Head Teacher

Come and join the UK's largest provider of complex care. We proudly employ over 4000+ people - no matter what your experience, we have jobs for everyone.

It’s an exciting time to join the Active Care Group! We are seeking an experienced, strategic, inspiring and determined Head Teacher who has a passion for working with young people who have challenging behaviour and social, emotional and mental health needs. Our school is part of the Active Care Group which caters for up to 37 young people aged 12-18yrs being treated in an inpatient Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (Tier 4 CAMHs).

We are looking for a Head Teacher who is confident, resilient and innovative; a strong communicator who has high expectations and drive, is empathetic to the complex needs of young people and has an understanding of the impact of families and staff under pressure. You will be a champion for young people who is determined to deliver the highest quality of education, wide ranging interventions to support the unmet social, emotional and mental health needs of young people and make a real difference in young people’s lives and their futures.

In our recent Ofsted inspection we were rated good. Students enjoy school; they say, “I like doing schoolwork – it acts as a break away from the fact that you are in hospital; it is probably the most normal part of being an inpatient” Staff have high expectations of students and they gently encourage them to try their best in every lesson. Students consider that the belief and constant encouragement from staff really helps their recovery

Located in Staffordshire, Ivestsey Bank is a 37 bedded hospital specialising in supporting children and young people with severe or complex mental health conditions who need intensive inpatient treatment. We are dedicated to providing caring, supportive, recovery-focused treatment and we achieve this by working together with our young people, their families and other professionals. The site is part of the wider ACG Mental Health Network and a key partner in the West Midlands CAMHS Provider Collaborative, lead by Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust.

Our model of care is clinically led and has been put together by our doctors, nurses, psychologists, therapists, social worker and other experts in this field. It also builds upon the feedback we have received from young people and their families about what matters to them.

We draw on a wide range of evidence to help inform how we treat and support every young person we care for. A genuine person-centred approach sits at the heart of our model because no two individuals share exactly the same needs, hopes and challenges.

We have our own Ofsted registered school on site so our young people can continue with their studies while receiving treatment, provided they are well enough to attend.

There are three separate units on our Stafford site spread across two buildings:

Wedgwood: Eating Disorders Service

Hartley: Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit

Thorneycroft: General Adolescent Service.

Each unit has its own dedicated Consultant-led Multi-Disciplinary Team who are experts in looking after and treating young people with severe, enduring and complex mental health conditions.

What you'll be working:

37.5 hours per week – Monday to Friday, Term Time Only

What you'll be doing:

• Drive progressive and sustainable improvements to secure outstanding outcomes for our students
• Lead and inspire staff to deliver an outstanding curriculum whilst seeking to continuously improve the learning environment
• Build on our reputation and influence to generate partnerships, sponsors, additional capital and income
• Assess the needs of each individual child and young person and apply consistent strategies and interventions that support young people to overcome barriers to learning in order to effectively re-engage and reintegrate them back onto their learning journey
• Work in partnership with a range of mainstream schools, special schools, therapists and agencies in order to support each individual child and young person in achieving their maximum potential
• Communicate closely with parents, carers and school staff to help them to overcome the difficulties experienced by their child or young person and provide opportunities for them to work with their child or young person in reflecting on their behaviour, identify coping strategies and identifying how giving time and praise helps the behaviour change process

What you'll have:

• Qualified Teacher Status
• Teaching Degree
• National professional qualification for headship (NPQH) or equivalent leadership experience
• Experience of a working in a CAMHS unit
• Successful leadership and management experience in a school
• Understanding of school finances and financial management
• A commitment to getting the best outcomes for all pupils and promoting the ethos and values of the group and school
• Understanding of high-quality teaching based on evidence, and the ability to model this for others and support others to improve

We also want to ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable facilities to participate in job applications or interviews to perform essential job functions. To support this, we are a Disability Confident committed employer.

What to look forward to:

• Term Time Only

• Join the Active Learning Hub and benefit from a wide range of e learning and face to face training and development opportunities

• Active Reward App giving discounts and savings on your weekly shop

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  Free 24 hour confidential Employee Assistance Programme Helpline & App to support with legal, health, wellbeing, relationship and consumer advice

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  A Nest Personal Pension account

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  Access to join a Medicash Health Plan for you and your family to save money on everyday health essentials – like going to the dentist or opticians

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  We recognise outstanding Active Behaviours via the Active Awards programme

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  Enhanced Sick & Maternity Pay benefits

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  Refer a Friend Scheme and earn yourself up to £1000 by recommending someone you know

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  ……and, of course, the support and guidance of our qualified clinical and business leadership teams so that you can really develop your career with Active Care Group