Head of Education (Linn Moor School) at VSA · Petercult…

We have an exciting permanent opportunity for a ‘Head of Education’ to join our Linn Moor Campus in Peterculter, Aberdeen. This is a rare opportunity to lead a school where the staffing, therapeutic expertise and facilities are already in place to do the meaningful, creative and ambitious work that children with complex needs deserve. We are looking for a leader who is inspired by the possibilities this environment offers and who is committed to helping every pupil thrive.

Our School:

Linn Moor Residential School has a long history of providing specialist residential care and education for children and young adults with autism, related conditions such as social and communication difficulties, and learning disabilities. Set within a scenic rural environment in Royal Deeside, and within easy reach of all the facilities of Aberdeen; we equip children and young people with the skills they need to live exceptional lives. We promote learning opportunities in a range of resource rich environments where people are supported and encouraged to develop transferrable academic, vocational and life skills.

Our highly skilled education team work collaboratively alongside our equally talented care team to provide a comprehensive, holistic education program for our children and young people. Using the principles of Getting it Right for Every Child and the Curriculum for Excellence our children and young people are supported through their education in a way that embraces their complex and at times challenging behaviour. To provide an outstanding team we ensure our staff are trained and supported in a range of approaches, including: Understanding Autism and its impact, Total communication (TEACCH, PECS & Makaton & the use of technology), and BSS (Behavioural Support Strategies). We use these tools and approaches among others to support and educate the children and young people living at Linn Moor enabling them to engage in a programme of continual learning.

Find out more from our website:

https://www.vsa.org.uk/our-services/linn-moor-school

How we differentiate from other schools:

We are passionate about being able to provide the ‘best of care’ and ‘best of lives’ for our students in offering:

• Small class sizes; 3-4 children per class allowing our teachers to gain daily 1:1 contact and input with their students
• School roll, capped at 21 residential and 5 day pupils
• Autonomy for teachers to plan and execute individualised education plans that meet each student’s needs, encompassing the curriculum for excellence
• Levels of attainment set at an individual level to get the very best outcome each pupil
• Staffing for students at 1:1 level, with each child having their own dedicated Support Worker assisting throughout the teaching day
• Educational Senior Practitioners on hand to assist with classroom management
• The chance to utilise the Aberdeenshire countryside as a learning environment & the opportunity to implement & run forest school and outdoor education sessions.

‘Head of Education’:

As Head of Education, you will lead a small, highly resourced specialist residential school dedicated to supporting children and young people with autism and complex needs. Our setting offers an exceptional environment for meaningful, child-centred education: small class sizes, consistent one-to-one staffing, and an experienced, well-established team of teachers and education support workers who are deeply committed to our pupils.

You will work alongside a skilled, multidisciplinary therapy team, enabling truly integrated practice that places communication, wellbeing and development at the heart of learning. The school benefits from outstanding physical and professional resources, including extensive rural grounds, sensory spaces, a working farm, and a fleet of transport that allows us to extend learning far beyond the classroom.

We are looking for a dynamic and forward thinking ‘Head of Education’ who can work collaboratively with our ‘Head of Care’ to provide strategic and operational leadership in the provision of education within Linn Moor. Forming part of the Campus Senior Management Team, this role is ideally suited to an experienced teacher who has previously held a Senior or Principal role, and is ready to take the next step in their career. We require candidates to demonstrate strong leadership and management skills, particularly in the area of collaborative working. As a small school there is an expectation that our ‘Head of Education’ will maintain a small amount of face to face teaching hours per week.

Requirements:

• Full GTCS Registration, ideally with ASN experience
• Experience of a Leadership role within an educational setting
• Resilience, adaptability, creativity; candidates must be able to ‘think outside the box’ in terms of moulding the curriculum for excellence to gain the very best results/outcome for our children
• Aspirational, inspirational educational leader who can motivate and lead our school going forward

What we can offer:

• Salary - £60,000 p.a. (35 hours per week)
• Attractive Pension Scheme
• Relocation package/assistance available for new entrants to the local area
• Career progression throughout the campus & wider VSA organisation
• Day-to-day professional support as part of our ‘Senior Leadership Team’
• Regular training opportunities including visits from education consultants, internationally recognised speakers and trainers
• Tailored CPD to reflect individual passions and educational interests; e.g. forest school, outdoor learning, gardening

If you would like to find out more about life as Head of Education at Linn Moor Campus, we would love to hear from you and will be happy to facilitate informal enquiries. A full Job Description is also available from our Recruitment Team on request.