FHT DQASI - Booklet Final

Flying High Partnership
CENTRAL TEAM
Director of Quality Assurance and
School Improvement Recruitment

Contents
Welcome
1
Our Trust
2
Working Together
3
The Teaching School Alliance
4
Flying High School Improvement Strategy
5
What we can offer you
6
Director of Quality Assurance and School Improvement Job Description
7
Director of Quality Assurance and School Improvement Roles and Responsibility
8-9
Director of Quality Assurance and School Improvement Person Specification
10-11
How to apply
12

Welcome
Thank you for your interest in the post of Director of Quality Assurance and School Improvement (DQASI) within our
central team.
This is an exciting and unique opportunity for a highly effective and inspiring school leader to join our central team
as a senior leader, contributing to the strategic development of our Trust.
The mission of The Flying High Partnership is founded upon the principle of continuous school improvement. This
post is intended to enhance the capacity of the partnership to improve the performance of all academies within the
Multi Academy Trust from whatever their starting point may be.
Relentless in our pursuit of excellence
We are looking for a Director of Quality Assurance and School Improvement who shares our values, ambitions and
who has the vision, drive, resilience and experience to deliver outstanding support to our schools, ensuring that all
children are provided with the best possible opportunities. The successful candidate will need to establish strong
relationships partnership wide, as working together we will create the best schools in the universe where we make
every day count.
Through the Flying High Trust, you will be given all the tools to ensure success. You will have access to a significant
resource for school improvement which includes being part of a wider team of Directors of Quality Assurance and
School Improvement, led by the Director of Education; Headteacher+, Lead Practitioners, high quality CPD
including an extensive induction and access to a huge array of expertise through our central team in school
improvement, business, finance, estates and HR.
Interested applicants are encouraged to contact the trust central team to discuss the opportunity in more detail.
The trust will, upon request, create the opportunity to meet in person and visit other schools within the partnership.
We look forward to receiving your application.
N.Robinson
Neil Robinson
Chair of Trustees
Chris Wheatley
CEO, Flying High Partnership
1

Our Trust
The Flying High Trust was established in June 2012. The ethos behind the Trust is one of sustainable school
improvement; and schools joining the Trust do so with the prime aim of improving each other so that they
can all become outstanding schools. The Trust has a clear mission, which is to develop the best schools in
the universe, where together we make every day count.
We have a diverse range of expertise within the central team, which supports every corner stone of
Partnership life as well as that of our schools.
This mission is achieved through the following vision;
• An unshakable commitment to a school led system, where every member of staff is empowered to
improve our partnership and shape the futures of our children.
• A determination to develop talent, delivered through a professional continuum available for all staff at
every level.
• Relentless in our pursuit of excellence for every child, every school and every community.
The trust has experienced significant success, recognised nationally for its approach to enable rapid
improvement and climate for collaborative working. We have recently been ranked as the fourth highest
performing MAT in the country, making us the highest performing in the East Midlands.
Our partnership of schools currently includes Alderman Pounder Infant School, Beeston Fields Primary &
Nursery School, Bilsthorpe Flying High Academy, Cotgrave Candleby Lane School, Edwalton Primary School,
Ernehale Infant School, Ernehale Junior School, Flying High Academy Ladybrook, Greenwood Primary &
Nursery School, Greythorn Primary School, Haddon Primary & Nursery School, Hillside Primary & Nursery
School, Horsendale Primary School, John King Infant Academy, Killisick Junior School, Kirkstead Junior
Academy, Leamington Primary Academy, Longwood Infant Academy, Mapplewells Primary & Nursery
School, Peafield Lane Academy, Porchester Junior School and Stanstead Nursery and Primary School.
“Being a part of the Flying High Partnership has
had a huge impact on my school and my own
development. Working with and sharing ideas
with a dedicated team of friends and colleagues,
ensures that I am constantly supported and
challenged to be the best Head teacher I can be”
Caroline Armstrong,
Head at FHA Ladybrook
2

Working Together
Our schools range in size from 50 to 675 on roll, from rural to city locations and are all at different stages in
their development, rated from RI to outstanding. The schools work closely, sharing practice through
network teams in key areas such as teaching and learning, English, maths, SEND, pupil premium, PE,
assessment and science.
The Head teachers within this group also meet regularly to shape the strategic direction of the Trust and
to collectively address priorities and share practice. There is an extensive programme of inter school work
though sporting competitions, a children’s parliament, arts events, our joint inset day and annual awards
ceremony. There are also opportunities for governors, school business managers and site managers to
work together through focus groups and local boards.
Each school retains its local governing body and is also represented on the Trust Local Hub Board to
ensure all schools shape development at this level of governance.
As a trust we aim to enable Head teachers to lead and develop their school in line with their own vision. As
a trust we support this development through the resources that we can draw upon from across our multi
academy trust and through the wider teaching school alliance.
3

