Head of Year (Director of Learning)

About the role

We are looking to recruit a Head of Year who can provide professional leadership for a year team, which ensures success for all, as part of a coherent central leadership team. In addition to the generic responsibilities of teaching staff, you will be responsible for raising the standards of attainment for all students in the specific year group and contributing to whole school improvement at a strategic level.

About the Role:

• Model outstanding teaching and professional practice.
• Provide leadership and direction for the work of the tutor team.
• Promote high levels of student attendance and punctuality.
• Make sure the activities of students and teachers in the year group support the aims of the school, by leading by example and setting high standards.
• Contribute to effective monitoring and review within the school as part of the quality assurance programme.
• Play a leading role in maintaining good order in the school, reflecting our ethos and values, and reinforcing our high expectations with regard to student behaviour.
• Monitor student achievement, discipline reports and report ranking data, and make appropriate interventions.
• Take a lead role within the year group in creating an ethos which celebrates success and diversity, and provides opportunities to reflect on social, moral, spiritual and cultural issues, particularly through assemblies.
• Provide a key point of initial contact for parents of students in the year group.
• Lead year team meetings, including provision of agendas and minutes.
• Account to governors, parents and the local community for the achievements and progress of the year group.
• Take the appropriate role in the school’s appraisal and staff induction arrangements to support staff development and training.
• Actively seek to develop a collaborative approach to leadership, thereby strengthening the school’s team-working ethos.
• Liaise with outside agencies, as appropriate.
• Organise, in conjunction with SLT, parents’ evenings, student performance review days, prize-giving assemblies, annual celebration events, whole-school trips/events programmes, reward trips, reports, academic tutoring and any other events appropriate to your year group.
• Be familiar with the staff handbook and school policies and be proactive in ensuring staff adhere to agreed procedures, especially those relating to the pastoral system and positive behaviour management.
• Take a lead role in the academic monitoring and appropriate intervention and mentoring programmes for identified students.
• Play a key role in ensuring Child Protection and Safeguarding responsibilities are adhered to.
• Maintain and update the year team website page and other online platforms.
• Carry out any specific role delegated to you by the Headteacher, as appropriate to this post.

About the School  

Townsend is a relatively small and very friendly school with a great atmosphere, circa 800 on roll, including a Sixth Form. Townsend is rated Good by Ofsted (January 2024) in all areas. In our last SIAMS inspection (May 2024) it was found that we are living up to our foundation as a Church school.

Townsend Church of England School is situated on a large, green site between St Albans and Harpenden, and welcomes applicants from people of all faiths and of no faith. Children who attend Townsend live in St Albans and Harpenden, as well as other towns in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, including Welwyn Garden City, Hemel Hempstead and Luton. 

Townsend has evolved at pace in the last 18 months with a clear ambition to be a school which provides the highest quality education that a setting can. Our outcomes have improved with children making good progress in their qualifications as well as maintaining a caring and supportive environment. Opportunities to enrich the curriculum have increased recently with school visits to France, Italy, Poland and America. Townsend has also embraced the best technology available by becoming an Apple school in September 2024, which has seen all students provided with access to an iPad. We are also improving the fabric of the building with integrated learning spaces and plans to develop the sports and technology facilities.

Townsend believes that educating the whole child is key to a successful education. The Bible-based vision of Love Your Neighbour underpins all we do. Students are taught to respect and care for themselves and each other, and Townsend’s supportive environment encourages them to make the most out of their journey through Secondary School.  

Although this is a Church School you do not have to adhere to the Christian faith to work here, but you must be in sympathy with our work and be able to support the aspects that give us our distinctive character as a Church of England School.  

Headteacher, Mr Anthony Flack is excited by the opportunity to make Townsend, ‘The first choice secondary school for all’.

Friendly and welcoming, Townsend impresses with its calm learning environment and caring staff. To find out more about the school, please visit our website for more details https://townsend.herts.sch.uk/

We reserve the right to move to shortlisting and interviews when we have viable applications. 

If you would like additional information or to discuss this vacancy - please email the school (recruitment@townsend.herts.sch.uk) for the attention of Mr Flack (Headteacher), or Mrs Llewellyn (Senior Deputy Headteacher), and we can either email a reply or telephone you if you leave a contact number.

To apply for this vacancy, please send a cover letter and an application form to Mr Flack, Headteacher, Townsend CofE School, High Oaks, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 6DR or email to recruitment@townsend.herts.sch.uk    

Townsend CofE School is committed to the safeguarding of all students and all staff appointed are subject to the usual teaching vetting and compliance checks that include DBS checks, two satisfactory references, confirmation of identity, qualifications, and barred list checks. 

Following the shortlisting stage, and before making a final decision, the school will collect and process information publicly available about you by conducting a brief online search using an internet search engine. We do this to ensure that the school acts in accordance with its obligations set out in Keeping Children Safe in Education.