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Senior Challenge Adviser (Secondary Sector – Cardiff)

Senior Challenge Adviser (Secondary Sector – Cardiff)

Central South Consortium

Rhondda, Cynon, Taff

Salary:
£56,215 -£59,328 plus 3 SPAs if applicable up to £62, 445
Job type:
Full Time, Fixed Term
Start date:
September 2015
Apply by:
10 June 2015

Job overview

Two Year Secondment OR Fixed Term Contract

Central South Consortium – Joint Education Service

ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE TOGETHER

Building capacity through the Central South Wales Challenge

Current salary will be payable or Soulbury 22-25 (£56,215 -£59,328 plus 3 SPAs if applicable up to £62, 445) whichever is greater or equivalent daily rate

The Central South Consortium, comprising the five Local Authorities of Bridgend, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda Cynon Taf, and Vale of Glamorgan, is working in partnership to deliver ambitious arrangements for school improvement through the Central South Wales Challenge. Collectively with our schools, we are determined that all children and young people, in every school, will experience the best possible conditions in which to realise their potential and that we close the gap between the most disadvantaged pupils and their peers.

Over the next three to five years we want to create the conditions that enable schools’ leaders to play a vital part in driving improvement. Sector-led school-to-school support will play a crucial role in building capacity in the system as a whole to improve. This will involve significant cultural change in all parts of the system in order to develop the capacity, confidence and behaviours to lead improvement. Together with headteachers we are already making good progress towards achieving these goals.

We are now seeking to recruit a highly successful professional to join our enthusiastic and committed team.

The successful candidate will fulfil the role of senior challenge adviser in Cardiff with a specific remit to oversee the provision of support and challenge to secondary schools.

As the senior challenge adviser – secondary you will:

  • influence the future direction of work to build on the progress made thus far in raising standards in secondary schools in Cardiff;
  • lead, oversee and quality assure the work of challenge advisers as they provide constructive challenge and support to schools’ leaders and governing bodies;
  • work closely with the local authority’s senior officers in developing and managing intervention in particular schools;
  • promote access to innovative practice and sharing of effective practice between schools to act as a catalyst to securing better outcomes for all learners.

This post will be of interest to serving headteachers seeking a secondment from their current post. Prospective applicants should seek the agreement of their governing body prior to application. Ideally the appointment would be made on a full-time basis but applications will also be considered from candidates seeking a 0.8 ( 4 days per week) commitment.

The post will also be of interest to school improvement professionals or recently retired headteachers seeking a temporary post. In these cases salary will be within the range Soulbury 18-21 plus 3 SPAs also on a pro rata basis where relevant or the equivalent daily rate.

Prospective applicants are welcome to contact Hannah Woodhouse, Managing Director or Robert Hopkins, Head of The School Improvement Service for an informal discussion. Telephone: (01443) 827567.

THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICANT WILL BE SUBJECT TO AN ENHANCED DISCLOSURE AND BARRING SERVICE CHECK.

The deadline for receipt of applications is midday on 10 June 2015.

We encourage electronic applications; for further information please log on to www.rhondda-cynon-taf.gov.uk/jobs or contact the Recruitment and Advertising Team on (01443) 425005.

Attached documents

About Central South Consortium

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+44 1443 827 500

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The Central South Consortium (CSC) is a school improvement service which operates on behalf of five local authorities: Bridgend, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhondda Cynon Taff and the Vale of Glamorgan.

This region is the most populous in Wales.  It includes over 400 schools and serves 135,000 learners - a third of the country’s school-age children. The region is home to the highest number and the largest proportion of children living in poverty; it is also home to the capital city and the economic, financial, creative and media industries of Wales.

Our ambition as a region is that, by 2018:

  • Our learners achieve the best educational  outcomes in Wales, rivalling similar parts of the United Kingdom;
  • The poverty-related attainment gap is closing faster here than anywhere else in Wales;
  • That the region is known and recognised for its high-quality school-led professional learning.

To do this, the Consortium:

  • Provide challenge advisers to schools across the region, with more time allocated to the schools most in need
  • Provides timely data analyses to support schools’ self evaluation and improvement planning (including school categorisation judgements);
  • Supports and funds school-to-school improvement partnerships. These enable schools to share good practice and learn from each other to improve teaching and leadership practice and improve outcomes for learners;
  • Works with the Welsh Government to deliver its priorities in the region;
  • Allocates grant funding (e.g. the pupil deprivation grant - PDG) to schools in the region along with guidance and advice on how grant funding can be used to drive improvement.

Building a Self Improving School System

We are moving increasingly from a school improvement model dependent on central support to a more sustainable by-schools-for-schools model which builds capacity for collective improvement across the system. This is a system where all schools care as much about the improvement of other schools as they do about their own.  This strategy is built on what is known about successful school systems worldwide.

Our model: The Central South Wales Challenge

In January 2014, backed by the five authorities and drawing on international research, schools across the region led the way in launching a strategy to develop a ‘self-improving’ school system.  The strategy is based on six principles commonly found in successful school systems: 

  • Schools are communities where collaborative enquiry is used to improve practice.
  • Groupings of schools engage in joint practice development.
  • Where necessary, more intensive partnerships are formed to support schools facing difficulties.
  • Families and Community organisations support the work of schools and reinforce community aspiration.
  • Coordination of the system is provided by school leaders themselves.
  • Local authorities work together to act as the ‘conscience’ of the system. 

This work is led by the Central South Wales Strategy group. The strategy group is largely made up of headteachers but also draws on the expertise of universities and external experts in school-improvement.   

Aspects of the model

  • All schools are part of School Improvement Groups (SIGs) which determine improvement priorities and work together to secure progress on these.
  • Pathfinder Pairs - brokered partnerships between two schools where one school supports another to improve. Improvement impact on both schools is measured. 
  • School Improvement Hubs provide professional learning and support to all schools in line with regional improvement priorities. 
  • Peer Enquiry - usually a grouping of three schools working together. Schools’ leaders conduct an enquiry into an aspect of another school’s practice with the leadership of the other school in order to identify areas of good practice and improvement

How to Find Out More

Please refer to www.cscjes.org.uk and www.cscjes-cronfa.co.uk for further information about the Consortium.  Please also follow us on Twitter for updates as they happen!

We also publish a weekly school bulletin and a half termly newsletter which provide key updates about education in the region and further afield.  

For any queries please do not hesitate to contact communications@cscjes.org.uk / 01443 827500.

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Applications closed