Welcome, and thank you for your interest in our Headteacher opportunity
Dear Applicant,
Welcome, and thank you for your interest in our exciting Headteacher opportunity. We hope that the information we have provided encourages you to make an application to our warm, friendly, and welcoming school.
There is something very special about Yearsley Grove Primary School and we are incredibly proud of our diverse community, supportive parents, inspirational staff and forward-thinking governors. We all work together to make Yearsley Grove Primary School a safe, inclusive, and enriching place to learn.
We believe ‘Every child can’.
Due to our Headteacher retiring after eight successful years, we are looking for a strategic and visionary Headteacher to lead our school from September 2025. Our outgoing Headteacher will be leaving a strong, dedicated SLT, an empowered staff with a solid team culture, and a governing body that are knowledgeable about the school and clear on its strengths and weaknesses. We are looking to appoint a leader who is personally committed to excellence, passionate about learning and raising standards of attainment, and committed to our ethos.
For an informal, confidential conversation about the role please email Ashley Benford, who has been engaged to support us with recruitment to this key role, or call on 07814 932 389. 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 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 Yearsley Grove Primary School.
Yours faithfully,
Elizabeth Finch
Chair of Governors
Learn more about our Headteacher opportunity
Number on Roll: 379 including Nursery
Commencing: September 2025
Salary: L16-22 (£72,162 - £83,464)
Contract Term: Permanent
Our Opportunity:
Yearsley Grove Primary School is a large primary school in Huntington, York with a nursery, providing education from 3-11 years. We have extensive grounds with two playgrounds, and allotment, wooded areas and a large field. Due to the retirement of our Headteacher, this is a wonderful opportunity to lead an interesting and fantastically resourced school through the next phase of its growth and development.
About You:
You will be an inspiring and ambitious leader who is approachable, trustworthy, and resilient. With strong analytical skills, you will communicate effectively and influence positive change. You will understand the needs of diverse student groups, drawing on your broad experience in leadership and behaviour management in primary settings. You will nurture a coaching culture, recognising and utilising the strengths of your team, and champion continuous professional development. Your recent classroom experience and commitment to evidence-based learning will guide your leadership, as you set direction and vision, taking others along on the journey. You will work collaboratively with the governing body, promote innovation, and maintain strong networks to support the success of the school.
We can offer you:
- A happy and friendly 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 Yearsley Grove Primary School a beacon of excellence in primary education.
- Significant levels of support from the Local Authority, 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.
- The school is part of a Cluster where the Headteachers meet regularly. This provides a support network for sharing ideas and best practice.
For an informal, confidential conversation about the role please call Ashley on 07814 932 389 or email. Ashley has been engaged to support us with recruitment to this exciting opportunity.
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 Ashley.
We can accommodate visits throughout the application window from 25th February until 14th March.
Key dates
Application closing date: Midnight, Sunday 16th March
Shortlisting: Thursday 20th March
Interviews: Wednesday 26th and Thursday 27th March
Information About Our School
Yearsley Grove is a large two form entry Primary school with a nursery setting situated in Huntington, in the North of York. The school serves a mixed catchment and will benefit from the two housing developments near the LNER community stadium.
The school benefits from being part of the maintained Schools network in York. We have taken part in peer to peer reviews with other maintained schools for the past two years. We also have close links to the nearby Huntington Research School.
The school was originally built as two separate entities: an infants and a junior school on the same site. In the late 1980s these were joined to form a single primary school. As a result, we have the luxury of two school halls as well as extensive grounds which are utilised for a range of activities, e.g. the allotment used by the gardening club, wild areas for forest schools, and a field for sports days, as well as two separate playgrounds and an enriched outdoor space for our nursery. In addition, we have a beautiful library space.
Our Pupils
Yearsley Grove is a larger than average primary school situated in a mixed catchment, two miles from the centre of York. Pupils come from a diverse range of backgrounds. Regarding vulnerable groups, around 20% of pupils are eligible for pupil premium funding, 7% of pupils have Special Educational Needs requirements (with nearly half of these having a EHCP), and for just over 10% of pupils, English is not their first language.
