Rector Principal and Chief Executive

Information for Applicants

www.jordanhill.glasgow.sch.uk/devel

opment/

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Welcome Thank you for your interest in the post of Rector at Jordanhill School. Jordanhill is renowned not just for its academic excellence, but for its thriving programmes in sport, outdoor education, music, art and drama. We are the local comprehensive school. No fees are paid and there is no selection on any grounds other than residency. Almost all of the School’s pupils live within the catchment area and there is a very substantial waiting list for places. Jordanhill has the highest levels of attainment and the highest percentage of pupils progressing to Higher Education amongst state schools in Scotland. It has been ranked 1st in the Sunday Times Parent Power list every year since its inception. Our success is founded on placing our pupils and staff at the heart of everything we do. We offer a wonderful learning environment, excellent resources and a commitment to help every child achieve to the very best of their abilities. The school holds a wide range of awards including the Rights Respecting School Gold Award, the Sportscotland Gold School Sports Award and the prestigious ICT Mark. The Swire Chinese Language Centre and a Confucius Classroom opened in 2016. The Centre offers teaching in Chinese language and culture to pupils from P5 to S6 within Jordanhill School and also provides access to these programmes to pupils from neighbouring schools. The school consults parents extensively on key issues and holds an annual parents’ conference. Regular independent surveys of parent perceptions are commissioned and these rate ‘Parental Engagement’ as a major strength. The School also enjoys close links with neighbouring schools, both local authority and independent, and the wider educational community. As a school we reflect the cultural and ethnic diversity of the City of Glasgow. As an equal opportunities employer we welcome staff of all nationalities and backgrounds. I hope the information herein offers some insight into the life of the school and the opportunities and challenges associated with the post of Rector. While the retiring Rector Dr Thomson will not play a part in the selection of his successor, you are welcome to contact him or the Bursar Ms Wendy Grant on a confidential basis should you have any questions. We look forward to receiving your application.

Ken Alexander Convenor of the Board of Managers

“Across the school, children and

young people learn and achieve

very well through a varied and

exciting range of lessons and

activities. They are very well

motivated by learning which is rich

in opportunities to develop

important knowledge and skills.”

HMIe

“Consistently innovative and creative lessons which help children and young people to develop an outstanding range of knowledge, skills and attributes.”

HMIe

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The School and Company Jordanhill School is situated in the West End of Glasgow. It is a combined Primary and Secondary School with a total school roll of approximately 1050, aged from 5 to 18. Primary has 66 pupils per year P1 to P7; Secondary 99 pupils per year S1 to S4 and 195 in S5/S6. Teaching facilities and resources are excellent. The building housing Modern Languages, Mathematics, Social Subjects and Art was completed in 2008, while the adjacent practical buildings housing Science, Health and Food Technology and Design & Technology have all been upgraded. The Primary and remaining Secondary departments are located in the ‘B’ listed north building which has been extensively modernised and upgraded. This includes major refurbishments of the main entrance and school hall (2011-2013), the Learning Zone (2016), Conference Room (2018), Sixth Year Study facilities (2018) and Primary Technology & Arts room (2019).

Sports facilities on campus comprise a full-size synthetic hockey pitch and multi-user games area both resurfaced in 2018, two rugby pitches, two 7-a-side grass football pitches, two gyms and a fitness suite (refurbished 2018). The school’s games hall is situated on Anniesland Road, a few minutes walk away. Very extensive sports and outdoor education programmes are offered throughout the school. The School was founded in 1920 as part of the teacher training facility at Jordanhill College and was managed by the College until 1 April 1988. From this date the School has been managed by a Company, limited by guarantee and incorporated under the Companies Act 1985, which bears the name Jordanhill School. The School is also a registered charity (SCO 04463). The School is funded directly by a grant from the Scottish Government, under the provisions of the Jordanhill School Grant Regulations 1988. Jordanhill is the only mainstream Grant Aided school in Scotland. We are not a local authority and do not have the powers of such. Neither are we bound by the same legislation as local authorities. The School develops its own policy in accord with those elements of legislation and Government guidance which are applicable to it. You will find a wide range of policy statements in the Parents area of our web site.

