DIOCESE OF ARUNDEL AND BRIGHTONEDUCATION SERVICE
JOB DESCRIPTION
for
SECONDARY ADVISER : RE and CATHOLIC ETHOS
SECTION 1
SERVICE:Education Service
HEAD OF SERVICE:Director, Education Service
LOCATION:DABCEC, Crawley
JOB TITLE:SecondaryAdviser for Religious Education and Catholic Ethos (part-time)
SALARY:£45-£50,000pro rata according to experience
QUALIFICATION:Good degree and teaching qualification
POST ACCOUNTABLE TO:Director, Education Service
OTHER MAJOR CONTACTS:Governors, Headteachers and staff of diocesan schools and academies; parents; clergy; Local Authorities and their advisory teams; officers of the CESEW; Diocesan Education Advisers, Agencies and Committees; the Bishop and Trustees of the Diocese;Staff in other diocesan departments and in other dioceses.
SECTION 2: JOB PURPOSE
To assist the Director in promoting and implementing the policies of the Bishop and Trustees in Catholic schools and academies across the diocese by providing advice and support to Headteachers, staff, governors and clergy. This will include monitoring, developing and evaluating the quality of Collective Worship, Religious Education, education for personal relationships (EPR) and developing the support of the ethos and distinctive character of our Catholic schools and academies.
SECTION 3: MAIN ACCOUNTABILITIES
3.1To work with the Diocesan Education Service team to develop theological formation of staff in our Catholic schools and academies in order;
- to develop resources to support specific programmes of religious education in use in our schools;
- to promote theological and spiritual understanding of the nature of Catholic
education for staff and governors alike.
3.2To support, advise and challenge with regard to Religious Education (RE), evaluating the quality of teaching and learning in RE in diocesan schools and academies and providing written reports. Key responsibilities will include:
-to promote the highest quality provision of Catholic Secondary RE Curriculum [11-19] as part of the spiritual and religious development of our young people;
- to support examinations in religious studies at GCSE, Advanced level;
- to promote and ensure quality of General Religious Education in sixth forms.
3.3To support, advise and challenge head teachers, governors and staff of Catholic schools, to promote and develop the distinctiveness and effectiveness our Catholic schools in general, and Religious Education in particular.
3.4 To prepare and provide materials for teaching and learning, and to support schools in the development of RE, relationships and sex education (RSE) and education for personal relationships (EPR).
3.5 To advise Governors, Headteachers and curriculum leaders, and deliver on-site training as required with regard to developing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating policies for Collective Worship, Religious Education and education for personal relationships (EPR) / relationships and sex education (RSE), liaising closely with LAs and SACREs on related issues.
3.6To coordinate and deliver training for prospective and current Heads of RE, supporting RE staff across the sector, newly qualified teachers (NQTs) and staff new to Catholic schools.
3.7To help co-ordinate the provision - and assist in the delivery - of training for prospective and current Headteachers, Deputy Headteachers, Senior and/or Middle Leaders in Catholic schools and academies as appropriate.
3.8To monitor and support whole school and departmental self-evaluation at Secondary level with regard to quality and standards in RE, prayer and worship, and the Catholic life of the school, and to provide written reports to the school’s senior leaders.
3.9To assist the Chaplain Co-ordinator in providing appropriate support to school chaplains where necessary.
3.10To assist the Director and Deputy Director in advising governing bodies on making senior appointments in Catholic schools and academies where appropriate.
3.11To represent the diocese at regional and national level regarding Secondary RE through participation in the work of regional and/or national bodies as appropriate, e.g. CES, Southern Province, National Board of Religious Inspectors and Advisers (NBRIA) etc, in the development of RE and EPR/RSE policy initiatives.
3.12To take a lead in the management and co-ordination of major events arranged by the Education Service, e.g. the annual Good Samaritan Pilgrimage for Secondary Schools.
3.13To participate fully in line management and professional development responsibilities of the Education Service.
