Is the job right for you?
You may argue that you can’t answer this question unless you apply for the job. However, applying for jobs is very time consuming if you are going to do it effectively and ultimately successfully. You may have more success if you sift through the job adverts very carefully and identify which ones you think will suit you and which ones you think you might have a good chance of getting.
These are some of the ways you can identify and prioritise the jobs to apply for
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Using TES
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Person specifications and job descriptions
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Ofsted reports and school league tables
Using TES
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Increasingly, schools are accepting applications through TES. This makes the process much easier and quicker for you. Once you have put all your qualifications and experience into TES, this can be submitted directly to schools. You may still need to write a ‘covering letter’ to explain why you are suitable for this position. Advice on doing this is described on a separate page
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There are many jobs advertised on TES, so you will need to use the filters carefully to find jobs that are suitable for you. Being able to ‘save for later’ is a good feature in TES. Go through the advertised jobs quickly and save the ones that you are interested in, then you can spend more time looking at these jobs in more detail and prioritise which ones to apply for, considering the deadline for applications
Person specifications and job descriptions
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After reading the general description of the role and the background to the school, look at the person specification closely. Most person specifications have a list of essential and desirable criteria.
If you don’t meet the essential criteria you will not be considered for the role. This may seem obvious but Heads receive many applications that are sifted out because they don’t meet the essential criteria.
Preparing your application
If you meet all the essential criteria, how many of the desirable criteria do you meet? If you meet most them, then you should be able to make a strong application.
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Read the job description, is this the role you want to do? Sometimes job descriptions can be very elaborate with a long list of the different aspects involved. Look through it carefully, does it contain the key things that you expect in this role? Also consider which parts of this job are you already doing? Make a list of these so that you can mention them in your application.
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Schools are very good at painting a rosy picture in their literature. Ofsted reports will give you a more subjective view of the school. Progress 8 data and league table will give you an indication of how the school is and has been performing compared to similar schools. Does the trend indicate the school’s performance is improving or declining? If you would like to develop a better understanding of how to analyse and interpret Ofsted reports, Progress 8 data and school league table.
