KS4 Headteacher (The Kairos Academy - BCAP)
Salary: £82,654.00 - £95,734.00 (Inclusive of 4% rise - September)
Education Phase: Secondary
Working Pattern: Full-Time
Contract Type: Permanent
Application Deadline: Tuesday, 15th July 2025
Interview Date: Monday 21st July 2025 – Tuesday 22nd July 2025
About us
Black Country Alternative Provisionlaunched in December 2024 and is Youth Engagement Schools’ (The YES Trust)newest establishment. The site is located in Wolverhampton and is comprised oftwo academies, The Kairos Academy (Alternative Provision KS3 & KS4) and TheVireo Academy (SEMH Alternative Provision and Home & Hospital School KS2,KS3, KS4).
Students at all the academies within BlackCountry Alternative Provision (BCAP) are given the opportunity to engage in awide variety of vocational and practical subjects that give them opportunitiesto progress personally, socially and academically. The curriculum is, howeverunderpinned by high-quality teaching of traditional academic subjects and alllessons are taught in small classes. Both academies also enjoy access to BCAP’simpressive Sports Centre and Skills Centre.
BCAP’s vision is not only to become abeacon of excellence for Wolverhampton and The Black Country but to become ajewel in the crown of the Alternative Provision landscape across England. Allof our staff aspire to provide world-changing education and to live up to thisstandard in everything that we do.
We welcome interest from candidates with astrong work-ethic and who share our trust values of being child-centred,adaptive and sensitive to need and authentic in our relationships. Please getin touch with us if you would like to visit us or have any further questions.
Job Description
Aboutthe role
TheKairos Academy KS4 is entering an exciting new chapter as we continue to shapea provision built firmly in line with The YES Way—the Youth EngagementSchools Trust’s vision for inclusive, high-quality education that transformslives. Currently led by the Trust’s Director of Education, the focus has beenon establishing a strong foundation for teaching and learning, underpinned byconsistent routines and a culture where every learner is supported to thrive.
There has been a clear investment in staff development, particularly aroundbehaviour for learning and our enquiry-led pedagogical approach. Thesecornerstones are enabling us to raise aspirations, improve outcomes, and ensurestudents are well prepared for strong post-16 destinations.
As we look ahead, we are seeking a dynamic and experienced leader to take thecampus into its next phase. This includes further embedding high standards,driving school improvement, and leading the planned expansion of the provisionto include post-16 pathways. The successful candidate will bring a strong trackrecord in Alternative Provision, with deep experience in school improvement andgrowth.
We are looking for someone who embodies the values of Youth Engagement SchoolsTrust, and who shares our unwavering belief in the potential of every youngperson. This is a unique opportunity to lead a campus with a powerful moralpurpose, positively impacting more young lives across the local area.
Asthe Headteacher you lead the direction of the school, facilitating your team toget the most from the cohort of learners.
Putdifferently, our staff are the key!
Youserve a cohort of young people with diverse and challenging behavioural andemotional needs and with complex barriers to learning. Your approach therefore, is adapted to theindividual children in our care. This means that you are responsive as we seekto find creative ways to ensure each young person has an opportunity to growand develop.
Consistent,healthy and authentic relationships are essential to our success. Only theseallow the nurturing of trust with our students and new competencies to bedeveloped.
Throughcompassionate support to our vulnerable young people and leading from thefront, you are an inspirational role model, to all under the school’s guidancereminding students that it is possible for them to become confident and activemembers of their community and wider society.
Youwork with a team of professionals to ensure that all the young people you aresupporting have their needs met and are being appropriately cared for findinginnovative ways to engage with the staff team and young people alike.
Youhave the ability to captivate the interest and foster the commitment of allstakeholders to work in partnership with the school. In return, you aresupported through a programme of personal development, which includes on-goingprofessional training and employment perks. We will make a commitment to yourwelfare, so that you can sustain your commitment to delivering the bestpossible outcomes for the cohort.
Character and leadership abilities
Character
Our Core Values are:
- Child centred
- Adaptive and sensitive to need
- Authentic in all ourrelationships
Youare genuinely committed to transforming the lives of vulnerable children.