The Teaching School Alliance
An integral part of the Flying High Partnership is our highly successful teaching school alliance, a
partnership of 56 primary schools. The teaching school provides an amazing resource for improvement
ensuring that all schools within the trust can draw upon the best CPD and support. This resource is
essential in ensuring the continued improvement journey for Hucknall Flying High Academy, supporting
the school to continue to recruit and develop high quality school staff, providing the best possible
opportunities for all children.
The teaching school alliance includes the following resources for improvement;
• A comprehensive CPD programme, consisting of a range of school led professional development and
partnership improvement opportunities, available to all staff at all levels.
• A process of school to school, peer review, delivered through our ‘Peer Review Partners’ model.
• High quality CPD opportunities delivered through expert facilitators, through NETS training. This
includes regional conferences, in-school training and accredited programmes
• High quality leadership development opportunities delivering through Inspiring Leaders:
www.inspiringleaderstoday.com providing access to the National Professional Qualifications in
leadership. This ensures that we are able to develop and identify talent across our partnership.
• Bespoke school improvement support, delivered through a wide range of system leaders, including
SLEs, NLEs and NLGs.
• The opportunity for staff to develop as system leaders through accreditation as a NLE or SLE.
• High quality Initial Teacher Training, delivered through Ofsted ‘outstanding’ SCITT School Direct
Programme delivered through Inspiring Leaders: http://www.inspiringleadersscitt.com. This ensures a
‘grow your own’ model to support recruitment, ensuring all trust schools recruit high quality NQTs.
“At Leamington we are passionate, dedicated,
approachable and friendly. We truly want to help
the children succeed”
Liz Atkins, TA
4

Flying High School Improvement Strategy
Moving to the Next Level - Trust School Improvement Strategy Overview
ANNUAL
CYCLE
Ongoing intelligence gathered through…
School
Identified
Improvements
Central Team
Risk Meeting
Director(s)
Of
QA
Quality
Assurance
visits
Partnership
Reviews
Performance
Management
Other Sources
Schools categorised as stabilise, repair, improve
and sustain .
Risk Category to inform the
level of support needed
Priorities identified complementing and supporting the SIP
tschool’s own SIP
Considered weekly @ FHT SLT meetings
Reviewed four times per year @ Risk Meetings - leading to
re-categorisation of risk and therefore the level of support
Summaries presented to Trustees PSSD Committee termly
Summaries presented to governor Hubs termly
Annual Partnership Review
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What we can offer you
A passionate, positive, highly skilled and
motivated central team who put children at
the heart of every decision.
A dynamic and forward thinking school
improvement team who are outward facing
and determined to create the best
opportunities for the children.
A Trust with a national reputation and a track
record of high quality education and
experience of leading rapid school
improvement.
A partnership of schools with relationships at
its heart ensuring a friendly atmosphere
encompassing a supportive ethos.
Access to a significant resource for school
improvement which includes Head teacher +,
Lead Practitioners, extensive CPD and
systems to support targeted recruitment. This
ensures that in your role as DQASI you have
the tools to ensure you can make rapid
impact.
Extensive financial, business, estates and HR
support and systems, ensuring that you are
able to focus on delivering high quality school
improvement.
Extensive CPD to support your development.
This includes access to the National
Professional Qualification for Executive
Leaders.
The opportunity to contribute to national
thinking, through our close working
relationships with the Regional School
Commissioner and DfE.
Recognition that all schools are unique, with an
approach that encourages local accountability
and governance that is responsive to
community needs.
What we are looking for:
An inspirational school leader with a strong
track record as a primary Head teacher.
Have a strong track record of
school-to-school support, as an NLE or LLE,
which has had a demonstrable positive impact
on children’s attainment and progress.
A forward thinking practitioner who is able to
look outwards to ensure that we always remain
at the cutting edge.
An individual that is able to get the best from
others, expertly balancing support and
challenge
A fantastic team player, able to be a positive
addition to the central team.
A good sense of humour and a willingness to
have fun.
Don’t miss out on this incredible
opportunity and to take a significant next
step in your leadership journey.
“My role provides me with the opportunity to work
within a great team across a range of schools who
strive to give every child the best education and
opportunities. I believe strongly in instilling in every
child the belief that they can achieve whatever
they set their mind to. If you want to go fast, go
alone. If you want to go far, go together - that is
what is so special about being in our Trust; we are
all going far and we will all support each other to
get there.”
Claire Varley, Director of Education
6

