Director of Computing & Strategic Lead of Cornwall Computing Hub
Penrice Academy, St Austell, Cornwall, PL25 3NRThis job expired on 27 September 2023
Start date details
Required for January 2024 (or later by negotiation)
Closing date
27 September 2023 at 9am
Date listed
15 September 2023
Job details
Job role
- Head of department or curriculum
Visa sponsorship
- Skilled Worker visas can be sponsored
Key stage
- Key stage 3, Key stage 4
Subject
- Computing
Working pattern
- Full time: Full Time
Contract type
- Permanent
Pay scale
- Leadership Pay Scale L10-14
What skills and experience we're looking for
We are excited to advertise this fantastic opportunity to work at Penrice Academy as Director of Computing. Penrice Academy is the lead school for the Cornwall Computing Hub, offering CPD and training for teachers across the county. This role offers an experienced subject expert in computing the opportunity to lead computing at our school and influence the teaching of computing across the county. We recognise the immense importance of computing to our students’ futures and are committed to offering an exceptional computing provision at Penrice.
The Director of Computing will be supported in leading the Cornwall Computing Hub by a Deputy Director and our exceptional administration team, to fully allow them to strategically coordinate Computing CPD across Cornwall and the wider region. The aim of the Computing Hub is to improve the quality and impact of computing teaching in primary and secondary state-maintained schools and colleges in England, so that all pupils, regardless of their background, leave school with the digital knowledge and skills they need to participate in a digital society and access the jobs of the future.
What the school offers its staff
Penrice Academy is a happy, safe and welcoming school community with highly effective support, care and guidance to allow students to flourish and excel. We are delighted that our 2023 results were simply exceptional, cementing our place as one of the top-performing Cornish state secondary schools for Progress 8 and Attainment 8. But it’s not all about results. Enrichment plays a huge part of life at Penrice with a plethora of extra-curricular opportunities through our Penrice Plus curriculum, offering over 100 clubs and activities each academic year including options in Art, Academic, Sport and Wellbeing. Our priority is to give students the best possible chance of success and happiness when they move onto their next stages in education and beyond.
Penrice Academy is part of Cornwall Education Learning Trust (CELT), a family of Cornish Primary and Secondary Schools, with a strategic vision to ‘learn together to help every child achieve more’. This is an exciting time to join our large, dynamic Trust, which is responsible for educating learners across five secondary schools, one junior school and nine primary schools. There are extensive opportunities to work collaboratively with experienced professionals across the Trust with unparalleled CPD and career development prospects.
Further details about the role
If you are interested in this position and wish to have an informal conversation, please contact Doug O’Brien, Deputy Headteacher, via email: dobrien@penrice.org.uk
Applications by CV, letter or social media alone will not be accepted.
Closing date for applications: 9.00am, Wednesday 27th September 2023
Interviews to be held: Week Commencing 2nd October 2023
Commitment to safeguarding
Cornwall Education Learning Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check and, where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed for all applicants.
Upload additional documents
If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.
About Penrice Academy
- School type
- Academy, ages 11 to 16
- Education phase
- View all Secondaryjobs
- School size
- 1426 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 16
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report (opens in new tab)
- School website
- Penrice Academy website (opens in new tab)
- Email address
- dobrien@penrice.org.uk
Welcome to Penrice Academy
Penrice is a fantastic school with a well-deserved reputation for the highest of standards. In 2023, Penrice was recognised as the top-performing Cornish state secondary school for Progress 8 and Attainment 8. But more importantly, our students are happy, they feel they belong here, they feel safe and achieve many successes in all kinds of fields - we are immensely proud of them! Staff and students nurture wonderful relationships that help students to achieve.
At Penrice, every child matters. We seek to work with students and parents to ensure that each individual achieves their full potential. We want all our students to feel challenged, but supported. Our aim is to guide all students so that they gain qualifications, life experiences and the tools to prosper beyond Penrice.
School should be about opportunities, new experiences and special memories!
Penrice Academy is a part of Cornwall Education Learning Trust and is an Ofsted Outstanding school (last assessed in 2014).
“I have never felt more at home anywhere that I’ve worked before. The support, the personal development, the passion - there’s nowhere like it”
Why Work at Penrice?
