Position: 2 x Vice Principal
Academy: St Peter’s Collegiate Academy
Closing date: Wednesday 8th February 2023 at 23:59
Salary: L20 - L24 £70,733 - £78,010
Contract: Full Time, permanent, STPCD
Assessment dates: Wednesday 15th February and Thursday 16th February 2023
Proposed start dates: April or September 2023
Thank you for your interest in the role of Vice Principal at St Peter’s Collegiate Academy. This candidate pack is intended to provide you with an overview of the two advertised roles for Vice Principal. Please take time to look through the information about our Academy and browse the website: https://stpetersacademy.org.uk/ If you require further information or would like to visit the Academy informally please contact us via email at: recruitment@stpetersacademy.org.uk
It is a truly exciting time to join the Academy with a partial rebuild scheduled to begin in April 2023. You will be joining a team focused on sustainable school improvement and will be expected to play a vital role in shaping the strategic vision for St Peter’s Collegiate Academy. There are two roles advertised, these are expected to modernise the senior leadership structure, allowing the successful candidates to positively affect the experience of pupils attending the Academy. These roles will require a broad range of experience, a rich skillset and require the leader to have strong interpersonal skills. If successful, you will be required to strategically plan and implement changes to the Academy in order to create a safe environment, develop effective systems, model best practice and train colleagues to raise standards across the Academy. In return, we will offer a bespoke induction programme and a range of development opportunities to prepare you for headship within five years.
To be successful in this role you will need to be energetic, enthusiastic and determined, acting with moral purpose to support our pupils and to fulfil their God-given potential. If you choose to visit the Academy I would be very happy to talk to you about the culture and ethos at St Peter’s and our plans for the future. I hope that you will be sufficiently inspired to apply.
St Peter’s Collegiate Academy is a Church of England Academy serving circa 1350 pupils including 250 pupils in the Sixth Form. Our faith is at the heart of every element of school life. Our values of Service, Respect and Aspiration are instilled in our students through our knowledge-rich curriculum, and our excellent pastoral care. We are extremely proud of the amazing work of our students and staff alike who strive to live out our Christian values in everything they do.
The Academy is located one mile from the centre of Wolverhampton, a city with a diverse community which is reflected in the multi-cultural and multi-faith dimensions of St Peter’s. The Academy has a rich history and a long legacy within the city which is centrally located with easy access to the M5, M6 and M54 motorways and is well-connected to the local metro and train
services by two separate bus routes. Situated on Compton Park West it neighbours St Edmund's Academy and attracts pupils from across the city, with most pupils attending from local neighbourhoods.
In January 2023 our new Principal Mr Mullen-Furness started his new role. After previously working at St Peter’s, he is a familiar face to the community and lives locally. The existing leadership structure features one Vice Principal role. Due to the size and diversity of our community and the varying needs of our pupils it is now the opportune time with a new Principal in place to modernise its leadership model, re-focusing leadership to address matters affecting the development of learners and their characters. We are seeking to appoint two Vice Principal’s with separate responsibilities, building upon the good leadership and management currently taking place, adding capacity and new critical thinking.
Our core aim as an Academy is:
“To support our students in their pursuit of knowledge and wisdom, allowing them to flourish as lifelong learners seeking to love God and serve the community”.
Currently, while we seek to optimise the learning experience our current provision is adversely affected by our ageing facilities. Fortunately these will soon be replaced by the DfE funded school rebuilding programme which accounts for circa 80% of the Academy site and its facilities, providing pupils and staff with new learning environments better suited to the demands of 21st Century pedagogical practices. The staff of the Academy are focused on strategic improvement of the school to enhance pupil’s experiences, mitigating the barriers they encounter, enabling them to participate in a broad and rich curriculum. We seek to prepare pupils through their education for the modern world and the challenges it provides. At St Peter’s we encourage pupils to serve their community, have respect for all and to aspire to be the best version of themselves every day. This is only achievable if we support our staff to do the same, modelling the behaviours and relationships necessary to be a value-led person.
Three Spires Trust plays a part in young people discovering ‘life in all its fullness’. These words first spoken by Jesus, encompass every aspect of being human - relating well to those around us, confident in who we are and enjoying the spiritual dimensions of life. Our Academies are communities where individual learning and challenge flourish, tailored to the abilities and ambitions of each young person. Our Academies enable students to make great progress and reach the highest educational standards.
Through our Christian values, Three Spires Trust strives to enrich the lives of our communities. We will live, love and learn as we seek to EMBRACE ‘life in all its fullness’. We believe that we can realise our full potential academically, socially, globally and spiritually through the promotion of our Christian values which enable our students to
Model service
Belong to a family
Respect and develop the whole person
Aspire to achieve
Care for the earth and each other
Experience the love of God
The Trust currently operates two secondary academies and one primary within the Diocese of Lichfield, with plans currently underway to welcome a further secondary and two primaries during 2023. In total, Trust serves over 2,500 children and young people based in North Staffordshire and Wolverhampton.
