Recruitment Information Pack

Chief Executive OfficerDecember 2015

The Church of Englandin Essex and East London

Diocese of Chelmsford

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Introduction from our Diocesan Director of Education

4 December 2015

Dear Enquirer, I am delighted you are looking at the details of this new post. I hope that you will catch something of the vision we are developing for the schools’ work of the diocese from this pack as well as the practical details and look also at what is published on our various websites. The Vine (www.vineschoolstrust.co.uk) and The Sower (www.sowerschoolstrust.co.uk) are multi-academy trusts initially created to sponsor a number of schools in difficulty. Their schools have made good progress through the dedicated work of our team of directors and officers and those whom we have commissioned to provide intensive support.

One MAT - a network of local ‘hubs’ We are now ready to move onto the next stage of our journey and realise a more ambitious vision. This is a pivotal time for us as we seek to move quite rapidly from operating two small trusts to operating a single trust attractive to strong schools. The single MAT will retain the name, Vine Schools Trust. It will have local hubs (such as the Sower will become), and become a home of choice for good and outstanding church schools. We wish to combine the efficiencies of a single operation with genuine localism across our large and very diverse diocese.

Diversity of Provision Our strategy is also to support the establishment of smaller school led multi-academy trust(s) where local school leaders wish it. There is currently one such trust with a number of schools (www.heartsacademytrust.co.uk), and a couple of our previously ‘standalone’ academies are now moving in this direction; more could follow. We welcome a diverse provision so long as our pupils are at the heart of the local vision. Our CEO, alongside its directors, will be in overall charge of the growing Vine, but we are seeking a person who will be visible across the diocese to journey alongside schools and groups of schools as they explore the best way forward for them, whatever local arrangements are identified as the most appropriate.

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New Schools Our population is growing with a significant number of new housing developments underway or in prospect. This means there are opportunities to grow the number of church schools, including Free Schools. We intend that The Vine should gear itself up to submit credible proposals for new schools and that our CEO will take a lead, alongside colleagues, to turn this ambition into reality.

Excellence and Distinctiveness Becoming an academy is never an end in itself for any school; it is not in itself a ‘solution’. Rather, it can be the springboard to improvement, releasing new energy and developing new ways to develop Christian distinctiveness at the heart of the whole curriculum. Excellence and distinctiveness remain our fundamental linked priorities for each and every church school in the diocese. Although improving, standards and Christian distinctiveness are not yet as universally strong as we would wish and there remains work to be done to ensure that all our schools emulate the best.

Transforming Presence The diocese is on a vision-led journey we call Transforming Presence (www.transformingpresence.org.uk), the next stage of which will be launched in Lent 2016. Its main strands are ‘Inhabiting the World Distinctively’; ‘Evangelising Effectively’; ‘Serving with Accountability’ and ‘Re-imagining Ministry’. Our schools have a vital role in living out this vision in ways appropriate to an educational setting. Our CEO will work with us all to ensure our schools, especially those in the growing Vine, are fully part of the journey.

Our Education Team We are determined that The Vine does not grow apart from our wider school and diocesan family. Although legally a distinct entity, employing its own staff, The Vine exists to further our common objectives. We have an energetic and committed Schools Team, supported by the Diocesan Board of Education. Since our DBE is not incorporated, there is also a partner incorporated body concentrating on academies, Chelmsford Diocese Education Trust. You can glimpse a flavour of the whole schools’ work at our website (www.cdbe.org.uk) and by accessing some past issues of our Schools’ Bulletin in the ‘Latest News’ section. Our CEO will belong to the wider Schools Team and as an officer of the diocese. We are blessed with a ‘can do’ culture in our Diocese and rejoice in a mix of people and variety contexts unsurpassed in the Church of England.

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Next Steps These are exciting times for us. If you have a blend of the skills we seek and share our excitement and vision for excellence and growth, rooted in an inclusive Christian vision for education, we hope you will take the next step of reading the details of this post and making an application.

