Job info	Job info details
Job title	Head of Quality First Teaching and School Improvement
Strategic team/Directorate	Children's Services
Service	Education and SEND
Business unit	Quality First Teaching
Responsible to (day to day issues)	Divisional Director - Education and SEND
Accountable to (line manager)	Divisional Director - Education and SEND
Salary grade	Soulbury Leading Educational Improvement Professional Range 23-26 (plus up to 3 SPA points)
JE ref	SOULBURY13

1. Key purpose of job

• As a member of Children’s Services leadership team, you will lead on the development and delivery of a range of services to schools and Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs). Working with partners across the local education system you will play an active role in driving improvement in the quality of education that all children and young people in Torbay receive, regardless of the school they attend. To achieve this the postholder will:
  • lead the effective delivery of Torbay Council’s statutory and non-statutory school improvement service offer for local authority maintained schools.
  • work with system leaders to strengthen Torbay Council’s work with other schools and education providers and MATs to drive inclusive practice across the local education system to deliver quality first teaching.
  • have oversight of the financial health of local authority-maintained schools and ensure that those in, or at risk of deficit have access to appropriate intervention and support.
• To provide credible leadership and expert services and advice supporting operational delivery and strategic planning.
• To play a key role in working with our partners and proactively removing barriers to effective working, within the organisation and externally, to ensure we are at the forefront of best practice.
• To act as a role model, embedding our culture and value base across the service, ensuring that children and young people are at the heart of all we do.
• Achieve results by identifying the key areas of development required to achieve strategic objectives and to resolve potential conflict.
• Achieve results through effective performance management, ensuring everyone has clear performance standards, encouraging and rewarding excellent performance and tackling poor performance.
• To plan, monitor and control revenue budgets, in compliance with financial regulations, to meet the targets set by the Divisional Director Education and SEND.

2. Anticipated outcomes of post

• Integration with the overall objectives of both the Council and Central Government, including as measured by key national and local performance indicators.
• Planning to succeed through analysis of all relevant information concerning costs, benefits, impact, and risks to business unit.
• Strategies for development will lead to quality improvement and strengthened relationships within maintained Schools and MATs.
• Children and young people will benefit from a culture of inclusion, wellbeing and excellence. 

3. List key duties and accountabilities of the post

• As an Employee of Torbay Council all roles are expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures. The Designated Senior Lead for Safeguarding is the Chief Executive and Director of Children’s Services.
• Leadership of Quality First Teaching including:
  • oversight of all statutory and non-statutory responsibilities of the Local Authority in relation to school and college performance, governance, curriculum provision and design and assessment.
  • shaping the school development and improvement operating model in a mixed governance local education system to meet the statutory and non-statutory responsibilities of the Local Authority. 
  • influencing and delivering appropriate challenge to deliver successful outcomes for children and young people in all sectors and phases in Torbay, including the duties around independent mainstream schools.
  • monitoring and analysing all available data and information about schools in order to support the sharing of best practice, and to monitor performance and challenge as required.
• Ensure that there is an effective school improvement model in place, that: provides effective intervention and support for local authority-maintained schools and links in with MATs’ School Improvement teams where performance is declining or they are at risk; secures improvement; and provides support during external inspection.
• Manage and oversee the local authority’s contribution to the collective stewardship of performance in the local school system through work with and alongside the Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence (RISE) team.
• Liaise with Department for Education (DfE) on all initiatives and work with them and other agencies to ensure Torbay children have the best experiences and reach their educational outcomes.
• To lead the education directorates, work in supporting the development of an inclusive local education system, as set out by the SEND and Inclusion Local Area Partnership (SILAP). This will include:
  • design, development and delivery of a whole school SEND and Inclusion model that drives improvement and enables the sharing of best practice in relation to mainstream inclusion.
  • liaise with system leaders, including Chief Execs, Headteachers, governing bodies and trustees in all areas of the county, building positive, strong relational relationships, promoting collaborative working and system generosity.
  • aligning Torbay’s approach with national policy developments from the DfE and wider central government agencies.
• To lead the directorate’s work in supporting schools that are at risk of financial deficit, ensuring there are effective mechanisms in place to identify schools at risk and provide appropriate support and intervention.
• To lead and/or coordinate cross-directorate, multi-agency project focus work on key areas of school performance and outcomes, including disproportionality, educational disadvantage and inclusion.
• To provide regular briefings for senior LA colleagues and council members on the statutory accountabilities of the LA and the performance of the school improvement and development service. 
• Ensure parents, carers and young people are true strategic partners in the improvement journey. 
• To work directly with Executive Directors, Heads of Services, Service Managers (from across the Council) and the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People and the Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care as well as key partners from Health and Education to develop the capacity for the delivery of transformational change.
• Ensure there is a clear understanding and communication, across the partnership, of the impact the improvement programme is delivering.
• To influence strategic thinking across the Council and the Partnership in order to foster innovation and enable service improvement and change to be delivered at pace.
• To produce and present reports, briefings and other estimates to relevant boards (including elected members) within the Council, Partnership and Schools/MATs.
• Represent the Council at regional sector lead events and associated national events, taking an active role in influencing the direction of travel to complement the needs of the service.
• Act as a role model, embedding our culture and value base across the service, ensuring that children and young people are at the heart of all we do.
• Lead and contribute to strategies and actions which support us to embed a professional and accountable culture.
• Support and inform the delivery of the strategic priorities set out in the Children’s Vision and the improvement plan in line with wider Council priorities.

