Assistant Head - Attendance and Head of English

Nicholas Chamberlaine School; West Midlands; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Nicholas Chamberlaine School in Warwickshire is seeking an inspirational leader to join the Senior Leadership Team as Assistant Headteacher with strategic responsibility for whole-school attendance and leadership of the English department.

The successful candidate will combine high-quality teaching with a clear vision for attendance, inclusion and pupil outcomes, driving improvements across attendance and performance.

Qualifications

• Outstanding English teacher with excellent subject knowledge.
• Proven track record of successful leadership and improving pupil outcomes.
• Ability to lead, motivate and develop colleagues.
• Strong understanding of attendance, inclusion, safeguarding and academic achievement.”

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and evaluation of a whole-school attendance strategy.
• Drive improvements in attendance and punctuality with focus on reducing absence.
• Provide leadership for the attendance team with robust systems and clear accountability.
• Lead the English department and secure high standards of teaching and achievement.
• Develop the English curriculum and KS3-KS5 provision with a focus on literacy and outcomes.
• Coach and support colleagues through professional development and quality assurance.
• Use data to identify gaps, target interventions and improve outcomes for all pupils.

Skills

English teaching

Leadership

Data-driven decisions

Interpersonal skills

Job description

Nicholas Chamberlaine School is seeking an exceptional, ambitious andinspirational leader to join our Senior Leadership Team as AssistantHeadteacher, with strategic responsibility for whole-school attendancealongside leadership of our English department.

This is a significant and exciting opportunity for an experienced andsuccessful English practitioner who is ready to make an impact beyond theirsubject area, combining a passion for high-quality teaching and learning with acommitment to improving attendance, inclusion and outcomes for all pupils.

We are looking for a leader who understands that excellent attendanceand excellent teaching go hand in hand, and who has the vision, determinationand interpersonal skills to drive improvement across both areas.

The role

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, you will play a central rolein shaping the strategic direction of the school and delivering our schoolimprovement priorities.

Strategic Leadership of Attendance

• Lead thedevelopment, implementation and evaluation of a whole-school attendance strategy.
• Drive sustainedimprovements in attendance and punctuality, with a particular focus onreducing persistent and severe absence.
• Provide strategicleadership and oversight of the attendance team, ensuring robust systems,effective intervention and clear accountability.
• Workcollaboratively with pastoral leaders, Heads of Year, SEND andsafeguarding teams to identify and address barriers to attendance.
• Develop effectivepartnerships with families, external agencies and the local authority.
• Use data intelligentlyto identify trends, evaluate the impact of interventions and informstrategic decision-making.
• Promote a positiveculture of attendance, belonging and inclusion across the school.
• Ensure that attendance systems andpractices meet statutory expectations.

Leadership of English

• Provideinspirational leadership of the English department, securing consistentlyhigh standards of teaching, learning and achievement.
• Lead thedevelopment of an ambitious, inclusive and well-sequenced English curriculum.
• Drive improvementsin GCSE English Language and Literature outcomes, including achievement atgrades 4+, 5+ and the highest grades.
• Development ofKS3-KS5 curriculum.
• Establish highexpectations for teaching, assessment, feedback and adaptive practice.
• Develop and supportcolleagues through effective coaching, professional development andquality assurance.
• Use assessmentinformation to identify gaps, target intervention and improve outcomes forall pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
• Champion a love ofreading, literature and language, contributing to the school's widerliteracy priorities.
• Build a positive, collaborative andambitious departmental culture.

About you

• Is an outstandingor highly effective English teacher with excellent subject knowledge.
• Has a proven trackrecord of successful leadership and improving pupil outcomes.
• Can demonstrate theability to lead, motivate and develop colleagues.
• Has a strongunderstanding of the relationship between attendance, inclusion,safeguarding and academic achievement.
• Is confident usingdata and evidence to inform strategic decisions and evaluate impact.
• Has excellentorganisational, communication and interpersonal skills.
• Is resilient,solution-focused and able to balance competing priorities effectively.
• Has highexpectations of pupils and staff and an unwavering commitment toeducational excellence.
• Is ready to contribute fully to the strategicleadership of a large and ambitious secondary school.

Previous whole-school attendance leadership experience would beadvantageous, but we particularly welcome applications from strong Englishleaders who can demonstrate the skills, strategic thinking and ambitionrequired to succeed in this wider leadership role.

Why join Nicholas Chamberlaine School?

Nicholas Chamberlaine School is a vibrant and ambitious schoolcommunity, committed to ensuring that every pupil receives an excellenteducation and has the opportunity to flourish.

As part of Griffin Schools Trust, we benefit from a shared commitment toexcellence, collaboration and professional development.

You will join a dedicated Senior Leadership Team at an important stageof our improvement journey, with the opportunity to shape whole-schoolstrategy, lead a key curriculum area and make a lasting difference to the livesof young people.

If you are an ambitious leader with a passion for English, a commitmentto inclusion and the determination to make a difference across a whole school,we would be delighted to hear from you.

Nicholas Chamberlaine School and Griffin Schools Trust are committed tosafeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Thesuccessful candidate will be subject to appropriate safeguarding andpre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS check.