Deputy Headteacher

Deputy Headteacher

Location:                 St. Michael’s Catholic Primary School, Durham Road, Houghton-le-Spring, DH5 8NF

Grade:                    L6-L10 (£53,380 – £58,959 per annum)

Hours:                     Full time, Permanent

Required from:        1^st September 2024

Applications are invited from practising and committed Catholics for the post of Deputy Headteacher from 1^st September 2024 at St. Michael’s Catholic Primary School.

St. Michael’s Catholic Primary School is proud to be part of the Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust, a family of secondary, middle, primary and first schools in Durham, Gateshead, Northumberland and Sunderland. Bishop Wilkinson is the largest Catholic Education Trust in the North East of England, comprising of 47 schools.

Our Trust is committed to the support and development of all staff. We will ensure that our new Deputy Headteacher is nurtured by the education team so that they feel fully equipped to flourish in their new role.

The Governors are looking for an inspirational classroom teacher who wants to work in partnership with the Headteacher of this vibrant and thriving school community.

St. Michael’s Catholic Primary School is a welcoming, oversubscribed single form entry school from Reception to Year 6. Our school is a wonderful, modern building located in a quiet residential area of Houghton-le-Spring with our beautiful parish church located directly opposite.

This is a wonderful opportunity for the right candidate to join the recently appointed Headteacher, committed staff and Governors as the school embarks on the next stage of its development.

The children are at the centre of all that we do at St. Michael’s Catholic Primary School, and as a result, they are immensely proud to belong to our school family. We aim to provide a stimulating learning environment in which each child feels valued and can fulfil their academic potential. We have designed our provision to develop the moral, emotional, physical, and intellectual needs of our children at each stage in their development. We are focussed on living out our mission, ‘Learning together in faith and love, we shine as children of God’

We wish our new Deputy Headteacher to be a great people person who can lead by example, motivate a team and is driven to make St. Michael’s Catholic Primary School the best possible place to be for our pupils and staff.

In line with diocesan policy, we need our new Deputy Headteacher to work in partnership with the Headteacher to:

• Establish and sustain a Christ-centred vision embodied in the school’s Catholic mission, ethos and strategic direction in partnership with the parish and Trust, those responsible for governance, and through consultation, with the school community and Diocese.
• Be an inspirational class teacher with the ability to establish and sustain high-quality, expert teaching across all subjects and phases.
• Ensure high standards of pupil behaviour through the promotion of the virtues and courteous conduct in accordance with the school’s behaviour policy.
• Establish and sustain ethos, culture and practices rooted in the distinctive characteristics of Catholic education that enable pupils to access the curriculum and learn effectively.
• Prioritise the professional development of staff, ensuring effective planning, delivery and evaluation which is consistent with the approaches laid out in the standard for teachers’ professional development.
• Ensure the protection and safety of pupils and staff through effective approaches to safeguarding, as part of the duty of care.
• Work alongside the Headteacher to promote careful and effective implementation of improvement strategies, which lead to sustained school improvement over time.
• Commit their school to work successfully with other Catholic schools and other schools and organisations in a climate of mutual challenge and support.
• Establish and sustain a professional working relationship with those responsible for governance which is inspired by a Christ-centred vision of human formation.
• Be one of the school’s Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads.
• Lead teaching and learning as a classroom practitioner with a teaching responsibility.
• Facilitate, support and monitor the overall progress and development of all our children, in particular those with additional needs (SEND) and disadvantaged.

The successful candidate will have:

• Secure understanding of the distinctive nature of the Catholic school and Catholic education.
• Evidence of appropriate professional development for the role of Deputy Headteacher.
• Had active and effective leadership of a team / key stage / curriculum area.
• Had experience of and ability to contribute to staff development (e.g. coaching, mentoring, INSET for staff).
• Significant teaching experience.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

How to Apply:

For an application form and further details about this vacancy please visit our website http://bwcet.com/vacancies/ where applications can be completed online

Visits to the school are welcome on the following dates; Friday 9^th February 4.30pm, Wednesday 21^st February 9.30am and Friday 23^rd February 4.30pm. Please email hwallace@smi.bwcet.com to request a school visit during these times or for further information.

Closing date: Wednesday 28^th February 2024 at noon.

Shortlisting date: Monday 4^th March 2024

Lesson Observations at applicant’s school: Wednesday 6^th – Friday 8^th March (To be arranged with those shortlisted)

Formal Interview: Tuesday 12^th March 2024

The Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is exempt from the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and is subject to an enhanced DBS check. An online search will be completed for all shortlisted candidates.