3.14To play an active part in other work of the team as appropriate and to undertake such other duties as may be required by the Director, EducationService.
SECTION 4: QUALIFICATION, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS REQUIRED
The post holder should be able to demonstrate the following essential qualifications/experience:
4.1Personal commitment as a practising Catholic, involved in the life of the Church at parish, diocesan and/or national levels;
4.2Personal commitment to the Church's responsibility for the common good and in particular an understanding and vision for how this affects Catholic schools;
4.3QTS and educated to degree level or equivalent in Religious Studies or Theology.
4.4Appropriate experience in educational leadership and management, eg HoD.
4.5Recent and relevant knowledge and first-hand experience of outstanding practice in Catholic Religious Education,prayer and worship, the Catholic life of the school and the development of spirituality in children;
4.6Appropriate experience within schools or other areas linked to Religious Education development;
4.7The ability to attend commitments outside normal office hours when required.
The post holder should be able to demonstrate the following essential skills:
4.8The necessary interpersonal skills for the establishment of good relationships with governors, clergy, teachers, local government officers and colleagues in DABCEC and Bishop’s House;
4.9Effective communication skills including the ability to articulate a vision for Catholic Education;
4.10The ability to work as part of a team and on own initiative.
4.11Good organisational skills with the ability to prioritise.
4.12Proficiency in appropriate ICT skills, including Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint
SECTION 5: NOTES
5.1If not already qualified, the post holder will be expected to undertake the Diocesan training course for Section 48 Inspectors of Religious Education, worship and ethos.
5.2 The postholder will hold, or will be expected to gain, CCRS.
5.3The post holder should be willing to undertake further training as appropriate.
5.4The post holder will have an office base in DABCEC, Crawley, but should expect to spend a considerable proportion of time travelling to schools; the post demands some work in the evenings and at weekends.
5.5The post holder will be expected to provide her/his own transport.
SECTION 6:TERMS AND CONDITIONS
are advised separately.
PERSON SPECIFICATION FOR SECONDARY RE ADVISER / Essential / DesirableValues / personal Attributes
Practising and committed Catholic with a clear understanding of the Church’s Mission in Education /
Ability to manage own work- load, to prioritise and work autonomously. Commitment to own professional development. /
Able to pay close attention to detail, work under pressure and meet tight deadlines /
Strong personal values, emotional resilience and a sense of humour /
Recognition of the need at times to work non-standard hours. /
Qualifications
Good degree in RE or related subject
Teaching qualification
CCRS /
/
Further qualification eg postgraduate qualification in RE or Theology, Masters in School Leadership, NPQH /
Continuing professional development (CPD) in RE /
Ability to drive – current valid licence /
Knowledge / Expertise
Up-to-date knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation and national initiatives pertaining to education, leadership and learning. /
Secure background in, and knowledge of theology /
Evidence of contributing to national, regional and/or local education initiatives. /
Experience
Experience of teaching Religious Education and RSE/EPR in one or more Catholic secondary schools. /
Experience of Catholic education, policy, practice and implementation.
Clear understanding and experience of the role of the Mission of the church in Catholic Education. / /
Successful middle and/or senior leadership experience in secondary school(s) /
Successful experience of managing budgets and deploying resources. /
Successful experience of leading and managing teams effectively in addressing targets and priorities. /
Successful experience of working strategically and collaboratively with clergy, senior leaders and a range of partners. /
Skills / Competencies
Excellent written, oral and interpersonal skills, /
Excellent presentation skills /
Ability to acquire, interpret and disseminate appropriate research and legislation. /
Ability to understand the roles and issues facing leaders in Catholic schools /
Ability to inspire and provide vision, direction and support to individuals and schools regarding the development of Religious Education, Chaplaincy, prayer and Worship, EPR, SRE and Catholic ethos. /
High degree of organisation, able to support and work within a small team /
Ability to support schools in preparing for Section 48 Inspections /