Yours faithfully,

Revd Tim Elbourne Diocesan Director of Education

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Welcome from the Chairman of the Trusts Thank you for your interest in the post of Chief Executive Officer. Since their establishment in 2013, The Diocese of Chelmsford Sower and Vine Schools Trusts have come a long way together and plan to become one on 1 September 2016. Now is the time for a full-time salaried Chief Executive Officer who will lead us on the next stage of our development. The CEO will play a pivotal, high profile and visible role in supporting all academies within the Trusts to be at least good and ‘on track’ to being outstanding, within a supportive Christian context. The Trusts have already built strong relationships with our academies and we have made a positive change to the lives of the young people in our care. All the academies within the Trusts have shown improvement and standards are rising. There is more to do and the CEO will play a key role in holding schools to account for their performance as well as attracting more schools, from across the Diocese, to join us. Creative solutions will be needed in all aspects of school life as all schools face continued pressures and challenges particularly in the areas of financial management and recruitment. This role is an exciting opportunity for an experienced leader to make a real difference, creating a dynamic and responsive organisation that can deal rapidly yet purposefully with the changing educational landscape, providing a new sense of direction for schools to achieve their very best. The successful candidate will report directly to the Trust Board of Directors and will have the support and the professional challenge that he or she needs to succeed. Do look at our two websites for more information about the performance of our schools, about the two trusts and links to our schools’ websites I wish you well with your application and look forward to hearing from you. Phil Preston Chairman The Diocese of Chelmsford Sower and Vine Schools Trusts

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Job Description and Person Specification

Job Title Chief Executive Officer, Multi Academy Trust (MAT)

Reporting to The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Sower and Vine Schools Multi-Academy Trust

Accountable to The Board of Directors of the Sower and Vine Schools Multi-Academy Trust

Trust Vision and Ethos The Chelmsford Diocesan Education Trust’s vision, and that of the two Multi-Academy Trusts which it oversees, is that all its students will benefit from an outstandingly rich and broad education within its Christian ethos and values.

The ethos of the Trust is fundamental to its whole philosophy of education and permeates all aspects of its approach, including the leadership, governance, curriculum and operation of its individual schools, taking account of their different local circumstances and communities. Given this context, it is a requirement of the post that the successful candidate is a committed Christian, who is an active member of the church that she/he attends.

Context The CEO will be responsible for leading our group of academies, including further developing their strong Christian ethos and identity, ensuring that they are all judged to be Good or Outstanding, delivering sound financial health and encouraging other Good and Outstanding schools into the Multi-Academy Trust.

Academies form an integral part of the overall diocesan family of schools. A key role for this post is to act as the principal advocate and ambassador for the development of the Diocese’s work with existing church schools and academies, building strong links with those already established and making the MAT the destination of choice for schools becoming academies within the Diocese.

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The CEO will initially work with the Sower and the Vine MATs, whose nine Church of England primary schools located across the Diocese of Chelmsford presently constitute its Multi-Academy Trusts, along with any schools joining those MATs over the next 12 months. Collectively these academies will receive direct funding from the Department of Education for approximately £7 million which is devolved to individual academies through delegated budgets

In the first instance, the post-holder will be jointly employed by the Vine and the Sower Multi Academy Trusts, with an agreed proportion of their time allocated to each. The role also involves working on behalf of the Diocesan Board of Education, to support the wider development of its academies work, as part of the Diocesan Education team. This aspect of the role will be on a secondment basis in the first instance.

The reason for this arrangement is the intention that the separate MATs within the Vine and The Sower Trusts intend to merge on 1 September 2016, in order to provide greater capacity, shared expertise and improved financial security. The CEO will play a crucial role in creating this new network and in further extending the network of academies within the diocese.

