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Deputy Headteacher & Safeguarding Lead at Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre
Our vision is that Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre is the school of choice for parents in Reading: where success is desirable, demanded and achieved. Highdown is well known locally for the breadth of opportunities it provides student.
Your opportunity
This new position builds on our strong co-curricular foundation: looking to bolster engagement from key groups and to develop a bespoke personal development programme for each student. The role will lead on careers, reading, co-curricular, trips and engagement with competition and the House system. The right candidate will champion student leadership and student voice across the school enabling every student to feel a sense of belonging and success.
The Distinctive Education Lead will have a timetabled teaching commitment of 30 periods per fortnight (out of 50), complying with the Teachers’ Standards and modelling best practice for others.
What We Are Looking For
Key Accountabilities
* Strategic lead for reading across the school, including line management of the Librarian, oversight and quality assurance of reading interventions and administration and analysis of reading age tests.
* Strategic lead for co-curricular opportunities, including but not limited to: trips, clubs, Duke of Edinburgh, House competitions.
* Develop student leadership pathways from the Buddies in Year 8 through to the Student Leadership Team at Sixth Form.
* Create forums for constructive student voice and analyse data to drive whole school improvement.
* Create a bespoke personal development programme, engaging and rewarding students who get involved in wider school life.
* Track and analyse student engagement: focusing on closing the engagement gap between disadvantaged students and their peers.
* Support the DHT Culture to improve school attendance by fostering a sense of belonging at Highdown.
* Strategic Leadership of careers, including line management of the careers lead, careers advisor, and ensuring the school meets all the Gatsby Benchmarks.
* Supporting students at key transition points to learn about the different pathways available to them both within and beyond the school.
* Manage trip policies and procedures as the Educational Visits Coordinator.
* Work with the Heads of House to deliver a portfolio of House events and competitions, increasing the presence of the House System at Highdown.
Wider responsibilities
* Support the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) by:
* Communicating the school’s vision compellingly and supporting the headteacher’s strategic leadership.
* Sitting on SLT Meetings, attending SLT Strategy days and attending daily SLT briefings.
* Establishing and reviewing policies associated with your role.
* Managing staff and resources associated with your role.
* Make sure the school effectively and efficiently operates within the required regulatory frameworks and meets all statutory duties
* Undertake duties including, but not limited to: lunch and break duty, detentions, supervision of the Bridge provision, learning walks etc.
* Line manage a curriculum area.
About Highdown School & Sixth Form Centre
Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre is a thriving school, established in 1971, where all students are challenged to reach excellence every day. Our most important resource is our staff. Therefore, we aim to create the conditions and culture within the academy that make Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre a rewarding place to work. We are committed to investing in staff professional learning and leadership development, taking action to rationalise workload, promote mental and physical health and wellbeing, and encourage collaboration and peer support.
Join the GLF Schools Community
As a part of GLF Schools, you will join a community of staff dedicated to transforming education. With regular progression discussions, there will be a wealth of opportunities for you to grow your career, whether in one of our 43 academies or in our central team.
* A growing Multi Academy Trust with over 2,000 colleagues and over 17,000 pupils
* Founded upon the values of Respect, Inclusivity, Integrity and Kindness
* 43 primary and secondary schools across 7 Local Authority areas across the south of England
* We work as a community whilst ensuring each school maintains its own unique identity
* Committed to ensuring all children and young people receive the best possible education
GLF Schools Employment Offer
GLF Schools has a generous employment offer, which allows all our colleagues to Grow, Learn and Flourish
* Access to our highly competitive Local Government Pension Scheme
* Flexible working options
* Generous holiday allowance
* Work life and family friendly policies
* Employee wellbeing initiatives
* Access to a staff benefits portal
* Community and collaboration working model
Please read the attached candidate pack for further information.
The Details
Start Date: September 2025
Salary: £57,831 to £62,202, depending on experience (Leadership Scale Point 7-10)
Closing Date: 9am on Monday 19th May 2025
Interview date: Wednesday 21st May 2025
Safeguarding Statement
GLF Schools is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Employment is subject to a satisfactory enhanced disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
As a Trust, we are happy to discuss flexible working opportunities. GLF Schools recognises and celebrates the diversity of its schools and their communities. There is a shared commitment across the Trust to develop further a culture of respect, where discrimination is not tolerated, and individuals are treated equitably and fairly and feel a sense of belonging. We strive for an inclusive environment where staff, children and students are comfortable to express their own identity, should they wish, in which diversity and inclusion is of mutual benefit for everyone in our schools. We particularly welcome applicants from under-represented groups including those based on ethnicity, gender, transgender, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion.
We reserve the right to withdraw this vacancy at any time ahead of the closing date if there is a good level of response. Therefore, we recommend you submit your application as early as possible.
We also reserve the right to interview shortlisted candidates ahead of the closing date.
Please be advised that references may be requested on receipt of your application. Please state if you wish this to be delayed until shortlisting/interviews have taken place.
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