Head of Department

Paddock School; Greater London; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Paddock School in Greater London is seeking a qualified teacher to deliver high-quality lessons across assigned classes, aligned with the national standards and school plans. The post requires planning, assessment, adaptation for learners with SEN using strategies like PECS and Intensive Interaction, and collaboration with colleagues to drive school improvement.

You will also contribute to safeguarding and professional development.

Qualifications

• Qualified teacher status with proven ability to plan and deliver engaging lessons.
• Degree in a relevant subject and evidence of ongoing professional development.
• Experience delivering lessons to pupils with special educational needs.
• Demonstrates leadership potential with school improvement responsibilities.
• Experience in safeguarding and discipline procedures.

Responsibilities

• Plan and teach consistently good and outstanding lessons.
• Assess, monitor, record and report on pupils’ learning needs and progress.
• Adapt teaching using specialist strategies including PECS and Intensive Interaction.
• Set high expectations to inspire and challenge pupils.
• Promote progress and outcomes across the department and curriculum area.
• Lead on curriculum and school self-evaluation with SLT.
• Provide cover when needed and support pupil transitions.
• Lead department meetings and collaborate with colleagues.

Skills

Lesson planning and delivery

Assessment and reporting

SEN adaptations (PECS, intensive Inter

Leadership / mentoring

Behaviour management

ICT for learning

Education

Qualified teacher status

Degree in relevant subject

Middle Leadership qualification / training

Three years of teaching experience

SEN/special school experience

Tools

ICT tools

Educational software

Job description

Main purpose

The teacher will:

• Fulfil theprofessional responsibilities of a teacher, as set out in the School Teachers’Pay and Conditions Document.
• Meet theexpectations set out in the Teachers’ Standards.

Duties and responsibilities

Teaching

• Demonstratean ability to plan and teach consistently good and outstanding well-structuredlessons to assigned classes, following the school’s plans, curriculum andschemes of work.
• Assess,monitor, record and report on the learning needs, progress and achievements ofassigned pupils not only in your class group, but in the wider department, makingaccurate and productive use of assessment.
• Adaptteaching to respond to the strengths and needs of pupils using a range ofspecialist teaching strategies including structured teaching, PECS, AttentionAutism and Intensive Interaction.
• Set highexpectations which inspire, motivate and challenge pupils.
• Promotegood progress and outcomes by pupils within the department and in a curriculumarea across the whole school.
• Demonstrategood subject and curriculum knowledge.
• Supportcolleagues to develop their practice both in your department and across theschool.

Whole-school organisation, strategy anddevelopment

• Take aleadership role in the development, implementation and evaluation of theschool’s policies, practices and procedures in your department and curriculumarea so as to support the school’s values and vision.
• Together with SLT, lead on theschool self-evaluation process for your department and curriculum areaincluding lesson observations, monitoring of school standards and bringingabout improvement.
• Have overall responsibility andaccountability for your curriculum area ensuring curriculum continuity,consistency, balance, match and progression.
• Monitor standards including recorded work asrelevant to your TLR area across the school including reviewing long and mediumterm planning.
• Make apositive contribution to the wider life and ethos of the school.
• Leadothers on curriculum and pupil development to secure co-ordinated outcomes.
• Providecover, in the unforeseen circumstance that another teacher is unable to teach.
• To supportpupils with transition into and beyond your department.
• Leadmeetings as appropriate relevant to your department and curriculum area.

Health, safety and discipline

• Promotethe safety and wellbeing of pupils across the department.
• Supportcolleagues to maintain good order and emotional regulation among pupils,managing behaviour that challenges effectively to ensure a good and safelearning environment.

Professional development

• Take leadrole part in the school’s appraisal procedures, acting as appraiser forassigned teachers and support staff.
• Take partin further training and development in order to improve own teaching.
• Lead,monitor and develop an area of expertise that you can share with others.

Communication

• Communicateeffectively with pupils, parents and carers.
• Supportcolleagues to communicate effectively.
• Producewritten reports for a rage of audiences.
• Present conciselyto governors or other stakeholders.

Working with colleagues and other relevantprofessionals

• Collaborateand work with colleagues and other relevant professionals within and beyond theschool.
• Developeffective professional relationships with colleagues.

Personal and professional conduct

• Upholdpublic trust in the profession and maintain high standards of ethics andbehaviour, within and outside school.
• Haveproper and professional regard for the ethos, policies and practices of theschool, and maintain high standards of attendance and punctuality.
• Understandand both act and inspire others to act within the statutory frameworks settingout their professional duties and responsibilities.
• To act asa role model to others in school and champion school vision, values, policiesand practices.

Management of staff and resources

• Direct andsupervise support staff and teachers.
• Contributeto the professional development of other teachers and support staff.
• Deploy andmonitor the effective use of resources delegated to them.
• Manage, monitor and accurately account fordepartmental budget.

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead

• Act as a Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead.
• Support the Designated Leads in managing referrals, maintainingaccurate and secure records and training staff in safeguarding policies andprocedures.
• Safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people, andfollow school policies and the staff code of conduct.

• Undergotraining to develop and maintain the knowledge and skills required tocarry out the role effectively.

• Support the Designated Safeguarding Leads to ensure staff can access and understand theschool’s child protection and safeguarding policy and procedures(especially new and part time staff).
• Supportthe Designated Safeguarding Leads toensure the school’s child protection policies are known, understoodand used appropriately.
• Bealert to the specific needs of children in need, those with specialeducational needs and young carers.

• Encouragea culture of listening to children among all staff, ensuring thatchildren’s feelings are heard where the school puts measures in place toprotect them.

Other

• Assist in the smooth running of the school at alltimes, including being responsible with the other TLR holders for the school inthe absence of the headteacher, heads of school and assistant headteachers.

Please note thatthis is illustrative of the general nature and level of responsibility of therole. It is not a comprehensive list of all tasks that the teacher will carryout. The postholder may be required to do other duties appropriate to the levelof the role, as directed by the headteacher or line manager.

Person specification

Criteria

Essential

Desirable

Qualifications and experience

• Qualified teacher status
• Degree
• Training and experience of usinga range of specialist strategies
• At least three years successfulteaching experience
• A Middle Leadership Qualificationor other appropriate training
• At least three years successfulteaching experience in a special school setting

Skills and knowledge

• Knowledge of the National Curriculum and how to apply to teaching in aspecialist setting
• Knowledge of exemplary, effective teaching and learning strategies forpupils with special educational needs
• Knowledge of effective methods of supporting colleagues to developtheir skills and practice
• A good understanding of how children learn
• Ability to adapt teaching to meet pupils’ needs
• Ability to use skills and knowledge and interpersonal skills to buildeffective working relationships with pupils, colleagues, parents and thewider school community
• Knowledge of guidance and requirements around safeguarding childrenand how to implement it effectively
• Knowledge of effective behaviour management strategies and commitmentto follow whole school protocols to support emotional regulation
• Good ICT skills, particularly using ICT to support learning
• Recognised qualification or training in a relevant strategy in order todeliver accredited training to others
• Experience of delivering training and evaluating its impact
• Experience of developing self evaluation and development plans forcurriculum areas, strategies or school departments
• Deputy DSL experience

Personal qualities

• A commitment to and ability toinspire others in getting the best outcomes for all pupils and promoting theethos and values of the school
• High expectations for children’sattainment and progress in your class and department and within yourcurriculum development area
• Ability to work under pressureand prioritise effectively and support others with workload
• Commitment to maintainingconfidentiality at all times
• Commitment to safeguarding andequality

Notes:

This job description may be amended at any time in con