Principal, Education Administration

Primary Principal – Person Specification

Essential

Qualifications:

• Hold a teaching qualification which meets the requirements for recognition to teach in grant‑aided schools in Northern Ireland.

Desirable

Qualifications:

• Have successfully completed an additional post‑graduate (or equivalent or higher) qualification in Education.

The criteria that will be applied at shortlisting are as follows (please note that experience must be accrued by the closing date for receipt of completed applications):

• Have a minimum of 8 years post‑qualification teaching experience in primary education within the last 13 years.
• Currently hold or have held for a minimum of 5 years AND within the last 10 years a post with experience of strategic leadership or co‑ordination of a whole school area at a minimum level of SMT/SLT to include monitoring and evaluation resulting in measurable school improvement; and/or
• A post of Principal or Vice‑Principal; and/or
• A post with leadership and management experience within an affiliated body.

The above promoted posts may be in an acting capacity.

• Evidence of how your leadership has led to school improvement.
• Evidence of having held a leadership role in strategic planning and/or organisational management.
• Evidence of building a professional learning community within a school or other organisation.

• Have experience of financial and/or budgetary management within school/s.
• Can demonstrate evidence of involvement in staff development within school/s.

The successful candidate must demonstrate extensive knowledge of:

• The Northern Ireland Primary Curriculum and current policies and procedures.
• Current educational developments and the ability to evaluate and respond to new educational challenges and manage change effectively.
• Effective classroom pedagogy and how to ensure high standards of teaching, learning and achievement throughout the school.
• Effective data management.
• Effective organisational management including the appropriate deployment of resources.
• Effective financial management.
• Sound financial governance.

The successful candidate must demonstrate highly developed skills in order to:

• Lead, motivate, manage, challenge and enthuse others.
• Create an ethos and articulate vision for the future of the school.
• Develop good relationships at all levels and promote a collaborative and team approach among staff, pupils, parents and governors.
• Lead strategically and develop self and others in order to achieve outcomes.
• Promote, achieve, monitor and evaluate high standards of teaching, learning and achievement throughout the school.
• Develop effective partnerships between the school and the local community.
• Communicate effectively orally and in writing.
• Organise and prioritise workload effectively.
• Deal with staffing matters in accordance with EA policies and procedures.
• Manage time effectively.

• Vision.
• A sound value system.
• Enthusiasm and motivation.
• Assertiveness and confidence.
• A caring child‑centred approach.
• Integrity.
• Advocacy and empathy.
• Discretion.
• An ability to cope under pressure.
• Tact and diplomacy.
• Decisiveness.
• Adaptability.

The Board of Governors reserves the right to enhance the essential criteria if necessary in order to facilitate a manageable shortlist.

Applicants must be registered with the General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland (GTCNI) upon taking up employment.

Please note the onus is on candidates to provide sufficient detailed information on their application forms in order to demonstrate how they meet each of the criteria. Failure to do so may result in a candidate not being shortlisted since selection panels cannot make assumptions in the absence of essential information.

DISCLOSURE OF CRIMINAL BACKGROUND

The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups (Northern Ireland) Order 2007 defines working directly with children or young people or in specified places as ‘regulated activity’.

In the event that you are recommended for appointment to a post that involves ‘regulated activity’, the Education Authority will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure of Criminal…