Thank you for your interest in The Sunbeck Centre's Headteacher opportunity
Dear Applicant,
Welcome, and thank you for your interest in our Headteacher opportunity. I am proud to be Chair of the Management Committee to this unique alternative provision, where our aim is to create a pathway to success through bespoke education tailored to meet the needs of some of the most vulnerable students in our area.
We pride ourselves on supporting every student for whom the journey through school has proved challenging. We work hard to welcome them, supporting them as a shared goal with individuals and their parents to gain the necessary skills to return to mainstream and be successful in their education. This is something that we care deeply about and have great success with.
We are seeking an outstanding leader to join us in September 2024 to continue our outgoing Headteacher’s work leading a resilient and positive team of staff with vision and expertise.
We would encourage you to come and visit in advance of your application and see for yourself the enthusiasm that our students have for their education. Such a visit is not part of the selection process, and whether applicants have visited will not influence the final outcome. We would also encourage applicants to have a look at the school website to get a feel for our school.
I hope you find the information provided useful and informative and that it will encourage you to apply. On behalf of the Management Committee, thank you again for your interest in The Sunbeck Centre.
Yours faithfully,
Tom Kelly,
Chair of the Management Committee
The Sunbeck Centre is an alternative education provision for young people aged between 11-16, predominantly from secondary schools in the Hambleton and Richmondshire area of North Yorkshire. We seek to provide support to our partner schools by providing education to young learners who have been permanently excluded, or who are at risk of permanent exclusion.
Our building is in the market town of Northallerton, at the heart of North Yorkshire. Students travel to us either on school transport, by taxi or on foot, depending on their home location and arrangements with their school. The catchment area is Hambleton and Richmondshire; a large geographical area which borders Middlesbrough and Darlington to the north, York to the south, Ryedale to the east and Cumbria to the west. Many of our students travel long distances to attend the provision and come from rural communities where there is a lack of public transport and sometimes limited aspirations. We also have a targeted mainstream provision off-site at a local secondary school, where staff at both schools collaborate to support students in accessing some mainstream learning and 1:1/small group sessions.
Our Students
Students come into Alternative Provision for several reasons, but they are all students who need:
- Smaller class sizes and higher teacher student ratios
- A more bespoke and potentially vocational curriculum pathway
- To continue their education whilst awaiting a place at a mainstream school due to exceptional circumstances
Our students’ behaviour communicates difficulties largely in social, emotional and mental health and require support to develop emotional resilience within the school environment. Pupils can be challenging and our staff require understanding of attachment theory, child development and the changes in brain function during adolescence. However they make us smile every day, they develop positive trusted relationships with the adults in the school, and they leave feeling valued.
All students who attend The Sunbeck Centre require a referral supported by evidence that their mainstream school have explored all possible support for the student including referral to other agencies as detailed in the Ladder of Intervention.
Our Learning
There are several pathways offered. These include:
- Short-term reintegration placements lasting between 8-12 weeks; this is usually key stage three pupils and may include part of the week accessing mainstream provision.
- Long term placements; these students are with us for an extended period but still remain on roll at their mainstream school. We work closely with the school to create and deliver a full-time curriculum with a particular focus on employability skills
Students in years 7, 8 and 9 follow a curriculum that mirrors a mainstream curriculum in terms of subjects but which also offers different approaches, smaller class sizes and has a focus on improving the ability of the student to return successfully to their mainstream school placement.
Our Key Stage 4 pathway is personalised, though always includes English, Maths and Science, as well as a variety of enrichment and employability programmes and vocational courses. This includes Art, Hospitality & Catering, ICT, DT, PE and PSHE. Staff are skilled not only in planning and delivering high quality learning programmes but also motivating students to engage with tasks and activities they are challenged with.
Ofsted recognised (June 2023):
“The curriculum has been developed to equip pupils with the essential knowledge and skills to return to mainstream education. It matches the ambition of the national curriculum. Provision for reading is developing. The curriculum is generally well thought out. It is continually adapted to meet the specific needs of pupils.”
