The Pastoral Team is well led by a Vice Principal (Behaviour and Attitudes), and an Assistant Principal (Behaviour) to work with Heads of Year to further raise standards as well as a member of the Leadership Team attached to each year group to support with raising standards, an Assistant Principal for Attendance, Punctuality and Alternative Provision and an Assistant Principal for SEND and Transition, as well as other key staff such as our  Academy Counsellor, Academy Nurse, DSL, DDSLs and Lead Practitioner (Behaviour) and a great form team, to name but a few, to support our students.

The role of Head of Year has a clear focus on high standards of behaviour management and understanding of restorative practise, as well as being able to further enhance a positive culture of rewards and enrichment opportunities alongside a high focus on academic progress and attainment.  

Behaviour and Attitudes at the Academy are already “good” (Ofsted 2021) we are working towards an outstanding grading.

This exciting opportunity is open to both external and internal applicants, in order to secure the very best candidate for the post.

Responsibilities will be as per the attached Job Description, with a main focus on supporting the Assistant Principal (Behaviour). The successful candidate will line manage a strong team of year tutors and an Assistant Head of Year and work alongside other staff working within Key Stage hubs which include a dedicated mentor and a Pastoral Assistant in each hub and hub leaders.

In addition, the successful candidate will be an excellent practitioner who is enthusiastic, innovative and engaging in their subject specialism(s) and contribute to raising standards of teaching and learning preferably in one of the following subject areas at the time of the advert: History, Government and Politics and/or BTEC Law; Science – Biology, Chemistry and/or Physics; Design and Technology (including Textiles). Please see website for any other subjects.

Our results across the Academy show students make very good progress and we aim to build on this as we work towards “outstanding” in all areas. The ability to teach in one or more of the areas outlined above would be beneficial to us at the present time, however, we welcome candidates from other disciplines or those who can teach in more than one subject area.

Joseph Leckie Academy is a vibrant, exciting and innovative mixed 11-18 Converter Academy with an overall positive progress score every year since 2017 and within the top 3 non-selective schools in Walsall every year since 2017.  With our excellent results and being graded as “Good” across all areas by Ofsted (October 2021) and our continual desire and drive to continue moving forward, this is an exciting time for you to join our team. Since 2017, the Academy has remained as one of the top non-selective secondary school for progress in Walsall based on validated results and is one of the highest performing schools in the region for student progress.

In our most recent Ofsted inspection (Oct 2021) we were judged to be good in all categories, including for overall effectiveness, with some excellent feedback across all subject areas and received strong praise for our pastoral care.

We pride ourselves on our high expectations of all learners. This creates a calm learning environment where teachers can teach, and students can learn. We offer a highly supportive environment and are committed to ensuring outstanding teaching, behaviour, progress and achievement. Staff are proud to work in our Academy.

Ofsted commented that: “Pupils are proud of their school. Their attendance and punctuality are good. Pupils are safe. The school is calm and purposeful, and disruption to learning is rare. Few pupils underachieve and most flourish. Pupils of all abilities are enthusiastic learners who enjoy their learning.”

It was also noted that “Pupils play and work happily together. There are few disagreements and staff resolve issues swiftly. Pupils work well with adults in school. Pupils value the opportunity to learn about social, moral, and cultural issues. They treat others with respect and will speak out if something is not right. They talk confidently with adults.”

We are an expanding Academy with numbers growing, now well over 1500 and continuing to be over- subscribed at Key stage 3 and in our large Sixth form. We introduced a new faculty structure last September with enhanced leadership roles, which also opened up some new and exciting opportunities for staff progression and development. Therefore, this is an exciting time for you to join our team as a permanent member as we continue to expand, with excellent opportunities for you to grow and develop further in the Academy.

The role of this appointment will be as per the attached information on the Job Description, although the precise leadership responsibilities and subject teaching will be confirmed upon appointment based on experience and timetabling.

This is a fantastic opportunity for an ambitious candidate to join our dynamic team at the forefront of change and to make a real difference to our drive to continue to raise standards of education in the Academy. If you believe that you have the skills and abilities to take on this role, we would love to hear from you.

We can offer you: -

• Friendly, caring and supportive staff across the Academy – staff stay here for a number of years and say it is a great place to work and ex-students come back to work in the Academy so please come along and visit us find out what they say…
• A high focus on staff well-being with staff social events, staff sports, well-being counsellor, well-being co-ordinator for staff, staff breakfasts, employee assistance programme and much more…
• Excellent support and professional development opportunities including opportunities to undertake our own in-house CPD programmes as well as external providers such as National Professional Qualifications at different levels as you progress towards further senior leadership roles.
• A well established and supportive Induction programme for all staff at all levels.
• Opportunities for outreach work and the chance to trial new ideas and approaches.
• The opportunity to work with a highly supportive, well-established, dedicated and visible Leadership Team
• A highly dedicated and committed Pastoral team at all levels
• Excellent resources, programs and technology to support learning in your subject area
• A large and expanding Academy at the forefront of change and growth, with high standards and an ambitious desire to better the lives of our students and impact further on our wider community.

You will:

• be an outstanding practitioner with a proven record of raising progress and attainment in a significant area related to behaviour, attitudes, rewards and pastoral interventions
• be able to lead, inspire, promote and develop behaviour, pastoral support, rewards and opportunities for students in the year group
• be a successful, highly organised leader with at least four years’ teaching experience, with at least two years’ leadership experience, particularly in Pastoral areas
• have a clear and coherent understanding of transforming behaviour, attitudes and rewards and contributing to positive ethos the year and around the Academy to help students progress, flourish and achieve both pastorally and academically
• be an outstanding teacher in own subject area and the ability to teach a second subject
• contribute to the delivery of our PSHE programme within form time as needed
• have a clear understanding of transforming teaching and learning within own subject area and how you will ensure this across your year group
• have the ability to teach one or more of these subjects (updates will appear on the website): History, Government and Politics and/or BTEC Law; Science – Biology, Chemistry and/or Physics; Design and Technology (including Textiles).
• be able to further develop the use of data and Class Charts as a method of monitoring and improving behaviours in the year group
• have the ability to motivate, inspire and go the extra mile for our students and staff
• be positive, enthusiastic and resilient
• be an effective team member
• have experience of coaching, observing teachers and giving feedback to staff
• have highly developed inter – personal skills and excellent ICT
• have a high standard of communication skills
• have a clear understanding of the importance of safeguarding and equal opportunities
• be able to work with effectively parents, agencies and the wider community and agencies
• be positive, enthusiastic and resilient
• meet the job specification criteria

Application process:

Please see the attached job description and person specification and address these in your letter and in addition answer the questions below:

Applicants should address the following two questions in their letter:

1. Explain how your experience, skills and qualities to date have prepared you specifically for this role. 

2. The future for Joseph Leckie students and your role within this?

Joseph Leckie Academy is an equal opportunities employer and fully committed to promoting and safeguarding the welfare of students and candidates will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS check.

We welcome visits to the Academy, please contact Mrs S Richards to arrange for a visit.

Closing date for applications: Friday 3^rd May at Midday

Please send completed applications to Mrs S Richards. hr@josephleckieacademy.co.uk

Joseph Leckie Academy is committed to promoting and safeguarding the welfare of students and candidates will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS check.