The Iver Village Junior School
HEADTEACHER
APPLICATION PACK
High Street, Iver, Buckinghamshire, SLO 9QA
01753 653059
[email protected]
Dear Applicant
Thank you for requesting information regarding the post of Head teacher at Iver Village Junior
School. I hope you will find this information helpful. Finding the right head teacher is one of the most
important decisions to make for the future of our school. I hope you will find our school a sufficiently
attractive opportunity for you to consider applying for the post.
My experiences of the school are that it has well behaved children who are keen to learn but it has
not adopted many of the recent changes in education. The governors have become much more
involved with the school since the Ofsted inspection and are keen to see the school change. The
previous head teacher had been in post for 23 years and as a result there is an opportunity for an
enthusiastic new head to move the school forward very quickly.
We received a ‘Notice to improve’ from Ofsted following an Inspection in June this year. The main
area identified was an issue with the leadership and management of the school. With the support of
Buckinghamshire county council and an interim head we are beginning to make changes and
improvements. We are looking for a permanent head teacher to guide us through this period of
change and beyond.
We have a strong and supportive governing body that is willing to do all that is necessary to ensure
that we have an excellent school in our village. We also have the support of our parents who viewed
the school very positively when asked as part of the Ofsted inspection.
We have a loyal and committed body of staff that is willing to embrace the change that we require.
Ofsted found that teaching was satisfactory with good elements and the behaviour of the children
was good. Our children are happy at school and we have a strong school community.
There are many positive elements about our school and we want to ensure that we keep a hold on
to these whilst we make the changes that we need to move forward.
I am sure that a new head teacher will find a supportive and friendly environment to lead our school
community through all the important opportunities that will occur in the future. Thank you again for
considering Iver Village Junior School.
Yours Sincerely
Alan Oxley
Chair of Governors
About the School
Where is the School?
Iver Village Junior School is situated at the heart of the village of Iver, which sits just outside the
M25 in the southernmost part of South Buckinghamshire.
Background.
The school opened in 1897 and has undergone many changes during its time. Today it is a two
form entry mixed Junior School with 179 children on roll. The school maintains close links with Iver
Village Infant School which is situated just down the road and from where most of its intake is
received.
The school is housed in a traditional Victorian building with several modern developments over the
years. Currently a hub kitchen is being built on site. The school also provides facilities for a village
pre-school on site however this is a separate body and is independently inspected. The school has
extensive outside grounds with a large tarmac playground and playing field to the rear of the school.
The majority of pupils are of white British heritage with around a quarter from other backgrounds.
The percentage of pupils with SEN or learning disability is average and the number of children
entitled to free school meals is also average.
The school is fortunate to have a thriving PTA called the Friends of Iver Schools Association – run
jointly with the Infant school. Many events are held each year most notably the Christmas and
summer fairs, school discos and other fundraising and sociable events. These events are well
supported by the parents and the village as a whole.
Strengths of the school
Ofsted found the behaviour of the pupils to be good and praised them for their understanding of how
to stay healthy. They have a strong sense of right and wrong and their spiritual, moral, social and
cultural development is good. Our children enjoy coming to school and the Ofsted questionnaire to
parents found that the very large majority of parents were positive about the school.
The school has good links with the community and each year the whole school takes part in a
Christingle service at St Peters Church. The school choir is invited to several locations in the village
throughout the course of the year. Every other year the whole school is also included in a drama
production which is widely anticipated by all.
There are a wide variety of after school clubs on offer amongst these are sewing, gardening, art,
board games and sports clubs. Year five and six pupils are part of the netball and football squads
that take part in local schools competitions each year.
What the children say about their school
‘I like the teachers; they are really kind and caring’
‘I like the playground because there’s lots of space in it’
‘It’s like you’re not learning but you are’
‘I like playing cool maths on the ICT’
‘What I like about the school is how quickly you make friends’
‘I like the year six jobs – I like the responsibilities we get’
What the children are looking for in a head
‘I want them to be strict for the bad people’
‘Someone who is nice and helpful and kind’
‘A fun one that does fun things’
‘They need to be able to do singing assembly’
‘Not really kind, not really nasty, just in the middle’
Priorities
A Statement of Action has been provided by Buckinghamshire County Council and along with our
School Development Plan we have three key areas for improvement:

The strategic leadership of the school, performance management of staff and accurate data
analysis on pupil progress to ensure effective target setting

Improve teaching by fine tuning lesson planning to effectively meet pupils needs

Raise attainment in mathematics