Our Staffing Team
Our staff work well as a team and are committed to ensuring the best possible outcomes for all pupils.
Senior Leadership
The school has two Assistant Headteachers (who are also the phonics and maths leads), an Early Years leader, and a non-class based SENCO. It also has a reading lead and writing lead.
Wider Staff Community
The school has a nursery class and two classes in each year group from reception to year 6, totalling 15 classes. Teaching staff have subject specific responsibilities but are also in curriculum teams: Reading, Writing, Maths, Arts, The World, Humanities, Well-being, Speech & language and Technology.
The school benefits from a full time ELSA and a full time, non-class based, SENCO. This ensures that all pupils are well supported.
There is a team of 23 Teaching Assistants working in school. They support in classrooms in the morning and then they run a series of interventions in the afternoon. Our school’s dedicated sports coach and Teaching assistants provide PPA cover and ensure continuity of learning for pupils.
The school has a School Business Manager as well as office staff. The SBM uses the support of the local authority with some aspects of their duties. The school has its own on-site kitchen and staff, as well as midday supervisors, and a site manager.
Click here for further information on our fantastic staff.
Our Governing Body
The governing body has built up a good knowledge of the school through link governor visits (year groups and other specific roles, e.g. Health and Safety) and through receiving detailed information from both the headteacher and school business manager.
The governing body is made up of two committees: Raising Achievement and Finance, Premises, and Personnel. We are supported by the local authority governance service who provide clerking services as well as a local education adviser. For headteacher appraisals, an external adviser helps.
Governors have a range of expertise and skills that they bring to the role. The governing body are valued by staff and support strategic management, oversee the budget, help develop policies, support staffing decisions, and scrutinise progress and attainment data. They also have a good relationship with the local authority.
Our Learning
Yearsley Grove’s curriculum has been developed by all the staff over several years. The main drivers are Creativity, Knowledge of the World and Well-being. Each topic clearly links to the school values of RESPECTFUL and has a hook or marvellous middle to engage the children and a fabulous finish to showcase learning and engage with parents.
The school recognises that the National Curriculum is only one circle of the Yearsley Grove curriculum. We expand pupils’ horizons by celebrating our locality and providing experiences and opportunities for all pupils.
Ofsted had the following to say about the curriculum:
‘Leaders, despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, have been and are determined to implement a curriculum that meets the needs of all pupils. This ambition is beginning to be realised. Leaders recognise that the curriculum is more developed in some subjects than in others.’
‘Leaders have considered the knowledge and skills that they intend pupils to learn. Teachers use assessments to identify gaps in pupils’ learning. They plan work to address these gaps.’
Since 2022, a lot of support and work has gone in with curriculum teams to enable them to carry out monitoring work to ensure what is being taught and also to quality assure outcomes.
At Yearsley Grove Primary School, we are committed to ensuring that all children feel valued, included, and empowered to reach their full potential. We understand that every child's needs are unique, and we tailor our approach to support them in the best way possible. This commitment to valuing every child is at the heart of our school's ethos. We pride ourselves on being an inclusive school and welcome into our school community those from different cultures, backgrounds, beliefs and faiths. We celebrate that we are all special but all different.
We provide a caring and supportive environment where every child matters. All pupils and parents/carers are valued equally and each child is given the opportunity to achieve the very best they can in our disability friendly school environment.
We have a full time ELSA who supports pupils throughout school and our large team of experienced Teaching Assistants are very adept at supporting pupils and ensuring that they achieve their potential. In addition, staff have been engaged in carrying out primary research to explore the impact of interventions, particularly to support our Pupil Premium children, using the evidence base to inform these investigations.