Youare a champion of the YES trust’s moral purpose, which seeks to createinclusion and equity for all through open and honest relationships,perseverance and the intrinsic belief that change is always possible, no matterwhat an individual’s story, behaviour or diagnosis. All our staff will have agrowth mind-set and will model this to the children we serve.
Webelieve that everyone is unique and that every student is different. Further,we recognise that race, gender, culture, sexuality and religion are dimensionsof individual identity and are crucial to the unique story of that youngperson.
Youand your team of staff provide a consistency of approach that is under-pinnedby respect and a willingness to reflect on the unique stories, thoughts,feelings, behaviours, attitudes and reactions of each of our students.
We believe our vision is onlyachievable through personal authenticity and professional integrity.
Youwill demonstrate the ability to be organised, compassionate and skilled atbuilding relationships and rapport with young people with complex needs whodisplay challenging and often violent behaviours.
The role involves active leadershipskills such as, showing others how to achieve the best results, developing aplan B or C, when plan A has not worked, empowering your staff team to be ascommitted as you and making your staff team feel consistently valued.
Yourleadership abilities:
Asan effective Headteacher within the YES Trust, you must have the skills to leadthe school effectively delivering the best outcomes for learners and inspiringa staff team.
This will be done through:
Honestyand Integrity: There always needs to be an honestapproach to leading a school and this also includes many difficultconversations. As one of our Headteachers you will have to demonstrate honestyand integrity in fulfilling your role, keeping at the forefront of your mind“what is best for the learners” as whatever is done should be in their bestinterest.
Confidence: To be an effective leader you must be confident enough to ensure that your teamfollow your lead. This must be balancedwith an ability to listen mindfully and manage your own ego.
Inspiration: One of the most difficult jobs for aHeadteacher, is to get your team to follow your direction for the school. It can only be possible if you inspire yourteam by setting a good example. As a Headteacher and key leader, you shouldhave the skills to think positively and creatively and remain calm underpressure. Your approach should bevisible through your actions. If youcan inspire a team to work with you change and future challenges will becomevery easy.
Commitmentand Passion: You will be “hungry” for success foryour learners and The Black County Alternative Provision. The staff in yourschool will look up to you with every new development. To get everyone behindthese developments and committed to change, you will have to be passionateabout it too. When your colleagues see you getting your hands dirty, they willalso give their best shot. It will also help you to gain the respect of yourcolleagues and infuse new energy in your staff team, which helps them toperform better.
GoodCommunicator: As Headteacher it is imperative tohave the skills to clearly communicate your vision to your team and tell themyour planned strategy to achievethedevelopments you have set out. Simply put, if you are unable to communicateyour message effectively to your team, you can never achieve what you set out.Words have the power to motivate people, if you use them effectively, you canalso achieve better results.
Decision-making: As Headteacheryou should have the ability to take the right decision at the right time.Decisions taken by you will have a profound impact on your colleagues. As a YESTrust Headteacher decisions should be based on evidence, insights through dataand expert advice and experience.
Although, somedecisions will be your specific call, it is far more effective to use yourskill set to open discussions around these d ecisions withkey stakeholders and or peers before moving forward.
Accountability: You will have the ability to make sure that every one of your staff team isaccountable for what they are doing. If they do well, ensure this is recognisedand if they are experiencing difficulties, highlight this with them and worktogether to improve. Holding them accountable for their actions will create asense of responsibility among your colleagues and they will go about thebusiness more seriously.
“Agood leader takes little more than their share of the blame and little lessthan their share of the credit.”
Delegationand Empowerment: As a Headteacher, it is particularlyimportant for you to focus on key responsibilities of the role while empoweringyour team and delegating tasks to them. After this delegation it is vital thatyou oversee but not micromanage, by doing this you will not see a lack of trustand more importantly, you will be able to focus on important matters, as youshould be.
Empathy: As aHeadteacher you should develop an empathy for your colleagues and peers, make aclose connection with your staff team, understand their problems anddifficulties and this will allow you to lead more effectively. Knowing yourstaff in an empathetic way will allow you to utilise all their strengths aswell as support their developments.
JobDescription
· Are responsible for the day-to-day management of theschool as directed by the CEO / executive team or a hub Executive Headteacher.