“Outstanding. Better resourced than many schools in the independent sector - and it’s free. A beacon.”

Good Schools Guide

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The Company’s affairs are administered by a Board of Managers. This consists of seven elected parent members, three staff members, co-opted members and ex officio the Rector. Both the Board and the senior management team are accountable to the ‘members’ of the company – parents and staff. No other school in Scotland has this level of parental involvement through the Board or an AGM. The Board firmly believes that the active scrutiny of the school by parents is essential to the health of the school. Parents are strongly encouraged to attend our parent conferences and the AGM and to offer feedback through our surveys and other channels of communication. The structure of the Company and of the Board requires a co-operative style of management and there is an expectation that promoted staff in particular will maintain an informed interest in the activities of the Company and will be willing to become involved with the Board where appropriate.

The school celebrates its centenary in 2020 and an extensive programme of events is planned to mark the occasion. A history of the school was published in November 2019. Linked to this, the Board of Managers together with the Trustees of the Educational Amenities Trust have embarked on an ambitious development programme ‘Striving Higher’ to ensure that current and future pupils continue to benefit from an all-round education of exceptional quality and the school continues to evolves to meet future challenges.

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Person Specification We seek an outstanding leader who can manage strategically with the ability to inspire and motivate both staff and pupils and adopt a clear-sighted and well-grounded approach to the development of an educational vision. Holding the Standard for Headship will become a prerequisite for teachers taking up their first permanent headteacher post at Local Authority and grant-aided schools (including Jordanhill School) in Scotland from 1 August 2020, under Section 28 of the Education (Scotland) Act 2016. There will be two exemptions. The first applies to any permanent headteacher who has been appointed to a position in a school on, or prior to, 1 August 2020. The second exemption enables the managers of grant-aided schools to appoint a person to a headteacher post, who has not attained the Standard for Headship, on a temporary basis for a period not exceeding 30 months after 1 August 2020. The application form requires you to identify into which category(ies) you fall. Applicants require to be registered with GTC Scotland. Appointment is conditional on a successful PVG

check prior to commencement in the post, satisfactory references, presentation of qualifications and

confirmation of the right to work in the UK. Any offer of employment will be withdrawn if any of the above

conditions are not satisfied.

The sections below set out in some detail the

• Requirements of the role

• Essential and desirable experience and how they will be assessed

• Guidance on the characteristics being sought

• Job description

It is recognised that many applicants are unlikely to have experience of working in an all-through context or to have extensive understanding of finance, marketing, fundraising or developing a digital strategy. Such factors are therefore identified as desirable below. It is however essential that you demonstrate an appreciation of these issues and the capacity to deal with them in the future.

Date of Commencement It is envisaged that the successful candidate will take up post at some point between August 2020 the start

of session and January 2021 the start of term 2. A start date will be agreed dependent upon period of

notice and the needs of the school.

Remuneration

The national job sizing toolkit for state schools does not cover the range of duties associated with this post. The remuneration committee has agreed a bespoke scale which ranges from £90,411 to £98,808 and it may further extend beyond these upper reaches of the national scale1. Duties During School Holiday Periods Jordanhill School operates all year round and the nature of the role will require the postholder to undertake duties during school vacation periods and/or to respond to emerging issues even if on leave.

1 http://www.snct.org.uk/wiki/index.php?title=Appendix_2.1

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Key Competencies of the Role

Key Competence What does this mean

A strong, personal commitment to education, with extensive experience in educational leadership at a senior level

• Working as a member of a leadership team in a school

• Holding a senior educational role within a local authority or national organisation

Strategic thinking: understanding of management challenges facing complex organisations

• Ability to survey current and future educational and socio-economic trends and develop a vision and supporting strategy for the next 10 years

• Experience of working within a complex organisation

• Awareness and understanding of accountability and performance management landscapes.