We are working with PINS (Partnership for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools) and WiMT (Wellbeing in Mind team) this year to further support staff in meeting needs of all pupils. Staff use a range of initiatives to support children, recognising that each child is different, e.g. brain breaks, quiet space.
The school created its own resource to support pupils – SEL (Social Emotional Learning). This teaches self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision making. Its strength was recognised by Ofsted who wrote: ‘The opportunity to develop pupils’ character is a strength of the school’.
The school has extensive grounds offering a range of opportunities for outdoor learning through Forest Schools, outdoor play, gardening and sports activities.
SEND
At Yearsley Grove Primary School, we take pride in our proven track record of fostering an inclusive, supportive environment for all students, especially those with SEND and neurodiverse needs. We understand that every child learns in a unique way, and we are dedicated to providing tailored support that allows all our students to thrive.
Our SEND provision, reflecting our inclusivity and understanding of neurodiverse needs, is a collaborative effort. We work closely with parents, specialists, and pupils to develop individualised support plans that meet each child's specific needs, ensuring they have the tools they need to succeed academically and socially. Our dedicated team of staff and Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCO) continually undertake training, so they understand how to support children with a range of neurodiverse conditions, such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and more. In particular, we have:
- Developed quiet spaces for children who need a calm environment to help them focus and sensory-friendly areas where children can take breaks when overwhelmed.
- Access to the latest assistive technology, such as text-to-speech software and customised learning apps, to help students engage with the curriculum in a way that suits their learning style.
- Participated in training on neurodiversity and inclusive education practices to ensure we always provide the best support possible.
This commitment to ongoing learning ensures that our staff are equipped with the latest knowledge and techniques to support our students effectively.
Extra-Curricular Activities
The school offers a range of extra-curricular activities, e.g. football, dance, gardening, and makes good use of the opportunities that York has to offer to enrich the curriculum. In addition, the school buildings are used for a number of community activities, such as yoga classes.
Wellbeing of Staff and Pupils
Whilst we strive for excellence, it is important to all our community that all individuals feel happy and safe. Our pupils recognise this and say they feel safe at school and feel that everyone is welcome. We are committed to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our whole school community (children, staff, caregivers). We recognise that mental health is the same as physical health to a person and that mental ill health can have a detrimental impact on overall wellbeing.
Encompassing our school values of ‘RESPECTFUL’, we aim to provide an environment where each community member is seen as an individual, and our approach to support is tailored to suit individual needs rather than a ‘one size fits all’ model.
We are mindful that not every member of our school community can feel ‘happy’ all of the time, so instead we aim to equip those suffering with mental ill health with the tools to understand and manage their feelings whilst engaging with daily school routines. By aiming to be reflective in our practises rather than reactive, we can prevent greater risks from occurring.
With our staff, there is a coaching culture within the school. This has been developed over many years and staff feel supported when working alongside colleagues to develop their practice. This approach has been widened out to include Teaching Assistants as well. Work is based on drop-ins to lessons and follow up discussions.
Staff are reflective of their own teaching and responsive to suggestions to make learning even better.
Further reading:
Relationships with parents, carers and the local community
Our parent and carer community are a real strength of our school. Senior leaders are visible at the beginning and end of the day to establish links with parents. Coffee mornings and after school sessions have been run to help parents. Our school community is diverse with families having a range of backgrounds.
We support our working families by providing wrap around care through a successful breakfast and after school club. These are run by the school TAs, providing continuity of care and consistency with our ethos, values, and policies for our children. Our SENCO/Designated Safeguarding lead works with families who are struggling, building strong relationships to understand issues and barriers to attendance and make sure that pupils and their families are supported and can access necessary help from outside agencies.
