Deputy Headteacher

Deputy Headteachers (x2)

Job Details

Salary: L10–L14 (£64,068 – £70,644)
Contract type: Permanent
Reporting to: Headteacher
Positions available: 2 (Inclusion / Behaviour, Attendance)
Start date: September 2026
Closing date: Friday 24th April 2026
Look‑around opportunities

• Tuesday 14th April 2026 at 9.30am

• Thursday 16th April 2026 at 9.30am

Carfield is a strong, ambitious and proudly inclusive school at the heart of its community. Our children are confident, curious and full of potential; our staff are committed, skilled and united by a shared belief that every child deserves to flourish. Following a period of significant improvement and success, particularly in Inclusion, we are excited to be expanding our leadership team.

We are seeking two exceptional Deputy Headteachers to join us and help shape the next phase of Carfield’s journey.

Deputy Headteacher – Inclusion (SEND & Pastoral)

We are looking for a strategic, compassionate leader with a deep understanding of SEND, inclusive practice and the systems that ensure all children, particularly the most vulnerable, are known, supported and able to thrive. You will build on our recent successes in Inclusion, lead with rigour and heart, and ensure that belonging is lived, not laminated.

Deputy Headteacher – Behaviour and attendance

We are seeking a dynamic, evidence‑informed leader with a passion for high‑quality teaching and a strong understanding of behaviour as communication. You will champion a culture where learning is joyful, behaviour is positive and staff are supported to continually grow. Your leadership will help secure consistently high attendance across the school.

What we offer

• A strong, values‑driven school with a clear commitment to inclusion

• A talented, dedicated staff team who care deeply about children

• A supportive governing body and engaged parent community

• Opportunities to shape whole‑school strategy and lead meaningful change

• A culture where professional learning is prioritised and leaders are developed

What we’re looking for

• Leaders who are values‑driven, child‑centred and ambitious for all pupils

• A proven track record of improving outcomes for children

• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build trust with staff, families and pupils

• Strategic thinkers who can turn vision into impact

• Leaders who bring warmth, visibility and a commitment to equity

Visits to the school are warmly encouraged.

We would love to meet you, show you our school in action and discuss the roles further.

Closing date: Friday 24th April 2026
Interviews: to be confirmed

Carfield is committed to creating a diverse workforce. We’ll consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to sex, race, religion, belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy, maternity, age, disability, marriage or civil partnership.

 

Job Description

Main purpose

The deputy headteacher, under the direction of the headteacher, will take a major role in:

·  Formulating the aims and objectives of the school

·  Establishing policies for achieving these aims and objectives

·  Managing staff and resources to that end

·  Monitoring progress towards the achievement of the school’s aims and objectives

·  Leading on the strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation of inclusion; safeguarding; behaviour; attendance; personal & social development; student voice and wellbeing

·  Maximising achievement at all Key Stages through ensuring staff have the skills, strategies, information, communication and referral routes they need to manage and meet a wide range of significant SEN, including challenging behaviours/presentations

·  Ensuring school systems provide an orderly and safe environment in lessons and at play

·  As Designated Safeguarding Lead, ensuring the school’s safeguarding processes are of the highest standard

·  Utilising research evidence, school-based evaluations and external review to improve

·  Playing an active role in developing, sustaining and modelling skills, attributes and behaviours of a high performing leadership team, including highly effective communication to all stakeholders

If the headteacher is absent, the deputy headteacher will deputise, as directed by the governing board.

The deputy headteacher will also be expected to fulfil the professional responsibilities of a headteacher, as set out in the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD).

Qualities

The deputy headteacher will:

·  Uphold public trust in school leadership and maintain high standards of ethics, behaviour and professional conduct

·  Build positive and respectful relationships across the school community

·  Serve in the best interests of the school’s pupils

Duties and responsibilities

School culture and behaviour

Under the direction of the headteacher, the deputy headteacher will:

·  Create a culture where pupils experience a positive and enriching school life

·  Uphold educational standards in order to prepare pupils from all backgrounds for their next phase of education and life

·  Ensure a culture of staff professionalism

·  Encourage high standards of behaviour from pupils, built on rules and routines that are understood by staff and pupils and clearly demonstrated by all adults in school

·  Develop, evaluate and lead on behaviour policies

·  Use consistent and fair approaches to managing behaviour, in line with the school’s behaviour policy

·  Provide a safe, calm and well-ordered environment for all students and staff.

Teaching, curriculum and assessment

Under the direction of the headteacher, the deputy headteacher will:

·  Establish and sustain high-quality teaching across all subjects and phases, based on evidence

·  Ensure teaching is underpinned by subject expertise

·  Effectively use formative assessment to inform strategy and decisions

·  Ensure the teaching of a broad, structured and coherent curriculum

·  Establish curriculum leadership, including subject leaders with relevant expertise and access to professional networks and communities

·  Use valid, reliable and proportionate approaches to assessing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the curriculum

·  [Primary only] Ensure the use of evidence-informed approaches to reading so that all pupils are taught to read

·  Add any other duties relevant to your school

Additional and special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities

Under the direction of the headteacher, the deputy headteacher will:

·  Promote a culture and practices that enables all pupils to access the curriculum

·  Have ambitious expectations for all pupils with SEN and disabilities

·  Make sure the school works effectively with parents, carers and professionals to identify additional needs and provide support and adaptation where appropriate

·  Make sure the school fulfils statutory duties regarding the SEND Code of Practice.

