Welcome

Message from our Chair of Governors – David Buckle

Thank you for your interest in the position of Headteacher at Higham Lane School. This information pack has been compiled to give you key information about our school and the role for which you are applying.

Higham Lane School is a large, 11-18 mixed comprehensive academy, fully inclusive, catering for the needs of all students regardless of academic ability or prior attainment. It is set on an attractive site on the Warwickshire-Leicestershire border, easily accessible due to excellent road, train and bus connections. The original school building dates back to 1939.

Our Headteacher, Phil Kelly, retires in August 2022 after 16 years of distinguished service as Headteacher of our school. During this time, so much has been achieved: an outstanding judgement from Ofsted and World Class Schools status; the school becoming an academy in 2011; the opening of our successful Sixth Form and being given provisional permission to open a new secondary school in our local area as we begin to become a multi-academy trust.

Most importantly, we have continuously improved our school in so many ways to benefit our students and the community. Higham Lane School remains high-performing, highly-regarded and over-subscribed. We are now seeking to appoint an outstanding and inspirational Headteacher, who will continue to develop our school and lead us to the next stage of excellence.

Looking Ahead

We recognise that there is further important work to be done in moving the school forward under a different and more challenging Ofsted Framework and following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We recognise that no outstanding school is the finished article and there are always improvements to be made; the last two years have been extremely difficult for all schools. So please do not feel that in joining us to lead our school, you will be arriving at a school where everything is in place and there are no challenges.

Senior and middle leaders, and governors have identified some key next steps in our development, and they are committed and enthusiastic to address these.

Your Application Form and Application Tasks

We welcome applications for this key post from experienced, successful senior leaders. If you are an experienced senior leader who is wholeheartedly committed to delivering a high-quality, inclusive educational experience, and also have the skills, experience, and knowledge required to lead and manage our school whilst sharing our values, ethos, and vision, we would like to invite you to apply for this post.

We are really looking forward to reading your application and your response to the application tasks. As well as completing the application form, please also complete the following tasks:

• How your experience and track record as a school senior leader make you the most suitable candidate to lead Higham Lane School to continuously improve in its next stage of development, including how you will retain the judgement of outstanding at its next Ofsted inspection. (Please give very specific examples of what you have done and what you will do at Higham Lane School to illustrate this with reference to curriculum, teaching and learning, behaviour and other relevant issues). Two sides of A4 maximum.
• Your educational values and leadership style - what you believe a school should offer and how you will work with staff, students and other stakeholders.
• One side of A4 maximum.