4. Budgetary/Financial Responsibilities of the post

• School Improvement Budget IRO £30K. 

5. Supervision/Line Management Responsibilities of the post

• No direct line management. Provides expert advice, guidance and challenge to colleagues and School Leaders.

6. Working environment and conditions of the post

• Normal working conditions. 

7. Physical demands of the post

• Normal physical demands. 

8. Specific resources used by the post

• Normal Resources. 

9. Key contacts and relationships

• External: 
  • Schools, Colleges, Early Years Settings, Department for Education, Ofsted, Regional Department for Education Directors, Health, Parents/Carers and Children and Young People, Parent Carer Forum.
• Internal: 
  • Executive members, Other Elected Members, Chief Executive / Deputy Chief Executive, Directors, Senior Staff across the Council, Trade Unions, Social Care, Health and Education colleagues, Learning Academy and other services within Children’s Services.
  • Employees at all levels across the Council.

10. Other duties

• To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the job. 

Other Information

• All staff must commit to the Workplace Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Practice and Policy.
• Torbay Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and applicants must be willing to undergo the checks appropriate to the post applied for.
• The post holder is expected to work in a way that ensures vulnerable children and adults are safeguarded and report any safeguarding concerns in accordance with established policies and procedures and are aware that the Chief Executive and the Director for Children’s Services are the Safeguarding Leads for the Council.
• The post is eligible for hybrid working.
• As this post meets the requirements in respect of exempted questions under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, all applicants who are offered employment will be subject to a criminal record check (Disclosure) from the Disclosure & Barring Service before the appointment is confirmed. This will include details of ALL cautions, reprimands or final warnings as well as convictions, whether “spent” or “unspent”. Criminal convictions will only be taken into account when they are relevant to the post.
• The Council operates a Smoke-Free Policy and the post-holder is prohibited from smoking in any of the Council's buildings (including Council owned and Council leased buildings, but excluding designated areas in residential schemes), enclosed spaces within the curtilage of buildings, and Council vehicles. The Council does not permit smoking breaks within work time, however, in services where the flexi-scheme is in operation, employees may take reasonable break times outside of core hours, in accordance with flexi-time arrangements. Employees should follow the flexi-scheme procedure for agreeing time away from their duties in the normal manner with their immediate colleagues and line manager, with break start and finish times being recorded, as with any other break-time arrangement. 
• The post-holder is expected to familiarise themselves with and adhere to all relevant Council Policies and Procedures.
• The post-holder must comply with the Council’s Health and Safety requirements as outlined in the H&S policy appropriate to the role.
• The post-holder must be committed to the Council’s Core Values for employees – “Torbay Council employees are committed to being forward thinking, people orientated and adaptable - always with integrity”. Evidence will be sought during the probation and appraisal processes.
• If this post is customer facing, it will require the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.
• If you are required to access a government system such as HMRC, DWP or The Public services network (PSN) as part of your role with the Council you will be required to complete a basic disclose with your line manager before you can access these systems. Your manager will be required to complete a verification form that confirms your identity, nationality and immigration status, employment history and unspent convictions (third party).
• If you are required to use your own vehicle on Council business or drive a council vehicle you will be asked to provide information on any driving endorsements by accessing gov.uk/view-driving-licence and providing a code to your Line Manager in order to share your driving licence information with the Council.