As the Trust continues to grow, an extensive programme has been developed to enable academy staff and leaders to continue to invest in their own professional growth, aided by the Trust and its strategic partnership with the Church of England Foundation for Educational Leadership.
You can find out more about the Trust, here.
Closing date: Wednesday, 8th February 2023 at 23:59
The following guidance provides an overview of the application process and the stages you application will go through to give it appropriate consideration. We look forward to receiving your application in due course.
A Three Spires Trust application form must be completed by you to be considered for the role. Within this form are mandatory and optional sections for completion, please ensure you complete all of the necessary fields including a full employment history. This must include an explanation for any gaps in employment. The form is an MS Word file and can be downloaded from our website. We do not require the submission of a CV and will not refer to them during shortlisting. There are no character limits to the form, sections should automatically resize if you include additional information. You are encouraged to be concise and cogent with the information you provide.
To support your application we require you to provide a supporting statement explaining the reason for your application and outlining your suitability for the role. This statement should be included within the application form and be no longer than 1000 words.
Upon the completion of your application form please email your completed application prior to the advertised closing date by 23:59 by email to: recruitment@stpetersacademy.org.uk
Once received we will send a confirmation email to confirm receipt.
Please contact your referees in advance, giving them notice that a reference may be requested and that you permit them to provide a reference to us.
You must provide two appropriate referees including your most recent headteacher/ principal and, if applicable, a reference from any previous educational employment you have had. We will not accept references from relatives, friends, work colleagues etc. or open references i.e., not written in relation to the specific post for which you are applying.
If you are short-listed your references will be requested prior to interview. These will provide important information to the panel, informing the questions they may ask and the decision-making process. If you do not want your referees to be contacted before interview and your application is short-listed, please indicate this clearly on your application form.
The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore convictions, cautions and warnings, including those otherwise regarded as “spent” must be declared. However, certain convictions and cautions are considered ‘protected’ meaning they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Guidance about whether a conviction or caution should be disclosed can be found on the government website:
Should you have any record to declare please provide details on the declaration form. This should be returned via email to: recruitment@stpetersacademy.org.uk
Three Spires Trust and its academies are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all staff and to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to all necessary pre-employment checks, including: an enhanced DBS; Prohibition check; Section 128 direction check; Childcare Disqualification (where applicable); qualifications (where applicable); medical fitness; identity and right to work. All applicants will be required to provide two suitable references.
Short-listing typically takes place the next working day after the closing date. The information you provide including the supporting statements will be used to inform the short-listing process, enabling us to assess how closely applications meet the criteria for the post. This process will be carried out by more than one person to ensure objectivity. It is common for those people to also be actively involved in the interview process.
We endeavour to contact all applicants regarding the outcome of their application as a matter of courtesy. You should expect to receive an email communication from us within two weeks of the closing date, although on occasion it may take longer than this due to the number of applicants, school holidays or the availability of governors.
If you are invited to interview you will be required to bring certain original documents with you including proof of identity which features a photograph, a DBS Disclosure if you have one and any relevant qualifications. If necessary we can support remote interviews, however, any decision will be based upon individual needs and should not disadvantage any candidate.
If you have any queries regarding your application or the information sent to you please contact recruitment@stepetersacademy.org.uk
Thank you for your interest and we look forward to receiving your application.
The role of the Vice Principals is to ensure the highest possible standards are secured for all students across the academy. They will be extremely ambitious for our students and work hard to ensure that all are able to leave the academy equipped to lead a happy and successful life.
Each Vice Principal will be a committed and reflective individual with the ability to both inspire and empower others to realise the academy’s vision. They will have the ability to line manage key areas of the academy so that further success can be achieved. They will work with the Principal to oversee the strategic direction of the academy and be able to translate this into tangible success.
The Vice Principals will work closely with the Principal, Local Governing Body and Trust, to create a shared vision of excellence which inspires and motivates all members of the Academy community. In particular, they will significantly contribute to:
● Developing the strategic vision and direction for the Academy which is based upon a detailed understanding of the Academy’s needs and relevant external influences.
● Implementing the strategic vision effectively so that practices become consistent across the Academy.
● Work with others to maximise both the Academy’s finances and resources which reflect the Academy’s vision and values.
● Playing an active role in raising the hopes, aspirations and ambitions of our pupils, their families and carers and the local community.
● Leading by example to create a culture of respect and tolerance and fostering positive relationships across the Academy community.
● Communicating the strategic vision effectively with all stakeholders so that there is a clear understanding of high expectations, aspiration and ambitions for all.
