Head Teacher

Name of Interim Head Teacher: Heidi Shanker

Salary: Group 3: L11 - L24 £69,407 - £91,095 including Inner London Allowance (depending on experience)

Hours Full Time, School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document

Learning together to aspire and achieve. 

Our key values are Respect, Empathy, Aspire, Courage and Honesty (REACH for the stars) 

The School: 

We have a truly multi-cultural school population with the largest group at present from Eastern Europe as well as Africa, Indian sub-continent, the Middle East, the Caribbean and more besides. Our children are very motivated to learn, well-behaved and really appreciate good teaching and enriching activities. They are trusted to perform a number of helping roles in the playground and dining hall and are consulted through School Council.

Our staff reflect the pupil population, and we have access to their cultural and linguistic knowledge which aids communication with parents and children. Teachers and Teaching Assistants are committed and creative and always keen to reflect on their practice and learn new skills. They have benefited greatly from the partnership with a larger Brent primary school that has widened their experience and enhanced their knowledge of different teaching approaches and contexts.

Our school bursar is very experienced and leads an efficient admin team.

We have a hardworking and highly effective Parent Support Advisor who builds robust relationships with parents that proved its value during the partial Covid19 school shutdown.

Our site supervisor does so much more than the title suggests. He is proud of the school and always looking for ways to improve the building and the grounds. We employ our own chef, kitchen staff and cleaners who are committed to the schools and its values.

A Section 5 graded Ofsted Inspection in February 2023 concluded that Chalkhill Primary is a good school.

The quality of teaching is regularly monitored, and extensive work has been carried out on a new curriculum. There is regular school based INSET as well as access to online training opportunities and working with the school effectiveness partners at the local authority. The learning environment has been enhanced by the governing body’s investment in extensive refurbishment of teaching areas and the provision of a purpose designed multimedia library, nurture base room and music room. The school has a separate full-size Sports Hall. We have shown that we value our staff through the provision of a new staffroom and well equipped PPA area.

We see parents as a child’s first teacher and build a partnership based on that foundation. We have a very high attendance at parent consultation evenings and the regular Parents Forum, held at the start of the school day, have had attendances of over 80. There are presentations, Q&As, guest speakers and participation sessions on issues such as the school vision. The school has an open-door policy, and any problems are dealt with swiftly.

The Post:

At Chalkhill Primary School we aim to provide a safe, secure and healthy environment where all children are encouraged to be independent learners and thinkers.

Through quality teaching and high expectations, we provide opportunities for our children to access an enriched and creative curriculum.

Chalkhill Primary School has a strong sense of community, where we learn and support each other. We have a dedicated Inclusion Team with a Parent Support Advisor/ Community Cohesion Leader and P2B, who work tirelessly with our staff and the wider community to provide rich life experiences and support for children, parents, and the staff community.

We offer a senior leadership team that has developed its skills during the period of partnership with another local school with many acting up in new roles at Chalkhill and assisting the Executive Headteacher in her endeavours to improve the quality of its teaching and provision. They rose to the challenge and the experience has proved invaluable in transferring lessons learned to our school.

We provide well-planned opportunities for staff development. Teachers and other staff value the support they receive from the school’s leaders, especially concerning their workload.

The work at the school is underpinned by a highly experienced, motivated Governing Board, who understand and takes pride in their responsibilities. They hold leaders to account for the quality of the school’s work.

Chalkhill Primary School is looking for an outstanding headteacher who is committed to the safeguarding and the welfare of all pupils, in a nurturing and inclusive environment.

Within the framework of statutory and local requirements, the successful candidate will be able to provide ambitious, dynamic, and inspirational leadership, promoting a secure foundation to build upon the school’s strengths and high expectations and move the school forward on to new successes.

The Governing Board is seeking to appoint a strong leader who will continue to promote the school’s current ethos, provide vision, leadership, and strategic direction for the school, ensuring that it is managed and organised to meet its aims and targets, formulating policies for their implementation and development and, in association with the governing board and staff, devise and monitor an agreed development plan.

The Person: 

• Resilience, flexibility, and ability to retain a sense of perspective.
• Calm, patient and approachable.
• Ability to manage time well and work under pressure to deadlines.
• Ability to form and maintain appropriate professional relationships within school and the wider community.
• Effective interpersonal, communication and presentation skills; both written and oral.
• Resilience, flexibility, and ability to retain a sense of perspective.
• Ability and experience of going through a successful Ofsted Inspection.

How to apply:

Visit to the school is encouraged. Date and time can be arranged by emailing admin@chalkhill.brent.sch.uk

To apply, please visit our website via the button below.

Closing Date: Monday 19th February 2024 by mid-day.

Interview Date:  Tuesday 27th February 2024.

Start Date: September 2024.

Brent Schools are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Successful applicants will be required to undergo a DBS check. As part of the shortlisting process, we will carry out an online search as part of our due diligence on the shortlisted candidates.

This is an essential legal requirement.