Parents like the visibility of senior leaders at the beginning and end of the day, as this helps to break down barriers, particularly for our harder to reach families. Our recent parent survey demonstrates the strength of our relationships:
- 96% of parents agreed or strongly agreed that their child was happy at school
- 100% of parents agreed or strongly agreed that their child felt safe at school
- 95% of parents agreed or strongly agreed that their child does well at school
- 98% of parents would recommend us to another parent
We have a keen PTA who are planning lots of events. Recent successes have been the annual bonfire display and fundraising through a raffle at the Christmas meal. The family Christmas meal is an annual event where parents/grandparents are invited into school to have a meal with pupils. Sports Day, the Y6 performance and various other events and performances are held throughout the year. In addition, celebration assemblies allow parents to come into school to celebrate successes.
Relationship with LA
The school has a strong relationship with the local authority, particularly our local education adviser, and uses an external adviser to support with headteacher appraisals. The school accesses financial support as well as the governance services. The current head and chair of governors have established good working relationships across. Governors access training provided by the local authority and are engaging with the maintained schools network. The school is also involved with other initiatives, e.g. PINS, reading and writing initiatives.
Wider networks
We are part of the maintained schools network, actively participating at all levels from the headteacher through to subject leads, building a strong network with other schools. This includes hosting and attending training events, sharing good practice and undertaking moderations. This is important and these links need to continue and be strengthened, including with the secondary schools which we feed into (Huntington School which has a Research School associated with it and Joesph Rowntree School). We are keen to maintain and enhance these networks, particularly the cross school subject meetings.
In addition, the school are accessing other networks, such as Team Around the School, which focuses on early support, bringing multiple agencies together.
Ofsted
The school was graded as Good in all areas in its most recent Ofsted report (November 2022):
- Yearsley Grove Primary School is a happy, friendly and welcoming school.
- Leaders have a visible presence in school. They speak to families at the beginning and end of the school day at the school gate. Parents and carers appreciate this.
- The following comment typifies the sentiment of many parents and carers who provided feedback to inspectors: ‘The school is a wonderful school. All the staff care a great deal about the children.’
- Adults know the pupils well. They develop strong, positive relationships in a caring environment. Pupils value this and benefit from it.
- They feel safe in school. Pupils know that they can go to an adult if they have a concern.
- Pupils know what constitutes bullying. Incidents of bullying are rare. Leaders act swiftly to address them when they occur.
- Pupils are respectful and courteous. They speak politely to each other and to adults. School routines are established. Pupils know what is expected of them. Classrooms are calm and settled places. This helps pupils to engage in their lessons.
- Pupils enjoy participating in a wide range of lunchtime and after-school clubs. They benefit from opportunities to participate in activities in the local community.
- Leaders prioritise reading in the school. From the beginning of Reception, pupils begin to learn the sounds that are represented by letters.
- Leaders ensure that pupils develop fluency and accuracy in their reading from an early stage.
- The support that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive is a strength of the school.
- Adults are effectively deployed. They take time to get to know pupils. They adapt tasks well to ensure that pupils know and understand what they are learning
- In the early years, children understand classroom routines. They engage in purposeful and well-planned activities. Staff are attentive to children’s needs and support them well. Children listen carefully to instructions. Books are prominent and plentiful. They are used effectively to promote a culture of reading.
- The opportunity to develop pupils’ character is a strength of the school. A range of clubs and activities are offered to support and develop pupils’ interests.
- Opportunities to support the local community through fundraising contribute to ‘Yearsley Acts of Kindness’.
- Leaders, including governors, have an accurate view of the school.
- Leaders have correctly identified the school’s priorities and are taking action to address them.
- Leaders recognise the need to ensure that they maintain a sharp focus on checking the impact of their actions.
- Leaders have worked with staff effectively to support ongoing professional development. Staff regularly work alongside colleagues to develop their practice.
- The impact on staff’s workload is considered carefully by leaders when making strategic decisions.
- Leaders are proactive in their approach to safeguarding. They are aware that ‘it could happen here’ and are alert to the signs and symptoms of abuse.