Director of Quality Assurance
and School Improvement
Job Description and Person Specification
Post title:
School:
Salary range:
Responsible to:
Director of Quality Assurance and School Improvement
Across the schools of Flying High Trust
L25-L31 (£71,053-£82, 293) subject to experience and negotiation
Director of Education
Job Description
Our Directors of Quality Assurance and School Improvement support an allocated group of schools,
enabling them to grow the capacity to improve themselves and secure the highest standards of learning
and achievement for our pupils.
The post holder will be accountable for the success of each school through developing a balance between
standardisation and a celebration of each school’s uniqueness. They will also need to work flexibly, being
proactive in developing school improvement strategies across the schools; and also being responsive to
circumstances that arise that may require urgent leadership support.
Directors of Quality Assurance proactively promote and demonstrate the Flying High Partnership’s vision,
values and behaviours and form part of a dynamic and forward thinking school improvement team,
reporting to the Director of Education.
Aims of the role
To provide quality assurance support to an allocated group of schools, accountable for the
performance of each school.
To provide school improvement capacity to identified vulnerable schools, enhancing the leadership
capacity of the school and growing and developing a sustainable leadership structure.
To contribute to the strategic leadership and development of school improvement across the Trust.
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Roles and Responsibility
Quality Assurance and School Improvement
Lead quality assurance across an allocated
partnership of schools, accountable for
outcomes. This is to include the following:
Full day core visits, delivering consistent
quality assurance and monitoring activity.
Provide appropriate challenge and support to
the school leadership team.
Ensure that school improvement priorities are
appropriate and in line with the evaluation of
the school.
Ensure all key strategic decisions, including
staffing are appropriate in meeting the needs
of the school.
Provide additional school improvement
activity responsive to the needs of the school
including providing additional capacity in
vulnerable schools.
Annual two- day partnership review in each
school.
Deliver high quality and consistent
Headteacher performance management
where appropriate.
Through quality assurance activity, clearly
identify and communicate individual school
and whole partnership priorities. Through risk,
hub and Trustee meetings ensure that
members of the strategic leadership team,
including the CEO, Trustees and hub
representatives are clear on school priorities.
Provide support and challenge to drive school
improvement in all schools, realising the
ambition for all schools to achieve outstanding
and all schools to strive for improvement.
Ensure all schools are ‘Ofsted ready’,
achieving the aim that all academies maintain
at least a ‘good rating’, with the ambition to
eventually become ‘outstanding’.
Support and challenge high expectations for
all pupils and all staff.
Effectively monitor the quality of teaching and
learning in all allocated schools, ensuring that
teaching is consistently good or better and any
underperformance is effectively challenged.
Work across all schools, balancing
standardisation with a celebration of each
school’s uniqueness.
Coach, develop and grow leaders from within
the organisation.
Working with the Deputy CEO plan, broker and
monitor targeted system leadership capacity
and CPD to respond to the priorities identified
in each school.
Work as part of a school improvement team,
ensuring that the Trust is successfully
impacting on all schools.
Support members of the DQASI team to
provide consistent quality assurance and
school improvement support.
Share successful school improvement
strategies with members of the DQASI,
enabling good practice to be spread across all
schools.
Share effective school improvement
strategies across the schools within your
allocated Hub and across the trust, ensuring
that we continue to grow and develop a school
led, self-improving partnership.
Work with trustees and hub representative to
understand, engage and challenge school
improvement activity, ensuring that all have
clear understanding of school performance.
Work with leaders and governors so that they
can undertake effective and accurate
self-evaluation against the expectations of the
Ofsted framework.
Support the identification of talent within all
schools, and contribute to their effective
development across the schools.
8

