[260624] Assistant Head Teacher and Designated Safeguarding Lead
Courtlands School, Plymouth, Devon, PL6 5JS18 days remaining to apply
Start date details
September 2026
Closing date
12 July 2026 at 11:59pm
Date listed
23 June 2026
Job details
Job role
- Assistant headteacher
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- £57,137.00 - £64,691.00 Annually (Actual) leadership scale L5 - L10
[260624] Assistant Head Teacher and Designated Safeguarding Lead job summary
Courtlands School, Reach South Academy Trust is seeking to appoint an experienced Assistant Head and Designated Safeguarding Lead to join the school in September 2026.
Post: Assistant Head and Designated Safeguarding Lead
Location: Courtlands School, Widney Lane, Plymouth, PL6 5JS
FTE Salary Range: L5 - L10
Contract Type: Permanent
Contract Hours: 32.5 per week, Monday to Friday
For more information about Courtlands School, please view our Applicant Pack - Courtlands School Applicant Pack
About the role
We are seeking an inspiring and committed Assistant Headteacher to join our leadership team at Courtlands. This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced leader to play a pivotal role in driving whole-school improvement, with a particular focus on safeguarding, attendance, behaviour, and pupil outcomes.
As the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), you will lead a strong safeguarding culture across the school while supporting high-quality teaching and learning. You will work closely with the Head of School and leadership team to ensure every child thrives in a safe, inclusive, and ambitious environment.
Key Responsibilities
Lead safeguarding across the school as the named DSL, ensuring compliance with statutory guidance
Drive improvements in attendance, behaviour, and pupil engagement
Support and challenge teaching to improve standards and pupil outcomes
Lead on pupil performance data, monitoring progress and raising attainment
Line-manage and develop staff, supporting professional growth and appraisal
Contribute to the school improvement plan and strategic leadership of the school
Promote a positive, safe, and inclusive learning environment for all pupils
About the successful candidate
We are looking for a motivated and resilient leader who:
- Holds Qualified Teacher Status (QTS/QTLS) or is able to achieve it within 12 months
- Has a proven track record of successful teaching and leadership in a primary setting
- Has experience of leading curriculum areas or whole-school initiatives
- Demonstrates strong knowledge of safeguarding policy and practice
- Has high expectations of behaviour, achievement and inclusion for all pupils
Is an excellent communicator with strong interpersonal skills
Can inspire and develop staff while working collaboratively across the school
About the School
Courtlands Special School Academy caters for primary aged children who have moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health difficulties (SEMH), and other complex needs.
Within this there is a wide range of needs, such as children with mild medical issues, developmental disorders such as ADHD and Dyspraxia, Autism and speech and language difficulties.
Courtlands is an amazing place to come to with a real feel of positivity, acceptance and camaraderie. You see targeted therapies many other schools do not offer and a curriculum that is designed to meet the additional needs of our pupils. You see learning organised to meet the developmental needs of the children and we have the confidence to buck the trend, stand out, and to aim for the outstanding.
To attend Courtlands, your child must have an Education, Health and Care Plan and meet the special needs described above. Your mainstream school or nursery SENCo can apply to your local authority for a place and a panel of heads and other professionals decide whether this school is appropriate.
We have a maximum of 100 children here at any one time ranging in age from 4 to 11 years old. We take pupils from Plymouth, Devon and Cornwall and we welcome prospective visits from interested parents, SENCos or Local Authority Officers.
About the Trust
We are a family of schools working in partnership for the benefit of all our pupils and students. We believe our charitable aim, to advance education, is best achieved through collaboration, both within the Trust and beyond.
We operate 21 academies across Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, serving learners aged 3 to 19. Alongside our primary, all-through and technical provision, we are proud to include a strong and integral network of seven special schools and one alternative provision setting.
These settings are a vital part of our community, providing inclusive, high-quality education for pupils with a wide range of needs, including complex learning profiles, autism, and social, emotional and mental health needs, as well as those who benefit from a more personalised approach. Together, we are committed to helping every young person thrive.
Those we recruit are able to demonstrate that they share our values, are highly motivated to work with colleagues, within and beyond their school, to continuously develop their skills and pursue professional excellence.
Next Steps
If you think this role may be for you and want to be involved at this exciting time in our development and have any questions about the position, please get in touch by calling the Recruitment team on 07759365064 or emailing us at recruitment@reachsouth.org.
Closing date: for applications is Sunday 12th July 2026
Interview Date: Interviews are provisionally booked for Week commencing 20th July 2026
To apply for this opportunity, please complete our online application form by clicking ‘apply now’ on the advert.
We reserve the right to interview and appoint prior to the closing date. Therefore, an early application is strongly advised.
Opportunities and Benefits
We offer a competitive salary plus TPS pension, great career progression and development opportunities, access to our Employee Assistance Programme with many other benefits.
We’re proud of how we support our staff in order that you have high levels of job satisfaction, are aware of the difference you are making for the children and families you work with and can see your contribution towards our community. There are regular opportunities for professional development and training, and a wider community of staff to network with within Reach South Multi Academy Trust. You will have the chance to visit other local schools, work alongside a range of outside professionals and take part in a variety of e-learning and face-to-face training.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Each post is subject to an enhanced DBS check.
Reach South Academy Trust has an Equal Opportunities Policy for selection and recruitment. Applicants are requested to complete the Equal Opportunities Monitoring section of the application form before submitting.
Further information about the job
Commitment to safeguarding
Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.
Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.
Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
childcare disqualification
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
medical
online and social media
prohibition from teaching
right to work
satisfactory references
suitability to work with children
You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.
Applying for the job
This school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.
CVs will not be accepted for this application.
View advert on external website (opens in new tab)About Courtlands School
- School type
- Academy, ages 4 to 11
- School size
- 108 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 4 to 11
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- Courtlands School website
Courtlands Special School Academy is a friendly and ambitious academy in Plymouth which caters for primary aged children (4-11) with Moderate Learning Difficulties and Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs. Our innovative curriculum is based on meeting individual’s needs rather than schemes of work, and provides a wide range of curriculum and therapeutic input.
We are leaders in our field, having won numerous national awards for our work, and work in a Trauma Informed way to support our children to overcome their difficulties and make great progress in all areas of their development. We constantly strive for the best ways to support our children, and welcome innovation and new, evidence based ways of working.
You will need high levels of emotional resilience, and good coping strategies born out of successful experience of teaching and supporting children with complex needs including Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties such as ADHD and attachment disorders; Communication and Interaction needs such as ASC and Speech and Language Difficulties. This could be in either a special school or mainstream school, with mainstream experience being an advantage.
We can offer you a motivated and skilled staff team and a real opportunity to make a difference to the future of our wonderful children and school. We look after our staff with award winning care for their wellbeing (National Wellbeing in Schools Award 2019). You won’t be taking marking home to do in the evening, and you will be given the freedom to meet the needs of the pupils in your class, along with the resources to do it. You will receive training in a wide range of SEND and real time support and mentoring form a Leadership Team whose door is literally open all the time.
School location
Similar jobs nearby
Get a job alert when similar jobs are listed
Find more school jobs in Plymouth and Devon, Plymouth and Torbay