Main Purpose of the Role To provide the overall leadership and direction to the Trust and to its established academies within the vision and strategy agreed by the Trust Board, and to oversee and support the successful delivery of any academies in development or in the process of conversion. To ensure that both the MAT as a whole and its individual schools consistently achieve outstanding outcomes for all their pupils. To ensure that the MAT’s financial viability is secure, firmly based on accurate analysis, the optimum use of resources and the generation of sufficient surplus funding to meet development needs To act as the lead education professional for academies in the MAT, managing its day-to-day operations and ensuring that it has an effective strategy for building educational and leadership capacity ahead of need, to enable it to continue to achieve its goals.

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Principal Accountabilities

o To contribute to the formulation of the Multi-Academy Trust’s overall strategy and the effectiveness of its educational performance, including meeting all required national targets and benchmarks and ensuring that its agreed values and vision are delivered in all areas of Trust and academy development and operations.

o To lead and manage the operation of the MAT so that all pupils benefit from an outstanding

education, in a Church of England context.

o To act as the Accounting Officer for the MAT, ensuring that its educational and financial performance is effectively managed and it meets all its statutory and regulatory obligations.

o To ensure that the MAT’s long term financial sustainability is secured, so that the plans for

the MAT as a whole and for individual schools are soundly based and deliver the required outcomes for pupils.

o To advise the Trust Board on their agreement of the proposed budgets and plans of the Trust

and its constituent academies, and discuss as necessary with the Regional Schools Commissioner, DfE and relevant funding agencies.

o To establish effective systems for financial allocation and control which identify risks to the

financial viability of the MAT or of individual schools and ensure prompt and effective action is taken to address any such problems.

o To advise the Trust Board on progress against allocated budgets and plans and to take action

as necessary to maintain the drive for effective delivery and improvement within overall financial resources.

o To develop and maintain effective relationships with the Department for Education (DFE),

Regional Schools Commissioners (RSCs), local authorities, head teachers and governing bodies, collaborating with them to secure and extend the reputation, values and vision of the Trust.

o To work in partnership with the Board and with Headteachers and Governors, to develop and

maintain effective relationships with other good and outstanding church schools and governing bodies in the Diocese, to create economies of scale, develop a local network of excellence and encourage other schools to join the MAT.

o To ensure that new academies joining the Trust have the staffing, governance and curriculum

structures in place to achieve the required educational outcomes for their pupils, within the time and budget parameters set for each academy.

o To ensure that local communities served by the Trust are actively engaged with its work and

have confidence in the quality of its provision.

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Person Specification

Qualifications: Essential Degree, Diploma or other qualification

Qualifications: Desirable Postgraduate qualification in education, or its equivalent in a relevant discipline

Experience: Essential Proven track record of outstanding educational leadership of a comparable scale and complexity, ideally in a Headship or Principalship role.

Demonstrable success in achieving rapid and sustained school improvement, ideally across a range of school sizes and types.

Evidence of strategic planning and budget management which has brought about significant organisational change.

Experience: Desirable Successful senior management experience in an organisation of similar size and complexity, either in education or a relevant organisation.

A clear understanding of the current educational landscape, including issues specifically relating to academies.

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Personal Qualities and Attributes

o Highly effective and credible leader, who inspires the respect and support of others and has an open and approachable interpersonal style.

o Able to deal confidently with opposition and is able to maintain their own position in the face

of criticism from others.

o Strong analytical and problem solving skills, with the ability to challenge assumptions and identify innovative approaches to resolving unexpected difficulties.

o Highly effective communicator, who can use their skills to draw out the best in others, win

support for change and respond appropriately to criticism or challenge.

o Good judgement in dealing with significant decisions and sensitive or contentious issues and in timing actions for maximum beneficial effect.

o Commitment to personal professional development and that of others.

Other Factors

Safeguarding: The Diocese of Chelmsford is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The appointment will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.

Mobility: The successful candidate will need to have a valid driving licence and access to a vehicle that can be used for work purposes.

Flexibility: The nature of this role requires considerable flexibility in responding to rapid and unpredictable educational change. This job description therefore reflects the current main duties and responsibilities of the role and is not intended to be an exhaustive list. The Job Description will be regularly reviewed to ensure that it reflects the changing nature of the Trust and of the role.

