And the Staff

It’s been such a hectic time since the Easter break, I am aware that I’ve not posted for a while. . . so, like London buses, there’ll be a few in quick succession. I was so excited to be talking to parents again, this time at Moore Primary School; it was wonderful having the opportunity to talk to a group of parents about everything that’s shaping up for September.

I said in my last post that I’d go into more details about the unique elements of the Sandymoor Curriculum, but before I do, I feel it would be best to discuss the staff we are recruiting for September.

That has been one of the things that has excited me so much and taken so much time over the break, shaping up the staff we will have for September. For me, the first key thing all staff, both teaching and non-teaching staff, will need to show will be the creativity and excitement about being involved in such a unique project. Beyond that, each role I’ve chosen will have particular talents that work to make Sandymoor outstanding. The recruitment process will be thorough and rigorous to ensure that each person is the very best for our students.

The first post is the Assistant Head post, the most senior post in the first year. This person will have the responsibility of working with me to ensure the personalised learning is transformed into a reality and will be the school’s Learning Support teacher (SENCO).

 Every student at Sandymoor will have an individual education plan, which will start when they first join the school. We will use modern educational research to profile each individual, using cognitive tests to identify how they interact with the world as well as screening for specific learning needs and learning styles and emotional intelligence. These tests will be overseen by the Assistant Head and will form the starting point of each child’s individual education plan (or personal development profile).

The assistant head will then be responsible for ensuring that every teacher has the information necessary to provide the best classroom experience for each student and will work with all the other teachers to keep the individual at the heart of everything we do.

As well as this, the Assistant Head will also have the responsibility for ensuring that our numeracy and literacy provision is of the highest quality.

In terms of the core subjects, I will, initially, deliver the Science curriculum. I am a Physicist by training and have been a Head of Science before moving into senior leadership. I have taught all three sciences and have a track record of achieving strong results in all three sciences.

We are also recruiting full time teachers in English and Maths, and these posts will be strongly involved in the development of the curriculum, being full time.

We are also looking for a part-time teacher of Spanish (and, hopefully, Mandarin). With our vision for creating global citizens, we need to ensure they have the skills to engage with the majority of the world. This is why we are looking to deliver the global languages; with English, Spanish & Mandarin, Sandymoor students will possess the three most widely spoken global languages.

Our students need to be given the opportunities to see themselves as part of a wider community, and so we are looking to recruit a high calibre Humanities teacher, with the skills to weave the story, both the history and geography that influences our lives, and also the philosophical, religious nature of our lives.

As a school dedicated to 21^st century citizenship, we are also recruiting a technology teacher to deliver the practical skills necessary. And the arts are so important too, with an arts teacher being the last (but not least) member of the teaching staff.

Between us, we will also deliver the PE, and will make use of connections we already have to take the students to unique opportunities to work with professional sports people around the area. Physical Education, like all aspects of Sandymoor, will be rooted in the experiences of the ‘real’ world.

We will also deliver the Curriculum Enhancement lessons, but that is a post in its own right. Music education will be delivered by making use of local peripatetic music teachers, bringing in experiences into the school for everyone to benefit from.

And then there’s the non-teaching staff. These people are also crucial and will be important people in the lives of Sandymoor Students.

We are looking for an outstanding, organised person to be my Personal Assistant, someone who will, as the school grows, take on a responsibility for organising all the support staff in school. This individual will also get to know all the students and parents as well.

The Business and Finance Manager will be crucial in helping us keep track of the money, but also in helping us make the most of the whole resources the school has. Also, the school’s IT Network Manager will be responsible for keeping all the school’s IT working well, which will be such an important part of the school’s structures, as well as communication with parents.

And the final post is our Catering Manager. We are convinced that our young people need the best in all aspects and that includes the food that is on offer to them. Sandymoor students will be offered high quality, locally sourced food, from day one and we are looking for an outstanding individual to make our school food the exact opposite of the public perception of school meals.

And that is us. A total of eleven individuals (myself included) dedicated to making Sandymoor Students the centre of what matters in all aspects of the school. All the posts are on our website, the teaching posts will be in the TES for Friday 27^th April and the non-teaching posts will appear in appropriate media.