Autumn Term - 6 December 2023
Devon Schools Leadership Services (DSLS) CIO is recruiting for its aHead service
We are welcoming applications from both Primary and Secondary colleagues.
About DSLS and the aHead Service
Devon Schools Leadership Services (DSLS) CIO is a charitable organisation launched in September 2020 for the benefit of school leaders, following the merger of Devon’s DAPH and DASH phase associations.
Our Motivating Drivers are to:
- Be the voice of and support for school leadership in the south-west
- Become the conduit for school leadership and school improvement
- Proactively address the needs of leaders to ultimately benefit learners
- Become a self-sustaining, not for profit organisation
Following three years of successful Professional Partner support for school leaders across Devon we are now in the position to recruit additional serving or recently served headteachers to our team.
Our service comprises of 4 strands:
-
aHeadStart – an induction and support programme for recently appointed school leaders
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aHeadSpace – a proactive contact programme for more experienced school leaders
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aHeadStrong – a rolling programme of CPD and annual wellbeing conference
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aHelpline – a dedicated, confidential professional or personal helpline following self-referral
The aHead Service forms part of the Core Membership Offer under Devon School Leadership Services (DSLS) CIO and is available to all Devon primary and secondary school leaders (LA and Academy) under DSLS.
aHeadStart
As part of the aHead Induction programme, newly appointed school leaders are automatically linked to a Professional Partner and introduced to a peer group of other school leaders at the same stage in their careers. This link will be fully funded centrally, and the Professional Partner will remain in contact with the school leader providing mentoring and support during their first two years of headship/school leader role.
aHeadSpace
For more established headteachers, we offer a regular programme of support where school leaders are contacted by a Professional Partner at least twice during the academic year to see how the Service may be able to help and to provide confidential professional and personal support and guidance where needed. This may lead to a further telephone meeting or visit if required at a mutually convenient time. If required, additional time can be purchased by the school or trust under the aHead Service traded package of support.
aHelpline
From time to time, referrals are received outside of the above programmes via the telephone Helpline into the DSLS Business Support Office. Some of these enquiries may be dealt with by way of signposting but the more complex, seeking support in respect of professional or personal issues, will be passed on to a Professional Partner to respond to, ideally within a 24-hour period or as mutually agreed.
Lead Professional Partner
Working in conjunction with the DSLS Business Operations Manager (BOM) and Service Lead the Lead Professional Partner plans and coordinates the four strands of the service. This includes monitoring levels of engagement and output to help inform CPD initiatives, an annual wellbeing conference and reporting to the DSLS CIO Board/Schools Executive Committee on trending themes and issues impacting upon school leaders.
Alongside the DSLS BOM and Service Lead, the Lead Professional Partner regularly liaises with the other Lead Professionals and hosts team meetings on a termly basis. They also contribute to the commissioning of services and support from other partners or providers e.g. DCC which delivers content within the aHeadStart Induction programme.
Professional Partner Recruitment
DSLS is looking to recruit additional experienced school leaders who are willing to support school leadership in a flexible dynamic and reflective way. The Professional Partners will be working alongside newly appointed and less experienced school leaders who will need a strong role model. They will also support other school leader colleagues by way of a regular contact programme and/or specific requests for support via the telephone aHelpline service.
The Role
Please click here for the Full Person Specfication. However, in summary the Professional Partner will need a high level of knowledge and understanding of the following:
- The role, duties and expectations of school leaders and governors.
- Organisational structures in LAs and schools. (School evaluation, improvement planning, data analysis, funding, performance management etc).
- Existing and emerging constitutional relationships of the LA and/or DfE Regions Group with governing boards and Diocesan Boards.
- The concepts of local management of schools, governance in the maintained and academy education sectors in England and related sections of Education legislation.
- Have a clear understanding of the range of challenge and support services already available within DCC.
- The developing range of leadership models in schools.
The Professional Partner also needs to be reflective, to have a very high level of interpersonal skills including being able to build relationships, be a good listener and be able to remain calm, be resilient and resourceful.
They will need to have recent work experience of at least 5 years as a headteacher with a proven track record of effective school leadership and the written agreement by way of Service Level Agreement from their Governing Board to support delivery of the aHead service for at least 8 days up to a pre-determined maximum in any school year.
Remuneration
The Professional Partner role is subject to a Service Level Agreement signed by DSLS CIO, the Governing Board of the school (if a serving headteacher) and the school leader and will be reviewed annually at the end of the summer term. For non-serving headteachers a Consultancy Agreement will be signed by DSLS CIO and the Professional Partner.
The role is remunerated at a rate of £50 per hour/£400 per day and reimbursed on a termly basis following the verification of claims with the DSLS Business Operations Manager.
Once verified, payment will be made against an invoice submitted to the DSLS Business Support Office by the headteacher’s own school for serving headteachers. For non-serving headteachers, payment will be made direct to the Professional Partner against invoice submitted and will be subject to HMRC regulations on employment status for tax and NIC purposes.
How to Apply
Applications for the role of Professional Partner are invited from all headteachers in Devon local authority or academy schools and is also open to school leaders who may have recently retired.
Please submit a Letter of Application to include specific reference to the Person Specification.
Letters of Application to be sent to:
Clare Coates, Business Operations Manager, DSLS CIO
Email: clare.coates@devonsls.co.uk
Closing date for applications: 5.00pm on 11 December 2023
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview via MS Teams on 9 January 2024 with a view to the role commencing shortly after.
If you would like an informal discussion about either role and/or the aHead service, please contact:
Melanie Smallwood, Executive Headteacher Two Rivers Federation, DSLS Schools Executive Committee Member and aHead Service Lead
Telephone: 01271 343002
Or
David Barnett, Lead Professional Partner
Telephone 07876 173816
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