The Vice Principals will work alongside the rest of the leadership team to:
● Create and foster an environment of reflective practice and CPD, leading by example in all aspects of personal and professional development and areas of key responsibility.
● Maintain a culture of high expectations, aspirations and ambitions for self and other.
● Challenge under-performance at all levels and ensure corrective action and follow up is taken.
● Support the development and maintenance of Academy policies and practices to ensure consistent application.
● Have a teaching commitment in line with Vice Principal status.
● Plan, chair and organise meetings as appropriate.
● Sustain effective, positive relationships with all staff, pupils, parents/carers, Governors and the local community.
● Liaise effectively with all stakeholders, including parents/carers, feeder schools, secondary schools, business and community partners, in line with strategic objectives.
● Maintain clear expectations and high standards of professionalism.
● Be a visible, proactive presence around the Academy, promoting positive attitudes to learning from all.
● Attend Academy events and positively promote the academy through these.
● Manage budget(s) in line with areas of responsibility.
● Take assemblies and participate in break, lunchtime, before and after hours’ supervision.
● Contribute to support programmes for pupils and staff that may, on occasion, include weekends and holiday periods.
● Assume leadership of the Academy in the absence of the Principal.
● Any other reasonable duties as requested by the Principal.
The Vice Principal will work with the Principal to ensure effective organisation and management of the Academy through:
● Managing relevant financial and human resources effectively to achieve the Academy’s education goals and priorities.
● Recruiting, retaining and deploying staff effectively and managing their workload to achieve the vision and goals of the Academy.
● Managing and organising the Academy environment effectively and efficiently to ensure that it meets all health and safety regulations.
● Working alongside the senior leadership team to ensure that the Academy values and visions and those of the Trust are evident across all areas of academy life.
● Keeping up to date with the development of creative and innovative practices in all areas of responsibility and where appropriate, implement these within the strategic vision of the Academy.
● Being a visible, proactive presence around the academy, leading by example and promoting positive attitudes to learning, personal welfare, safety and attitudes to learning from all.
The Vice Principal with specific responsibility for the Quality of Education will ensure that the vision for excellence is realised across the areas of responsibility by:
● Leading on the strategic planning and development for the academy curriculum.
● Provide quality assurance of a knowledge-rich curriculum across the academy and advocating the impact it has on students.
● Have strategic oversight of teaching and learning across the academy.
● Have strategic oversight of the data in the academy and how it is best used to minimise work burdens but drive school improvement.
● Provide quality assurance of data and assessment and its impact.
● Lead on all aspects of quality assurance: teaching and learning, curriculum, data and standards.
● Have oversight of curriculum and staffing planning across the academy.
● Leading on the management of staff professional development and growth.
● Leading on teaching staff recruitment and retention.
● Leading on the management of attendance at work processes in line with Trust policy.
● Have oversight of academy logistics including cover (oversight of cover supervision) and directed time.
● Ensure that all policies related to the quality of education are up to date and in line with national and Trust expectations.
● To support staff in understanding their own accountability, and promote performance management as a means of improving teaching, learning and leadership in the academy.
● To assist with the reporting of the performance of the school to parents, carers, local governors and other key partners as necessary.
● Strategic lead for the line management of curriculum leaders, their practice and the curriculum they implement.
● To liaise with improvement partners to identify suitable evidence bases to inform decisionmaking.
The Vice Principal with specific responsibility for Personal Development, Behaviour and Attitudes will ensure that the vision for excellence is realised across the areas of responsibility by:
● Overseeing and implementing the strategic vision for SEND provision across the academy, ensuring that all pupils achieve the very best outcomes.
● Ensuring that the curriculum is successfully adapted, designed and developed so that it is ambitious and meets the needs of all pupils with SEND or additional needs.
● Ensuring that pupils have access to a range of support mechanisms to overcome barriers to learning.
● Ensuring that effective partnerships continue with a range of external agencies to fully support pupils facing challenges outside of the Academy environment.
● Taking responsibility for overseeing the evaluation of the catch up and SEND spending so that they are used to improve outcomes for all.
● Ensuring that both internal and external alternative provision supports pupils to make progress across all areas including their SEMH and behavioural needs.
● Oversee the support and provision for all pupils with medical needs, liaising with other agencies and providers as necessary.
● Ensure that all staff and pupils fulfil their potential by ensuring the highest expectations across the Academy and creating a strong culture rooted in our vision and values.
● Equip all staff to have a consistent approach to ensuring that the academy is a safe, calm, orderly and positive place to be, using data to highlight areas of strength and areas for further development.
● Model for all staff exemplary practice in terms of the managing and promotion of positive behaviour from pupils and ensure that staff have access to coaching and CPD programmes, as appropriate.
● Oversee all policies which relate to attendance, behaviour and attitudes to learning ensuring that they are clear and effective, understood and consistently and fairly applied.
● Ensure that all aspects of behaviour and attendance data are tracked and monitored in order that excellent attendance, punctuality and behaviour continues to be a strength of the academy. Any group of pupils with particularly low attendance or who demonstrate challenging behaviours are effectively supported by the academy’s high expectations, support and consistency, so that there is demonstrable improvements for these pupils.
● Ensure that regular opportunities are given for Student Voice and feedback so that pupils understand how their opinions shape future academy developments.
● Ensure that routines, policies and processes are consistently applied in order to ensure that all pupils are safeguarded effectively.
● Ensure all staff, Governors and other stakeholders understand their roles in safeguarding pupils effectively.
● Ensure that all policies related to safeguarding are up to date and in line with national and Trust expectations.
● Oversee the anti-bullying policy and any related policies and the review of these ensuring all stakeholders are involved.
Your normal place of work will be at St Peter’s Collegiate Academy, Wolverhampton, or such other place within a reasonable travelling distance as the Academy may reasonably determine. You may be required to travel to, and work at other locations for the purpose of supervising students and attending meetings or events.
The current academic day is from 8:50 am - 3:00 pm where students are on site from 8:30 am. You will be required to keep your working hours flexible to a reasonable extent, depending on the operational, academic and pastoral requirements of the Academy.
This appointment is eligible for automatic enrolments into the Teachers’ Pension Scheme unless you elect to opt out and make private pension arrangements.
To terminate your employment, you must give written contractual notice as shown in the table below: To terminate contract on Notice must be given by Notice Period
December 31st October 31st 2 Months April 30th February 28th (or 29th) 2 Months August 31st May 31st 3 Months
Employees are entitled to join a series of benefits that are available to them which includes, but is not limited to Cycle Scheme, Octopus Electric Car Scheme, Tech Scheme and Employee Assistance Programme.
● Experience as a Vice Principal or Assistant Principal or equivalent
● Successfully led, planned, managed and evaluated change which has had a significant impact at whole school level.
● Demonstrated the ability to work strategically and successfully at a senior leadership level.
● Working successfully with other education partners and providers.
● Demonstrated outstanding, sustained, and successful experience as a teacher in a secondary context.
● Substantial experience of teaching students at Key Stage 3 and 4.
● Experience of teaching at 6th Form.
● Experience of teaching in more than one school.
● A graduate in a relevant discipline ○ QTS status ○ Relevant postgraduate qualifications or evidence of leadership development
● Experience of implementing effective strategies for improving the quality of teaching and learning, including promoting excellence and challenging poor performance.
● Experience of monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of teaching and learning, including its outcomes in terms of standards and achievement and personal development and wellbeing.
● Understands the significance of interpersonal relationships and strategies for promoting individual and team development.
● Knows how to promote an open, fair and equitable culture.
● Has a clear understanding of the impact of change and different leadership styles on individuals and organisations.
● Successful experience of the delegation of leadership responsibilities and management tasks as appropriate, and monitoring their implementation.
● Strong knowledge of and commitment to safeguarding.
Application form / interview
Application form / interview
Application form / interview
● Demonstrates a clear understanding of the principles and practice of quality assurance systems, including school review, self-evaluation and performance management and have experience of these.
● Shows a practical understanding of how to analyse and use the full range of evidence, including performance data and external evaluations, to support, monitor, evaluate and improve aspects of the school, including challenging poor performance.
● Experience of holding individuals, teams and the whole school to account for pupil learning outcomes.
● Understands the importance of listening to, reflecting and acting on community feedback.
● Experience of strategies that encourage parents and carers to support their children’s learning.
● Experience of building and sustaining effective relationships with parents, carers, other schools and partners and the broader community that enhance the education of pupils.
● Embed successful change across the school by effectively completing tasks and evaluating outcomes within agreed timescales.
● Inspire, challenge, motivate and empower teams and individuals to achieve high goals.
● Demonstrate personal enthusiasm and commitment to leadership aimed at making a positive difference to children and young people.
● Demonstrate personal and professional integrity, including modelling values and vision.
● Prioritise, plan and organise themselves and others.
● Think analytically and creatively and demonstrate initiative in solving problems.
● Be aware of their own strengths and areas for development and listen to, and reflect constructively and act upon as appropriate, feedback from others.
● Demonstrate a capacity for sustained hard work with energy and vigour.
● Demonstrate resilience and optimism.
● Commitment to the Academy’s aims, ethos and vision.
Application form / interview
Note: In addition to the ability to perform the duties of the post, issues relating to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children will need to be demonstrated these will include:
● Motivation to work with children and young people.
● Ability to form and maintain appropriate relationships and personal boundaries with children and young people.
● Emotional resilience in working with challenging behaviours and
● Attitudes to use of authority and maintaining discipline.