Creating a unified sense of purpose: constructive and supportive challenge

• Bringing the best of out of existing staff and shaping the future team to sustain and develop excellence

• Working with the Board and wider parent body to sustain a common sense of purpose and commitment

• Evidence of successfully and constructively challenging the views of others within a senior management/board position

• Able to demonstrate where the impact of constructive challenge has led to a positive change in an organisation

• Confident in questioning evidence and debating issues

• Ability to express your opinions in a panel or group setting

Transforming vision and strategy into operational practice

• Identifying and generating the finance and resources (human and physical) to transform vision and strategy into operational practice

• ‘Political’ acumen including fostering a productive dialogue with Scottish Government and other partners

• Long term planning

Ability to analyse and review complex issues

• Being able to identify key points of detail which are critical to decision making

• Being able to balance a number of different considerations

• Ability to use evidence from different sources of information to inform decision making

• Recognising when more information might be needed

Ability to communicate effectively • Being focused and succinct in your communication, with active listening skills – showing you are taking into account what is being said

• Confident in expressing views and opinions in a group setting

• Being able to challenge the views of others in a constructive and challenging way; Being engaging and enthusiastic; Able to adapt your style appropriately for different situations.

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Essential and Desirable Experience

Essential/ Desirable

Application/ Interview

Qualifications

Full registration with the General Teaching Council for Scotland E A

Appropriate degree level qualification(s) E A

Standard for Headship (or equivalent within UK and EU) E A

Further post-graduate qualification(s) D A

Evidence of appropriate and continuous professional learning E A/I

Experience

A proven record of successful educational leadership at Head or Depute level

E A/I

A good understanding of the context of Scottish Education E A/I

Sound political awareness of school’s context locally and nationally E I

A detailed understanding of the school improvement process E A/I

Understanding of the development and implementation of an educational digital strategy

D A/I

Leadership skills and awareness to help build effective teams at all levels

E A/I

Knowledge of current best practice in compliance with employment and health and safety legislation in relation to education

E A/I

Financial acumen and experience of fundraising D A/I

Experience of contributing to significant developments at local or national level

D A/I

Experience of being on the board or management group of an organisation (community, charity, education etc.)

D A/I

Exceptional written and verbal communication skills E A/I

Excellent decision-making skills and strong judgement regarding the management of both change and continuity

E I

Ability to prioritise effectively, to delegate and to involve colleagues in decision making

E I

The capacity to develop an appreciation of the context of an all-through school and understanding of education best practice for pupils from 3 to 18 years of age

E A/I

Approachable and person-centred with a sense of humour E I

High level IT and numeracy skills E A/I

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Candidate Guidance In assessing a candidate’s application and performance during the appointment process the panel will be looking for evidence of some of the characteristics listed below. These are not in any order of priority. We do not expect any one individual to offer all of these characteristics. Neither do we expect anyone to have particular strengths in all of these areas. However, within your application and certainly in the course of any interview you should be able to provide examples of past actions and behaviours that offer evidence of some of these characteristics. At interview you should be prepared to talk in the first person singular, no matter how immodest this may sound and take ownership of whatever you are describing. For the key post of Rector we would expect candidates to have had a reasonably wide range of opportunities to display such characteristics in their current and previous posts. Existing Head Teachers will have had more opportunities so to do.

Characteristic Examples of behaviour

Professionalism A core of strongly held and enacted values

Respect for others Challenge and support – a commitment to do everything possible for

each pupil and enable all pupils to be successful Confidence – belief in one’s abilities to be effective and to take on

challenges Creating Trust – being consistent and fair

Thinking The drive to ask ‘why?’ and to see patterns

Ability to think logically, break things down and recognise cause and effect

Ability to see patterns and links, even when there is a lot of detail

Planning and setting expectations

Targeting energy and effort where it will make the most difference

Drive for improvement Information seeking Initiative

Leading Directing, inspiring and motivating others

Flexibility Holding people to account Managing pupils Passion for learning

Relating to others Managing relations and interactions effectively

Impact and influence Understanding others Team working

The Job Description which follows offers further insight into the role and thereby the characteristics required to fulfil it successfully.