Organisational management and school improvement

Under the direction of the headteacher, the deputy headteacher will:

·  Establish and sustain the school’s ethos and strategic direction together with the governing board and through consultation with the school community

·  Establish and oversee systems, processes and policies so the school can operate effectively

·  Ensure staff and pupils’ safety and welfare through effective approaches to safeguarding, as part of duty of care

·  Manage staff well with due attention to workload

·  Ensure rigorous approaches to identifying, managing and mitigating risk

·  Allocate financial resources appropriately, efficiently and effectively

·  Identify problems and barriers to school effectiveness, and develop strategies for school improvement that are realistic, timely and suited to the school’s context

·  Make sure these school improvement strategies are effectively implemented

·  Sustaining wide, current knowledge and understanding of education locally, nationally and globally, and pursuing continuous professional development.

·  Working with political and financial astuteness, within a clear set of principles centred on the school’s vision, ably translating local and national policy into the school’s context.

Professional development

Under the direction of the headteacher, the deputy headteacher will:

·  Ensure staff have access to appropriate, high standard professional development opportunities

·  Keep up to date with developments in education

·  Seek training and continuing professional development to meet needs

·  Have ambitious standards for all pupils, overcoming disadvantage and advancing equality.

·  Instilling a strong sense of accountability in staff for the impact of their work on pupil’ outcomes.

·  Securing excellent teaching through an analytical understanding of how students learn and of the core features of successful classroom practice and curriculum design.

·  Establishing an educational culture of ‘open classrooms’ to share best practice within and between schools.

·  Creating an ethos within which all staff are motivated and supported to develop their own skills and subject knowledge, and to support each other.

·   Identifying emerging talents, coaching current and aspiring leaders in a climate where excellence is the standard, leading to clear succession planning.

·  Holding all staff to account for their professional conduct and practice.

Governance, accountability and working in partnership

Under the direction of the headteacher, the deputy headteacher will:

·  Understand and welcome the role of effective governance, including accepting responsibility

·  Ensure that staff understand their professional responsibilities and are held to account

·  Ensure the school effectively and efficiently operates within the required regulatory frameworks and meets all statutory duties

·  Work successfully with other schools and organisations

·  Maintain working relationships with fellow professionals and colleagues to improve educational outcomes for all pupils

·  Actively supporting the governing board to understand its role and deliver its functions effectively •

Impact within and beyond the School

Under the direction of the headteacher, the deputy headteacher will:

·  Champion best practice and securing excellent achievements for all students

·  Develop effective relationships with colleagues in other settings to improve academic and social outcomes for all students.

·  Shape the current and future quality of the teaching profession through high quality training and sustained professional development for all staff.

·  Inspire and influence others to believe in the fundamental importance of education in young people’s lives and to promote the value of education.

·  Ensure arrangements are in place for safeguarding & child protection for all involved in providing services to children and families and vulnerable adults who are parents and/or who may pose a risk to children

·  Promote good practice and effective communication internally between different sections, departments, disciplines and services and externally between agencies on all matters relating to the protection of children

Safeguarding

·  As Designated Safeguarding Lead, ensuring the school’s safeguarding processes are of the highest standard

·  Keep staff updated with current procedures and practice, ensuring all new and temporary staff receive the necessary training to enable them to carry out their safeguarding and child protection responsibilities

·  Monitor the attendance and the development and wellbeing of children who are the subject of Child Protection Plans

·  Be a source of advice and expertise on child protection matters to all staff at the point of need

·  Maintain accurate and secure child protection records. Ensuring there are regular audits of child protection files to ensure records are up to date and that agreed action plans are being implemented.

Please note that this is illustrative of the general nature and level of responsibility of the role. It is not a comprehensive list of all tasks that the Deputy Headteacher will carry out. The postholder may be required to do other duties appropriate to the level of the role.

Person specification

criteria

qualities

Qualifications
and training

·     Qualified teacher status

·     Degree

Experience

·  Successful leadership and management experience in a school

·  Teaching experience

·  Involvement in school self-evaluation and development planning

·  Demonstrable experience of successful line management and staff development

·  Evidence of success in leading on and securing whole-school improvement

·  Evaluating impact by analysing and evaluating a range of evidence and data to recalibrate, prioritise and drive whole-school improvement

Skills and knowledge

·  Data analysis skills, and the ability to use data to set targets and identify weaknesses

·  Understanding of high-quality teaching, and the ability to model this for others and support others to improve

·  Understanding of school finances and financial management

·  Effective communication and interpersonal skills

·  Ability to communicate a vision and inspire others

·  Ability to build effective working relationships

·  Possess the knowledge, confidence and skills needed to effectively advise and support colleagues in order to move the school forward

Personal qualities

·  A commitment to getting the best outcomes for all pupils and promoting the ethos and values of the school

·  Ability to work under pressure and prioritise effectively

·  Commitment to maintaining confidentiality at all times

·  Commitment to safeguarding and equality, ensuring that personal beliefs are not expressed in ways that exploit the position.

·  Strong moral purpose and commitment to the principles of inclusive education, equalities & diversity a

·  Committed to continuing professional development through wider reading, research and membership of professional organisations

·  Demonstrate good decision-making skills with an ability to identify and implement solutions to problems

Notes:

This job description may be amended at any time in consultation with the postholder.