Are you a senior leader interested in developing yourself into a future system leader and do you want to support our drive for a connected inclusive education system in Essex? Can you help determine what genuine inclusion looks like and do you have the drive to develop it in practice in a variety of our Secondary Schools in Essex?

This role is home based covering the county of Essex, starting September 2021 on a external secondment basis for 2 years until August 2023. Flexible working options on local government terms and conditions.

Essex County Council (ECC) is one of the largest and most dynamic local authorities in the UK, serving a population of 2 million residents, and has a very successful track record of delivering transformational change. ECC anticipated change was needed in the public sector and has worked to deliver better quality at lower cost. We have an ambitious transformation agenda - one with the scope to reach every part of the council. We are changing the way we think, the way we work, and the ways in which we deliver our services. We are committed to becoming a place where individuals, partners and communities feel proud to play their role and genuinely want to belong. We're immensely proud of our flexible working options.

ECC is transforming how it delivers education services across one of the largest counties in the country in order to continue to improve and to ensure the best possible outcomes for every single child and young person. We are determined to build on our journey of improvement which has seen 94% of schools now being rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted, and to focus more effectively on areas such as our more vulnerable children and young people to ensure Essex provides a wholly inclusive education which can meet the needs of all of our children and young people.

This strategic role has a high degree of impact and accountability within the wider context of Education and its transformation. As such, it needs to be able to adapt to change and understand its impact in delivering a service to achieve key priorities and outcomes. Monitoring, challenging, and supporting school leaders in delivering high quality provision for all pupils within schools and partnerships, ensuring the Council meets its statutory responsibilities for school standards.

The School Effectiveness Partner will monitor, challenge, support and empower school leaders to deliver high quality provision for all pupils within schools, as well as deepen accountable partnerships, drawing on their collective expertise and combined resources to enable all pupils to achieve their potential and ambitions.

Ideally having worked as a senior leader in an Essex secondary school, with significant expertise in developing quality improvement frameworks to enhance education standards and drive the achievement of a good or outstanding Ofsted rating.

This post will involve working primarily in the Secondary sector.

Key Accountabilities

• Acts as the principle link between the local authority and a number of agreed partnerships/schools contributing to school improvement across a quadrant of Essex.
• Responsible for supporting the maturity of school partnerships as part of the School Led Improvement Strategy, to share expertise, enhance learning outcomes and broker support as required.
• Work collaboratively with schools, Teaching School Hubs and other educational providers, to identify areas for improvement, identify solutions and provide support to achieve the best outcomes for pupils across the 0-18 age range.
• Monitor the effectiveness of schools to manage attendance and reduce exclusions, offering advice and guidance and developing supportive plans to assist them. Contribute to a robust system of monitoring school performance and outcomes of support and challenge, as a key driver for ensuring all Essex schools are good or outstanding.
• Act as the representative of the Director of Education at Headteacher appointments in LA maintained schools and support Governors in the appointment process. Support, where requested, all academy Headteacher appointments and represent the Director of Education at Ofsted feedback.
• Responsible for challenging schools to have safeguarding procedures that ensure all pupils are safe and are fully informed by the most recent statutory requirements.
• Responsible for providing intensive targeted school improvement support to enable Essex schools that have been identified as underperforming to make rapid improvement to being judged good.
• Promote and deliver traded services with schools beyond the scope of the core offer, consider and recommend further commercial opportunities to achieve set income generation targets.
• Promote and deliver targeted improvement support for disadvantaged pupils and SEND pupils in collaboration with SEND colleagues.
• Responsible for ensuring the most effective Essex schools and Teaching School Hubs are leading improvement across all Essex schools, through the development and sharing of innovative approaches to improving the quality of teaching and learning.

Interviews will take place on Tuesday 8th June 2021.

Skills, knowledge and experience

This post holder is passionate about education and the opportunities it creates.

• Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and experience at senior leadership level preferably within an Essex secondary school.
• Continuing professional development and expert knowledge of legislative framework in relevant professional area.
• Excellent leadership and behavioural skills with the ability to focus on results, forging a strong team from diverse backgrounds to achieve strategic objectives.
• Excellent communication skills with an ability to influence both strategically and corporately.
• Proven track record of using professional expertise to deliver strategic objectives and expected outcomes.
• Experience, knowledge and understanding of school practice and management of provision for pupils with the full range of education needs.
• Effective experience of partnership and inter agency working, including academy sponsors and Free Schools.
• Experience of effective analysis and management of data to support service evaluation and planning.

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Karla Martin (Head of Education and Early Years, West) on 07785 722428 or Catherine Hutley (Assistant Director of Education, Mid) on 07921 397116