School Improvement
In response to quality assurance activity
provide interim executive leadership to our
most vulnerable schools. This role will
involve the following;
Providing additional leadership capacity to
identified at risk schools.
Providing challenge and accountability to the
Headteacher.
Supporting the growth and development of
the Headteacher.
Challenge underperformance of the
Headteacher, where necessary.
Enable the Headteacher to clearly identify
priorities for improvement and providing
challenge and support across the school.
Enable the school to develop an individual
identity, culture and ethos, responsive to the
context it serves.
Be accountable for improvements in the
school.
Creating a sustainable leadership structure,
with the capacity to drive improvement
without the need for executive leader.
Report progress to the allocated QA and
welcome challenge.
Working alongside the CEO support the
growth of the Trust, through engagement in
LGB and consultation meetings and
completion of effective due diligence.
Provide high quality reporting to Governor
Hubs and Trustees.
To engage with key stakeholders including the
RSC, DfE and Ofsted.
Motivate and inspire Headteachers and staff
across the Trust, to deliver the best possible
outcomes for children.
Line Management
Responsibility
Line management of an identified lead
practitioner.
Other Areas
Act as advocate of the Flying High Partnership,
modelling the Trust values and behaviours
As appropriate support the facilitation and
delivery of leadership development
programmes on behalf of the Teaching School
Alliance, Inspiring Leaders and the Trust.
Have a commitment to CPD and
self-evaluation of role and improvement.
Strategic Leadership
and Development
Whole trust strategic leadership responsibility
for an area within quality of education. The
identified area will be based on the post holders
skills and experience.
Form part of a DQASI team, leading school
improvement activity across the Trust.
Contribute to Trust improvement planning,
playing an active role with the Strategic Head
teachers group, working groups and events.
Contribute to Trust evaluation activity,
developing a clear insight into individual school
and whole trust school improvement priorities.
This is ideally a full-time post and subject
to School Teachers Pay and Conditions.
This is a permanent appointment;
however, a secondment opportunity
may be considered.
9

Personal Specification
Qualifications, Education and Training ESSENTIAL /
DESIRABLE
Degree educated with QTS
E
Qualified Ofsted inspector
Relevant postgraduate qualifications
Completed NPQH
Completed or applying to start NPQEL
Evidence of a commitment to ongoing learning and continuous
professional development
Experience
Strong record of primary Headship
Successfully led a school to an outstanding in leadership Ofsted
judgement
Have a strong track record of school-to-school support/ school
improvement, which has had a demonstrable positive impact on
children’s attainment and progress.
Successful deployment of resources for school improvement, e.g.
SLEs, with measurable impact
Developing and motivating senior leaders to achieve success
Have experience of leading, developing and facilitating leadership
development programmes and events/activities
Skills, Knowledge and Aptitudes
Sound knowledge of educational policy developments and implication
for in-school practices
A clear understanding of what constitutes an outstanding school
Detailed knowledge of effective school improvement strategies
Exceptionally skilled in coaching, developing and enabling others.
Strong analysis of education data (IDSR, ASP, FFTetc.) to inform
successful education delivery
A skilled partnership worker
Have the ability to enable others to improve.
Able to challenge underperformance and communicate high
expectations to all
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Personal Qualities/Attributes
Have high expectations for themselves and the people they work with
Enjoy the respect, trust and confidence of local school leaders.
Be adaptive and responsive to change
Possess excellent written and oral communication skills
Have the ability to inspire and motivate others
A fantastic team player, able to be a positive addition to the central
team.
Special Requirements
Be committed to mission, vision and values of the Flying High
Partnership
To model the Flying High Partnership behaviours
Be prepared to engage in any CPD opportunities that arise to support
the development of the role.
Be prepared to work flexibly and be deployed wherever needed within
50 miles of your designated base school at short notice
Relate well to colleagues and be able to establish and maintain good
working relationships quickly in sometimes difficult contexts.
Have a good sense of humour and a positive attitude
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How to apply
Deadline For Applications
17:00 on the 3rd April 2019
Interview Dates
Two day interview to take place on 24th and 25th April 2019
Start Date
1st September 2019
Queries
Please contact the trust office on recruitment@flyinghightrust.co.uk, who will schedule a telephone or
face to face conversation about the role with Claire Varley, Director of Education, Chris Wheatley, CEO or
Paul Goodman, Deputy CEO.
We would encourage all applicants to contact the trust to truly understand this exciting opportunity.
For further information about the Flying High Partnership please visit www.flyinghighpartnership.co.uk
Please apply using the application form, accompanying this pack, and enclose any additional information
or evidence with the application form.
Please return your completed application form to recruitment@flyinghightrust.co.uk
Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all
staff and post holders to share this commitment.
We are committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and applicants. Applications from individuals
are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and
maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.
12