Assistant Principal (Student Support and Welfare) - Greenhead College

KIRKLEES COUNCIL ARE ADVERTISING THIS ROLE ON BEHALF OF GREENHEAD COLLEGE.

On behalf of Greenhead College, thank you for your interest in the post of ‘Assistant Principal – Student Support and Welfare’. We are pleased that you are considering Greenhead College as the next stage in your career and we hope, subject to matching our criteria, you will apply.

Greenhead College is located on an attractive campus close to Huddersfield town centre, adjacent to the picturesque Greenhead Park. We are a short drive from the M62 and within walking distance of the train and bus station. Therefore, the College is an easy commute from much of the Northwest and Yorkshire.

The College provides outstanding education to approximately 2725 students, who study predominantly A Level courses. The philosophy of the College is based on the principle that each student and staff member is an individual and to be valued. According to the Government performance tables, Greenhead is currently the top performing Sixth Form College in the Yorkshire and the Humber for A Level results and third best nationally.

In March 2022, the College was once again graded ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted, with no areas of weakness identified. This is testament to the resilience, ambition and success of our students, and the hard work of staff. Therefore, Greenhead is both a successful and significant Sixth Form College, with an outstanding local and national reputation.

The College is a great place to work, with a warm, inclusive atmosphere existing between students and staff. Our staff are recognised for their hard work and are encouraged to inspire each another, and to develop and grow. We are proud to have a strong and able Senior Leadership Team, experienced Governors, and a team of highly skilled teaching and support staff who work collaboratively to deliver the College’s key purpose and principles, and strategic objectives.

This is an exciting time to be joining Greenhead College. Recently, we were one of only 50 schools and colleges nationally to be granted multi-million-pound funding to build a new four-storey block, which is currently under construction and will open during the next academic year.

The Pastoral team at Greenhead College was Graded Outstanding in the most recent Ofsted inspection and highly commended for the support and guidance offered to students. The team currently comprises of 30 Tutors, including two Assistant Principals (SSW) and three Senior Tutors, who are responsible for line managing the team.

Assistant Principals and Senior Tutors meet Tutors fortnightly to discuss current ongoing student issues, including their attendance, progress, wellbeing and any safeguarding concerns.  

All our Personal Tutors are fully qualified teachers, being highly experienced in pastoral care, careers guidance and trained in Mental Health First Aid. The team consists of a mixture of full-time Tutors and those who also have a curriculum role.  

All students are assigned a Personal Tutor from the day of induction, who is the go-to person if they require help or guidance. Students meet their Tutor on a weekly basis in group tutorials. Twice a year, a student’s progress is formally assessed against their target grade and an action plan to maintain or improve student performance is discussed with subject teachers. Students then have a further one-to-one monitoring meeting with their Tutor to assess overall performance, review the targets set by subject teachers, discuss attendance, and open up dialogue about general wellbeing. If necessary, further support is offered.   

The aims of our Tutorial programme are to cultivate personal and social development, promote academic achievement, and continuously build self-esteem and self confidence. The Tutorial programme is therefore specifically designed to help students quickly settle into College life, effectively manage the transition from School to College, inform them of current risks which they may encounter, and prepare them for life after they leave Greenhead. This is in addition to helping students develop the necessary independent study skills to meet the demands of challenging A Levels.   

The programme undergoes a review every year, with both students and Tutors surveyed on the topics covered. This ensures all topics are relevant and up-to-date. The themes we cover within the Tutorial programme include College processes and induction, careers, academic focus, safeguarding, health and wellbeing, practical life skills and real-world understanding.  

In addition to their Personal Tutor, students at the College are supported by a highly experienced Careers team during the online UCAS application process. This includes selecting their university, providing guidance on personal statements, writing their reference, and offering guidance on widening participation schemes. Detailed guidance, with a focus on apprenticeships and employment, is also offered to all students in the Tutorial programme, with Tutors liaising closely with Careers to seek further guidance.   

The College also has a large Counselling service, currently made up of nine part-time Counsellors, offering counselling, CBT and life coaching. The Assistant Principal – Student Support and Welfare, is also responsible for the line management of the Lead Counsellor.

If you are interested in this vacancy, the full job description and person specification can be found in the application pack.

Applicants should complete and submit the following documents:

• Greenhead College or TES application form;
• A supporting letter of application indicating how you meet the criteria within the job description and person specification;
• Equality and Diversity form.

All applications should be submitted to Jen Rothery, Human Resources Advisor, via email address jobs@greenhead.ac.uk

The closing date for applications is Monday 20 February 2023 and interviews will be held on Thursday 2 and Friday 3 March 2023.

If you apply and are unsuccessful in being called to interview, can we thank you in advance for your time and trouble in making this application.  Due to time constraints it would be impossible to respond to everyone individually - we hope that you will understand.

Greenhead College is committed to safeguarding the welfare of all of its students and staff. The successful candidate will have to meet the requirements of the person specification in order to be offered the post and will be subject to safer recruitment checks, including an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references. This position is working in regulated activity and therefore exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Applicants will be required to self-disclose particular criminal convictions should they be shortlisted for interview. Further details can be found within the DBS filtering guide.

Greenhead College is committed to Diversity and Inclusion and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.