Headteacher
The Gryphon School, Sherborne, Dorset, DT9 4EQThis job expired on 15 April 2024
Start date details
September 2024
Closing date
15 April 2024 at 9am
Date listed
14 March 2024
Job details
Job role
- Headteacher
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Key stage
- Key stage 3, Key stage 4, Key stage 5
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Pay scale
- Leadership Pay Scale: L28 - L34 (starting point negotiable subject to skills, experience etc.)
What skills and experience we're looking for
Applications are invited for the post of Headteacher at The Gryphon School. This is a fantastic opportunity to join and lead a vibrant school community with a very dedicated and hardworking staff team, excellent facilities and wonderful students.
The school is part of SAST, which is a multi-academy trust, with 18 schools (5 secondaries and 13 primaries) across Dorset and South Somerset. As a Trust we have more than 5,700 students and over 850 members of staff has. At the heart of the trust is the desire to work in partnership, to collaborate with others and to be outward facing for the benefit of children and staff. We believe in preserving Schools in their local community.
The Gryphon School is one of our leading secondary schools, serving students from across the local area. It has an excellent reputation, and strives to continuously improve the education it delivers.
We are looking for an outstanding individual who:
- Provides inspirational, strategic and professional leadership and management
- Is an excellent senior leader and teacher
- Has a passion for education
- Is able to inspire and motivate our learners and staff
- Has high expectations to enable students to be the best that they can be
- Is able to promote high standards of behaviour, mutual respect and care for all
- Is a team player with the desire to learn and lead
- Is sympathetic to our Christian values
- Is committed to partnership, collaboration and sharing, an essential component of being part of a Trust
What the school offers its staff
We can provide you with:
- Supportive, experienced school team of staff
- The chance to make a difference and contribute to the school’s future development
- High quality CPD and networking opportunities
- The opportunity to work within SAST, a forward-thinking and growing multi-academy trust who support the school with central services teams including School Improvement, HR, IT, Estates, Finance and Marketing.
- Support and collaboration with other schools across the Trust.
You are warmly encouraged to get in touch prior to application to discuss the position. Steve Smith, Director of Education is available to have an informal discussion with interested applicants about the role. Please contact him by email on Steve.Smith@sast.org.uk. You are also most welcome to visit the school.
Further details about the role
You are asked to provide the following:
- A completed application form.
- A letter of application of no more than 2 sides of A4 explaining your vision for the school and how your skills and experience would enable you to fulfil the role of Headteacher at The Gryphon School Completed applications should be returned by email to recruitment@sast.org.uk
SAST will conduct online searches of shortlisted candidates. In line with KCSIE guidance, this will be part of safer recruitment checks, and the search will purely be based on whether an individual is suitable to work with children. As care must be taken to avoid unconscious bias and any risk of discrimination, a person who will not be on the appointment panel will conduct the searches and will only share information if and when findings are relevant and of concern.
SAST recognises the benefit of having a diverse workforce and is committed to building a workforce which reflects diversity from the communities it serves. SAST values the contributions from all staff from a wide range of different backgrounds and actively seeks to promote an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment and at the same time supports fair promotion and cultural acceptance. Under the provision of the Equality Act 2010 SAST welcomes applications from everyone and operates a recruitment process which is fair and does not discriminate against or disadvantage anyone because of their age, disability, gender reassignment status, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race or nationality, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
This role is UK- based and your right to work will need to be established as part of the appointment process.
Commitment to safeguarding
Safeguarding responsibilities associated with this role may include engagement in regulatory activity, such as administering first aid or supporting an upset child. It will have contact with young people on a day-to-day basis. SAST is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The post is subject to safeguarding checks, including an enhanced DBS check and Children’s Barred List check. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020.
Upload additional documents
If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.
About The Gryphon School
- School type
- Academy, Church of England, ages 11 to 18
- Education phase
- View all Secondaryjobs
- School size
- 1514 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 18
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report (opens in new tab)
- School website
- The Gryphon School website (opens in new tab)
- Email address
- office@sast.org.uk
The Gryphon is a wonderful place to work and has a special atmosphere and feel. It became a founder member of SAST a multi-academy trust established in June 2017. The Good Schools Guide 2023 concludes that ‘A big school with a small school feel is exactly right. No child goes unnoticed and teachers seem to be genuinely motivated to see pupils progress to the best of their ability. An impressive capacity to cater for extremely different academic needs in a nurturing environment. No wonder it’s over-subscribed’.
We are an outward looking school with exceptional community links as well as strong relationships with other good and outstanding schools across the South West and nationally.
We are a comprehensive school serving a diverse community. Our high quality support staff make a real difference to our students. Teaching is often outstanding, and consistently at least good across all subjects and key stages. Teachers are provided with the resources to make lessons stimulating and practical and have excellent subject knowledge. They make sure students are very clear about what is demanded of them and how to improve. The School’s very positive entry in the Good School Guide describes pastoral care and discipline as ‘excellent’. Students are reflective, behave with great courtesy, and are heavily involved in working with staff to improve the school and the welfare of others.
The Gryphon gains high results for its students at both GCSE and A Level. Our large Sixth Form of 380 students is exceptional. We have an outstanding record of success in university entrance, including places at Oxford, Cambridge and other Russell Group universities, as well as for training places and apprenticeships.
Our 2023 GCSE exam results were, once again, excellent. 26 students achieved nine or more 7s, 8s and 9s with many staying on to attend The Gryphon Sixth Form.
Additionally, our A level results were excellent with 61 students receiving straight A, A* and B results including five students heading off to Oxford and Cambridge, and three students going on to study medicine.
In May 2022 our inspection as a Church School (SIAMS) judged us to be Excellent. Our most recent Ofsted visit, in June 2023, was very positive and confirmed our status as a “good school”. Our focus, which reflects our Church School status, is that we should be a “10:10” school; where students and staff experience life in all of its fullness. So for us education is more than just exam results – we place great value on the personal development of each student. We aim for them to leave school as well-rounded young people with a strong sense of what is socially, morally and culturally acceptable, and to feel that they have a contribution to make to the wider community. Digital learning is important at The Gryphon School including the use of mobile technology; we want our young people to use technology responsibly and to enhance their learning.
In summary, we are a true team with a great sense of pride in what we collectively achieve and we embrace the challenge for achievement to be even higher. Our special culture and ethos focuses on enabling students to be the best that they can, both personally and academically, supported by the tremendous work and care of all our staff. We continue to strive to be outstanding in all aspects of school life.
Arranging a visit to The Gryphon School
To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email office@sast.org.uk.
School location
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