JOB DESCRIPTION
Service Area: Education Directorate – School Development Service
RESPONSIBLE TO: Head of School Improvement Locality North or Locality East.
1. Nursery and Primary
RESPONSIBLE FOR: The Locality School Improvement officer will be responsible for leading the provision of high-quality strategic support and challenge to schools across the locality, working as part of the locality school improvement team, in order to improve the quality of educational provision and outcomes for children and young people. It will also include supporting the Education Authority’s implementation of the TransformED programme and other DE and EA priorities.
Job Purpose
The School Development Service (SDS) provides high quality strategic support and challenge to school principals, Boards of Governors and school staff in order to ensure that standards are raised and education outcomes for children and young people are improved. The SDS seeks to develop a network of self-evaluating, sustainable, high performing schools, with effective leadership and teaching, in which pupils are empowered and enabled to achieve their full potential.
All schools will be monitored, supported and challenged through the work of School Improvement Locality Teams. Schools will be monitored, identified and prioritised for support and challenge. School Improvement officers draw on a range of intervention strategies, involving direct support and challenge, as well as the brokering, commissioning and facilitation of support services from schools and other providers. The SDS nurtures existing networks of schools and practitioners and will support the development of new ones, in order to facilitate school to school support at local level.
All School Improvement Professionals work closely with other officers across the Education Directorate and other Directorates, to ensure that school improvement is integral to other regional services, and contributes to improved outcomes for all children and young people.
School Improvement Responsibilities
The School Improvement Professional Locality Officer has the following responsibilities:
2. Provide challenge and support to schools in raising standards and enabling the EA to meet Department of Education priorities.
3. Act as a School Improvement Professional for schools within the identified locality, ensuring the provision of support and challenge in relation to:
Leadership and management.
Self-evaluation.
School development planning & target setting.
Academic performance.
Learning and teaching.
Undertake a leadership role in identified aspects of school improvement within the locality and / or phase team.
Undertake analysis of school performance and management data and contribute to development of school profiles and SDS information systems.
Contribute to the process for the identification of schools where there is potential or actual cause for concern.
Undertake the role of School Improvement officer for identified priority schools.
Support and develop existing and new clusters and networks of schools and practitioners within the locality, to develop collaborative working which will contribute to school improvement.
Identify and disseminate effective practice and facilitate access to networks and examples of effective practice.
Monitor and evaluate how effectively schools are working towards DE priorities.
Support the identification of under-achieving groups of pupils, by monitoring the quality of education to ensure that all pupils have an equal opportunity to learn and achieve.
Represent the EA at Boards of Governors’ meetings, as required.
Undertake the role of Assessor, within the appointment scheme for Controlled Schools, as required.
Attend meetings relating to the inspection process in schools within the locality.
Lead and contribute to project teams and working groups established to support EA & DE priorities, as required.
Maintain personal knowledge of the curriculum, of teacher professional learning, and of strategies for monitoring, evaluation, and the development of high-quality educational provision.
Contribute to responses to Assembly Questions, FOI requests, correspondence and complaints in relation to schools within the locality.
Contribute to the preparation of EA Board and Committee papers as required.
Undertake such training as may be required for his/her own personal and professional development.
Other duties and responsibilities applicable to the role of School Improvement Professional
4. Challenge performance and work to agreed protocols.
5. Act as an enabler by providing professional support to drive delivery.
6. Enable knowledge transfer through reference to up-to-date knowledge and access to local and national exemplars.
7. Be insightful in analysing all aspects of a school’s performance; including examination data, and inspection and/or review evidence.
8. Support schools to self-evaluate the quality of leadership, including governance; learning and teaching; and pastoral provision.
9. Support schools to challenge underperformance and assist with improvement.
10. Have an up-to-date knowledge of relevant educational legislation and guidance and keep abreast of developments in educational research and effective practice.
11. Lead and advise on governance roles, responsibilities and relationships, including school performance, and financial accountability.
12. Promote good corporate governance behaviour and adherence to the Nolan Principles of conduct.
This job description is intended to provide a broad outline of the responsibilities and is not intended to be exhaustive. Other reasonable duties may be assigned by the Head of Service in consultation with the post-holder.
In accordance with Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998), the School Improvement Professional is expected to promote good relations and equality of opportunity, and to pay due regard to equality legislation at all times.
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