application Forms Completed application forms must be received by 9:00am on Friday 15th May. Interviews will take place on Wednesday 20th May 2015 If you have any queries or would like to arrange to visit our schools, please contact Michelle Bovelle-Green on 020 8985 2045 or email mbovelle@johnjames.hackney.sch.uk
We look forward to receiving your application.
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Where to find us St John & St James CE Primary School Isabella Road London E9 6DX
Tel: 0208 985 2045 Email: office@johnjames.hackney.sch.uk Website: www.johnjames.hackney.sch.uk
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