Are you an experienced and influential Senior Leader with a significant background in Children's Residential Care looking to transition your expertise into an educational leadership role?
We are seeking a proactive and strategic Deputy Head to join our dedicated Alternative Provision (AP) in Barnoldswick. This vital role requires a leader who deeply understands the holistic needs, emotional resilience, and behavioural challenges faced by young people who have lived in residential settings. Your experience will be instrumental in shaping a truly therapeutic and supportive learning environment for pupils with complex Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) needs.
Core Responsibilities: Translating Residential Expertise to Education
You will work directly with the Headteacher to integrate best practices from the care sector into our AP strategy, driving whole-provision improvement.
Therapeutic Ethos & Culture: Lead the implementation of a consistent, whole-school trauma-informed and therapeutic approach, informed by your knowledge of the residential care model.
Complex Behavioural Management: Take a leading role in managing complex behaviours and crises, ensuring interventions are restorative, de-escalatory, and based on high-level risk assessment skills gained in a residential setting.
Pastoral and Well-being Oversight: Oversee the provision's pastoral system, ensuring high-quality, continuous intervention for student well-being, transition, and attendance, bridging the gap between care and education.
Safeguarding: Act as a key member of the safeguarding team (potentially Deputy DSL), using your experience to identify, monitor, and report on complex child protection issues.
Strategic Leadership: Assist the Headteacher in developing the strategic vision for the provision, ensuring the curriculum and support structures meet the specific needs of students who may have experienced attachment difficulties or trauma.
What We Are Looking For
The successful candidate will demonstrate a unique blend of care and leadership experience:
Essential: Significant Senior Leadership/Management experience within a Children's Residential Care Home or equivalent setting (e.g., Registered Manager, Deputy Manager, or a similar therapeutic leadership role).
Desirable: Experience working in, or closely with, an Alternative Provision (AP) or SEMH school.
Expert knowledge of therapeutic and restorative practices and the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on learning.
Outstanding skills in de-escalation, relationship building, and team development within a challenging environment.
Strong understanding of Ofsted/CIW/CQC (or similar regulatory bodies) standards and inspection frameworks applicable to welfare and safety.
A resilient, adaptable, and highly motivated leader who can challenge and develop staff across the educational and pastoral teams.
Why Join Our Alternative Provision in Barnoldswick?
Pioneering Role: Be instrumental in integrating care principles into educational outcomes.
Meaningful Impact: Lead a small, specialist team entirely committed to transforming the life chances of young people by addressing their underlying needs.
Professional Growth: Excellent opportunities for professional development within the education sector.
Apply Today - Interviews Being Scheduled Now
If you are a passionate Senior Leader ready to leverage your Residential Care expertise to deliver outstanding education in Barnoldswick from January 2026, please send your CV and covering letter to (url removed) or click apply.
We reserve the right to close this advertisement early if we receive sufficient applications.
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