Controlled Schools%Unit - Education Partner; Special Schools %EOTAS

Position: Controlled Schools%27 Unit - Education Partner (Special Schools %26 EOTAS)

JOB DESCRIPTION

Service Area: Education Directorate – Controlled Schools’ Unit

RESPONSIBLE TO: Programme Director Controlled Schools’ Unit

Controlled Schools’ Unit (CSU) – Educational Partner (Special Schools inc. EOTAS)

RESPONSIBLE FOR: Leading the provision of high‑quality strategic support and challenge to Special Schools & EOTAS settings across the region, improving educational provision and outcomes, and supporting the Education Authority’s implementation of the Transform

ED programme and other DE and EA priorities.

Job Purpose

The Controlled Schools’ Unit provides high‑quality strategic support and challenge to Controlled School principals, Boards of Governors and school staff to raise standards and improve educational outcomes. The CSU seeks to support a network of self‑evaluating, sustainable, high‑performing schools with effective leadership, teaching and empowerment of pupils.

All Controlled Schools will be monitored, supported and challenged through the CSU. The CSU Educational Partners use a range of intervention strategies, broker services, and nurture networks to facilitate school‑to‑school support at a sectoral level.

Educational Partners work closely with other officers across the Education Directorate and other Directorates to ensure that school improvement is integral to regional services.

CSU Educational Partner Responsibilities

The CSU Educational Partner has the following responsibilities:

• Provide challenge and support to Special Schools & EOTAS settings in raising standards and enabling the EA to meet Department of Education priorities.
• Act as an Educational Partner ensuring support and challenge in relation to leadership and management, self‑evaluation, school development planning & target setting, academic performance, learning and teaching.
• Undertake a leadership role in identified aspects of school improvement within the CSU team.
• Analyse school performance and management data and contribute to the development of school profiles and information systems.
• Contribute to the identification of Special Schools & EOTAS settings where there is a potential or actual cause for concern.
• Serve as CSU Educational Partner for identified Special Schools and EOTAS settings.
• Support and develop existing and new clusters and networks of Special Schools/EOTAS settings and practitioners across the system.
• Identify and disseminate effective practice and facilitate access to networks and examples of effective practice.
• Monitor and evaluate how effectively Special Schools & EOTAS settings are working towards DE priorities.
• Support the identification of under‑achieving groups of pupils to ensure equal opportunity.
• Represent the EA at Boards of Governors’ meetings, as required.
• Provide assessment within the appointment scheme for Controlled Schools, as required.
• Attend meetings related to the inspection process in Special Schools & EOTAS settings across the region.
• Lead and contribute to project teams and working groups established to support EA & DE priorities.
• Maintain personal knowledge of the curriculum, teacher professional learning, and strategies for monitoring, evaluation and development of high‑quality educational provision.
• Contribute to responses to Assembly Questions, FOI requests, correspondence and complaints in relation to schools within the locality.
• Assist in preparing EA Board and Committee papers as required.
• Undertake such training as may be required for personal and professional development.

Other duties and responsibilities applicable to the role of CSU Educational Partner

• Challenge performance and work to agreed protocols.
• Act as an enabler by providing professional support to drive delivery.
• Enable knowledge transfer through reference to up‑to‑date knowledge and access to local and national exemplars.
• Be insightful in analysing all aspects of a school’s performance, including examination data and inspection evidence.
• Support schools to self‑evaluate the quality of leadership, governance, learning and teaching, and pastoral provision.
• Support schools to challenge underperformance and assist with improvement.
• Maintain up‑to‑date knowledge of relevant educational legislation and guidance.
• Lead and advise…