Role Profile
1 PURPOSE OF YOUR JOB
To ensure the council meets the statutory duties to ensure high quality, fair and accessible education to all children, young people in the City of York and to ensure that Special Educational Need and Disabilities (SEND) requirements are discharged effectively for the City of York.
2 DIMENSIONS
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Revenue Income - £5819,000 Revenue expenditure - £17499,000 5 Year Capital Expenditure - £36050,000
Direct reports – 8 Indirect reports - 66 |
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3 Principal Accountabilities
· Ensures provision of those statutory functions and responsibilities which fall within the scope of the Corporate Director in respect of standards and improvements in Schools, Early Years and SEND provision, excel and enhance the education offer and seek to narrow the gap for those most vulnerable.
· Responsible for ensuring that the education provision in York is fit for purpose and discharges the councils’ statutory duty. Achieved by effective monitoring of performance, challenged where required, and supported to improve for schools, early year settings, and all sectors for 16-19 year olds, or 0-25 for those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
· Ensures that the co-ordinated schools admissions duty is managed effectively and efficiently.
· Ensures that the duty to provide school transport is managed effectively and efficiently
· Works collaboratively with partners and other agencies to develop strong partnerships with educators in both maintained and academy settings to maintain a clear oversight of education provision in York.
· Provide a statutory safeguarding role for city of York council (CYC) committed to promoting the welfare of children and young people, taking appropriate action when concerns are raised.
· Manages the schools capital funding arrangements including Private Finance Initiatives (PFIs) and delivery of outcomes in partnership with the education community, ensuring it reflects demographic patterns and parental choice.
4 JOB CONTEXT
· In the context of national reform, seek to establish and champion system change which successfully impacts on key educational outcomes for all, where standards are met and delivered within financial, quality and performance measures.
· The job holder proposes strategy and policy for appropriate sign off through council decision making routes. This requires regular contact with council members through working with the executive member, presenting recommendations and reporting progress and results to various council committees.
· Lead necessary strategic change in a timely way through strong consultation and delivery processes which engage and listen to the views of all, including children, young people and their parents.
· The job holder sets the objectives for the service and is accountable for the delivery. They have the authority to make decisions within the Council’s delegations. Applying knowledge and significant understanding of key issues to improve educational outcomes; identifying the needs of the service, setting strategic leadership and direction to the strategies and functions which support high quality learning experiences, monitoring performance, reviewing policies and standards, setting attainable objectives. Ensuring fair access to education for all children including SEND provision
· Produce reports and briefings to supporting the Corporate Director and Executive Member and a range of stakeholders (senior officers, staff and partner organisations) providing advice, ensuring they are fully informed about the service area so they have a clear view of performance.
· Maintains an overview of the virtual school for all children placed in care, negotiates external placements for specific children as required. Monitors children who fallout of the school system for whatever reason, maintaining an oversight of numbers of children for statutory purposes, with appropriate policies and procedures to ensure all children can access an education.
· As a member of the Council Leadership Group, actively contributes to the strategic management of the Council to ensure achievement of corporate aims and objectives.
· As a Member of the Corporate Leadership Group is an active member of the Emergency Planning rota – on call for out of hours emergencies.
· This role is an Information Asset Owner and must carry out the responsibilities of an Owner as required and set out in the council’s ‘Information Governance/Data Protection Roles and Responsibilities Rules’.
· Will deputise for Corporate Director as required
5 IMPACT & INFLUENCE
· Transformational impact on all children, young people and SEND provision through championing key corporate priorities, ensuring collectively that the priorities of the high level plan are successfully delivered. By providing clear direction and innovative leadership to the strategies, functions and operational delivery of the service, directing the work of teams through the service plan, reviewed annually and through the PDR process.
· Formulate, promote and implement initiatives which maximise the effective use of resources for individual children’s needs. This will include negotiation and work in partnership with other agencies to ensure effective operations.
