Joanne Marron

My over arching responsibilities as assistant head teacher have included day to day responsibilities and strategic responsibilities. This is a fast paced and dynamic role with quick decision making and strategic thinking essential. Duties include:

-Carrying out the duties of this post in line with the remit outlined in the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions document, including the conditions of employment for Assistant Headteacher’s.
-To assist the Headteacher in the organisation, management and development of the school,
carrying out specific duties including responsibility for the quality of the curriculum and quality first teaching.
-To ensure that school priorities are met and translated into practice across the school.
-To assume the responsibilities of the Headteacher in the absence of the Headteacher.
-To be responsible for promoting the safeguarding and welfare of children within the school.

This role has been pivotal in enhancing my ability to manage relationships and maintain positive and productive relationships with parents and colleagues.

Duties include:

-Developing safeguarding policies and procedures to ensure children's welfare and safety.

-Conducting regular training sessions for staff on safeguarding practices and child protection measures.

-Collaborating with external agencies to address safeguarding concerns and support vulnerable children.

-Monitoring and reviewing safeguarding incidents to identify trends and improve response strategies.

It was hugely flattering to be asked to remain on the governing body as a co-opted governor.

Duties have continued as:

-Collaborating with stakeholders to develop and implement educational policies and initiatives.

- Facilitating communication between local communities and educational institutions to address concerns.

- Advising on best practices in governance to enhance school performance and accountability.

- Engaging with parents, teachers, and students to gather feedback and improve educational experiences.

- Championing initiatives promoting inclusivity and diversity within educational settings.

- Evaluating progress of educational programmes to ensure alignment with established goals.

I decided I wanted to offer my experience and expertise to another EYFS setting in the city. Attending governing body meetings and carrying out monitoring at another setting has been hugely beneficial and has developed my understanding of how governance can vary across settings.

This is a secondment where I am the Early Years Specialist Adviser to the Education Standards and Achievement Team in Brighton and Hove. In this role I have forged successful professional relationships across many schools and my advice and guidance has been met with positive feedback. What was originally a one year role has now extended into 4 years and continues to facilitate collaborative practice across the city's EYFS settings.

Duties include:

- Providing support and expertise on EY within the Education Standards & Achievement team.

-Providing training and information to school staff on the EYFS reforms for reception pupils in particular the EYFS assessment and completion of the profiles.

-Alongside assessment manager, coordinate and lead regular city-wide / inter-cluster meetings to facilitate a city-wide response to the EYFS reforms.

-Providing support to reception classes on the introduction of the Reception Baseline Assessment if needed.

- Alongside assessment manager, support and challenge schools on the analysis of their EYFSP data with a focus on the gaps in attainment between the vulnerable groups.

- Targeting support to reception classes in schools who have been judged by Ofsted to be requiring improvement.

- Alongside assessment manager, ensure up to date with DfE initiatives to raise standards in EYFS.

- Alongside assessment manager, share information about the EYFS reforms across the city to all school staff.

- Alongside LA officers, contribute to the schools’ and early years disadvantaged strategies.

My journey as EYFS leader has been a transformative one. I have gained much experience from working in teams of various sizes and leading them to achieve shared goals.

In 2023 the EYFS provision received an OFSTED grade of good with elements of outstanding. In 2024 EYFS provision was graded as outstanding. The OFSTED report mentioned the EYFS curriculum, describing it as powerful tool. I was particularly proud of this as I had worked tirelessly to ensure the EYFS curriculum was carefully planned and sequenced in all areas to improve outcomes and support transition in to KS1.

Duties included:

-Providing vision, direction, and leadership for the EYFS, managing and motivating teams, and contributing- to the school's overall leadership and decision-making.

-Modelling excellent teaching practices, monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching and learning, and implementing strategies for improvement.

-Leading the development and implementation of an enriched curriculum, coordinating assessment across the EYFS, and ensuring continuity and progression in learning.

-Assisting in the development and implementation of school policies and management systems.

-Monitoring the use of resources and advising senior leadership on resourcing needs.

-Working in partnership with parents to maximise their involvement in their child's learning and coordinating events for children and families.

- Upholding and ensuring all safeguarding policies and procedures are followed.

Joining the governing body allowed me to develop my understanding of strategic leadership in education.

Experiences included:

-Discussions on strategic decisions that shaped school governance and direction.

-Collaborating with senior leadership to develop and implement policies enhancing educational standards.

-Engaging stakeholders in meaningful dialogues to ensure transparency and community involvement.

-Reviewing and evaluated educational programmes to ensure alignment with institutional goals.

-Advocating for student interests and welfare in all strategic planning discussions.

This experience enriched my understanding of excellent early years practice and child development.

Duties included:

-Planning and preparing inspirational, age-appropriate activities, lessons, and learning materials that cater to individual needs.

-Teaching children in a safe and positive environment, promoting learning through play, storytelling, and other engaging methods.

-Monitoring children's progress, using observations to assess development, and providing written or oral reports to parents and others.

Ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of children, and maintaining an awareness of safeguarding requirements.

-Building strong partnerships with parents and carers, and working collaboratively with other teachers, assistants, and staff

This role was a dynamic and demanding role with a formal moderation carried out during my first year. I was commended for my conscientious manner and in depth understanding of child development.

Duties included:

-Developing engaging lesson plans that fostered creativity and individual expression in students.

-Creating a nurturing classroom environment that encouraged positive social interactions among children.

-Implementing effective behaviour management strategies to promote a respectful learning atmosphere.

-Collaborating with parents and caregivers to support children's development and address individual needs.