thekingstonacademy.org

Business & Operations DirectorArchitects of outstanding educational leadership and provision

Dear Candidate

Thank you for your interest in applying for the post of School Business & Operations Director at The Kingston Academy. We are a new school with a dynamic staff, a hardworking, fun first cohort of History Makers and an ambitious, exciting journey awaits us all. We will epand from our current cohort to become a school of 1200 students and in excess of 100 staff.

This post presents a unique opportunity, to help build not just a school but to shape an organisation from our first steps that will offer a first class education for many generations that follow.

The Kingston Academy is a much anticipated new Free Secondary School in North Kingston. We opened our doors for the first time in September 2015 with a cohort of Year 7 pupils and will grow annually by an additional year group until 2021. The school has received a substantial capital grant for the refurbishment of the existing educational facilities and for additional new modern buildings. Our mission is to provide a first class education for all the young people within our community and to ensure that every pupil is safe, happy and succeeds.

To secure this we will undergo a significant building project on the site we are currently based. We must also build our team year on year, attracting the very best professionals to serve our pupils. We are therefore seeking to appoint a highly skilled, professional School Business and Operations Manager. The successful applicant will provide strategic and operational leadership, planning and management of the school business and support systems, including facilities, administration, Human Resources, and health & safety that contribute to creating the conditions for all pupils to experience success. You will find further information about the school on our website.

I hope when you have read this you will be inspired to apply.Once again, thank you for your interest in this post.

Yours sincerely,

Sophie M CavanaghHead Teacher - The Kingston AcademySophie M Cavanagh

Staff Recruitment

kingstoneducationaltrust.org

Position: Business and Operations DirectorSalary: Grade I, Points 39-44 (£43,000 - £48,000)Contract: Permanent Commencement: January 2016

Application Process

You are asked to complete and include the following:

Application Form - Complete a Support Staff application form in full, available on the website, leaving no gaps in your work history.

Application statement - Two sides of A4, please address the following: • why you would like to work at The Kingston Academy• what you would bring to the school in relation to this role • what else you are able to contribute to the school taking TKA ‘beyond what schools ordinarily do’

Completed applications should be emailed to jfree@thekingstonacademy.org. The closing date for applications is 30th November. Interviews to be held the week beginning 7th December.

Interview Procedure

The interview process will contain a number of exercises, a presentation and panel interview.

The governing body is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. An Enhanced DBS check will be carried out for the successful candidate.

Our vision for the school

Going Beyond What Schools Ordinarily DoValuing all, expecting excellence, learning from the best and striving for improvement.

kingstoneducationaltrust.org

Background to the schoolKingston Education Trust (KET) is the body formed to start up the new secondary school in North Kingston, The Kingston Academy. It was established in 2010 as a partnership between Kingston University, Kingston College and the Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames. KET was established to respond to community expectations that sufficient, local and fully-inclusive secondary school places should be available in North Kingston. KET bid for approval and funding to set up the new school through the Free School process and was successful in May 2013. KET has worked closely with the Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames to agree on the availability of a specific site, which has now been vacated.

Peter Mayhew-SmithKingston College

Andy HudsonKingston University

Graham Willett Royal Borough of Kingston

Darren JacobCommunity Trustee

Sue ConderCommunity Trustee

Sophie Cavanagh Head Teacher

Kingston Educational Trust Trustees

• An inclusive ethos where all are welcome to the school and everyone is valued for who they are and what they offer.

• A focus on learning to learn, which will be at the heart of our pedagogy to ensure that all of our students will learn more effectively.

• The strongest possible emphasis on communication that will ensure that our students are able to interact freely and with confidence with as wide a range of audiences and across as many forms of expression as possible.

• A curriculum that celebrates all disciplines including STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) to ensure our students have a deep and rich understanding of the world around them.

• A belief in the power of new technologies and the online world to develop our students as digital citizens and to enhance, support and stimulate the learning experience.

• Purposeful and challenging learning across the curriculum that will help to ensure that all of our young people are able to succeed to their highest potential.

• A strong global dimension that will enrich our students’ learning and broaden their knowledge of other people and cultures.

• Successful partnerships and links to external institutions and industry experts to support our students.

The Kingston Academy, a school with …

• Provides effective pastoral care to ensure that all students are well-known and understood, and which will support all of our young people to be able to perform as well as they possibly can.

• Promotes healthy lifestyles to provide our students with sound advice and guidance and opportunities to engage in a range of physical activities that will offer something for all.