· Lead on the strategic development of all aspects ofthe school.
· Provide an appropriate and outstanding curriculum forall learners.
· Raise the quality of learning and teaching.
· Enhance skills through rigorous, effectiveself-evaluation and appropriate professional development.
· Raise standards and progress of all learners withinthe school particularly in English, Maths and personal development.
· Make sure the school conforms to all safeguardingpolicies at all times and keeps all learners safe while in the care of theschool. This includes high quality multi agency working.
· Undertake duties as identified within the summary ofresponsibilities and any other tasks as reasonably required by the CEO /Executive Headteacher.
General
· Lead the effective day to day management of theschool, demonstrating high expectations of all.
· Make reports to the Local Support Board (LSB) andTrust as required through the annual calendar.
· Support the work of the Trust, including attendance atmeetings and the production of accurate reporting on performance.
· Lead in the development of school specific staff andStudent policies and procedures.
· Develop the school’s vision and values (schoolculture) in line with the Trusts ethos and vision.
· Provide high quality strategic direction to supportthe development of an outstanding school (completed in a quality SchoolDevelopment plan (SDP) and School Evaluation Form (SEF)
· Lead and manage staff well whilst deploying staff andresources efficiently and effectively
· Ensure students enjoy a high-quality curriculum,targeted intervention and support and outstanding teaching and learningexperiences.
· Raise levels of attainment and achievement to secureoutstanding progress for all pupils.
Leadership: Vision and Values
· Develop the vision of the school into agreedobjectives and operational plans sharing this with staff to have all improvethe school.
· Take lead responsibility for policy development andimplementation across the school.
· Lead by example, providing inspiration and motivation,and embody for the pupils, staff, governors, parents and wider community thevision, purpose and leadership of the school.
· Are committed to safeguarding and to promoting thewelfare of all pupils.
· Ensure equal opportunities for all.
· Develop a culture and environment in which pupilsthrive and to drive innovation.
· Drive up standards, promote life-long learning andcontinually improve outcomes for all.
· Lead and contribute to an ethos in the school wherewell-being and respect are at the core and each learner is valued and nurturedto develop personally and educationally.
· Ensure the effective operation of schoolself-evaluation systems as appropriate, and produce reports as required.
· Identify and take appropriate action arising fromevaluation, setting deadlines and reviewing progress on actions taken.
Strategic direction and development
· Operate within the context of the school’s aims andpolicies, as a Senior Leader ; be accountable forthe development, implementation and review of policies, plans, targets andpractices within their respective schools. These are defined in a summary ofresponsibilities. Members of the Leadership Team are expected to have theknowledge, skills and expertise to provide the guidance and direction tosupport teams to drive improvement.
Leading and managing staff and others
· Be accountable for providing staff with support,challenge, information and development necessary to sustain motivation andsecure improvement in delivery.
· Develop and maintain a culture of high expectationsfor self and others.
· Maintain high professional standards of attendance,punctuality, appearance, conduct and positive, courteous relations withlearners, parents and colleagues.
· Adhere to school policies and procedures ensuring thatthese are regularly communicated to staff and learners so that they are clearabout their responsibilities.
· Regularly review own practice, set personal targetsand take responsibility for own development.
· Take responsibility for the day-to-day line managementof all school staff.
· Lead in the recruitment, deployment, motivation,development and performance management of staff, making the most effective useof their skills, expertise and experience to ensure that all staff have a clearunderstanding of their roles and responsibilities.
· Encourage all staff to be continually active in theirpersonal and continuous professional development.
· Lead staff in developmental activities and evaluateoutcomes.
· Ensure parents and carers are kept well informed aboutthe school and its curriculum, its targets, learner progress and attainment andtheir part in school life and their child’s progress.
Other
· The duties and responsibilities of the post will besubject to those detailed in the school contract issued to all staff.
· This Job Description does not define in detail all theduties/responsibilities of the post. It will be reviewed at least once a yearas part of the performance management process and may be subject tomodification or amendment after consultation.
· Staffs’ individual priorities for each academic yearwill be identified through the school SDP plans and wider review of the school.It is the responsibility of each individual member of staff to meet the agreedtargets within the context of the school’s improvement plan.
