Stratford upon Avon School “A highly supportive environment to work in with an extensive array of personal development opportunities; all in the heart of one of the most beautiful parts of England to live in� (Staff quote)
At Stratford upon avon School we take the professional and personal well being of our staff seriously. We are a very open and honest school with an ethos of ‘Engage, Ethuse and Inspire’ that we bring to every aspect of school life for both our students, staff, parents and the community. We hope the next few pages will demonstrate to you all the ways working with us can help you thrive both professionally and personally. We look forward to welcoming you into the Stratford School family. Neil Wallace, Headteacher
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Professional Development • Research Fellowships Programme – for staff to research best practice in an area of pedagogy, trial that practice within their teaching, evaluate impact and ultimately disseminate findings with colleagues • Leadership secondment opportunities • Sabbatical/Placement opportunities • Annual professional development opportunities /alternative role responsibilities i.e. Student Activity Coordinator • The School is a Strategic Alliance Partner in two Teaching School Alliances • Support and funding for attendance on approved external courses • Financial assistance for further professional qualifications (Masters, Diplomas) • Regular in-school TeachMeets to share good practice • Appraisal/Performance Management – we subscribe to an on-line system where staff can monitor their progress in individual portfolios • As part of the SWEP (South Warwickshire Education Partnership) with a number of local secondary schools staff benefit from sharing good practice through visits and joint training sessions • Coaching for Leadership – a number of bespoke programmes have been offered
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Professional Development cntd NQT programme: • Initial two week induction programme during the last two weeks of the summer term in July • NQT’s follow a comprehensive programme lead and supported by the Assistant Headteacher (Learning & Teaching Development) Staff Learning Days: • A varied programme is offered during the year to offer all staff a wide range of activities to support on-going professional development along with softer options such as desk yoga, sphere of influence and sleeping soundly sessions • Continuous CP and Safeguarding training – the school conducts an annual training plan throughout the year providing mop-up sessions on this important subject
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Remuneration As an Academy we can offer: • • • • • • •
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Competitive salaries and terms and conditions of employment Pay Progression Recruitment and Retention allowances Employer Contributory Pension Schemes Child Care Vouchers Free lunch (if undertaking a lunchtime duty) Free access to our Fitness Suite
Facilities We are in the enviable position of having a very modern and highly equipped school which provides: • • • • • • • •
A Modern Bespoke building Fully equipped teaching rooms Free Car Parking Fitness Suite Library Attractive Staff Room with complimentary tea/coffee at break time Around 650 modern networked computers running Windows 10 & Office 2016 A wireless network with internet access available to staff and visitors on their personal devices • Postal Service – the administration department can mail letters and parcels to save a trip to the Post Office. Staff can also have their personal deliveries brought to the school.
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Social The staff at Stratford upon Avon School are involved in a number of external events/ activities including: • Wolf-Run • Local full and half Marathon • Charity Cycle Rides • Weekend Park Runs • Fish & Chip Tuesdays Internally the staff can be seen to be involved in: • Staff v Student sports matches • End of Term Staff BBQ • Crazy Christmas Activities/Competitions • Staff Christmas Party • Staff v Sixth Form Quiz evenings • All staff are involved in the annual Sports Day which is a college/tutor group competition of a variety of fun team activities and quests (very much like It’s a Knockout!)
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Well-being Our Employee Assistance Programme provides the following support to all staff and their families – confidential access, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year:. It provides: • • • •
Support and counselling for home-life issues Support and counselling for work-related issues Financial and legal – specialist support on a range of personal issues Specialist information – CAB-type advice offering information and signposting • Support for Managers dealing with important and challenging people issue. • Local Gym Memberships • Flu Jabs – free annual service through our Occupational Health provider
Recognition Stratford upon Avon School endeavours to recognise and reward: • Long Service Awards – 10, 15,20 and 25 years’ service is recognised and rewarded each half term where qualifying staff are presented with a memorable gift • Being Brilliant – an employee on employee recognition scheme where we nominate a colleague for a ‘Being Brilliant’ award when they have done something particularly outstanding
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Living and Working in Stratford upon Avon Set in the beautiful rural Warwickshire countryside, Stratford-upon-Avon is an attractive town set on a pleasant meandering stretch of the River Avon; a market town dating back to medieval times and famed throughout the world as the birthplace of the Elizabethan playwright William Shakespeare. The streets themselves hold a thousand delights with the chemistry of the ages mixed in with the needs of today. It is a thriving and busy town of just over 20,000 inhabitants whose day-to-day business is conducted amongst the rich architecture. The Royal Shakespeare Theatre is situated on the riverfront and there is a fine array of shop, bars and restaurants in the town. Roads • M40 (J15) 6 miles from Stratford-upon-Avon • 9 miles from Warwick • 12 miles from Leamington Spa • 35 miles from Birmingham city centre Air • Birmingham Airport, 26 miles with direct flights to Belfast With easy road, rail and airport access and excellent schooling in the area, Stratford upon Avon is a unique and most desirable place in which to live or work. There is a wide range of housing available within the local area to buy or rent and the school is easily commutable from Birmingham, Solihull, Redditch, Coventry, Warwick, Leamington Spa and the Cotswolds.
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Activities in Stratford upon Avon Whether you are a resident or tourist, Stratford upon Avon provides a plethora of leisure opportunities ranging from extensive hill walks and bike rides; river activities and golf; athletics to Zumba clubs; Forces Cadet organisations and Amateur Dramatics. The recently refurbished Leisure Centre provides a great range of sporting and leisure activities including a fully equipped gym, swimming pool, climbing wall, clubs and classes for young children through to adults. The market town and local villages fuse the magical heritage of old England with the contemporary bustle of shops, farmers’ markets and restaurants, providing a vibrant hub at the very heart of local life. Shakespeare’s legacy has obviously left its mark on almost every aspect of Stratford upon Avon, from the world renowned Royal Shakespeare Company, annual community events such as the Shakespeare Birthday Parade to the many marble statues depicting Shakespeare characters and the Bard himself. As well as the professional performances at the Royal Shakespeare Company and local Theatres, new authors are celebrated at the Literary Festival, local produce at the Food Festival can be sampled, the music in the parks, river racing, river cruising, walks along the river and canal network can be experienced or we all can simply relax and take in the atmosphere that is Shakespeare’s Stratford.
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William Shakespeare’s significance to the town can be found in his families’ houses, three of which are situated within easy walking distance within town, the other two situated slightly out of town with easy access. Whether you fancy afternoon tea, a pub lunch or a classic cuisine in brasserie, Stratford upon Avon has a wide variety of choice to cater for both local and tourist needs. Many restaurants use locally sourced produce and offer local and international cuisine; a number of which have attained excellent awards. Within a short journey from Stratford upon Avon itself you can enjoy Blenheim Palace at Woodstock and the Cotswolds to the south, Worcester and the Malvern Hills to the west, and The Pump Rooms at Royal Leamington Spa, Warwick Castle and Henley in Arden to the north. The cosmopolitan attractions of Birmingham and Coventry are also nearby.
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Stratford upon Avon School Alcester Road, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 9DH E: staff@stratfordschool.co.uk T: 01789 268 051 F: 01789 261 919 www.stratforduponavonschool.com @StraUponAvonSch