Assistant Principal: Senior Mental Health Lead

We are looking for an outstanding leader to join us as Assistant Principal - Senior Mental Health Lead, supporting the strategic and operational management, development and leadership of the mental health strategy across the Academy and ensuring the achievement of our ethos, aims and objectives.

About Us

We believe passionately in our mission statement – ‘We Know, We Can, We Will'. We never settle for less and are driven by achievement and success. To be a committed member of the Harris Invictus community is to aspire to learn and gain knowledge. We are able to apply what we know to the outside world. We can do it and we will succeed no matter the circumstances or difficulties we face.

Learning is a journey, and in partnership with parents, we will be there to support when needed, to celebrate successes and to guide our young people as they become the leaders of tomorrow.

At Harris Invictus Academy Croydon, we are very proud of our students; we know they understand the importance of a good education and we know they are committed to achieving the very best outcomes.

Our curriculum leaders know how vital it is to provide a challenging curriculum that will inspire and engage. Providing opportunities for students to develop a deep knowledge and understanding of the world around them.

We know it is important to provide opportunities for students to develop, not only through the taught curriculum, but beyond; through programmes such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award, the Music in Secondary Schools programme and the Jack Petchey Award. Creating chances for students to really shine and show how amazing they are.

Main Areas of Responsibility

In addition to the general expectations for an Assistant Principal in our SLT, you will have the following specific role responsibilities associated with the Senior Mental Health Lead position:

• Auditing current mental health and wellbeing provision to determine and optimise performance of our programme of support for student mental health and wellbeing
• Reviewing the school's PSHE and RSE curriculum to ensure it includes the awareness of developing positive mental health and emotional resilience
• Supporting the development of strategies that cultivate student wellbeing in the core curriculum
• Gathering input from key stakeholders on what advice they would value and what their specific concerns may be
• Maintaining a publicly visible policy that sets out how the school supports students' mental health and wellbeing
• Developing and implementing embedded processes that increase positive mental health and wellbeing
• Assessing staff mental health needs confidentially through staff surveys, feedback and by maintaining clear channels of communication
• Creating and implementing a policy that sets out how the school promotes wellbeing for its staff, and address the areas of school culture that impact on staff wellbeing

Qualifications & Experience

We would like to hear from you if you have:

• QTS (or equivalent) and a good undergraduate degree
• Extensive teaching experience
• Outstanding teaching practice
• Successful management experience as Head of Department or member of the SLT
• Experience of writing department SEF
• Experience of lesson observations and giving feedback
• Experience of improvement planning
• Experience of implementing a range of strategies to raise student achievement, with evidence of success
• Contribution to impact on the quality of learning and teaching and curriculum
• Experience of developing and sustaining positive relationships with students, parents, staff and the Governing Body to build consensus support and capacity
• Proven track record of managing and implementing change in relation to teaching practices and standards
• A track record of success in leadership and management

Next Steps

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please send us an email, or call to arrange a conversation.

Before applying, please download the Job Pack for full details on the job responsibilities and person specification. This will be helpful for you when completing your application, and throughout the recruitment process.

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible as we may interview and offer to a candidate before the closing date. Please note that we only accept applications submitted before the closing date via our careers website.

Professional Development & Benefits

Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level.

In addition to the opportunities for career development and progression, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes a Performance and Loyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions, a Wellbeing Cash Plan, electric car scheme, and many other benefits. Learn more about our benefits on our website.

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.

Equal Opportunities

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.