• Prepares young people for life beyond the boundaries of the school and after our students have moved on to the next phase of their lives.

• Provides an outstanding educational experience for local children.

• Nurtures and challenges children’s intellectual and imaginative capacities as intelligence is not fixed and aspirations matter.

• Empowers learners and their teachers by bringing tools (mobile technology/devices) into the centre ground of activity. The use of these technologies will be commonplace as ‘Digital Literacy’ will be an overarching aspect of school life.

• Strives to maximise students’ potential for later schooling, post-school education, training and employment and for the quality of life itself so that they can contribute to and enjoy living within a society.

• Encourages students to take a lead in shaping their own learning.

The Kingston Academy, a school that …

kingstoneducationaltrust.org

• Aspiration knows no bounds, from which outcomes are outstanding and whose reputation is unparalleled.

• Purposeful and challenging learning will be the cornerstone of the school’s success and excellence.

• Parents matter and make a difference.• All students will enjoy learning, make

excellent progress, attain high outcomes and be helped to become confident individuals and responsible citizens.

• Learning pathways are tailored to students’ individual talents and special needs, and progression of learning is closely monitored.

• All students will benefit from strong leadership, an inclusive ethos and practice, excellent teaching and a broad and balanced curriculum in a local school.

• The physical environment impacts positively on learning.

• Young people are challenged to risk failure, to collaborate, to reflect on their experiences and learning and to learn to overcome adversity and difficulty.

• Students will be encouraged to raise concerns for themselves and on behalf of others with confidence.

• Sport and physical development are celebrated and friendly rivalry is seen as natural and healthy.

The Kingston Academy, a school where …

The Kingston Academy, a school which offers …

• A safe place for young people to interact with others, learn, play, research, explore and discover for themselves including in online spaces.

• A strong sense of identity for all its students, with an emphasis on their understanding of their valued place as a young citizen contributing to the wider world.

• A diverse, enriched curriculum. A significant proportion of our curriculum time will be devoted to the STEM subjects: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, but will be taught alongside more traditional subjects such as English, Humanities, Languages and the Expressive and Performing Arts.

• World class exam results. Students will study qualifications that are of genuine value and be encouraged and supported to maximise their potential.

• Regular assessment. Whilst the school will place a strong emphasis on stimulating, engaging and nurturing students, it will regularly review students’ progress and development and personalise learning where necessary.

• Highly qualified, professional teaching staff who have a passion for teaching and learning. Teachers who can enthusiastically convey their subject to all students and create enjoyment and excitement.

• Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for all staff. In the interest of life-long learning, our valued staff will participate in their own personal and professional development to enhance their knowledge and skills and keep abreast of new technologies, methodologies and pedagogical practices, in order to enrich the daily lives of students.

• Rewards for those students who achieve highly, sustain good and respectful behaviour, complete all activities with admirable effort and maintain high standards throughout their school career.

Pastoral Support

Our new school will be fully inclusive and devoted to its students’ success. To make this a reality, its curriculum will be underpinned by a strong pastoral system, built round personal tutors who will stay with their tutor groups through the whole time they are at the school. This vertical tutoring approach will be supported by active training and development for the tutoring staff to ensure they are always well-equipped to deal with the challenges faced by young people as they grow up through school and find their feet in the world. We believe that this strategy will provide the right mix of challenge and support to ensure that every student’s potential is identified and realised through their time at the school.

It will be especially important for us to ensure that, as the first cohort of young people join the school’s inaugural Year 7, there is a high level of integration between them as well as an effective pastoral system to cultivate their ambitions. We see investment in our pastoral care system as a key priority for achieving the high levels of motivation and curiosity we aspire to for our students.

We will also introduce a house system to ensure that every student has an additional point of engagement with the breadth of the school’s life and can contribute to team successes in their different individual ways. We believe it is important for our school’s young people to have a strong sense of belonging and mutual support within an ethos that will ask more of them while giving them the skills, confidence and encouragement to achieve more.

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021Year 7Year 8Year 9Year 10Year 11Year 12

Year 13Totals 180 360 540 720 900 1044 1188

StructureStructure of the School

180 180 180 180 180 180 180180 180 180 180 180 180

180 180 180 180 180180 180 180 180 180 180 180 144 144

144

Curriculum Offer

English & Drama

Geography

Maths

Digital Literacy

Science

Philosophy& Ethics

Music

MFL

Art

PE

History

Technology

ASPIRE - SMART

kingstoneducationaltrust.org

Job Description Business and Operations DirectorResponsible to:

Head Teacher.