· Priorities for each academic year will be identifiedthrough the school’s development plan. It is the responsibility of theHeadteacher to ensure plans are implemented, monitored and reviewed and forindividuals to meet the targets set.
Working hoursand conditions
AsHeadteacher of The Black Country Alternative Provision you would be givenholidays in line with the school calendar, no holiday time will be allowedduring the school open periods.
· There is a lot of potentialsurrounding The Black Country Alternative Provision and wider YES Trust withpotential extra opportunities and expansion of the job and role. Thisdevelopment would be further discussed after an appointment with the Directorof Education
Thesuccessful candidate would be expected to maintain a well-organised, creative,safe and friendly environment for living and learning and hence enhance theethos of the school. Candidates are asked to address as many of the personspecifications as possible in their application.
· A teaching day that ends at 14.30
· Small class sizes
· Fantastic classroom support
· Access to training and CPD including further professionalqualifications.
· Specialist training where required
· Cycle to work scheme
· Flexible and supportive approach to work
· Free lunch at school
· Free parking (including charging stations on most sites)
· Nursery benefits
· Education Mutual – privatehealth support - access to a 24/7 GP, free face to face counselling,physiotherapy, nurse help-line, prescription service whenever you need it
· Perkbox - vouchers, discounts and wellbeing
Flexible Working
We recognise that attracting andretaining the highest quality candidates means offering a flexible workingenvironment. We consider a variety of flexible arrangements, includingpart-time roles, job-sharing, flexible start and finish times, and hybridopportunities where appropriate. By adopting a flexible approach, we empowerour staff to bring their best selves to work every day, fostering creativity,commitment, and resilience. Our teams remain diverse, motivated, and alignedwith our vision of transforming children's lives through world-changingeducation. We believe that by investing in the wellbeing and professionalfulfilment of our staff, we are also investing in the futures of thecommunities we serve.
Candidatesare encouraged to discuss flexible working from recruitment onwards, in linewith the statutory "day one right" principle, and ensuring equalopportunities for all groups of prospective employees
Desired Criteria
· NPQH or further professionalqualification
· Experience of leading SEMH settings orinitiatives
· Knowledge of statutory requirements
· Ability to interpret, monitor andmanage a budget
· Experience of recruiting, selectingand deploying staff
QualifiedTeacher Status
Successfulsenior leader experience
Experienceof working with SEMH students
Abilityto provide clear educational vision and direction and lead by example
Abilityto formulate aims, polices, plans and monitor, evaluate and review the impactof these
Evidenceof introducing effective strategies for improvement
Knowledgeof current educational developments
Abilityto lead, manage and motivate the whole school community
Abilityto plan, allocate, delegate, support and evaluate work undertaken by groups,teams and individuals
SuccessfulExperience of leading in-service training for staff
Abilityto consult and negotiate effectively with different stakeholders involved withthe school, including students
Demonstrableexperience of raising standards
Abilityto collect, analyse and use data on students’ progress and performance to raisestandards, using appropriate systems including ICT
Abilityto set and achieve aspirational targets for the Trust, school, staff andstudents
Understandthe principle of effective learning and teaching and the ability to promote ourculture and learning throughout school
Understandingof the principles of how to engage children with SEN through an individualisedcurriculum
Successfulexperience of reviewing and developing a curriculum
Understandingof the role and impact of assessment in children’s learning
Successfulexperience of promoting the personal, social, moral, cultural and spiritualdevelopments of students
Successfulexperience of monitoring, evaluating and improving the quality of teaching.
Abilityto create and maintain an environment which promotes good behaviour, respectand celebrates success.
Understandingof the factors which create barriers to learning
Successfulexperience of creating and maintaining effective partnerships with parents andthe community, to enhance student learning
Abilityto manage, monitor and review the use of resources, ensuring best value
Experienceof recruiting, selecting and deploying staff
Abilityto form and maintain appropriate professional relationships with children andyoung people
Experienceof working with challenging behaviour
Appropriateuse of authority and ability to maintain high standards
Abilityto manage time well and work under pressure to deadlines.
Effectiveinterpersonal, communication and presentation skills; both written and oral.
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