- Strong pastoral support ensures that pupils are looked after. Leaders work with families well. They offer additional support where necessary and engage with external agencies appropriately
Pupil achievement, attainment and progress
Yearsley Grove Results for 2024
| Key Stage 2 | National 2024 | Yearsley Grove |
| Reading | 74% | 80% |
| GPS | 72% | 81% |
| Writing | 72% | 70% |
| Maths | 73% | 69% |
| Reading GDS | 28% | 39% |
| GPS GDS | 32% | 43% |
| Writing GDS | 13% | 7% |
| Maths GDS | 24% | 19% |
| Combined R/W/M | 61% | 61% |
| Combined GDS | 8% | 6% |
| Reading scaled score | 105.2 | 105.9 |
| GPS scaled score | 105.3 | 106.5 |
| Maths scaled score | 104.4 | 103.1 |
| Y4 X tables | National 2024 | Yearsley Grove |
| Full marks | 29% | 23% |
| Average | 20.2 | 18.4 |
| Key Stage 1 | National 2023 | Yearsley Grove |
| Reading EX | 68% | 88% |
| Writing EX | 60% | 80% |
| Maths EX | 70% | 65% |
| Reading GD | 19% | 35% |
| Writing GD | 8% | 8% |
| Maths GD | 16% | 29% |
| Combined R,W,M EXP | 56% | 65% |
| Combined R,W,M GDS | 6% | 10% |
| Phonics | National 2024 | Yearsley Grove |
| Y1 | 80% | 85% |
| Y2 | 89% | 86% |
| Foundation | National 2024 | Yearsley Grove |
| GLD | 68% | 67% |
Click here for further reading on our school performance.
Budget position
As with all schools budgeting is a challenge. The school has a projected significant carry forward for 2024-25 which, alongside two local housing developments, places the school in a healthy financial situation. Governors are keen to work with the new Headteacher and School Business Manager to continue our financial stability, including exploring more innovative income generation routes, as necessary.
Click here for further reading on our finances.
Short and Mid-term Priorities
- Continue to improve attendance
- Well-being of pupils and staff
- Raising attainment, especially in maths, and for Pupil Premium children
- Review curriculum
- Ensure school values permeate through school
- Develop outdoor learning, including at lunchtime
Long term Ambitions
- Further strengthen links with York Maintained schools
- Raise the profile of school beyond the community and strengthen our community engagement
- Look at additional funding streams
The new Headteacher will need to consider a range of future challenges and strategic decisions. Budget pressures will be a key factor, particularly with ongoing financial constraints and the need for careful resource management. Staffing will also be a priority, with a focus on maintaining a motivated and well-supported team while also addressing training needs to enhance staff wellbeing and resilience. Additionally, the maintenance of school buildings will require attention, ensuring that facilities meet the needs of the growing pupil numbers due to the new housing developments in the catchment area. One of the biggest issues the Headteacher will face is managing behaviour effectively, supporting staff with appropriate consequences while also addressing the increasing neurodiversity needs within the classroom. This will involve balancing the needs of neurodiverse children with those of neurotypical children, ensuring that all students receive the support they need to thrive academically and socially.
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.
Living in York
The ancient city of York is a beautiful, thriving city with low unemployment and highly performing tourism, cultural and entertainments industries. York was voted the 'Best Place to Live' by the Sunday Times, in 2018. It’s rich in culture and heritage, a vibrant modern city still making history. It’s a city renowned for beautiful period buildings, historical city walls and the iconic Minster; but also for its cool cafes, destination restaurants, innovative businesses and the fastest internet in Britain. It’s a destination visited by 7 million people every year and is recognised on a regional, national and international stage.
York is a wonderfully compact city with all the amenities one could need whilst also having on its doorstep National Parks, areas of outstanding natural beauty, quaint villages and market towns, and the Yorkshire coast.
You can Find out more about York.
Information About Application and Guidance
When applying please consider the following supporting documents:
Download Person Specification - Headteacher (.docx) [86 KB] (opens in a new tab)
Download Job Description - Headteacher (.docx) [69 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.