Welcome
Dear Applicant,
Thank you for your interest in joining the leadership team as Head Teacher at Cherry Oak School. The Federation of Cherry Oak School and Victoria School offers a wonderful opportunity to make a significant difference to the lives of our young people and to develop your leadership and management skills in a positive and supportive environment.
At Cherry Oak School we are on an ambitious journey of improvement. We have so many great ideas and developments already in place, but we now need a leader who can complete the vision and bring these plans to fruition. We are keen to see the ideas fully embedded and achieving the very best outcomes for our young people.
At our last Ofsted Inspection in February 2020, the Lead Inspector commented that it is “an exciting time” to be a part of Cherry Oak School. There are opportunities for developing the curriculum, influencing the school’s culture, enhancing staff knowledge and skills and evidencing our pupils’ success. Are you the right person to lead the school in its next phase of improvement?
To help you in this task, you will have a supportive Executive Head Teacher and Governing Board, a team of Federation staff to assist with finance, administration, human relations, ICT, site and maintenance issues. You will also have the privilege of working with a small but supportive team of school leaders and managers in education and pastoral care. The larger staff team of teachers and teaching assistants is highly committed to Cherry Oak and bring an enormous wealth of knowledge and skills to their roles. The parent body too is justifiably proud of their school and keen to support in building the Cherry Oak community. Of course, the most important people of all are the pupils – all 112 of them, who will be waiting with their winning smiles and enthusiasm to greet their new Head Teacher!
If you are interested in this fantastic opportunity, we would love to hear from you. Please contact Martin Blair at Hays Leadership on 07736791138 or at martin.blair@hays.com for a private and confidential discussion.
Best wishes and warmest regards,
Julie Fardell
Executive Head Teacher
About us
Cherry Oak School
Cherry Oak School is a community special school maintained by Birmingham City Council (BCC). It is part of a federation with Victoria School. Being in federation means there is one Board of Governors, but each school still retains its own character and identity. The federation gives us the schools the opportunity to share expertise, training, resources and a team of federated non-educational support staff.
Cherry Oak is a Primary Special School for children aged 4-11 years. The pupils have Speech, Language and Communication Difficulties and/or Cognition and Learning Difficulties. Approximately half of the pupils are diagnosed as being on the Autism Spectrum. All have Education, Health and Care Plans and are referred to the school via BCC’s Special Education Needs Assessment and Review service, known as SENAR. The current enrolment is 112, which is full to capacity!
The School is located in Frederick Road, Selly Oak. Primarily residential in nature, Frederick Road is located close to Selly Oak’s growing retail centre, transport hub and the beautiful Selly Oak Park.
Cherry Oak prides itself on its commitment to:
- Total communication and language-rich environment
- Supportive pastoral care and family support
- Developing independent living skills
- Enrichment activities including multiple opportunities in the creative arts, especially drama
It is a lovely school with real “heart” and a committed staff team. Cherry Oak has embarked on an exciting journey towards developing bespoke curricula to meet the needs of each learner. Although not yet fully embedded, it is an exciting journey of which to be a part.
For more information, please visit www.cherryoak.bham.sch.uk
Victoria School
Victoria School is a large, all-through community special school, also maintained by Birmingham City Council. It caters for pupils and students aged 2 to 19 years who have physical disability and/or complex health care needs, together with learning difficulties. There are 227 young people enrolled, who have an enormous range of abilities, skills and interests. Some of the young people sit their GCSE Entry level qualifications in Key Stage 3 or 4. There are also pupils who have profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD). Victoria has a regional MSI (Multi-Sensory Impairment) Unit for deaf-blind children. It uses a total communication approach and takes pride in its rich and varied curriculum, which places strong emphasis on learning through the arts: visual art, music, dance and drama.
Located in Northfield in the south of Birmingham, Victoria shares an educational precinct with 3 other educational facilities: Victoria College for young adults aged 19-25 years with PMLD, Longwill Primary School for Deaf Children, and a secondary campus of James Brindley Academy. The school is well equipped with a hydrotherapy pool, Snoezelen Room, Softplay, Library, Science Room, Music Room, Drama Studio and engaging outdoor spaces including a Sculpture Trail and Solar Dome. Victoria is a vibrant community of pupils, staff and families.
For more information, please visit www.victoria.bham.sch.uk
Federation of Cherry Oak School and Victoria School
The opportunity
Role:
Headteacher
Salary:
L19 – L23
Location:
Birmingham
Core purpose
- Working with the Executive Headteacher, Governing Body and School Leadership Team to provide leadership for the school and Federation which secures its success and continuous improvement, ensuring high quality education for all its pupils and the highest standards of learning and achievement, in accordance with statutory requirements.
- Day-to-day management of the school.
The Job Description and Person Specification are available in the Key Documents section of this site.
Key documents
Timeline
Closing date: 8am, Monday 5th October
Interviews: 14th and 15th October
Start date: January 2021
How to apply
For further information, an informal and confidential discussion about the role or to discuss the application process please contact Martin Blair at Hays Leadership Appointments.
Martin Blair
Hays Leadership Appointments
Tel: 07736791138
Email: martin.blair@hays.com
Location
Cherry Oak School
60 Frederick Rd,Birmingham
B29 6PB
