Principal

Education Authority Northern Ireland • Antrim, Belfast, Nettlefield Primary School, MI

13d • Onsite

About The Position

The Principal shall be responsible for the internal organisation, management and control of the school. This role involves formulating the overall aims and objectives of the school, participating in staff selection and appointment, deploying and managing all teaching and non-teaching staff, and ensuring equitable distribution of duties. The Principal determines, organises, and implements the school's curriculum, evaluates teaching and learning standards, and ensures pupil progress is monitored and recorded. Key responsibilities include developing and implementing policies for pastoral care, promoting self-discipline and good behaviour among pupils, and maintaining good order and discipline on school premises. The role also involves making arrangements for parents to receive regular information about the school, promoting effective relationships with external bodies, and advising the Board of Governors. The Principal is responsible for financial and material resources, ensuring the security of school buildings and grounds, and participating in staff development and performance reviews. Additionally, the Principal must arrange for a Vice-Principal or other suitable person to assume responsibility during absences and may participate in teaching, including covering for absent teachers. The role also includes managing staff, ensuring they receive necessary information, and supporting newly-qualified teachers and those returning to service. The Principal is expected to promote good relations, equality of opportunity, and comply with equality legislation.

Requirements

• Hold a teaching qualification which meets the requirements for recognition to teach in grant-aided schools in Northern Ireland
• Have a minimum of 7 years post qualification teaching experience in primary education within the last 12 years
• Currently hold or have held for a minimum of 4 years AND within the last 9 years: A post with experience of strategic leadership or co-ordination of a whole school area at a minimum level of Head of Key Stage/SMT/SLT to include monitoring and evaluation resulting in measurable school improvement; and/or A post of Principal or Vice-Principal
• Evidence of how your leadership has led to school improvement
• Evidence of having held a leadership role in strategic planning and/or organisational management
• Evidence of building a professional learning community within a school or other organisation
• Extensive knowledge of the Northern Ireland Primary Curriculum and current policies and procedures
• Extensive knowledge of current educational developments and the ability to evaluate and respond to new educational challenges and manage change effectively
• Extensive knowledge of effective classroom pedagogy and how to ensure high standards of teaching, learning and achievement throughout the school
• Extensive knowledge of effective data management
• Extensive knowledge of effective organisational management including the appropriate deployment of resources
• Extensive knowledge of effective financial management
• Extensive knowledge of sound financial governance
• Extensive knowledge of successful approaches to developing inclusion and diversity in schools
• Highly developed skills in order to lead, motivate, manage, challenge and enthuse others
• Highly developed skills in order to create an ethos and articulate vision for the future of the school
• Highly developed skills in order to develop good relationships at all levels and promote a collaborative and team approach among staff, pupils, parents and governors
• Highly developed skills in order to lead strategically and develop self and others in order to achieve outcomes
• Highly developed skills in order to promote, achieve, monitor and evaluate high standards of teaching, learning and achievement throughout the school
• Highly developed skills in order to develop effective partnerships between the school and the local community
• Highly developed skills in order to communicate effectively orally and in writing
• Highly developed skills in order to organise and prioritise workload effectively
• Highly developed skills in order to deal with staffing matters in accordance with EA policies and procedures
• Highly developed skills in order to manage time effectively
• Vision
• A sound value system
• Enthusiasm and motivation
• Assertiveness and confidence
• A caring child centred approach
• Integrity
• Advocacy and empathy
• Discretion
• An ability to cope under pressure
• Tact and diplomacy
• Decisiveness
• Adaptability
• Registered with the General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland (GTCNI) upon taking up employment

Nice To Haves

• Have successfully completed an additional post graduate (or equivalent or higher) qualification in Education
• Can demonstrate evidence of leading whole school staff development within school/s
• Have experience of financial and/or budgetary management within school/s

Responsibilities

• Formulating the overall aims and objectives of the school and policies for their implementation
• Participating in the selection and appointment of the teaching and non-teaching staff of the school
• Deploying and managing all teaching and non- teaching staff of the school and allocating particular duties to them
• Ensuring that the duty of providing cover for absent teachers is shared equitably among all teachers in the school
• Maintaining relationships, as appropriate, with organisations representing teachers and other persons on the staff of the school
• Determining, organising and implementing an appropriate curriculum for the school
• Keeping under review the work and organisation of the school
• Evaluating the standards of teaching and learning in the school, and ensuring that proper standards of professional performance are established and maintained
• Providing information about the work and performance of the staff employed at the school where this is relevant to their future employment
• Participating in any scheme of staff development and performance review of teachers who teach in the school
• Ensuring that all staff in the school have access to advice and training appropriate to their needs
• Ensuring that the progress of the pupils of the school is monitored and recorded
• Determining and ensuring the implementation of a policy for the pastoral care of the pupils
• Determining measures to be taken with a view to promoting, among the pupils, self-discipline and proper regard for authority, encouraging good behaviour on the part of the pupils, securing that the standard of behaviour of the pupils is acceptable, and otherwise regulating the conduct of the pupils
• Having responsibility for good order and discipline on the school premises whenever pupils are present, including the mid-day break
• Making arrangements for parents to be given regular information about the school curriculum, the progress of their children and other matters affecting the school
• Promoting effective relationships with persons and bodies outside the school
• Advising and assisting the Board of Governors in the exercise of their functions, including attending meetings and making reports
• Providing for liaison and co-operation with the employing authority, making reports in connection with the discharge of functions
• Maintaining liaison with other schools and institutions of further education
• Allocating, controlling and accounting for those financial and material resources of the school which are under the control of the principal
• Making arrangements for the security and effective supervision of the school buildings and their contents and of the school grounds
• Participating in any scheme of staff development and performance review of principals
• Participating in the identification of areas in which he/she would benefit from further training and undergoing such training
• Arranging for a Vice-Principal or another suitable person to assume responsibility for the discharge of his/her functions as principal at any time when he/she is absent from the school
• Participating, to such extent as may be appropriate, in the teaching of the pupils at the school, including the provision of cover for absent teachers
• Considering how far the duties of the principal may be delegated to any vice-principal
• Ensuring that teachers at the school receive information they need in order to carry out their professional duties effectively
• Ensuring that newly-qualified teachers and those returning to teaching after a break in service have access to adequate support in their first years of service or resumed service

Benefits

• Conditions of Service for this post will be in accordance with the Regulations of the Department of Education for Northern Ireland.
• The Education Authority is an Equal Opportunities Employer.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal
• Education Level: High school or GED