Head of Year | Secondary Academy | Dudley

The Opportunity

Dudley is a borough with a strong sense of community and a storied industrial past. We are seeking a resilient, empathetic, and highly organized Head of Year to lead a specific cohort through their academic and personal development. Unlike a standard classroom role, this is a middle-leadership position focused on the "whole child." You will be the architect of your year group’s culture, driving high standards of behaviour, attendance, and pastoral well-being.

The Role & Department

• You will lead a team of Form Tutors, reporting directly to the Assistant Principal (Pastoral).

• This role is the vital link between the school, the students, and their families. You will be the primary point of escalation for behavioural or safeguarding concerns within your year group.

• You will work closely with the Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and the SENCO to ensure that vulnerable students receive the targeted support they need to flourish.

• While this role typically carries a teaching load, your priority is the strategic management of your cohort’s progress and morale.

Core Responsibilities

1. Pastoral Leadership: Setting a clear vision for the year group, including leading weekly assemblies that celebrate success and address collective challenges.

2. Behaviour Management: Implementing the school’s behaviour policy with consistency and fairness, managing reintegration's, and working to reduce fixed-term exclusions.

3. Academic Tracking: Monitoring the progress data of your year group, identifying "underachieving" sub-groups, and implementing interventions to close the gap.

4. Attendance & Punctuality: Working with the attendance officer to identify patterns of absence and meeting with parents to remove barriers to school engagement.

5. Parental Engagement: Acting as the professional face of the year group during parents' evenings, transition events, and multi-agency meetings (such as Early Help or CIN).

The Successful Candidate We are looking for a leader who can be "firm but fair" and who truly believes in the potential of every young person in Dudley. Requirements include:

• Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and significant experience in a pastoral or middle-management role.

• Emotional Intelligence: The ability to de-escalate conflict and build trusting relationships with students who may find school challenging.

• Data Literacy: The ability to analyse spreadsheets of attendance and attainment data to spot trends and act on them.

• Resilience: The capacity to handle high-pressure safeguarding or behavioural situations while maintaining a calm, professional demeanour.

Why Join Us?

• A role with significant autonomy to shape the character and climate of a specific year group.

• Access to specialized leadership CPD, including training in Restorative Justice, Safeguarding Level 3, and Trauma-Informed Practice.

• A supportive, "no-blame" staff culture in a borough that is investing heavily in the regeneration of its town centres and schools.

• The opportunity to make a lasting difference in a community where the school often serves as the central hub for student support.

How to Apply

Please submit your current CV to begin the application process for this Head of Year position.