Penrice Academy is a fast-paced, driven and forward-thinking school, with a determination to give our students the best possible life chances. We have the highest expectations of our students’ behaviour, engagement and academic outcomes. Our students come to school ready and excited to learn. We offer unparalleled career development opportunities for all.
Our enthusiastic and dedicated team of teaching staff, support staff, leadership staff and our trainees come together every day of the academic year with one collective mission; to help every one of our students enjoy and thrive at their school.
Our Students
The opportunities on offer at Penrice are incredible; multiple sports teams, annual drama productions, termly music celebrations. We have superstars in catering, enterprising, media and technology. The list is endless, the results are fantastic and something we are all extremely proud of.
All students have the chance to take part, whatever their level. We also offer trips abroad to France and Spain to help the learning of a modern language, London to soak up the cosmopolitan culture or opportunities to go white water rafting, snowboarding or, closer to home, climbing, surfing and exploring our beautiful county.
We believe this balance of academic study and life experience is integral to getting the most out of school.
“Penrice Academy has opened doors for me that I never knew existed.”
Our Staff
Our teachers, support staff and governors play a huge part in our community here at Penrice. Each and every one of them helps in daily support, encouragement, teaching and development of each and every one of our students.
Our Governors
Penrice Academy has its own Local Governing Body who are responsible for:
· Setting the ethos and character of the Academy
· Interacting with students, staff and parents on Academy performance, curriculum, the conduct of students and admissions
· Holding the staff of the academy to account for standards
“It is all about the students for me - I feel totally inspired to be here every day, because of them.”
Investing in Your Career Development
Penrice Academy is committed to developing all staff and providing career opportunities and pathways. It is vital that we encourage staff to be reflective and then assist them in becoming outstanding practitioners.
Staff are encouraged to undertake internal targeted CPD, external courses focusing on Teaching and Learning such as ‘Outstanding Teaching and Coaching’, ‘Good to Outstanding’ and subject specific development. Penrice also provides extensive opportunities for non-teaching staff such as training in digital design, Human Resources, Forest School, SIMS, IT, Child Protection and many, many more. We want to be an outstanding employer.
On top of all of this, there are also regular Teach Meet workshops and the increasingly-popular Penrice CPD Podcast – Penrice Talks, which launched in November 2021.
“Constantly improving and developing myself as a teacher is really important to me. Penrice encourages this - every day.”
What do Parents say?
We always seek to be open and transparent with our whole school community. This is all part of being a successful school that strives for continuous improvement.
Every year we run a Parent Voice Survey. The full results of the 2022 Parent Voice Survey can be found here (PDF: 884kb), including all actions in response to feedback.
We Have a School Farm!
Need to wind down during a break or free lesson? - You can pet our animals on the farm!
We are very lucky here at Penrice Academy to have our own farm. The farm was opened in 2019 and has proven to be a fabulous addition to the school.
Our farm animals have all been specially chosen for their gentle temperaments and are a great way of building confidence and self-esteem in our students. Animals are a great form of therapy and our farm animals provide emotional support through calm interactions to students that need it.
The animals we have on our farm are:
2 Cats
2 Golden Guernsey goats
1 North Ronaldsay sheep
1 miniature Shetland pony
2 Kune Kune pigs
4 guinea pigs
2 rabbits
2 degus
1 hamster
1 bearded dragon
A variety of chickens, including 10 ex caged hens that we have rescued.
We also have our own visiting farm dog - Delphi.
Partnership Challenge
Leadership is the key to any organisation; identifying, nurturing and encouraging leaders to be the very best allows Penrice to be the very best.
National courses such as NPQML, NPQSL, local middle leader training, females into leadership and NPQH allow staff to go from their NQT year to leading the school. All ECT's and new leaders are provided with a mentor, to ask those daft questions that sometimes you don’t want to ask. Opportunities to progress and improve are constant and create a real buzz and drive around the school.
Cornwall Education Learning Trust (CELT)
As part of an Academy Trust, we are proud to work together with local schools, sharing teaching, learning and support resources.
The Cornwall Education Learning Trust sees professionals such as teaching, IT and Finance staff acting as support across the communities. This enables us to share good practice and ideas, challenge each other to do better and work together to further improve quality of teaching and learning.
School location
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