School Support Officer

Main purpose of post

To provide an holistic approach to the development of a distinctively Christian education within the Diocese of Llandaff that draws on and develops resources to support the development of programmes of activity in religious education, collective worship and children’s spirituality which nurtures Diocesan schools’ Christian distinctiveness, enables encounters with the Christian faith and provides opportunities for the Church in Wales to make a difference to the lives of children and young people across the region.

Principal duties

1. To raise the profile and confidence of Church Schools to express their Christian distinctiveness in line with the Diocesan vision for education.
2. To lead a complementary and flexible programme for the development of collective worship, spirituality and religious education which meets the needs of schools for in-school development and engages them in the wider community.
3. To oversee, model and lead RE support, delivering and showcasing best practice and extending programmes for developing RE in to schools, to raise the quality of provision.  
4. To advise governors, headteachers and teaching staff on the development of the distinctive Christian character and the promotion of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development in the life of their schools.
5. To liaise with other professionals and organisations involved in Diocesan education and engagement to gather and employ the latest thinking and best practice.
6. To enable governors, head teachers and curriculum leaders to develop, implement and evaluate policies for all aspects of religious education and collective worship, liaising closely with Welsh Government, Local Authorities and SACREs about related issues.
7. To identify Church school training needs by evaluating the impact of past professional development activities; produce the annual training programme (in relation to the post holder’s specific areas of responsibility) for Church and community schools; and to lead courses that take full account of school needs and new developments and expectations in education both nationally and locally.
8. To collaborate closely in the education work of the Cathedral in delivering innovative projects that develop the faith experiences of children and young people throughout the Diocese.
9. To support schools in developing effective procedures to monitor and evaluate the impact of their Christian ethos in preparation for section 50 inspections.
10. To undertake such other duties as may be required by the Director of Education

    Qualifications, experience and skills required

    Essential

    The post holder will be a qualified and highly skilled teacher with management experience able to demonstrate:

• A strong personal commitment to the Church's mission and a clear understanding and vision about the central role of Church Schools in serving local children and families.
• A commitment to embedding the strategic plan for the Diocese through its vision for education in our diocesan schools, children and young people.
• The necessary interpersonal skills for the establishment of good relationships with head teachers, governors, clergy, local authority officers and Diocesan colleagues.
• Knowledge and experience of good practice in religious education and collective worship, in the development of spirituality in children and the creation of engaging, creative and high-quality resources and activities.
• Appropriate middle leadership experience within schools and/or school improvement services.
• Effective communication skills in a range of media, including the ability to articulate a vision for rounded academic and personal outcomes for children and young people through distinctively Christian encounters.
• The ability to analyse data, particularly relating to school standards, and to present key points from documentation.
• High level and up to date IT skills.
• The ability to work creatively and determinedly on his/her own initiative;

Good organisational skills with the ability to prioritise tasks, identify and manage risks and opportunities.

Desirable

Successful experience of securing rapid and lasting improvement in teaching and learning and in leadership and middle management for schools in difficult circumstances.

A familiarity with the Section 50 inspection process.

Experience of the planning and delivery of practical training for adults.

Communicant member of the Church in Wales or a Church in communion with it.

Ability to speak Welsh or a willingness to learn

Terms and conditions

Salary £38,057 pro rata.  The postholder will be eligible to join the contributory pension scheme.

This is a permanent post at 0.6 fte (equivalent to 3 days per week), with occasional evening or weekend working.  The Diocese is willing to consider proposals for term-time only working.

The full-time leave allowance is 20 days per annum plus Bank Holidays, rising by one day per annum to a maximum of 25 days.  The leave allowance for this post will be pro rata.

Overtime is not payable, but an equivalent amount of time off in lieu may be taken.

The post holder will be expected to undertake training as and when required.  In particular, if not already qualified, the post holder will be encouraged to undertake the National Society’s initial training for inspectors for Section 50.

This post is based in the Diocesan office but the postholder will be expected to spend a significant proportion of their time visiting schools or parishes.  The post holder will be required to provide her/his own transport.  Mileage costs will be reimbursed at the current HMRC rates.

The post holder will be able to draw on the services of the Education Support Officer

Deadline for applications 12 noon on Monday 1 April 2019.

More information on our website:  llandaff.churchinwales.org.uk