Our centre is led by a talented leadership team consisting of the Headteacher and Deputy Head who is also the SENCO. There is a TLR post for Attendance and a UPS1 post – responsibility for teaching reading which has been newly created for September 2024.
We have a dedicated team of five teaching staff with an FTE of 3.4, along with three instructors (FTE 2.6). They are supported by an ATA and three HLTAs who work as Key Tutors, provide interventions, 1:1 teaching, support in the classroom and provide cover supervision.
Our staff team is our strength, with established staff who are resilient, positive and relentlessly passionate in their support for all our students. Recruitment to some key positions can be challenging in the current climate, however turnover is low.
The Sunbeck Centre is led by a dedicated Management Committee made up of education senior leaders, staff, parents and current or former business professionals . The Management Committee meet, in full, six times per academic year and ensures that the staff and Headteacher are both supported and challenged in order that they provide the very best support for the pupils and parents of The Sunbeck Centre.
Ofsted recognised (June 2023):
“Leaders consider the workload of staff. Staff work to a shared school calendar that provides advance notice of important events. This includes assessment points. Leaders listen to staff. They feel able to approach leaders to make appropriate adjustments to their workload. Governors are ambitious for pupils. They are well informed about the work of the school. Governors understand the challenges that leaders face. These include anincrease in permanent exclusions locally.”
Wellbeing
Wellbeing is key at the Sunbeck centre and our experienced staff form positive and honest relationships with students and their families. All our staff use the Thrive approach in our setting to help students to understand how to build resilience and become better able to manage difficult emotions. This ensures they can enter the next phase of their life as prepared as possible. Staff at The Sunbeck Centre have completed various training around mental health and suicide prevention.
The Wellbeing in Mind team also work closely with us to provide ongoing advice and support to students, parents and staff, providing evidence-based interventions. They also support the school in developing its whole-school approach towards wellbeing.
Ofsted recognised (June 2023):
“Pupils are happy in the school. They feel safe here. Pupils say bullying does not happen in the school. If it did, they know that staff would intervene to sort it out.”
The Sunbeck Centre's vision is focused on improving the life chances of the students in our community. We will do this by delivering a personalised curriculum and supporting the individual needs of our students in a welcoming and safe environment.
Through our community values of Pride, Respect and Safety, we aim to be an outstanding provision that enables young people and staff to reach their potential and develop into successful individuals. These values are at the heart of our school community and for all: students, staff and parents.
At our last inspection in June 2023 we were again graded ‘Good’.
Ofsted recognised:
“Hambleton/Richmondshire Pupil Referral Service is a warm and caring place.”
Strengths
The school is graded as Good by Ofsted. There are some noted strengths in leader’s ambitions and care for both staff and pupils. However attendance, reading and level of challenge in lessons was highlighted as an area for improvement. Ofsted also highlighted the need for further opportunities for students to visit and engage with other cultures due to absence of diversity in the current cohort of students.
Student Achievement, Attainment and progress
Each cohort is different and as a short-stay school, most students return to mainstream school to sit their GCSEs. However, students make substantial progress in reading, maths and personal development. Progress can be seen in attendance from their point of entry both in the PRS and for preventative place students, at their host school. We ensure we track progress against key success indicators, including: attendance, punctuality behaviour, well-being, achievement, progress and their destinations.
Our main success indicators are also firmly anchored in what happens to a student after they leave us. We invest in activities designed to ensure students achieve the best possible qualifications and employability skills whilst with us.
Budget position
The school does not currently have a deficit, but as with most schools, the budget has been impacted by energy costs and inflation. The school needs to consider ways to reduce the risk of future deficit in our projected 3-year plan.
Short and Mid-term priorities
In the immediate and near future, the new Headteacher will focus on the following key priorities:
- Improve Attendance - Implement strategies to enhance student attendance rates, collaborating with staff, parents, and external agencies to address barriers to attendance and implement innovative and evidence-based attendance improvement programs
- Review and enhance the curriculum for all students, fostering an environment that encourages engagement for our diverse needs, with consideration for the limited opportunities for post-16 education. This includes developing and monitoring a comprehensive reading program across all year groups and providing training and resources for teachers to implement and monitor progress.
