Effective School Management

The job description
A vacancy is an opportunity to rethink roles, and one should therefore be
wary of automatically adopting the job description of a teacher who has
departed. Whatever job description is developed, it should also be open to
revision after appointment as a candidate may emerge with unforeseen talents
that one may wish to use. This is particularly true in relation to out-of-school
activities, general studies or subjects such as information technology.
Traditionally, a job description will contain
(1) job title;
(2) brief description of the purpose of the job;
(3) reporting relationships; and
(4) description of duties.

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7 6
EFFECTIVE SCHOOL MANAGEMENT
A further very useful concept is that of
(5) competences, i.e. abilities and attitudes (as opposed to qualifications)
that the occupant of the post will need to possess (see Chapter 8).
However, the most helpful element of all, both to the candidate and the person
or committee charged with the appointment decision, is a sixth element,
namely
(6) criteria for effectiveness.
Criteria for effectiveness, which can often usefully be expressed as questions,
tell us how performance in the job will be assessed. For a head of French, for
example, criteria might be as follows:
(1) Are oral standards maintained and improved?
(2) How many pupils have visited France on exchanges, school trips or as
paying guests?
(3) Is there a thriving French club?
(4) Are examination results satisfactory?
Additionally there will be criteria which will apply to all heads of department,
for example:
(1) Is the atmosphere in the department enthusiastic and harmonious?
(2) Does the department work well with other departments?
(3) Is administration accurate and timely?
(4) Have objectives been achieved?
(5) Has the performance of pupils been satisfactory in public examinations
and assessments?
(6) Does the department meet Ofsted criteria?
PERSONAL APPLICATION
As an exercise draw up a set of effectiveness criteria for the school caretaker; the
school secretary; a lunchtime supervisor.