Head of School

Specialist Education | Cambridgeshire

Salary: £77,676 - £85,547 per annum (L16-L20)
Contract: Permanent, Full-Time
Hours: 40 hours per week
Location: Cambridgeshire
Sector: Education

The Opportunity

Our client is a leading provider of specialist education, care and support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

We are supporting them with the appointment of an experienced and inspirational Head of School to lead a specialist educational provision for children and young people aged 6-19 with complex learning difficulties, profound physical disabilities and associated medical needs.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced education leader who is passionate about specialist education and committed to achieving meaningful outcomes for every student.

The successful candidate will provide strategic and operational leadership across the school, working closely with the Principal and governing board to ensure high standards of education, safeguarding, staff performance and operational effectiveness.

The Role

The Head of School will have responsibilities similar to those of a Headteacher, with accountability for the educational, operational and financial performance of the school.

Key responsibilities include:

• Establishing and maintaining the school's ethos, vision and strategic direction alongside the Principal and governing board.
• Leading the development and implementation of effective school systems, processes and policies.
• Identifying barriers to school effectiveness and developing realistic and sustainable school improvement strategies.
• Monitoring progress against school aims, objectives and improvement priorities.
• Promoting high-quality teaching, learning and personalised educational outcomes.
• Leading and developing staff through effective performance management, professional development and quality assurance.
• Overseeing the effective allocation and management of financial and staffing resources.
• Supporting the Principal with safeguarding, including the reporting and follow-up of incidents.
• Promoting enrichment, achievement, independence and wellbeing across the school.
• Building effective relationships with students, families, staff, commissioners and other stakeholders.
• Ensuring the school is well prepared for Ofsted and relevant regulatory requirements.
• Contributing to the continued development of policies and practices across the provision.

About You

The successful candidate will be a confident and experienced senior educational leader with a strong understanding of specialist education and a genuine commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people with complex needs.

You will ideally have:

• Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and a relevant further professional qualification.
• A Headteacher qualification such as NPQH, or a willingness to undertake an appropriate qualification.
• Senior leadership experience within an ASD and/or PMLD environment.
• A strong understanding of Ofsted frameworks and safeguarding legislation relevant to independent schools.
• Experience of school improvement and quality assurance, including lesson observations and performance management.
• Proven experience of leading, developing and motivating teams.
• Strong organisational, strategic and financial management skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder-management abilities.
• A collaborative, solutions-focused approach to leadership.
• A passion for enabling children and young people with complex needs to achieve their potential.

The Opportunity

This is an opportunity to join an established specialist education organisation and make a significant contribution to the lives of children and young people with complex needs.

You will have the opportunity to lead school improvement, develop a high-performing team, work alongside experienced education, care and therapeutic professionals, and help shape the continued development of the provision.

How to Apply

If you are an experienced senior education leader looking for your next opportunity within specialist education, we would be pleased to hear from you.

All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

The successful applicant will be required to undergo appropriate pre-employment safeguarding checks, including an enhanced DBS check. The role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.