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Job Description The Rector of Jordanhill School is both Executive Head Teacher of the school and Chief Executive of the Jordanhill School Company. The duties and responsibilities extend well beyond those of a Head Teacher in a local authority school. Job Purpose To provide the necessary vision, leadership and strategic direction to enable the School to formulate and implement relevant and effective policies and service objectives. To ensure that the senior management team provide clear operational leadership, direction and general management control to enable the effective delivery and monitoring of services. Accountabilities The role of the Rector2 is, within the resources available, to conduct the affairs of the school to the benefit of the pupils and the school community, through pursuing objectives and implementing policies set by the Board of Managers within the terms of the Memorandum and Articles of Association. The Rector shall be accountable to the Board of Managers for the following list of duties and such other duties as can be reasonably attached to the post 1. Responsibility for the leadership, good management and strategic direction of the school

2. To ensure that the best possible advice, guidance and support is given to the Board of Managers

3. Responsibility for policy on the behaviour management of pupils

4. The management of all staff, and the provision of professional advice and guidance to colleagues

5. The management and development of the school curriculum

6. To participate in the selection and appointment of staff

7. To promote the continuing professional development of all staff and to ensure that all staff have an annual review of their development needs

8. To ensure that all services and activities are subject to rigorous performance review and outcome measurement

9. To seek to improve current practice and methods of service organisation and delivery

10. To maintain open, transparent and non-discriminatory practices in all the school’s dealings and to promote high standards of behaviour amongst the corporate body

11. To ensure that the school fulfils all statutory and legislative requirements timeously and in accordance with Best Value

12. To assume ultimate accountability for any capital and revenue budgets

13. To work in partnership with parents, other professionals, agencies and schools

14. To manage the health and safety of all within the school premises

2 These duties subsume those set out for all Head Teachers in Annex B of A Teaching Profession for the 21st

Century and those in the Headteacher Charter.

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Chief Executive Functions The Rector is responsible for the strategic and operational development and management of all aspects of the organisation. S/He also acts as Accounting Officer for the organisation. Specific responsibilities include

Being accountable to and supporting the work of the Board of Managers Financial oversight of all aspects of the school Business Planning and Risk Register Annual Report (Financial Statement and the Standards and Quality Report) and AGM Policy Development Health and Safety Equalities Human resource management Estates strategy Policy development External relations - The Rector is the public face of Jordanhill School and will routinely deal with

all media contacts and relations. Admissions Digital strategy Best Value Reviews (applicable to all areas of operation)

The Rector is supported by the Depute Rector, Bursar and other senior leaders and heads of department as set out in the attached organisational chart.

Admissions The school is responsible for drawing up and administering its admissions regulations. The Rector leads the annual review of the regulations, provides advice and support on an ongoing basis to individuals seeking clarification. The Rector is not involved in the administration of the Regulations or the offer of places. Digital Strategy

The school has been wholly responsible for developing its ICT infrastructure. This demands that senior management have an understanding of a wide range of strategic issues. Educational Amenities Trust Fund

The Rector of Jordanhill School chairs a separate charity the Jordanhill School Educational Amenities Trust Fund3. Currently, the Rector also chairs the Bonnyman Scholarship4 Committee which considers applications from former pupils for scholarships to undertake post-graduate study at elite universities in the USA.

3 http://www.jordanhill.glasgow.sch.uk/education-amenities-trust/ 4 http://www.jordanhill.glasgow.sch.uk/bonnyman-scholarships/

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Development Office and Alumni Relations The Rector plays a key role in promoting the work of the Development Office5 including maintaining alumni relations

• Development Office strategy and shaping the role and work of the Director of Development

• Oversight of the current ‘Striving Higher’ campaign

• Attending reunions and events

• Supporting the publication of the Journal

• Hosting visits

5 http://www.jordanhill.glasgow.sch.uk/development/

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