| Term Time Only
Start: February 2026
About the Role
As Headteacher, you will provide clear, inspiring and effective leadership to ensure the school delivers outstanding outcomes for children and young people. Working within the strategic framework of Acorn Education & Care, you will be responsible for the overall performance, development and success of the school, creating a culture where pupils thrive, staff feel motivated and excellence is the shared ambition.
Key Objectives
1. Deliver outstanding outcomes for children and young people that reflect their individual needs, abilities and aspirations
2. Create and sustain a safe, supportive and nurturing environment for pupils and staff
3. Ensure full compliance with statutory requirements and regulatory frameworks, achieving the highest possible inspection outcomes
4. Lead, motivate and develop a highly skilled staff team committed to continuous improvement and professional growth
5. Secure the commercial success of the school through strong occupancy, effective cost management and strategic growth planning
6. Drive effective strategic and operational planning, including self-evaluation and school improvement
7. Establish and promote a clear, shared vision aligned with Acorn Education & Care that inspires pupils, staff and the wider school community
Leadership and Educational Outcomes
8. Lead the assessment, planning and delivery of personalised educational and developmental programmes that enable children and young people to achieve their full potential
9. Ensure pupils leave the school equipped for fulfilling lives and positive contributions to society
10. Take overall responsibility for the success and performance of the school
11. Line manage all staff, including volunteers and contractors, fostering high standards and accountability
Safe and Effective School Environment
12. Ensure robust health and safety policies, procedures and systems are in place and consistently applied
13. Work closely with Acorn Education & Care to implement best practice across the school
14. Maintain rigorous systems for monitoring, recording and responding to incidents and concerns
Qualifications Required
15. Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) or equivalent
16. Completion of the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH)
17. Commitment to ongoing personal and professional development
This role is suited to an ambitious and values-driven leader who can balance educational excellence, staff development and strategic growth while keeping children and young people at the heart of every decision.
About Us
Dibden Park School is a brand-new independent specialist school based in Southampton. We provide inclusive education within a safe and nurturing environment for students with complex needs, including social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) challenges, communication and interaction difficulties, and associated behaviours. Our focus is on meeting each pupil’s individual needs and helping them thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
We are part of Acorn Education and can offer plenty of challenges along with a wide range of opportunities to develop your career. Acorn Education is the UK’s leading provider of specialist education for children and young people with special educational needs. As part of Outcomes First Group, we are leading our sector in creating and delivering innovative approaches that achieve measurable outcomes for those in our care.
We are really proud to say that in 2025, Outcomes First Group were officially certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the sixth year running.
Why join Acorn Education?
We place the outcomes of the pupils and vulnerable young adults in our services at the heart of everything we do, so you’ll wake every day in the knowledge that your role will have a significant positive impact on the lives of others.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils and young people. All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful applicants to a fully enhanced DBS.
Benefits
Your health and wellbeing are important to us, so you’ll get an exceptional reward package including:
18. Life Assurance
19. Pension scheme with options to increase your contributions
20. “Your Wellbeing Matters” – access to a wide range of first-class mental health support services and physical health checks
And a market-leading benefit offering through our Flexible Benefits Platform, Vista, enables you to choose the package that’s right for you, including:
21. A wide range of health, wellbeing, and insurance benefits
22. 100’s of discount options valid in the UK and abroad
23. Cycle to Work Schemes
24. Electric Car Purchase Scheme
25. Critical illness cover
26. Family Growth Support - inclusive benefits package covering enhanced maternity and paternity leave, along with paid fertility treatment support.
We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.
*You’ll work 80% of your contractual hours for 100% of your pay, giving you more time to do the things that make you happy. 4DWW is subject to successful completion of probation and is not a contractual benefit.
Outcomes First Group is committed to carrying out a fair, thorough and efficient recruitment process in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education. Whilst we aim to keep applicants informed throughout, Outcomes First Group does not accept liability for any loss of earnings or other associated costs incurred by applicants as a result of delays or changes in the compliance process. All stages of the compliance process are subject to necessary safeguarding checks and compliance with statutory requirements, which may affect timescales.
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