Aim and main purpose
To support, hold accountable and develop a team of tutors focusing on high standards of social, personal and academic development of students so that students:
(i) settle well into college at the beginning of each year
(ii) thrive and are happy in College
(iii) make the most of their opportunities
(iv) develop independent learning skills and resilience in learning
(v) make good academic progress relative to their starting points
(vi) progress well to their desired destinations
General Responsibilities
(i) To fulfil the role of subject teacher. See teaching job description available under ‘additional information’.
(ii) To lead a team of tutors and cohort of students. This involves giving a clear vision and direction to work, identifying key areas for improvement and planning appropriate actions to meet them.
(iii) To manage the people and resources associated with a cohort of students, in team work with other Heads of Year and under the direction of the Assistant Principal for Student Services and line managed by the Head of Student Progress and Tutoring.
(iv) Along with other Heads of Year, to plan, prepare and resource the pastoral curriculum for the cohort.
(v) To monitor the quality of tutor support and the pastoral curriculum experienced by the cohort, liaising with tutors and members of the student support team and offering support and guidance where necessary.
(vi) To promote the ethos of the College including good behaviour.
(vii) To organise and, through a team of tutors, implement a framework for tutorial activities and the development of suitable content. This includes both day to day administrative and year specific tasks.
(viii) To be trained to level 3 in safeguarding and to take a leading role in dealing with safeguarding issues in the College under the guidance of the designated person.
Academic Progress
(i) To monitor the academic progress of a cohort of students in order to secure and sustain effective learning and progress.
(ii) To use assessment data to inform an analysis of individual student progress and collective progress across the cohort.
(iii) To have an overview of the range of barriers to learning that impact on student progress, with reference to behaviour for learning, in and out of the classroom.
(iv) To use all of the above to identify underachievement with a view to establishing and coordinating improvement strategies in conjunction with tutors, teachers, Heads of Department and SLT.
(v) To monitor the effectiveness of these interventions and report to SLT regularly on the progress being made by students in the year group.
(vi) To liaise with key staff, including the ALS Manager (SENDCO), regarding all groups of students’ achievement in the cohort.
(vii) To report to the Head of Student Progress and Tutoring on the progress of the cohort and individuals.
Leadership and Management
(i) To act as a role model for tutors by demonstrating high quality pastoral care and academic monitoring of students, continuous professional development and professional presence in the year team.
(ii) To lead and manage a team of tutors and maintain regular formal and informal contact with tutors.
(iii) To ensure all tutors understand, and are actively implementing the key aspects of the College’s policies including those for behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.
(iv) To lead periodic tutor team meetings
(v) To make a significant contribution to the induction of tutors referring any individual training needs to the member of SLT with responsibility for staff INSET.
(vi) To have an overview of all the different agencies in the College providing care and guidance for students
(vii) To provide a link for parents, tutors, ALS Manager, teachers, Heads of Department, SLT and external agencies.
(viii) To initiate and respond to communications with parents ensuring that they are kept fully informed and involved in the progress of their children.
(ix) To contribute to the organisation of any parent information evenings by encouraging and monitoring parent attendance to such events.
(x) To monitor student attendance and punctuality on a weekly basis and to take all the appropriate steps to ensure that attendance and punctuality of students in the cohort are at the highest levels.
(xi) To monitor student behaviour and attendance and, in consultation with key staff, decide on appropriate sanctions, interventions and rewards.
(xii) To oversee students in disciplinary stages and make contact with parents when necessary.
(xiii) To play the leading role in the disciplining of students referring situations to the appropriate member of SLT when appropriate.
(xiv) To contribute to the leadership of key college events; for example induction, transfer arrangements, outings, extra-curricular and social events.
(xv) To have an involvement in policy development and decision making across the College where requested.
(xvi) To cover for absent tutors as required.
Student Wellbeing
(i) Support the delivery of a range of general student wellbeing activities and projects to promote the wellbeing and healthy lifestyles of all students.
(ii) Embed student wellbeing activities into student induction and tutorials.
(iii) Contribute to the development of college policies and procedures that relate to student wellbeing generally or health-issues particularly (e.g. alcohol abuse, sexual harassment, infectious diseases).
Administration
(i) To ensure that all tutors have access to relevant materials in order to deliver high quality tutorial activities.
(ii) To maintain individual student records as necessary and ensure that they are kept up to date.
(iii) To monitor the settling in of new students.
(iv) To oversee the completion of progress checks as appropriate.
(v) To oversee the completion of reports for the year group.
(vi) To work with tutors to ensure appropriate follow-up to reporting procedures and to play an important part in the evaluation of reporting procedures.