- Expand SMSC learning outside the classroom and monitor its impact on wellbeing - identify and create opportunities for students to engage in Social, Moral, Spiritual, and Cultural (SMSC) learning beyond the classroom, including partnerships with community organizations to enrich students' holistic development.
- Explore and review strategies to reduce permanent exclusions, collaborating with stakeholders to implement restorative practices.
- Recruiting new talent to key positions and ensure our current staff are continuously supported in a positive and enriching work environment.
Long-term Priorities
Looking ahead, the Headteacher will play a crucial role in shaping the long-term direction of the school:
- Develop collaborative initiatives with partner schools to share best practices and resources, helping to implement preventative measures to address challenges before they escalate.
- Foster partnerships with external organisations to enhance the school's impact and reputation, taking a proactive approach to service development in the broader community.
- Manage an ever-challenging financial context, seeking opportunities for additional funding, whilst utilising our budget to full effect and sustaining our resources.
- Explore alternative governance opportunities through academisation, exploring potential partnerships and the benefits and challenges associated with different academisation models.
- Evaluate options for future-proofing the school through potential changes in site and location, considering the impact on student accessibility and community engagement.
- Consolidation of PRS within LA’s SEND Vision by strengthening the school's role within the Local Authority's (LA) Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) vision, collaborating with the LA to align services and support for students with SEND.
- Establishing the TMP (Targeted Mainstream Provision) model, collaborating with our secondary partners, mental health professionals and agencies to provide comprehensive support for students' wellbeing and integration into mainstream learning.
Please read our School Development Plan.
Relationships with parents
We are keen to break down barriers to raising aspirations and broadening horizons and we prioritise our relationships with our parents as we believe these are key to help us achieve this. The implementation of our Key Tutor system is designed to cultivate enduring connections with students and their families, enhancing the overall school experience.
Relationship with LA
We maintain a positive and cooperative relationship with the Local Authority. We actively contribute by providing support to both schools and the LA, such as the establishment and growth of the Targeted Mainstream Provision (TMP), a collaborative effort involving the LA and local schools. Our commitment to continuous improvement and inclusivity is further demonstrated through strong affiliations with the School Improvement and Inclusion departments.
Wider Community links
The commitment to work with all our local schools to reduce exclusions means that we offer flexible and bespoke packages that are designed around the needs of the student. We also want to ensure that students experiencing difficulties in the classroom receive the right help. To do this we support our partner schools in gathering information about the student and their learning experience to inform statutory assessment, plan for approaches to be used during reintegration and working with multi agencies to best support the families too. We also network and collaborate with other PRS’ and AP’s.
We are passionate about helping our students to become ready for the world of work and we utilise our community in our Community Venture programme for KS4 students. The group complete community tasks, fund raising and support for local projects. Students are given a supported work experience to develop the skills they will need to access employment and to give them confidence in their next steps in education or training.
North Yorkshire is England's largest county and one of the most rural. The area comprises the Yorkshire Dales, North York Moors and the Pennines - areas of outstanding natural beauty, and a stunning coastline around Scarborough and Whitby. There are ruined castles and abbeys, serene gardens, unique breweries, thrilling rides and industrial heritage. The area hosted the phenomenal Tour de France in 2014 and has since created the Tour de Yorkshire, an annual event with global recognition. Our success in supporting these events led to Harrogate hosting the UCI Cycling World Championships in 2019.
North Yorkshire has plenty to offer the outdoor enthusiast. From the hard gritstone of Almscliff and Brimham rocks to the limestone of Malham, Gordale and Kilnsey climbing venues are in abundance. The Yorkshire Dales is the premier area for caving and for mountain biking; there are the bridleways of the Dales and North York Moors as well as the renowned trail centre at Dalby Forest. There are a small number of sailing clubs on reservoirs around the county and fantastic surf sport venues and sea kayaking on the east coast.