Job Purpose

Responsible for: Operations, Recruitment, Administration, Support Staff, Premises, Project Management, ICT, Catering, Personnel, Contracts and Contract procurement.

• The Business and Operations Director (BOD) is the school’s leading operations staff professional and works as part of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) to assist the Head Teacher in her duty to ensure that the school meets its educational aims.

• The BOD is responsible for providing professional leadership and management of school support staff in partnership with teaching staff, to enhance their effectiveness in order to achieve improved standards of learning and achievement in the school.

• The BOD promotes the highest standards of business ethos within the administrative function of the school and strategically ensures the most effective use of resources in support of the school’s learning objectives.

• The BOD is responsible for the Resource Management/Administration Management/ICT Infrastructure Management/ Human Resource Management/Facility & Property Management/Health & Safety Management of the School. The BOD serves as the Academy’s Chief Financial Officer and is responsible for ensuring compliance with the Academies Financial Handbook.

• The BOD will project manage on behalf of the Trust all building projects.

General Duties Leadership & Strategy

• Attend Senior Management/Leadership Team meetings and relevant committees to the Board.• Negotiate and influence strategic decision making within the school’s Senior Management/

Leadership Team.• Contribute to the Academy Development Plan and its delivery.• In the absence of the Head Teacher, take delegated responsibility for operational and other

decisions.

General Duties Leadership & Strategy • Ensure the Academy financial policies, systems and practices meet the requirements of the

Academies Financial Handbook.• Actively monitor and control performance to achieve value for money, identifying and informing

the Head Teacher and Trustees of the causes of significant variance to budget and take prompt corrective action. Propose revisions to the budget if necessary, in response to significant or unforeseen developments. Provide ongoing budgetary information to relevant people.

• Advise the Head Teacher and Governors if fraudulent activities are suspected or uncovered.• Maximise income through lettings and other activities.• Select types of investments which are appropriate for the school, taking account of risks, views

of stakeholders and identify possible and suitable providers in order to maximise return.• Present timely and fully costed proposals, recommendations or bids.• Put formal finance agreements in place with suitable providers for agreed amounts, at agreed

times and appropriate agreed costs and repayment schedules.• Monitor the effectiveness and implementation of contracts and Service Level Agreements and

ensure procurement adheres at all times to best value principles.

Management• Manage the whole school administrative function and lead all support staff.• Design and maintain administrative systems that deliver outcomes based on the school’s aims

and goals below.• Manage systems and link processes that interact across the school to form complete systems• Define responsibilities, information and support for staff and other stakeholders • Develop process measures that are affordable and that will enable value for money decisions for

those managing resources.• Establish and use effective methods to review and improve administrative systems.• Use data analysis, evaluation and reporting systems to maximum effect by ensuring systems are

streamlined to maximise efficiency and avoid duplication.• Benchmark systems and information to assess trends and make appropriate recommendations.• Prepare financial and other statutory returns required by the DFE, EFA, LA and TPS and other

agencies and stakeholders. • Line manage a number of the Operations Team. Currently this will involve key operational staff

but will grow in time to include an IT Manager, HR personnel, site staff and other operatives.

Human Resource Management• Manage in partnership with our payroll provider and finance consultants the payroll services for

all school staff including the management of pension schemes and associated services.• Ensure the school’s EEP, Business Continuity Plan and equality policy are kept up to date and

clearly communicated to all staff in school.• Ensure that all recruitment, appraisal, staff development, grievance, disciplinary and redundancy

policies and procedures comply with legal and regulatory requirements.• Manage recruitment, performance management, appraisal and development for all support

staff.• Monitor the relevant legal, regulatory, ethical and social requirements and the effect they have

on your school and staff.• Ensure people have a clear understanding of the policies and procedures and the importance of

putting them into practice.• Monitor the way policies and procedures are actioned and provide support where necessary.• Seek and make use of specialist expertise in relation to HR issues.• Evaluate the school’s strategic objectives and obtain information for workforce planning.• Identify the types of skills, knowledge, understanding and experience required to undertake

existing and future planned activities.