· The post has significant impact on the quality of education through performance monitoring frameworks, undertaken quarterly. It is responsible for KPIs (key performance indicators) which reflect the quality of the education sector. An annual audit is undertaken for all York schools, taking a holistic review to monitor risk; any identified weaknesses or fall in standards are immediately targeted to receive support interventions to mitigate risks and raise outcomes. All of this activity feeds into the assessment mechanisms generating the performance ranking in the education league tables, part of the continuous monitoring for Ofsted & Care Quality Commission (CQC).
· York is a mix of maintained and academy schools and this post needs to manage the extremely challenging partnership arrangements (6 different academy trusts, 2 different Diocese for Church schools). The authority is directly responsible for academic standards but it is not actually managing about half of the schools, which can lead to tension. Maintaining a positive working arrangement with the schools outside the council’s direct influence is key to maintaining the high standing of York’s education services. The skill necessary to achieve this cannot be under estimated, the issues are often very complex and require strong negotiating and persuasive skills.
· The post has considerable autonomy, with authority to remove failing governing bodies, to issue warnings to schools regarding performance and compliance; can advocate for children and families where a child is being disadvantaged by decisions within a school and can intercede on their behalf. The post can determine when to prosecute families for children’s non-attendance at school
· Represents the council and education services on many boards locally and regionally in an advisory capacity, influencing achievement and standards. For example York Schools and Academies Board, Schools Forum; ensuring schools and governors are briefed on statutory changes and are compliant, this is reinforced through regular communications and site visits.
· Supports governors with performance management of head teachers, providing a source of advice and support.
· The role will require close working with other corporate directors, elected members and other senior colleagues across the council, promoting and supporting education and skills across the council and wider projects.
· The role is highly influential in the development of skills within the workforce; through the provision of apprenticeships within schools and Higher Education. As chair of the apprenticeship steering group they need to ensure that the council’s all age skills plan will meet the wider city future skills requirements. Represents the City of York on the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding LEPs (Local Enterprise Partnerships).
· Participates in the continuous services assessment, including CQC and Ofsted inspections. Will undertake peer reviews regionally to promote best practice and improvement.
6 ORGANISATION
7 HARDEST MOST DIFFICULT PART OF JOB
· Facilitating and maintaining strong strategic partnerships in the York Education Sector to improve the outcomes for children and young people, which is exceedingly complex and challenging due to the diverse mix of maintained and academy trusts :
o The York Schools and Academies Board
o Schools Forum
o Higher York
o York, North Yorkshire and East Riding LEP Skills Board
o Work with headteachers, and multi-academy trusts, dioceses
o Multi-agency partners
o Ofsted
o DfE/Regional Schools Commissioners
· Resilience to be adaptable and flexible to meet the challenges of the role; the constant drive towards improvement and change, impacted by constant interruptions from both internal and external sources and the implications of political cycles; which has far reaching implications for the Education Sector.
8 Knowledge Skills & Experience
Qualified teacher status
Significant experience of senior leadership and management in schools, preferably as a headteacher or in Childrens Services (Health, Local authority or other partners) is required. A thorough knowledge and understanding of the legislative frameworks and key practice developments relating to access and provision of school places together with technical understanding of the underpinnings of school improvement and confidence in delivering improvements is required for schools and children’s’ assessments, safeguarding and social care provision.
The job holder needs the ability to develop and deliver strategies to meet organisation objectives in a complex multi-functional organisation. They must be able to interpret complex information to develop plans and set priorities. Using high level problem solving skills to analyse information and trends, draw conclusions and prioritise decisions to manage risks.
The job holder needs experience of constructively challenging schools and governing bodies to drive improvement; understanding when to deploy or commission relevant school intervention strategies and oversee monitoring of improvement progress.
The job holder must be experienced and highly skilled in the management of resources, large and complex budgets with the ability to identify efficiencies and value for money at a corporate and service level.
They require significant knowledge and experience of school revenue and capital funding arrangements including PFI, with delivery of outcomes in partnership with the education community. Ensuring new provisions are met within statutory arrangements.
The ability to lead and motivate a large department is critical to ensure delivery of results. Outstanding interpersonal skills are needed to influence, negotiate and persuade all key partners both internal and external. Experience of developing collaborative relationships and inter-agency working.
Experience of negotiating significant contracts, commissioning services and monitoring provision.