Reports to: Head of School
Start date: September 2023
Location: Turner Road, Portsmouth, PO1 4PN
Salary: Ark MPS/UPS depending on experience + TLR
Closing date: 7th June 2023 (please note we will be reviewing applications on an on-going basis so this advert may close earlier than advertised depending on level of response)
Interviews: TBC
We are excited to be looking for an Early Years Leader to join our dedicated team to help lead a rapidly improving primary school in the heart of Portsmouth, so thank you for your interest in Ark Dickens Primary Academy.
Through a culture of high expectations and excellence, we want every child at our school to become a successful citizen of the world, ready to take on new adventures and challenges along their journey.
At Ark Dickens we have a strong and passionate team of staff who are dedicated to ensuring that every child achieves their full potential. We know every child in depth and use this knowledge to plan for our children, ensuring high engagement and high expectations at all times.
We are looking for a passionate, highly effective early years practitioner who will oversee and lead our 2 reception classes and nursery. This is a permanent position for someone who is keen to contribute their experience and expertise to a new setting to lead and secure ongoing development across the EYFS.
We ensure our children benefit from a broad curriculum which puts their well-being and healthy lifestyle at the heart. We have exciting plans to further develop our curriculum and incredible grounds within our inner-city surroundings to enhance our EYFS provision both in and outdoors.
Our school values of kindness, community, unity, resilience, respect and aspiration are communicated and reinforced in every aspect of school life and underpin our vision of ‘Be Your Best!’
Our leadership team is approachable, friendly and always available to help. You will find there is a real ‘team effort’ ethos at the school, with the leadership team ensuring you have regular dedicated time to develop the EYFS as well as your own professional development your leadership.
We are part of the Ark network of schools and work closely with Ark Ayrton and Ark Charter to serve the children of Portsmouth. We are committed to ensuring our children are well-equipped to successfully make the next exciting step in education as they move onto secondary school and furthermore take their place as citizens of the community.
If you’d like further information or an informal, confidential chat, please do get in touch using the details below.
We welcome visits to the school during the advert period. Please contact Ann Dyson on 02392 82651 who will make an appointment with you to meet and tour with Laura Berry, Head of School.
The Role
As the EYFS Phase Lead, you will have the rewarding opportunity to be part of a dedicated team committed to ensuring the long-term success of the school. You will specifically develop, lead and manage the effective delivery of an outstanding curriculum, which enables the highest level of progress and achievement in Early Years. You will lead our team of early years practitioners and promote outstanding teaching and learning underpinned by a strong school culture within a nurturing and rigorous environment.
You will be instrumental in our mission to ensure every child receives a great start to their education to ensure real choices in life, regardless of background. We are looking for a highly motivated, capable, resilient and reflective leader to join our team. You will enter a well-established and high-profile school with much to be proud of and celebrate, but with still much more to do.
Our ideal candidate will:
- Be an outstanding practitioner
- Have a great understanding and passion for the EYFS curriculum and a commitment to developing the best early years provision for every child
- Have proven experience of positively impacting on children's progress and achievement in the EYFS
- Have the desire to learn and grow
- Have the desire to work closely with the leadership team
- Have ambition, drive and resilience with high expectations of themselves, the children and school community.
- Be fully aligned with Ark’s values and six pillars
- Be excited by, and committed to, supporting practices that will drive great progress across the wider network of Ark schools
Ark is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in its academies. In order to meet this responsibility, its academies follow a rigorous selection process to discourage and screen out unsuitable applicants.
Ark requires all employees to undertake an enhanced DBS check. You are required, before appointment, to disclose any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975. Non-disclosure may lead to termination of employment. However, disclosure of a criminal background will not necessarily debar you from employment - this will depend upon the nature of the offence(s) and when they occurred. To read more about Ark’s safer recruitment process, please click this link
Job Description & Person Specification.docx