Facility & Property Management• Manage and be responsible for the Facilities Management contract (currently not assigned) and

to liaise with all stakeholders and Facilities Management contractors. • Ensure the supervision of relevant planning and construction processes is undertaken in line

with contractual obligations.• Ensure the safe maintenance and security operation of all school premises.• Manage the maintenance of the school site including the purchase and repair of all furniture

and fittings.• Ensure the continuing availability of utilities, site services and equipment.• Follow sound practices in estate management and grounds maintenance.• Monitor, assess and review contractual obligations for outsourced school services.• Ensure a safe environment for the stakeholders of the school to provide a secure environment

in which due learning processes can be provided.• Ensure ancillary services e.g. catering, cleaning, etc., are monitored and managed effectively.• Manage the letting of school premises to external organisations, for the development of the

extended services and local community requirements.• Seek professional advice on insurance and advise the SLT on appropriate insurances for the

school and implement and manage such schemes accordingly. • Implement risk assessments and loss prevention strategies, including producing a

comprehensive disaster and recovery plan.

kingstoneducationaltrust.org

Person SpecificationPersonal characteristics

Essential• Highly developed interpersonal skills including influencing skills. • Willingness to constructively challenge the work of self and others to continually improve own

and team performance. • Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.

Evidence• Application form.Selection process.

Qualifications and Training

Essential• Degree or equivalent related professional qualification.• Evidence of Continuing Professional Development.•

Desirable• School Business Manager specific qualification i.e. DSBM, CSBM. ADSBM or Msc School Business

Management.• Member of National Association of School Business Management.

Evidence• Certificates at selection process• Application form.• Selection process.

Experience

Essential• Managing compliant financial management in line with the Academies Financial Handbook.• Managing facilities and premises, including building projects and lettings. • Managing procurement and fixed assets. • Managing recruitment, appraisal and HR. • Managing change projects. Managing H & S.

Desirable• Managing within an educational environment. • Managing at a Senior Management Team level.

Evidence• Application form.• Selection process.

Catering• TKA will be appointing external caterers for year 3 provision. • Manage the locally agreed Catering arrangements and oversee the catering operation.• Manage the catering services and catering finances, preparing a budget for years 1 & 2.• Ensure all aspects of Hygiene, Health and Safety are complied with current legislation and

records are kept.• Monitor and continually improve the quality of the catering services.• Audit the catering services annually.• Manage any additional catering services external to the school.

Health & Safety• Able to act as the school’s Health & Safety Co-ordinator and Fire Officer (positions currently held

by Head Teacher).• Plan, instigate and maintain records of fire practices and alarm tests.• Ensure the school’s written Health & Safety policy statement is clearly communicated and

available to all people.• Ensure the Health & Safety policy is implemented at all times, put into practice and is subject to

review and assessment at regular intervals or as situations change.• Enable regular consultation with people on health and safety issues. • Ensure systems are in place to enable the identification of hazards and risk assessments .• Ensure systems are in place for effective monitoring, measuring and reporting of health

and safety issues to the Senior Team, Governors and where appropriate the Health & Safety Executive.

• Ensure the maximum level of security consistent with the ethos of the school. • Oversee statutory obligations are being met for pupils with special educational needs, ensuring

that financial and supporting agency services are adequate for their diverse needs.

Management Information Systems (iSAMS) & IT• Manage and be responsible for the IT provider contract and liaise with IT contractors (currently

MASS).• Manage the IT budget and procure new technology as required.• Consider approaches for existing use and future plans to introduce or discard technology in the

school.• Consult with relevant people and other parties to introduce new technology or improve existing

technology for different purposes.• Ensure that the school has a strategy for using technology aligned to the overall vision and plans

for the school ensuring value for money.• Communicate the strategy and relevant policies, including Data Protection for use of technology

across the school.• Establish systems to monitor and report on the performance of technology within the school.• Ensure resources, support and training are provided to enable work colleagues to make the best

use of available ICT including teaching, learning and assessment systems.• Ensure contingency plans are in place in the case of technology failure.• Ensure data collection systems providing information to stakeholders are streamlined to

maximise efficiency of the data supplied.

Other

Review of Job DescriptionsJob descriptions will be reviewed annually by the governors and may be changed after appropriate consultation.

AppraisalAppraisal, which will be undertaken by the post-holder’s line manager, will be based on reviewing performance against the job description.

Note: This job description sets out the main duties of the post at the time when it was prepared. Such duties may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the post or the level of responsibility entailed. Such variations are a common occurrence and cannot necessarily justify a regrading of the post.

thekingstonacademy.org

The Kingston AcademyRichmond RoadKingston upon ThamesSurreyKT2 5PE