Overview
Due to the promotion of our previous postholder, we are delighted to offer a rare opportunity to join one of the country's largest special schools, supporting young people with autism. This role would suit an experienced Head of Faculty, Department, House or Key Stage seeking a strategic position with whole-school impact. Our split-site school is nestled in the Derbyshire countryside and caters for approximately 120 pupils aged 5 to 20. Following our most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2025, the school was graded Outstanding in all areas for the second consecutive time. We have two linked Children's Homes on site, one rated Good and expecting inspection imminently and the other graded as Outstanding. We set high expectations in everything we do and deeply value flexibility, integrity, hard work, resilience, and a genuine dedication to helping young people reach their full potential.
Responsibilities
* Lead Teaching and Learning across the school (teaching role within your area of expertise plus leadership responsibilities).
* Mentoring colleagues
* Refining our curriculum offer
* Developing and leading our CPD programme
* Overseeing the quality assurance of educational provision
* Chairing Annual Reviews
* Collaborating with Subject Leads to drive improvements
* Supporting Assistant Headteachers to ensure consistently high-quality teaching across both sites
* Participating in our "Senior on Duty" Rota
* Some teaching within your area of expertise
* Moderating coursework and examinations within assigned subject areas
Working environment and development
In return, you'll benefit from exceptional support and training, career development opportunities and a genuine team ethic, where all staff are collaborative and committed to making a real difference every day. Our broad and flexible curriculum allows us to welcome a range of teaching specialisms. We pride ourselves on our innovative approach, which means we recruit from a wide variety of backgrounds and phases. We therefore welcome applications from experienced colleagues from any curriculum area or phase. We have a strong track record of supporting mainstream teachers transitioning into the rewarding world of special education, as well as those already working in SEN settings. Our focus is on quality-first teaching and developing engaging learning practices tailored to our incredible young people. We want teachers who love learning, love their subject, and can inspire our students to feel the same. The work is challenging—but deeply rewarding, often in ways that are immeasurable yet profoundly meaningful. Our academic and non-academic outcomes are exceptional, and we are always striving to improve. Our robust CPD programme includes a multi-disciplinary approach to enhancing teaching and learning, supported by our in-house Therapies Team and grounded in research-informed practice. Our dedicated Mental Health Team also provides training and support for staff working with specific needs. Weekly meetings offer valuable time for departmental collaboration and engagement with the latest educational research. The successful candidate will join a small but experienced teaching team, supported by a large and dedicated Learning Support Worker (LSW) team, and work alongside highly specialised Speech and Language Therapists and Occupational Therapists. This whole-team approach is central to the outstanding provision we offer.
Application and next steps
If you are an ambitious, reflective educator with a passion for inclusive practice and a desire to shape the future of teaching and learning, we would be thrilled to hear from you. We warmly welcome informal discussions about the role and encourage visits to the school (please see details below). Salary: Leadership Scale 6-9. Your letter of application should be no more than 2 sides of A4 and should include (as a minimum) the following: Why do you love the subject(s) that you teach? What does great teaching and learning look like? What is your approach to leadership? What have you seen, read or heard about the school that inspires you?
Note: This description preserves the original information and intent while presenting it in structured, accessible HTML using only allowed tags.
#J-18808-Ljbffr