JOB DESCRIPTION –Vice Principal - Academic

Candidates are expected to spend time looking at the College website which provides information about St Clare’s and the courses we offer.

JOB SPECIFICATION
Title of Post / Vice Principal – Academic (VPA)
Purpose of Role / The VPA is a member of the senior management group at the college. Their responsibilities cover all aspects of the academic leadership and management of the IB World School and they make a major contribution to the strategic leadership of the college as a whole.
Department / IB Management
Reporting Structure / Reports to the Principal.
Line management responsibility forthe Assistant Principal (Academic), Admissions Registrar, Heads of Department (IB Academic), Head of Careers, Librarian, Academic Office Manager (jointly with Vice Principal – Pastoral)
Key Responsibilities /
  • Recruitment and Induction of teaching staff
  • Contribute to the orientation of students on the PIB an IB programmes
  • Preparation for ISI Inspections
  • Membership of Senior Management Group
  • To act as IB Coordinator
  • To act as Course Director for IB and Pre IB Programmes
  • Interviewing prospective students for PIB and IB courses
  • Chairing meetings of IB Teachers and Academic Steering Group
  • Providing oversight and taking responsibility for:
  • quality of teaching i.e. teachers and support staff through Heads of Department and Academic Steering Group
  • admissions office through the Admissions Registrar
  • academic office through the Academic Office Manager
  • Budgetary responsibility for IB courses
  • Oversight of IB and Pre IB staffing, including staff deployment and preparation of
Teaching Agreement Forms
  • Preparation (with Vice Principal - Pastoral) of the academic calendar
  • Oversight of all external exams e.g. IB and SAT exams and also all internal tests,
exams and mock exams
  • Responsibility for communications with parents including contributing to report
writing and proof reading and organising the termly IB newsletter together with
the Vice Principal - Pastoral
  • Direct communication with Governors about the running of the IB, where
necessary
  • Play a leading role in the marketing of pre-IB and IB programmes, and IB public
relations
  • Oversight of handling the student and parental complaints policy and procedure
and keeping appropriate records
  • Arranging meetings of staff e.g. Assessment Meetings
  • Joint responsibility with the Vice Principal – Pastoral for Parents’ Day
arrangements
  • Assuming the essential duties of the Vice Principal, Academic in their absence
  • Membership of the IB Management Group
  • Membership of the Academic Steering Group
  • To teach a small number of PIB or IB classes a week or as required
In relation to the whole college
  • Contributing to strategic thinking for the organisation, as a member of the Senior
Management Group (SMG)
  • As a key member of the SMG, promoting the welfare of staff and the smooth
running of the college
  • Deputising for the Principal in their absence as appropriate
  • Additional duties as assigned by the Principal

TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Terms of Employment / Full-time, permanent contract
Place of Work / 139 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 7AL
Hours of Work / Between 08.30am and 18.00 hours Monday to Friday. Work will be required outside these times including some work during the evenings and at weekends. The VPA is expected to attend student activities and concerts in the evenings. This work is considered to be part of the normal duties of the VPA and no time off is given in lieu.
Probationary Period / 6 months
Notice Period / Two full terms notice must be received in writing prior to the start of a term.
Salary / Pay / The salary will be £75,333per annum. This is point 26 on the Senior Management Scale.
Salaries are reviewed in September each year.
Holidays / 40days’annual holiday entitlement, plus bank and public holidays and the period over Christmas when the College is closed.
Work on a number of bank holidays will be needed with time off in lieu (the College is usually open for all such public holidays except those at Christmas and the New Year).
Pension / Thisposition will be enrolled into the Teachers' Pension Scheme.The teacher's contribution is a tiered contribution, based on pensionable earnings which, from April 2018 is 7.4 – 11.7% of pensionable salary.
Life Assurance / If the teacher is a member of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme, cover is three times average salary, less any lump sum benefits already paid. The College also provides additional cover of one times average salary.
Meal / A free lunch is provided in the College catering units on working days and when students are in residence.
Additional Benefit / Generous fee reductions of day fees are offered to staff whose children attend the College.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
The successful candidate will have demonstrated the following essential (E) or desirable (D) skills and experience:
Education and qualifications / Good first degree at undergraduatelevel plus PGCE or equivalent, ideally in a subject offered by St Clare’s World School(E)
Knowledge, skills and experience /
  • Appropriate in-service professional training (E)
  • Significant experience in Senior Management (D)
  • Experience of and/or sound knowledge and strong commitment to the IB Diploma (D)
  • Direct experience working in a multi-cultural environment (E)
  • Experience working with learners whose first language is not English (D)
  • Experience working with students aged 15 and over (E)
  • Experience of accreditation processes, e.g. ISI (E)
  • Experience constructing and managing Budgets (E)
  • Experience of recruitment of employees and investigating disciplinary matters and making recommendations about staffing levels (D)
  • Experience of appraising colleagues (D)
  • A good degree in a subject offered by St Clare’s IB World School (D)
  • Experience working in a residential school (D)
  • Experience gained in an international school or with international students (D)
  • Applicant to have worked overseas (D)

Personal skills and attributes /
  • Provide strong and effective leadership and excellent management skills(E)
  • Be able to work efficiently and effectively under pressure (E)
  • Have an approachable interpersonal style and maintain a visible presence around the campus(E)
  • Be resilient and resourceful and have a strong commitment to high standards of teaching and learning (E)
  • Be highly motivated and an excellent classroom practitioner, with the ability to inspire and engage students (E)
  • Have excellent presentation, listening and communication skills and be able to communicate and connect with parents, staff and students (E)
  • Be able to offer one or more extra-curricular activities (D)
  • Have experience of, and a strong interest in, active recruitment of students(D)
  • Use the skills of the teams managed through strong delegation (D)
  • Be keen to take responsibility in a highly delegated management structure(D)
  • Think creatively and imaginatively in response to challenges(E)
  • Be able to get on well with others(E)
  • Have a sense of humour(E)
  • Practise effective and efficient administration(D)
  • Have a sense of curiosity (D)
  • Like young adults (D)

References and Pre-employment Checks
St Clare’s is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment and contracts are issued subject to satisfactory references and outcomes on all necessary pre-employment checks including DBS records and establishing the right to work in the UK. Some or all of these checks may have been undertaken before an offer is made.
Under the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools, we are required to follow the guidance in Keeping Children Safe in Education and undertake additional checks on employees.
References / Full written references and phone references on quoted references may be obtained before or after interview. One referee must be your current or most recent employer. References must also include the last place of employment where you worked with children or vulnerable adults. References from friends or relatives will not be accepted. Please ensure referees know they will be contacted and will respond promptly.-
Identity, right to work and qualifications / Original documents confirming proof of identity, right to work in the UK and relevant qualifications will be required.
Police checks / DBS / Police checks / Disclosure and Barring Service checks will also be undertaken for which employees / prospective employees are required to provide information and consent. Candidates who have lived and worked abroad in the last five years will be required to seek good conduct references, or the equivalent, from the countries in which they worked, as a pre-requisite of employment.
Health questionnaire / Satisfactory completion of a health questionnaire.
HOW TO APPLY
Applications / This role has been outsourced to RSAcademics Ltd to manage the recruitment process, please visit their website for full details of how to apply at

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