Local Government Jobs

In Barnsley we are committed to ensuring that young people enjoy success, have high aspirations, a sense of purpose and enterprise, a positive destination and become responsible, active citizens. Only in this way can we continue to narrow the gap in performance and tackle inequalities.

We continue to focus our energies on:

• Building on what we already do well.
• Targeting improvement where it will make a real difference.
• Tackling inequality wherever it exists.
• Making sure that young people play a central part in their learning.
• Securing excellence in teaching and learning, leadership and management.

We are pleased with our achievements so far and standards continue to rise. In 2010 we achieved the highest ever results at the end of EYFS, KS1, KS2 and KS4. The Ofsted overall judgement on more than half of our schools is good or better and the quality of teaching and learning, leadership and management continues to improve. We have no permanent exclusions and attendance continues to rise.

However, we still have a distance to travel. In some key areas we need to accelerate our progress. Standards of achievement are a continuing challenge and need to improve. We want to be at least in line with national averages.

We have secured a transformational BSF Programme which will see a new Advanced Learning Centre (ALC) replacing each of our secondary schools by 2012. In addition to offering high quality provision and learning for the 21st century, these centres will be open up to 48 weeks per year, 14 hours per day and 7 days per week to offer a wide range of community learning and recreation to take place. Our ambition is that governance, leadership, learning and teaching will be outstanding in all our ALCs.

A key part of the agenda to transform learning is to drive up standards in English and mathematics in our schools.

We have a strong Service Plan which provides a vehicle and stimulus to drive forward actions to ensure we achieve our ambitions for all young people, to ensure that all young people make the expected levels of progress and that no groups of young people underachieve. It supports the further development of the work we have started, in partnership with our schools, to increase the ownership of school improvement by schools and to develop the capacity of schools to support each other. A key part is the continued development of the work we have started to ensure services work together to intervene early and support vulnerable young people and families.

This post provides an opportunity to join and lead a very effective and highly regarded team of school improvement professionals. You will lead a team of School Improvement Officers and a team that may include Consultant Heads, LLEs, Leading Teachers and ASTs to address the improvement priorities identified with Headteachers, monitoring and evaluating their impact on outcomes for young people. You will lead our work in developing school to school partnerships within and beyond Barnsley.

Further details please contact:

Recruitment Centre, Human Resources, Yorkshire House, 18 Shambles Street, Barnsley S70 2SW Tel: 01226 772291 or log onto our website www.barnsley.gov.uk or if you would like to discuss the post further, prior to applying, please contact Ruth Lyons, Head of School Improvement and Support Services.