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Outline Terms and Conditions

Responsible to: The Board of Directors

Salary: £70,000 - £80,000 range (more may be available for an exceptional candidate) The exact salary level will be finalised taking in to account the skills, experience, qualifications and current salary level of the successful candidate..

Hours: 37 hours per week. The postholder may be required to work additional hours as to meet the reasonable requirements of the role.

There will be requirement to work outside of normal office hours, e.g. for training events, local governing body meetings. The post holder will be entitled to time off in lieu for attending meetings outside contracted hours.

Pension: Enrolment in to work place pension (L.G.P.S.) or negotiable

Annual leave: Twenty-five – twenty nine days plus public holidays (dependent on length of Service)

Probationary Period: 6 months

Notice period: 3 months

Expenses: Working expenses are paid at trust rates

Office base: Diocesan Office, 53 New Street, Chelmsford CM1 1AT Contract: The contract of employment will be with the Diocese of

Chelmsford Vine Schools Trust and the Diocese of Chelmsford Sower Schools Trust

Right to work: The post-holder must have the right to reside and work in

the UK

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How to Apply

Application Closing Date: noon on 11 January 2016

Application Forms: Completed application forms on the specific application form should be completed electronically and be returned by email to: education@chelmsford.anglican.org

Include the term CEO application in the e-mail subject header. All applications will be acknowledged within 24 hours. Should you fail to receive a confirmation, please call 01245 294441.

Interview Date: The planned interview date for this post is Friday 22nd January 2016 in Chelmsford.

Supporting Statement: Your supporting statement, which should be no more than four sides of A4, should set out your reasons for your interest in the post and how you meet the person specification criteria, with verifiable evidence of impact from your career track record. It should include your views and vision on what you consider to be the main challenges and opportunities of running and developing a diocesan multi-academy trust in the present educational context.

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Further Information

1. Annual Report and Financial Statements for 2013/14 can be found on our websites with the following links:

The Diocese of Chelmsford Vine Schools Trust http://media.wix.com/ugd/15355c_329255f5676f4c2291715fdc90f656bc.pdf

The Diocese of Chelmsford Sower Schools Trust http://media.wix.com/ugd/15355c_e1affa3567144cf0a9fc25f6282a24a1.pdf The reports for the financial year 2014/2015 will be uploaded to the two websites in the third week of December 2015.

2. Details of our academies can be found on their individual websites, which can be accessed via our two trust websites.

www.vineschoolstrust.co.uk www.sowerschoolstrust.co.uk

3. The diocesan education website has a wealth of information on the work of the diocese

www.cdbe.org.uk

4. For an informal discussion about the role and any queries you may have, please telephone

Phil Preston, Chairman of the Boards on 0774 682 8752.

5. The Two Trusts

The constitution of the board of trustees is set out in the Articles of Association. Trustees are appointed / elected / Co-opted for a period of four years. The Chair is elected bi-annually. Trustees appoint a Chief Executive Officer to assure the strategic intentions of the Multi Academy Trust. The Chief Executive Officer is also the Chief Accounting Officer and a Director of the Multi Academy Trust. The Trustees appoint an Executive Headteacher / Headteacher to take responsibility for the day-to-day management of the constituent academies. Trustees appoint a Company Secretary who is also a Director of the Multi Academy Trust who takes the role of trustees’ secretary and appoints a Clerk.

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A Support and Business Manager who provides strategic and operational support to both trusts and to schools within the trusts. The Support and Business Manager post is based in a business unit in Thorpe-Le-Soken and has a small team of finance officers that provide practical financial support for the trusts and schools.

The trusts use a web-based financial and accounting package, which enables senior staff and directors access to financial information from a variety of locations. The regular meeting of Headteachers and Chairs of Local Governing Bodies is being developed to help facilitate the sharing information and expertise, to aid efficient working and to help provide creative solutions to the many challenges in the educational world of today.