Head of Year

Job Purpose

To ensure that Form Tutors

• help ensure that all students in the year group make maximum progress across the curriculum. This particularly applies to vulnerable students and the successful candidate will work closely with the Assistant Headteacher – Inclusion Lead, in this regard;
• communicate and empathise with families of students in the year group ensuring they remain engaged with their son/daughter’s progress at school;
• work closely with the pastoral facilitators to ensure students are supported and challenged as necessary and achieve optimum levels of engagement with school life;
• help maximise student attendance in conjunction with the attendance officer;
• role model excellent practices including going ‘above and beyond’ and intervening with students outside the curriculum as necessary;
• ensure that students are correctly equipped and parents are held to account for providing their son/ daughter with the tools students need to learn effectively;
• communicate appropriate information to teaching and support staff;
• are highly visible and a point of contact for students.

Safeguarding

• To be familiar with school policies, in particular safeguarding procedures, and promote the welfare of children.
• To train to be a safeguarding officer.

Key responsibilities

To ensure that Form Tutors

• help raise the aspirations of vulnerable and pupil premium students;
• help contribute to high levels of student attendance and punctuality;
• be a point of contact for students and families when personal matters affect learning and progress;
• support and challenge Heads of Department so that underachieving students ‘catch up’, particularly in Maths, English and Science;
• contribute to a confidential record of issues affecting the educational progress of students;
• work with agencies in school and beyond to support students and their families, conducting home visits when required;
• lead and deliver assemblies;
• ensure school uniform is worn correctly;
• produce internal and external reports as necessary;
• work within school systems on safeguarding and communication to inform teaching and non-teaching staff about issues affecting students’ progress and wellbeing;
• work with parents, as necessary, to engage them in their child’s education and support their child’s achievement;
• promote positive attitudes to learning and behaviour for learning with vulnerable students;
• liaise with the SEND Department to ensure the best cohesive support packages are in place for the most vulnerable students;
• monitor, evaluate and review attitude to learning within the year group, developing and implementing strategies as required in conjunction with Assistant Headteacher- Pastoral Lead;
• uphold and promote the values and ethos of the school;
• lead and ensure the smooth running of parents’ evening, analysing attendance and impact;
• supervise students in the reflection room, conduct regular restorative justice and run readmission meetings;
• attend, contribute and monitor those students on a pastoral support plan;
• attend and contribute proactively to the weekly 8.00am (day subject to change) pastoral meeting;
• ensure policies and procedures are effectively implemented by the year team;
• ensure that all students in your year group arrive promptly to school and lessons, dressed ready to learn and take part in designated daily tasks;
• conduct learning walks with varied foci;
• implement the 10 Typical best practices consistently;
• support and challenge the Pastoral Facilitators so that the balance is found between caring for student’s well being and caring for their performance in the curriculum. 

Person Specification

• A willingness to embrace a growth mindset.
• A commitment to help students improve Cultural Capital so that their chances of success in the world are enhanced.
• A motivated individual who can inspire.
• The ability to ‘absorb’ the challenges of the day and still maintain high standards of professionalism.
• A team player putting students first and working with colleagues efficiently and effectively; recognising the ‘greater good’ and playing a full part in #TeamBlenheim.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills both orally and in writing.
• A genuine interest and enjoyment in working with teenage students, educators, schools and learning.
• Ability to demonstrate flexibility and tenacity.
• Confident, assertive and able to thrive in a challenging environment.
• Ability to motivate pupils through a variety of methods, including competition, rewards, sanctions and the setting of SMART goals.
• Ability to interpret and track student progress through the use of data.
• Ability to successfully encourage students to achieve their academic and social potential.
• A commitment to provide a supporting and challenging environment for students, particularly vulnerable students including those with Special Educational Needs.
• A commitment to individual continuous professional development, wanting to ‘get better’ by building on strengths but also recognising development areas and actively seeking to improve them.

General

• Demonstrate a keen interest in all aspects of school life.
• Show solidarity by supporting school policy, and the leadership team, publicly.
• Challenge school policy, and the leadership team, privately.
• Carry out any other reasonable duty as directed by the Headteacher.