DescriptionSupporting documentsEmployerLocation
Start date: 1st September if the successful candidate can be made available by their current employer, or as soon as mutually agreed thereafter
A rare and exciting opportunity to join the Leadership Team at Aurora Eccles School has arisen because, after four years of amazing work with us, our Deputy Head has secured her first headship at a Norfolk high school and will be leaving us in August.
Aurora Eccles school is a caring community where relationships are the heart of all we do; in our ‘serene' (ISI, 2024) school we provide fantastic education, care, and personal development opportunities to about 230 students, all of whom have an education, health, and care plan. Our students have wide ranging abilities (with Y11 outcomes from pre-entry level through to higher GCSE) and a variety of additional needs; our offer is class-based, and we are ambitious that all of our students will be able to work successfully alongside their peers. Some students work in nurture classes with the same teacher for most of the day, others have subject-specialists visit them throughout the day.
Our mission is that our students should become ‘Confident and Equipped for Success'. To this end, our comprehensive curriculum heavily references the national curriculum, with the addition of opportunities like Forest School and Life Skills for students to push beyond what they thought possible.
We are members of The Independent Schools Association (ISA) and are proudly part of The Aurora Group, who specialise in the provision of specialist education. At Eccles, we are enthusiastically guided by our company values that we should be caring, ambitious, collaborative, trusting, and innovative.
The successful candidate will have leadership experience at deputy or assistant head level or from a significant middle leadership role with whole school responsibilities. You might even be a serving headteacher looking for a different challenge. This role will include leadership of our four SENDCOs, so you will either hold a SENDCO qualification or have an excellent working knowledge of the SEND Code of Practice. Whilst we are a secondary school, many of our team come to us having only worked in primary schools; our blended staff show that experience and knowledge can be successfully transferred between phases.
An excellent communicator, you will understand the importance of caring yet unambiguous and timely communication.
The role:
As Deputy Headteacher, you'll work closely with the Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team to lead and manage all aspects of teaching and learning. You'll take responsibility for driving high-quality teaching, improving standards of learning, and supporting staff to deliver an engaging curriculum that meets the needs of all learners.
Key Responsibilities
1. Deputise for the Headteacher and assume overall leadership of the school when required.
2. Provide strategic leadership of educational provision, with a strong focus on inclusion, curriculum design, pupil progress, and EHCP outcomes.
3. Lead and line manage the SENDCo team, ensuring high-quality provision and strong outcomes for pupils with additional needs.
4. Oversee individualised programmes for pupils of needing something different, including coordination with multidisciplinary teams and commissioning of therapies and alternative provision where appropriate.
5. Lead on examination access arrangements and ensure compliance with statutory requirements.
6. Take responsibility for effective staff deployment, including the strategic use of teachers, teaching assistants, and HLTAs to maximise pupil outcomes.
7. Manage and delegate staff appraisal and contribute to recruitment and professional development across the school.
8. Work collaboratively with families, external agencies, and stakeholders, acting as a key point of escalation where necessary.
9. Contribute to whole-school quality assurance, monitoring the impact of provision and ensuring continuous improvement.
10. Provide the Headteacher with clear, evidence-based updates on key priorities and areas of school development.
11. Support wider leadership responsibilities such as safeguarding (Deputy DSL), admissions, and HR processes.
12. Maintain a teaching commitment, modelling high-quality practice and supporting staff development.
About You
We are looking for a leader who:
13. Has a strong track record of improving outcomes for pupils with SEND.
14. Demonstrates excellent leadership, organisational, and interpersonal skills.
15. Is committed to inclusive practice and high-quality teaching.
16. Can lead and inspire staff, building capacity and confidence across teams.
17. Is a highly effective communicator with the ability to work collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders.
18. Has experience of leading provision, managing staff, and driving school improvement.
Essential criteria:
19. Experienced teacher with QTS
20. Previous leadership experience
21. Experience of supporting students who have SEND
Desirable:
22. Evidence of relevant professional learning and/or qualifications
23. Working knowledge of the ISSR
24. Experience of preparing for inspection, especially with ISI
25. Experience as a DSL or DDSL
Why Join Us?
26. A supportive and collaborative Senior Leadership Team
27. The opportunity to shape and develop outstanding inclusive provision
28. A strong commitment to professional development and wellbeing
29. A school community dedicated to achieving the best outcomes for every pupil
How to Apply:
Visits to the school to meet with The Headteacher and find out more about us are welcomed prior to making an application.
For candidates that haven't worked in this sector before please be aware that for regulatory reasons the application process is far more detailed and thorough compared to other sectors.
Please complete the online application form in full, including all employment and education details, and provide a personal statement that makes us keen to speak to you.
If you need any assistance or would like any more information, please contact Liz in the Aurora Group Recruitment Team.
Successful applicants will be subject to pre-employment safeguarding checks including an enhanced disclosure and barring service (DBS) check.
The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Aurora Group is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions (including those which are "spent" unless they are "protected" under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children.
The Aurora Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children and young adults in our care and is a disability confident and equal opportunities employer.
This advert could be taken down at any point in time without prior notice if the position is filled.
As part of our safer recruitment procedures for senior leadership roles, we will endeavour to complete a range of safeguarding checks prior to interview where possible. These include references, online searches, a Prohibition from Teaching check and a Section 128 direction check
Safeguarding Statement
Aurora Eccles School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.We particularly welcome applications from under represented groups including ethnicity, gender, transgender, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion.