Head of House required from September 2024 MPS/UPS + TLR 1a (£9,272)
Full-time
Are you an existing or aspiring pastoral leader? Do you want the opportunity to broaden and develop your leadership experience in a forward-thinking setting? If so then joining Great Western Academy’s fantastic ‘Care’ team could be perfect for you!
‘Achievement, Care and Excellence’ drives all our work at GWA, with Care deliberately in the centre of our vision. We believe that students will thrive if they feel welcomed, safe, and properly supported. Our Ofsted report from 2023, good in all categories, affirms our very strong pastoral provision: pupils are “respectful and friendly”, “proud of their part in shaping the school”, and they “appreciate the high expectations staff have of them and understand staff want them to do well”.
Our pastoral team is divided in three Houses; all staff, students and their families are part of one of these Houses. Each House is led by a Head of House with a reduced teaching load, supported by a non-teaching pastoral intervention leader. There are two tutor groups in each House in each year group in years 7 to 11, usually with 25 or 26 students. There are one or two tutor groups per House in the Sixth Form, though this will grow next year as our first cohort of students progresses to year 13 for the first time. The pastoral team is led by our Vice Principal, and also includes transition coordinators for year 6 to 7, and year 11 to 12 who support Heads of House with our year 7 and 11 year groups. There are strong links with our SEND team and with many external agencies. We are proud of the standards our team enables for students, including excellent attendance levels, productive behaviour for learning, and professional and thorough safeguarding. There is also a strong House competition underpinned by the daily award of ACE points to students and a series of around 15 annual House events, ranging from performing arts, to sport, to baking and more.
With one of our Heads of House having been promoted to a role at another local school a vacancy has arisen. We are looking for someone who is ambitious for student well-being, who has a track record of making a difference to student attitudes and outcomes, and who can learn from and contribute to an excellent team.
Great Western Academy runs a successful enrichment program for all students from 3.10 to 4.15 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The subjects studied are as diverse as Astronomy, Orchestra, Volleyball, Pokemon and Scrabble. Enrichment broadens and deepens a student’s range of experiences at school and gives them the opportunity to learn with other age groups. All teachers will run one enrichment session a week as part of their directed hours. It is an opportunity to engage students’ interest in an area of your own interest.
Additional benefits of working at GWA include:
• Average class sizes of 26 in years 7 to 11
• Flexible working opportunities
• Excellent CPD opportunities
• State of the art facilities
• Leading edge ICT, including a laptop provided for all staff
• Free Health and Wellbeing Support Service
• Cycle to work scheme through Cyclescheme
• Access to EV charging on site. Electric Vehicle Salary Sacrifice scheme
• Easy access to the A419, and free parking
Further details are available on the Academy website and in the information documents attached.
Applications should be submitted electronically to the recruitment email by 9am on Tuesday 7th May 2024, interviews will take place soon after this.
Please note we may interview before the closing date (and close the advert early) depending on the suitability, and number of, applicants.
Great Western Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
We particularly welcome applications from under represented groups including ethnicity, gender, transgender, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion.