Ingleby Greenhow CofE VC Primary School

Dear Applicant,

Welcome, and thank you for your interest in our exciting Headteacher opportunity. As Chair of Governors, I am delighted to provide you with more insight into our school and invite you to consider joining us in this pivotal leadership role. We hope that the information we have provided encourages you to make an application for this position.

At Ingleby Greenhow CE VC Primary School, we are deeply committed to fostering an inclusive, close-knit and high-achieving learning environment where every pupil is encouraged to thrive. We are proud of our strong community, supportive staff, and dedicated governors, all of whom are driven by a shared commitment to excellence in education.

We enjoy strong links with the local Church of St. Andrews and kindness and inclusivity is at the centre of all that we do. Being a small school enables us to develop excellent relationships with the local and wider community. We are a nurturing and caring school where everybody is always welcome. Situated in the beautiful environs of Ingleby Greenhow, nestled on the borders of the North Yorkshire moors and 10km from Middlesbrough, we have the best of both worlds – a beautiful, rural location, with easy access to nearby towns and cities. Our spacious village school is set in extensive grounds, in open fields with wonderful views of Roseberry Topping surrounding us. As proud members of Learning Outside the Community (opens in a new tab), we have won extensive awards for our outdoor activities and gardening/growing.

We have an experienced and committed staff team and offer a wide and varied curriculum. As such, this is an excellent opportunity for an experienced senior leader to take the next step in their career leading our wonderful school.

For an informal, confidential conversation about the role please email Helen Poole, who has been engaged to support us with recruitment to this key role, or call on 01609 532254. We would encourage you to come and visit in advance of your application and see for yourself the enthusiasm that our pupils have for their education. Such a visit is not part of the selection process, and whether applicants have visited will not influence the outcome. We would also encourage applicants to have a look at the school website (opens in a new tab) and newsletters (opens in a new tab) 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 governing body, thank you again for your interest in Ingleby Greenhow Church of England Primary School.

Yours faithfully,

Rev Dr Anne Heading
Chair of Governors

Post: Headteacher
Number on Roll: 31, with 4 in Nursery
Commencing: April 2025
Salary: L7-L12 (£57,831 - £65,286)
Contract Term: Permanent

Our Opportunity:

Ingleby Greenhow CE Primary School is a thriving, charming village Church school with happy pupils in a beautiful location and an exciting curriculum with particular focus on outside learning. This is an exciting opportunity for our new Headteacher will maximise the established relationship between the school and the wider community and continue to embed our curriculum and build upon the positive vision of the school.

About You:

We are seeking to appoint an ambitious and principled Headteacher to further shape our thriving school in the next phase of its development. You will build on a values-driven culture and ambition that will see our children develop, grow, and contribute an active part in today’s society, with generosity, compassion and courage.

To succeed, you must be a proven senior leader with excellent teaching skills and the ability to develop our small, dedicated team whilst maximising achievement. An excellent communicator, you should have a thorough knowledge of curriculum and pedagogy and possess strong networking skills enabling you to maintain and develop future partnerships. You will lead by example and display an ambition to embrace and develop relationships with the community and the Church, whilst allowing our pupils to continue to be the very best they can be and our staff to continue to be very highly motivated and cohesive. You will possess a child-centred approach, keeping the best interests of the children as the central guiding principal in any decisions made and actions undertaken. You will have demonstrable school improvement experience, with a high level of sensitivity coupled with the ability to establish systems and processes that enables accountability.

We can offer you:

A happy and friendly school Church school, with delightful children who respect each other and have a thirst for learning.
A culture which allows all staff to thrive and develop.
An opportunity to see the huge potential that exists and the time to make Ingleby Greenhow CE Primary School outstanding in its delivery of primary education.
Significant levels of support from the Local Authority, Diocese, Governing Body and a staff team who are experienced, committed and passionate about our school.
A Governing Body committed to providing support on all matters including more sensitive or difficult issues and including the wellbeing of all staff members.

For an informal, confidential conversation about the role please call Helen on 01609 532254 or email. Helen has been engaged to support us with recruitment to this exciting opportunity.

Key dates

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. If you would like the opportunity to visit, please email Helen.

Application closing date: Midnight, Sunday 9^th February
Shortlisting: Thursday 13^th February
Interviews: Tuesday 25^th and Wednesday 26^th February

About Our School

Ingleby Greenhow CE Primary School is situated in the charming village of Ingleby Greenhow. The village is located on the Cleveland way, a long-distance footpath that runs for 109 miles through the North York Moors National Park. It is also located near the site of the Battle of Ingleby Moor, which took place in 1642 during the English Civil War. Built in 1874, our school is inclusive and welcoming where we encourage all to ‘Be kind and honest; others will respect you and treat you fairly’. Proverbs 21:21.

The school’s Christian ethos underpins day-to-day life in school. Pupils know the school’s Christian values and can relate these to British values. They have a respectful and caring attitude towards others who may be different to themselves. They see no reason why anyone would be treated differently.

Our catchment area is predominantly within the village area, however, we do also have families who elect to travel from local towns to access our ‘small school’ benefits. Our demographic is mainly white British, mixed social status and stable families with low mobility. We cater for children aged 3-11 with a cohort of 31 and nursery provision for 4.

Our Pupils

Our pupils are generally well-behaved, polite, confident, happy, engaging and friendly. They have a thirst for knowledge and are not afraid to question and challenge in lessons. At Ingleby Greenhow CE Primary School we take very seriously our responsibility to prepare children for life in modern Britain. More recently like most schools, we have had an increasing number of pupils with SEND, who require additional support.

Pupil leadership and inclusion, along with a strong focus on British Values is important at Ingleby, with the following initiatives:

Democracy

Children, parents and staff have many opportunities for their voices to be heard at Ingleby Greenhow CofE VC Primary School. Democracy is central to how we operate.

Pupils are always listened to by adults and are taught to listen carefully and with concern to each other, respecting the right of every individual to have their opinions and voices heard. We encourage pupils to take ownership of not only their school but also of their own learning and progress. This encourages a heightened sense of both personal and social responsibility and is demonstrated on a daily basis by our pupils.

We have a school council whereby all pupils have the opportunity to take part in a ballot in order for members of the school council to be elected. Pupils relish the opportunity to produce a campaign speech and to evidence the skills necessary to make a great school councillor.

Being Part of Britain

As a school, we value and celebrate the diverse heritages of everybody at Ingleby Greenhow CofE VC Primary School. Alongside this, we value and celebrate living in, and being part of Britain. Children also learn about being part of Britain from different perspectives. Two specific examples of when we teach about being part of Britain are:

Geographically: Our rivers, coasts and United Kingdom topics ensure that children have a better understanding of what Britain is, learning more about:

Its coasts, rivers and mountains
Where Britain is in relation to the rest of Europe and other countries in the world.

Historically: Key moments in British history are studied in the topics such as the Great Fire of London, Locomotive Travel, Britain from the Stone Age to the Iron Age and significant historical figures such as Guy Fawkes and Florence Nightingale and British Kings and Queens.

Rewards for Good Behaviour

To encourage and promote good behaviour, attitude, and work, we have devised a reward system which is consistently followed throughout the school. We are committed to praising children’s efforts. We endeavour to praise the children informally, individually, during group work, in front of the whole class and the whole school.

Children are rewarded not only for achievement in curriculum areas, but for behaviour and general adherence to the school or class rules. Rewards are given in the form of small prizes, stickers, and awards and through our weekly Sharing Assemblies.

Our Staffing Team

We have a dedicated, collaborative staff cohort who all go above and beyond to provide the very best experience for all pupils. Our staff have excellent relationships, with a team spirit and willing support to ensure best provision for the pupils.

Currently our experienced Interim Headteacher and Senior Teacher lead the school and undertake all senior leadership responsibilities. The current Senior Leadership team structure is temporary and is on a 3/2 day basis with the senior teacher working 3 days and the Interim Headteacher working 2 days whilst we await out new Headteacher. The new Headteacher will be appointed to work 5 days a week. The post will include a teaching responsibility.

There are 3 classes operating in the morning with KS2 working as 1 class in the afternoon, with teaching shared across part-time teaching staff. There is currently a full-time supply teacher in nursery-Y2 class, covering for a maternity leave until September 2025. There is a further 3 days a week teacher on a one year contract to cover the teaching duties of the Headteacher until we recruit our new Headteacher,. The senior teacher, working 3 days, is our SENDCo subject leader for Maths, PHSCE and RE as well as our DDSL.

Our experienced support staff are integral to the running of our school. The school administrator is experienced and coordinates many of the day-to-day school procedures and processes.

Our Governing Body

Our governing body is supportive and cohesive and helps the Senior Leadership Team to provide continuous improvement and educational enrichment to our school, enhancing educational standards and nurturing community relationships. Read more about our Governing body here. (opens in a new tab)

Our Culture, Vision and Values

Our Learning and Wellbeing

We are very proud of our school curriculum. Our Ofsted report from 2022 states that:

‘Leaders have ensured that the curriculum in all subjects starts from the early years. The precise knowledge that leaders intend pupils to learn is clearly identified. As a result, teachers are clear about exactly what to teach and how to teach it. They ensure that every pupil in the mixed-age classes has what they need to make progress. This includes in the early years, where nursery-age children are helped to gain the foundational knowledge that they need for Reception Year.’

Our Christian vision is the foundation of our curriculum and through our curriculum we are provided with opportunities to live out our Christian Values of Compassion, Friendship and Respect.

Our curriculum is designed to provide inspiring and varied experiences for all our children to thrive and who aspire to reach their full potential. Children are motivated to be independent, young leaders who act respectfully and compassionately to others and therefore as a result become responsible, caring citizens in our community.

We follow National Curriculum Guidelines and have designed our own bespoke broad and balanced curriculum to meet the needs of all our learners. Outdoor Learning is very important as our Ofsted 2022 report notes:

‘Teaching staff enhance children’s learning through the creative use of the outside learning environment. Children in early years develop mathematical skills by counting conkers, and older pupils are able to carry out scientific investigations’.

Within Early Years and KS1 we have designed a thematic curriculum taught in a three-year cycle. For KS2 we have designed a four-year rolling programme with subjects being taught in blocks to broaden and deepen pupils’ knowledge of different topic areas. We have high expectations of all our pupils, and we ensure that the implementation of our curriculum is inclusive to all, allowing every child to flourish. Skilful planning provides opportunities for the National Curriculum subjects to be taught in a cross curricular way where appropriate, with skills and knowledge built on effectively over time.

Read more about our curriculum here. (opens in a new tab)

Our Community

Ofsted &SIAMS Inspections and School Data

SIAMS

Our last SIAMS inspection in 2018, saw us rated as ‘Good’ and can be read here.

‘Ingleby Greenhow is a very inclusive school which prides itself on creating a ‘community based on Christian values’. These values of forgiveness, peace and friendship are central to the life of the school and inform the school’s approach to the social and academic development of all pupils. They are consistently explained through collective worship and RE and pupils talk confidently about how they influence the choices that they make. This results in a high standard of behaviour and pupils are eager to learn’.

OFSTED

Our latest Section *Ofsted report in 2022, confirmed that the school continues to be a good school and can be read here.

We are particularly proud of the extract below which captures not just the rigour of our curriculum but also how we enhance this through the wider curriculum and how our values underpin all of this:

'Leaders have ensured that pupils have access to a wide range of opportunities to better understand the world around them. Pupils’ knowledge of individual subjects is deepened by the trips and extra-curricular activities which are thoughtfully linked to the curriculum. Many pupils develop leadership skills through the positions of responsibility that they hold. Pupils elected to the school council are looking forward to finalising their plans for the Christmas fair. Other pupils are ‘well-being ambassadors’ and caringly support pupils who may be anxious and need someone to talk to.'Our Strengths:

A supportive parent community with a close knit ‘family’ feel.
High standards and aspirations.
Teaching staff enhance children’s learning through the creative use of the outside learning environment.
A good standard of pupil behaviour.
Cohesive and supportive relationships between staff and leaders.
The school’s Christian values of forgiveness, peace and friendship are clearly defined and equip pupils to make positive choices about their attitudes and behaviours.

Areas for development:

Improving outcomes in writing is our key priority for this academic year.
Following our interim leadership arrangements there will be a need for a re-establishment of systems, structures and routines appropriate for a permanent, onsite full-time Headteacher.
Continuing to build on the area for improvement in our most recent Ofsted inspection In a few subjects, including SMSC, pupils struggle to recall the important knowledge that leaders have identified. This is because they have not had sufficient opportunities to return to this information over time. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge. Leaders should ensure that there is a consistent approach to revisiting key information so that pupils are able to retrieve this knowledge from their long-term memory.

Pupil achievement, attainment and progress:

Due to our cohort sizes, some of our outcomes are suppressed and therefore not in the public domain. Further information on our publicly available date can be found here. We would be happy to share further data with candidates on request.

Budget position

The school currently has financial reserves. Like many schools, the in-year position identifies a reduced carry forward. The new Headteacher will be required to address our in-year deficit.

Further information on our budget can be found here.

Our Ambitions and Priorities

York Diocese

Leaders and staff work with York Diocese to develop a shared understanding of Spirituality and how this can be woven into the school’s provision.

York Diocesan Board of Education supports 123 Church of England schools and academies in the area from the Humber to the Tees. We have a dedicated team of professionals who offer a wide range of expertise and can help schools access further assistance.

The Education team aims to:

Be available as a ‘one-stop shop’ for pastoral and professional support;
Work with a range of agencies to promote school improvement;
Promote excellence and Christian distinctiveness;
Provide and facilitate professional development and governor training;
Help schools and academies network, collaborate together and share best practice;
Offer a Total Property Management scheme in association with DBE Services Ltd;
Guide schools on matters concerning trusts;
Work with schools exploring Academy conversion;
Involvement in recruitment processes for new Headteachers/Heads of School;
Support Headteacher appraisal;
Represent Church of England education to the wider church community and more widely to the public;
Maintain contact with the local authorities and the Regional Directors at the DfE.

The Rt Revd Barry Hill, Bishop of Whitby and Chair of the Diocesan Board of Education, said:

“Supporting children and young people to be all they are called to be is at the heart of who we are as the Diocese of York.

Together with the Church of England as a whole, it is a vision for education which is deeply Christian, with Jesus' promise of 'life in all its fullness' at its heart, and as such is for the common good of the whole community. It is a holistic vision, where education, like the faith in which it is rooted, is about wisdom, knowledge and skills, but also about hope and aspiration, about how we live well together in community with dignity and respect for all.

Of course a vision this encompassing is only possible by working in partnership, both between teachers, staff, trusts and governors, and in developing ever closer links between schools, churches and households. By working closely together we can achieve far more than apart. I am delighted that you are considering applying to be a Headteacher in the Diocese and know that, if appointed, you will join the diocesan family of schools dedicated to supporting you as you lead deeper into this vision so that together all our schools and communities can be places where the love of God is reflected through all we are.”

Mari Palmer, Diocesan Director of Education, said:

”As a diocese, we are here to help celebrate and strengthen the Christian ethos in our schools. We understand that each school is unique and our aim is to get to know our schools on an individual basis in order to foster the local parish and community links as far as possible.

As such, our Education Team offers a range of support to our headteachers from both a school distinctiveness and effectiveness point of view, as well as providing a range of training and development opportunities for staff and governors to access over the course of each year. In a rapidly changing educational landscape, we are more and more involved in wider school development, particularly as schools change from one school status to another.

I do hope that you feel able to apply for the position and we would look forward to welcoming you as part of our diocesan family here in the Diocese of York”.

Living and working in North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire is England's largest county and one of the most rural. The area comprises the Yorkshire Dales (opens in a new tab) and North York Moors (opens in a new tab), three 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 ‘Grand Depart’ 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 surfsport 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 Pickering and Helmsley, traditional seaside towns, the Spa town of Harrogate and the ancient city of York - the most visited city outside of London. 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 close 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.

Application Documentation & Guidance

When applying please consider the following supporting documents:

Download Person Specification - Headteacher (.docx) [126 KB] (opens in a new tab)
Download Job Description - Headteacher (.docx) [50 KB] (opens in a new tab)

Application guidance, including policy statement on the recruitment of ex-offenders

The supporting information section of your application should clearly evidence your ability to meet the requirements we have outlined in the person specification. This will be used to shortlist applicants for this role and therefore it is imperative that you provide evidence as requested.

References

When completing your application, please provide two employment referees.

Your application 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.

Should you require the application form in a different format, please contact Resourcing Solutions.

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

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 by reading our privacy notice.

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 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 and safeguarding 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.

Welcome, and thank you for your interest in The Ingleby Greenhow CofE VC Primary School's Headteacher opportunity

Learn more about our Headteacher opportunity

Information About Our School

Information About Application and Guidance

Application guidance, including policy statement on the recruitment of ex-offenders

References

Canvassing

Data Protection

Rehabilitation of Offenders

Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-offenders (Source www.gov.uk)

References

Apply Now For Our Headteacher Opportunity, (opens in a new tab).