Principal, Hennessy Catholic College, Young, NSW

Are you a Catholic secondary school leader looking at principal roles?

Would your success be more likely within the following support structure?

• As part of a  System of 56 Catholic schools across the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, there are many opportunities for professional collaboration and support.
• A Principal Professional Development Program – covering the first five years of principalship, and includes Principal’s Retreats, System Days and designated leadership opportunities.
• After two years a Principal may apply for assistance with a Professional Development Project, with financial and release support in the form of a grant of up to $6,500 potentially available. The choice of project reflects an enhancement of the Principal’s Professional Learning Plan that emerged from a review in the second year of their contract.
• Siloam – a formal networking group of principals who meet each term in small groups to share their spirituality and engage in reflection, structured dialogue and processes to challenge and enrich their own leadership.
• Life Styles Inventory – Principals receive direct feedback on their personal and team leadership capabilities by participating in The Life Styles Inventory™ (LSI). LSI is designed to promote constructive transformational change.
• Executive Coaching and Mentoring – in Year Two of their contract Principals are provided with the opportunity to participate in a one on one coaching program.
• All new Principals are assigned a peer principal as a mentor or support colleague upon appointment.
• CEO’s Professional Development Program

Consider the opportunity that is available at Hennessy Catholic College, Young

Hennessy Catholic College is a Catholic co-educational Secondary College in the tradition of Edmund Rice and Nano Nagle within the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn. The College is located on the South West Slopes region of New South Wales in Young.

Students Enrolments/Staff

Hennessy currently has an enrolment of 510 students from Years 7 to 12. The College’s Leadership Team includes: Principal; Assistant Principal – Teaching and Learning; Assistant Principal – Community and Wellbeing; Dean of Professional Processes; Dean of Growth and Development; and Business Manager.

The Leadership Team is supported by the Parish Priest and the Hennessy College Community Council. The staff at Hennessy are highly motivated and provide a quality environment for the students’ learning and development. Hennessy has approximately 63 full-time and part-time staff.

Catholic Identity

The College has a close working relationship with Fr Tom Thornton PP and the Assistant Priest Fr Paul Nulley. The College has undertaken an in depth investigation of its Catholic Identity and is re-contextualising what it means to be a contemporary Catholic school in the light of its founding charisms of Blessed Edmund Rice and Nano Nagle. The alignment to service and social justice are areas with strong emphasis as a consequence.

School Plant, Facilities & General Condition

Hennessy has been blessed with new buildings including a hall, the Hospitality Trade Training Centre, Horticulture laboratory and growing facilities, and renovated buildings allowing for agile learning spaces. The College’s facilities have been transformed to allow for contemporary learning and teaching. The College also has the latest standard of Wi-Fi across all learning spaces and a substantial internet capacity to support a college BYOD program in 2017, building on Year 7 & 8 in 2016.

Teaching and Learning

Learning and teaching at Hennessy is underpinned by high expectations of personal success, to which all students are entitled, and is realised through the transformative pedagogies of teachers. Hennessy has developed a culture of high performance, with high expectations of students at all levels of the College, not only Stage 6. Hennessy strives to cater for all students and their future pathways with a range of options available. All students are encouraged to complete Year 12 given emerging employment needs.

At Hennessy, teachers are supported by a professional learning community which is both collaborative and supportive. All staff engage in professional learning planning incorporating College wide goals as well as individual needs.

Parent Involvement and Communication

Hennessy actively seeks to involve regional feeder schools in the life of the school and has an active Community Council which has strong regional representation.

Co-Curricular Opportunities

The College provides opportunities for students to perform in a range of activities including sport, music, drama, chess, debating and enrichment pursuits.

Living in Young, NSW

Widely recognised as Australia’s Cherry Capital, the Young district provides paddock to plate produce. It is also home to innovative business in the field of research, technology, milling, genetics, accounting, telecommunications, building, sustainability, concreting, mining and biogas.

Dynamic sectors in retail, law, finance, allied health, retirement and aged care sustain the town and district population of 13,000 while servicing a regional population in excess of 57,000 people.

Young is also a key part of the Hilltops food and wine region which is recognised for superior cool-climate wines and diverse produce.

Position Information

Commencement

Start date is negotiable however it is anticipated the successful person will be able to commence for the beginning of the 2017 school year.

Conditions of Employment

• As at January 2016 the salary for a school of this size was $157,838
• Superannuation of 9.5% is additional to the salary shown above
• Salary packaging options are available
• Appointment: a five-year contract
• The Archdiocese has a relocation policy to assist, if required
• In accordance with Child Protection legislation, all people seeking child-related employment are required to complete a ‘Working with Children Check’ clearance prior to employment. Please go to kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au for further information.

Selection Criteria

We invite expressions of interest from people who align with the following:

• a practising Catholic with a sound understanding of and commitment to the Church’s mission in Catholic education
• success in leadership positions in Catholic schools, possessing the leadership capacity to promote, enhance and integrate the religious dimension of a Catholic school in every aspect of school life
• proven ability in curriculum, administration, planning, implementation and evaluation of education policies and practices
• Has 4-year teaching qualifications; with qualifications in Religious Education, or makes a commitment to undertake post graduate study in Religious Education.

Are You Interested in this Opportunity?

If you are interested in this role, there are two options for you to proceed:

1. If interested, but have questions requiring a response before deciding whether to progress, then either (a) telephone our Director John Chesher (0417 068 220) or (b) email our office via mail@traksearch.com or from this page of our website with your questions.
2. If and when you have enough information to start this process, then simply email us at mail@traksearch.com or from this page of our website stating your interest in this role and nominating ref number TS1347; also providing a brief resume and contact telephone number.

At this stage we do NOT ask for you to labour over selection criteria or provide any application document – just a one-line email to Trak Search to indicate your interest in ‘Principal – Hennessy Catholic College, TS1347’ and providing your brief resume and contact telephone number. The timeline and details for this project are outlined below. All emails and applications are acknowledged within 48 hours.

The Selection Process

Key dates are as follows:

Trak Search has been instructed to provide a process that is welcoming for people interested in this role. Significant aspects include:

• Throughout the process, Trak Search is available for confidential discussions and to provide information to allow you to explore this opportunity and determine your interest in the role.
• A range of additional information will be provided to you as we progress through this process.
• At the outset you will not be required to: complete an application form; provide a lengthy, comprehensive document to address the selection criteria; or any referee details. However, you will be invited to supply us with additional information (verbally and in writing) as you progress through the process.
• A late application could be accepted, providing it does not adversely impact other applications or the schedule. Please be aware however that any application received after close of business on the date noted above is more likely to be returned to you.
• At the appropriate time (refer above) we will seek written consent to speak with referees – listing referees on your resume does not signify consent.
• We expect to contact one work related referee and a Priest referee prior to short listing, with additional references completed later in the process.  You should always expect that prior to reaching the final stage of the project, we will ask to speak with at least one person who has: directly managed you; recently; and for a significant time period.

All information provided to Trak Search will be made available prior to short listing, in confidence, to the Director or her nominee unless you instruct Trak Search otherwise.

You are also encouraged to view our Collection Statement which provides details on the manner in which we collect and use information obtained from you during your engagement with Trak Search.