Headteacher Contract: Full-time, permanent - required from 1 st September 2026 Salary: Leadership Pay Scale L6 - L12 The Governors are looking to appoint an exceptional, dynamic leader who has a passionate belief in the potential of every child and actively promotes inclusive education. We are looking for an individual who will drive rapid, sustainable improvement and confidently lead Sturminster Marshall First School into its next phase of development. Sturminster Marshall First School is situated within the East Dorset village of Sturminster Marshall. As a small rural school, for 4 to 9 year olds, we are a valued and integral part of our community, with strong partnerships that support pupils’ learning and development. We can offer the opportunity to work in a collaborative and supportive team committed to placing pupils at the centre of everything we do. Our pupils are happy, well‑behaved and eager to learn, benefitting from a caring and inclusive school culture. They are proud of their school and thrive in an environment where they feel safe, valued and supported to succeed. For further information and to arrange a visit to the school, please contact Kathryn Selway on 01258 857348. School visits: Friday 1 st May and Tuesday 5 th May Closing date: 7 th May 2026 Interview Date: 19 th May 2026 Further Information Sturminster Marshall First School values the diversity of our workforce and welcomes applications from all sectors of the community. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people; this is a commitment which we expect all staff and volunteers to share. The successful candidate will be required to have a Disclosure and Barring Service check in line with the Governments safer recruitment guidelines. The salary quoted is the annual salary for the position at the time of advert. The salary will be paid in equal monthly instalments and will be adjusted at the start of employment and again if leaving part way through the school year to ensure the correct salary is received for the work completed in an academic year. This role is UK based and your Right to Work will need to be established as part of the appointment process. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. The amendments to the ROA 1974 (Exceptions Order 1975, (2013 and 2020)) provide that when applying for certain jobs and activities, certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’, so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. The MOJ’s guidance on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications and related exceptions and further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide. Keeping Children Safe in Education Sturminster Marshall First S chool will conduct online searches of shortlisted candidates. This check will be part of a safeguarding check, and the search will purely be based on whether an individual is suitable to work with children. All aspects of social media and internet searches will be conducted. As care must be taken to avoid unconscious bias and any risk of discrimination, a person who will not on the appointment panel will conduct the searches and will only share information if and when findings are relevant and of concern. About Us Not Specified