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Headteacher -Burton Leonard Church of England (VC) Primary School, near Harrogate, North Yorkshire

Post:  Headteacher

Number on Roll: 86

Commencing: January 2023 or sooner if possible

Salary:  L8-L12

Contract Term: Permanent

We are a thriving, successful and happy, Outstanding rated Church of England primary school located within the picturesque village of Burton Leonard, approximately 6 miles north of Harrogate and 4 miles south of Ripon. The School is a voluntary church school within the Diocese of Leeds and is actively rooted in the Christian faith with strong community and church links. Families of all faiths and families with no faith are all welcome. Our school has an excellent reputation as being a welcoming and inclusive school within its local and regional community, with 86 on roll currently. Our school draws pupils from Burton Leonard, as well as from the surrounding area, including Ripon, Knaresborough, Harrogate and Bedale.  

Our children, staff, parents, Governing Body and local community are proud of our school and we place the utmost importance on developing kind, happy, thoughtful and well-rounded young people. Pupils enjoy coming to our school. They make good progress from their starting points and leave as confident, well-rounded individuals. Data can vary because we are a small school with cohorts who all have a story to tell. In the vast majority of cases, we are in line with and above national average in EYFS, Year 1 phonics KS1 and KS2. We are proud of all our children, both those who make small steps progress, as well as those who make giant leaps.

In an evolving educational environment, there will be many exciting challenges ahead. With the on-going construction of over 60 new homes in our village we have seen a further increase in demand for places at our school. We already take pupils from outside of the village and expect this will continue. Section 106 funding has been made available and we are working closely with the NYCC to employ this effectively. Starting in September, one of our class groups will utilise the school hall as a classroom and the hiring of a fourth, full-time teacher has recently been announced. Academisation and alternative school structure is a standing agenda item at all Governing Body meetings. We keep informed and actively discuss our options. At this time, academisation is not a route we feel would be beneficial for our school.

Our Opportunity

This is a rewarding headship; you will be able to lead our outstanding school on to the next stage of its journey and to shape what that journey will look like. You must exhibit confidence, empathy and a clear focus on building a healthy workplace culture to benefit the wellbeing of the pupils and staff.

It is an exciting opportunity for the new Headteacher to develop and implement effective strategies to maintain and raise standards and continually improve pupil attainment and progress. With a meticulous eye for detail, you must be able to support the diverse needs of pupils and the provision that each individual requires, whilst maintaining the ability to balance budgetary constraints.

While we have many strengths, we know that we need to continue to build upon those strengths.

Priorities are identified as part of our ongoing self-evaluation, in consultation with our Governing Body and local authority advisors:

Priority 1 – Ensure that all foundation subject leaders have more opportunities to influence practice across the school

Priority 2 - Improving progress and attainment in English

Priority 3 – Improving progress and attainment in Maths

Priority 4 – Further develop our school as a healthy community

Priority 5 – Further developing Burton Leonard as a church school

In particular, we are looking for a Headteacher who will have:

• An ability to work with subject leaders to develop and implement a curriculum that is exciting and inspiring for pupils and staff.   
• An ability to coach and mentor staff to improve performance and develop them to perform their roles in the most effective way possible.
• A proven track record of delivering high standards in learning and teaching.
• An eagerness to promote a culture of continuous improvement and will leverage feedback from pupils, staff and parents.
• An ability to work innovatively within the resource constraints of a small village school but deliver memorable experiences for children.
• Enthusiasm, passion and commitment to the continued success of the school, improving the outcomes for all children.
• Experience of establishing and maintaining effective partnerships with parents/carers, the local community, local authority and the diocese.
• An ability to lead, manage and motivate the whole school community.
• An ability to lead by example, actively modelling and embedding into all areas of school life the Christian vision and core Christian values of the school.        

We can offer you:

• A happy, caring and supportive school, with dedicated and fantastic staff, supportive families and enthused and motivated pupils.
• A school that wants to continue to evolve and improve, while maintaining its high academic performance and its Christian ethos.
•   An excellent opportunity to provide strategic leadership and direction, working collaboratively and constructively with the Governing Body to achieve this.
• A thriving PTA and Parental Group who engage with the school and their children’s learning.
• A Governing Body who are committed and passionate about our school and ensuring our children reach their potential and are committed to providing support on all matters.

If you feel ready to be our next Headteacher and you can bring your experience, enthusiasm, commitment and energy to deliver our vision to our children and motivated staff, we would love to hear from you.

For more information about this wonderful opportunity, how to apply and job description and person spec please visit our dedicated campaign site.

For an informal, confidential conversation about the role please call Helen Poole on 07890055186 or email helen.poole@northyorks.gov.uk Helen has been engaged to support us with recruitment to this key role.

Key dates: School visits by appointment only – Please telephone Mrs. Sally Drake to make arrangements

Application closing date: Sunday 4th September

Shortlisting: Thursday 8th September

Interviews: Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st September

When applying please take into account the following:

Job Description

Person Specification

Supporting Information

The supporting information section of your application should clearly evidence your ability to meet the requirements we have outlined in the person specification (see campaign site). This will be used to shortlist applicants for this role and therefore it is imperative that you provide evidence as requested.

References

When completing your application, please provide two employment references.

Safeguarding

Our school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post will be subject to undertaking an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.