While the county is rightly known for its wide-open spaces, it also incorporates attractive market towns including Thirsk, Pickering and Helmsley, traditional seaside towns, the Spa town of Harrogate and the ancient city of York. There are a wide range of shopping, leisure, and cultural facilities as well as excellent schools, universities, road and rail links, there really is everything to offer you and your family as a place to work, live and enjoy!
Travelling further afield we have convenient connectivity, with proximity to metropolitan cities of Leeds and Newcastle, with little over two hours commute on the main train line to London. We border the Lake District, Lancashire, County Durham, and Yorkshire & Humber regions with all they have to offer.
For further information on our beautiful county, please visit:
Learn more about The Sunbeck Centre's Headteacher opportunity
School: The Sunbeck Centre
Post: Headteacher
Number on Roll: 28 + 8 place TMP
Commencing: September 2024
Salary: L17-L21 (£69,970 - £76,430). A recruitment & retention payment of £2,000 is applicable to this post subject to our R&R Policy (pending ratification).
Contract Term: Permanent
“Improving life chances for all students”
This is an exciting opportunity for an aspirational Headteacher who has a holistic approach to developing individuals, many of whom start their lives a long way behind the starting line.
We are looking for a resilient and driven leader who can lead ‘from the front’ with calmness, fairness, and balance compassion with firmness in a challenging, yet extremely rewarding environment. With a meticulous eye for detail, you must be able to support the diverse needs of pupils and the provision, whilst maintaining the ability to balance budgetary constraints.
About You:
The pupils, parents, staff and governors are looking for a new headteacher who will:
- Hold excellent interpersonal skills and a passion for inclusive education
- Lead, motivate and inspire confidence in others
- Be a resilient and principled thinker with the vision and ability to follow-through objectives to completion
- Have a collaborative approach to leadership and management across a variety of stakeholders
You may be an experienced Assistant or Deputy Head, SENCO with SLT responsibilities ready to embark on your first Headship. Alternatively, you may be an experienced middle leader with responsibility for a SEND unit within mainstream ready to step up to this exciting challenge.
We can Offer You:
- The opportunity to lead a thriving school community, supported by a talented team of committed staff
- A supportive and aspiring Management Committee, dedicated and experienced staff and the freedom to shape the future of our school
- A beautiful and central market-town location with accessible transport links
For an informal, confidential conversation about the role please call Sarah on 07816 251271 or email sarah.hunter@northyorks.gov.uk. Sarah has been engaged to support us with recruitment to this exciting opportunity.
Key dates
Application closing date: Midnight, Sunday 7th April
Shortlisting: Wednesday 10th April
Interviews: Thursday 18th and Friday 19th April
Visits
We strongly recommend that you visit us so we can share with you why we are so proud of our school, and you will have the opportunity to see what we have to offer. Dates when we can accommodate visits are detailed below - if these are not possible for you please contact Sarah, as we may be able to offer alternatives.
Wednesday 10th April 1:30pm
Friday 12th April 1:30pm
When applying please take into account the following supporting documents:
Job Description
Person Specification
Application guidance - Information in Support of your Application
Every post advertised is supported by a full person specification mapped to our talent blueprint. The specification lists all the essential skills, experience and qualifications which are necessary for the job and the criteria against which you will be assessed, both through your application form and at interview.
Your application form plays an important part in your selection. As part of the application process, you may have been asked to demonstrate within this application form how you meet some or all of the criteria or key competencies outlined in the person specification. The supporting information section of your application should clearly evidence your ability to meet these requirements. This will be used to shortlist applicants for this role and therefore it is imperative that you provide evidence as requested. Rather than simply repeating your career history, look at the skills and experience required by the job and provide evidence that you possess them by giving specific and detailed examples which include a focus on outcomes and on your own contribution to the scenario. Try to use different and varied examples wherever possible.
When completing these sections, do not forget the skills and experience you have gained outside full-time work. Outlining your previous work experience or other responsibilities may help you to uncover skills which you have taken for granted and which are clear signs of your ability to do the job.
