Recruiting Senior Leaders

On this page you will find guidance, model forms and links to support schools when seeking to recruit staff, particularly senior leaders.

Please click on the links below for further information on the relevant topic.

Appointing Staff

One of the most important and impactful tasks of the governing body is appointing staff. In voluntary aided schools and academies the governing body are the employers. Below are links to various documents and websites to support governors in appointing staff, particularly senior leaders.

The CES have produced a User Guide on Model Employment Documentation (For Staff in Catholic Schools and Academies). This User Guide brings together all the CES employment documentation. It explains the requirement for all the CES employment documentation that schools can use during application, recruitment and appointment and then throughout the life of the employment relationship. There is also a compilation of answers to frequently asked questions during the different stages of employment.

CES EMPLOYMENT USER GUIDE

The links below will take you to the relevant section of CES website.

recruitment process

application forms CES GUIDANCE ON contracts

TEMPLATE contracts FOR SCHOOLS TEMPLATE contracts FOR ACADEMIES

BISHOPS MEMORANDUM cHAPLAINCY DOCUMENTS

employment policies

In the Diocese of Portsmouth we have produced our own appointment user guide, based on the CES guidance, to support our schools when appointing a headteacher. Bishop Philip has produced a paper entitled, ‘Appointments to Key Posts within Catholic Schools’, which senior leaders must be provided with ahead of interview, together with the relevant CES contract, and will then be required to sign a declaration that they have had the opportunity to study both documents and have had the opportunity for any questions relating to them to be answered.

diocesan guidance on the appointment of a headteacher

appointment to key posts within catholic sCHOOLS applicant’s declaration

Guidance can also be found on the main government website. The DfE have produced a useful document entitled, ‘Recruiting a headteacher‘.

CES Model Employment Policies

ces MODEL EMPLOYMENT POLICIES

It is the expectation that diocesan schools adopt the relevant CES model employment policies rather than those produced by the local authority. CES policies have been produced to ensure they reflect the school’s Catholic ethos and distinctiveness and unions will have been consulted as part of their formulation.

The following model policies are available and can be found using the above link. Separate policies are provided for maintained schools and academies.When adopting or reviewing policies always check the CES website to ensure you have the most up to date version.