Person Specification

Note for Candidate

All Candidates

The supporting statement on your application form will be used to assess ability to meet the essential requirements of the role, so you should explain how you meet each of the numbered essential requirements within your supporting statement. In a competitive situation, the desirable criteria may be taken into consideration, so you are encouraged to show how you also meet each of the desirable criteria.

Candidates who consider that they have a disability

Reasonable adjustments will be made to the job, job requirements or recruitment process for candidates with a disability.

If you consider yourself to have a disability you should indicate this on your application form, providing any information you would like us to take into account with regard to your disability in order to offer a fair selection interview.

Where ever possible and reasonable we will make adjustments and offer alternatives to help you through the application and selection process.

If you have indicated that you have a disability on your application form you will be guaranteed an interview if you clearly demonstrate in your supporting evidence how you broadly meet the essential requirements of the role.

Job info	Job info details
Job Title	Head of Quality First Teaching and School Improvement
Strategic team/Directorate	Children's Services
Service	Education and SEND
Business unit	Quality First Teaching

Skills and effectiveness

Essential skills and effectiveness

• Ability to work at a strategic level with education providers and partners to identify improvements required to deliver the best outcomes.
• A collaborative approach demonstrating mutual trust and support, within the council and with partners.
• Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships at all levels across the organisation and with partners in order to influence and get things done.
• Strong communication skills and able to articulate the rights of children in an assertive and effective manner.
• Ability to interrogate detail and influence corporate strategies and plans.
• An ability to use and interpret data, evidence and research to produce reports, inform activity, decision-making and challenge to the status quo as appropriate.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong IT skills including Microsoft Office and ability to manipulate data to produce management information and reports.
• This role requires the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English.

Desirable skills and effectiveness

N/A

Knowledge

Essential knowledge

• Considerable knowledge of curriculum planning and support to improve attainment for children.
• Wide knowledge and understanding of national policies and the legislative framework affecting children, young people and families, and the wider local government and how these apply to local service developments. 
• Considerable knowledge of Quality First Teaching for all children and young people.
• Knowledge of Schools business models and finances.

Desirable knowledge

• Knowledge of Children Social Care legislation. 

Experience and achievements

Essential experience and achievements

• Leadership experience in the education sector which has led to positive outcomes for children, young people and families.
• Experience of effective working across organisational boundaries and use of influence within multi-agency settings which has led to improved outcomes for children, young people and families. 
• Experience of implementing strategies for service development which has led to quality improvement. 
• Experience or developing/leading changes in services and/or policies that have lead to service improvements. 
• Experience of substantial successful financial management. 
• Experience of effective partnership work with parents, children, young people and families or institutions to develop and improve service provision. 
• Experience of working within a political framework and briefing elected members. 

Desirable experience and achievements

N/A

Qualifications/professional memberships

Essential qualifications/professional memberships

• Degree level qualification in Education or a related subject. 
• Qualified Teacher Status. 
• Evidence continued professional development. 

Desirable qualifications/professional memberships

• Master’s degree in teaching.
• National Professional Qualification for Headship. 
• Management and leadership qualification. 

Other requirements

Other requirements of the job role

• Demonstrates a commitment to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people. 
• Ability to travel efficiently around the Bay/South West/UK in order to carry out duties. 
• Ability to accommodate unsociable hours. 
• Ability to accommodate occasional home-working.