Canvassing
Should your application be for a local authority school, you must not try to influence an elected Council Member, any council employee or a member of the school governing body, to act in your favour, as this will disqualify you. If you are related to a Councillor, a Council employee or a governor you must indicate this in the relevant section of the application form.
Data Protection
The information that you state on this application form will be used by the school and the Council to consider you for a job vacancy. To find out about how we use your personal data for the purposes of recruitment please see our Privacy Notice at www.northyorks.gov.uk/working-us.
Rehabilitation of Offenders
The post you are applying for requires you to have an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service criminal records check for work with children, with a barred list check if you work in regulated activity. This check for disclosure of criminal history will include spent convictions, pending prosecutions / current court proceeding and police enquiries.
Should you be shortlisted, you will be asked to disclose full details of your criminal history prior to your interview. This includes any information deemed relevant as part of Keeping Children Safe in Education which may arise in an online search undertaken on shortlisted candidates. This information may be discussed with you at your interview in order to assess job related risks, but we emphasise that your application will be considered on merit and ability and you will not be discriminated against unfairly. Failure to disclose this information will result in any offer of employment being withdrawn.
Please also see the policy statement on the Recruitment of Ex-offenders below.
Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-offenders (Source www.gov.uk)
- As an organisation assessing applicants’ suitability for positions which are included in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order using criminal record checks processed through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), this school complies fully with the DBS code of practice and undertakes to treat all applicants for positions fairly.
- This school undertakes not to discriminate unfairly against any subject of a criminal record check on the basis of a conviction or other information revealed.
- This school can only ask an individual to provide details of convictions and cautions that it is legally entitled to know about. Where a DBS certificate can legally be requested (where the position is one that is included in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) order 1975 as amended, and where appropriate Policy Act Regulations as amended) this school can only ask an individual about convictions and cautions that are not protected.
- This school is committed to the fair treatment of its staff and potential staff, regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, responsibilities for dependents, age, physical/mental disability or offending background.
- This school has this written policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders, which is made available to all DBS applicants at the start of the recruitment process.
- This school actively promotes equality of opportunity for all with the right mix of talent, skills and potential and welcome applications from a wide range of candidates, including those with criminal records. Candidates are selected for interview based on their skills, qualifications and experience and criminal record information is only requested from short-listed candidates.
- A disclosure is only requested from the DBS after a thorough risk assessment has indicated that one is both proportionate and relevant to the position concerned. For those positions where a criminal record check is identified as necessary, all application forms, job adverts and recruitment briefs will contain a statement that a DBS certificate will be requested in the event of the individual being offered the position.
- This school ensures that all those who are involved in the recruitment process have been suitably trained to identify and assess the relevance and circumstances of offences.
- This school also ensures that they have received appropriate guidance and training in the relevant legislation relating to the employment of ex-offenders, e.g. the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
- At interview, or in a separate discussion, this school ensures that an open and measured discussion takes place on the subject of any offences or other matter that might be relevant to the position. Failure to reveal information that is directly relevant to the position sought could lead to withdrawal of an offer of employment.
- This school makes every subject of a criminal record check submitted to DBS aware of the existence of the code of practice and makes a copy available on request.
- This school undertakes to discuss any matter revealed on a DBS certificate with the individual seeking the position before withdrawing a conditional offer of employment.
References
When completing your application, please provide two employment referees. One of these must be from your current or most recent employer.
We are committed to meeting the needs of our diverse community and aim to have a workforce reflecting this diversity. We are also committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We have a robust child protection policy and all staff will receive training relevant to their role at induction and throughout employment at the school. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Please note this post is in regulated activity and exempt from the rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and subject to satisfactory references and an enhanced DBS criminal records and barred list check for work with children. An online search may be undertaken as part of the recruitment process on information available in the public domain. Candidates should disclose anything that may be relevant in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.
North Yorkshire Council (NYC) advertise vacancies and process applications on behalf of schools and external organisations (third parties) in North Yorkshire. NYC are not responsible for the recruitment/employment practices of third parties and accept no liability in relation to the vacancy and any subsequent recruitment/employment processes. Further information on how we process your data can be found here.