Assistant Head - Attendance and Head of English
Nicholas Chamberlaine School, Bedworth, Warwickshire, CV12 9EA2 days remaining to apply
Job start date
1 January 2027
Closing date
28 October 2026 at 9am
Date listed
26 October 2026
Job details
Job role
- Assistant headteacher
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Key stage
- Key stage 4
Subject
- English
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full time equivalent salary
- £64,691 - £69,596
What skills and experience we're looking for
Nicholas Chamberlaine School is seeking an exceptional, ambitious and inspirational leader to join our Senior Leadership Team as Assistant Headteacher, with strategic responsibility for whole-school attendance alongside leadership of our English department.
This is a significant and exciting opportunity for an experienced and successful English practitioner who is ready to make an impact beyond their subject area, combining a passion for high-quality teaching and learning with a commitment to improving attendance, inclusion and outcomes for all pupils.
We are looking for a leader who understands that excellent attendance and excellent teaching go hand in hand, and who has the vision, determination and interpersonal skills to drive improvement across both areas.
The role
As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, you will play a central role in shaping the strategic direction of the school and delivering our school improvement priorities.
Strategic Leadership of Attendance
You will:
- Lead the development, implementation and evaluation of a whole-school attendance strategy.
- Drive sustained improvements in attendance and punctuality, with a particular focus on reducing persistent and severe absence.
- Provide strategic leadership and oversight of the attendance team, ensuring robust systems, effective intervention and clear accountability.
- Work collaboratively with pastoral leaders, Heads of Year, SEND and safeguarding teams to identify and address barriers to attendance.
- Develop effective partnerships with families, external agencies and the local authority.
- Use data intelligently to identify trends, evaluate the impact of interventions and inform strategic decision-making.
- Promote a positive culture of attendance, belonging and inclusion across the school.
- Ensure that attendance systems and practices meet statutory expectations.
Leadership of English
You will:
- Provide inspirational leadership of the English department, securing consistently high standards of teaching, learning and achievement.
- Lead the development of an ambitious, inclusive and well-sequenced English curriculum.
- Drive improvements in GCSE English Language and Literature outcomes, including achievement at grades 4+, 5+ and the highest grades.
- Development of KS3-KS5 curriculum.
- Establish high expectations for teaching, assessment, feedback and adaptive practice.
- Develop and support colleagues through effective coaching, professional development and quality assurance.
- Use assessment information to identify gaps, target intervention and improve outcomes for all pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
- Champion a love of reading, literature and language, contributing to the school's wider literacy priorities.
- Build a positive, collaborative and ambitious departmental culture.
About you
We are seeking an exceptional leader who:
- Is an outstanding or highly effective English teacher with excellent subject knowledge.
- Has a proven track record of successful leadership and improving pupil outcomes.
- Can demonstrate the ability to lead, motivate and develop colleagues.
- Has a strong understanding of the relationship between attendance, inclusion, safeguarding and academic achievement.
- Is confident using data and evidence to inform strategic decisions and evaluate impact.
- Has excellent organisational, communication and interpersonal skills.
- Is resilient, solution-focused and able to balance competing priorities effectively.
- Has high expectations of pupils and staff and an unwavering commitment to educational excellence.
- Is ready to contribute fully to the strategic leadership of a large and ambitious secondary school.
Previous whole-school attendance leadership experience would be advantageous, but we particularly welcome applications from strong English leaders who can demonstrate the skills, strategic thinking and ambition required to succeed in this wider leadership role.
Why join Nicholas Chamberlaine School?
Nicholas Chamberlaine School is a vibrant and ambitious school community, committed to ensuring that every pupil receives an excellent education and has the opportunity to flourish.
As part of Griffin Schools Trust, we benefit from a shared commitment to excellence, collaboration and professional development.
You will join a dedicated Senior Leadership Team at an important stage of our improvement journey, with the opportunity to shape whole-school strategy, lead a key curriculum area and make a lasting difference to the lives of young people.
If you are an ambitious leader with a passion for English, a commitment to inclusion and the determination to make a difference across a whole school, we would be delighted to hear from you.
Nicholas Chamberlaine School and Griffin Schools Trust are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. The successful candidate will be subject to appropriate safeguarding and pre-employment checks, including an enhanced DBS check.
What the school offers its staff
The Griffin Schools Trust is committed to building staff teams of interesting people, who are motivated to advance their own knowledge and skills, as well as their students’ achievement.
The Griffin Schools Trust provides regular pedagogical CPD and delivers its own leadership programmes from NQTS, aspiring to Executive Heads. We also offer a funded research-based Master’s programme.
.……. Wellbeing…….
- We never use all of 1265
- We have reduced data drops to allow for more teaching and learning.
- During the summer term, we prioritise staff time for core priorities and essential CPD rather than rolling over the timetable.
- Two teacher training days are disaggregated to enable staff participation in the Effective Formative Assessment program’s twilight sessions.
- Curriculum planning is centralised within departments, allowing teachers to adapt from base lessons, instead of starting from scratch.
- We provide outstanding professional development opportunities, including NPQs and Trust funded Masters programs, with-in school support.
- Teachers are encouraged and supported to become exam markers.
- Departments have a minimum of three meeting per half term to facilitate the sharing of practices and subject knowledge.
- We minimise emails with one Staff Comms and one MLT Comms per week.
- Detentions are centralised to allow teachers more preparation time.
- We support staff in balancing family needs through part time and flexible contracts, as well as paid/unpaid time off.
- All colleagues enjoy free access to a modern on-site gym.
- We foster a sense of community with weekly staff breakfasts on Fridays.
- Sharing good practices and collaborative work with other departments is actively encouraged.
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 job requires you to download an application form, you will be able to upload the application once complete.
CVs will not be accepted for this application.
Additional documents
If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.
About Nicholas Chamberlaine School
- Organisation type
- Academy, ages 11 to 18
- Education phase
- Secondary school
- Size
- 1456 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 18
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- Email address
- recruitment@nicholaschamberlaine.co.uk
- Phone number
- 02476312308
Nicholas Chamberlaine School is a secondary school with VI Form provision in Bedworth, Warwickshire. We have been serving the community for over 60 years and are proud of the impact we are making on the lives of our young people.
In September 2013, we were delighted to join the Griffin Schools Trust and are now part of a family of schools with a distinctive identity. Our closest partner schools are Race Leys Junior School, Park Lane Primary School and Exhall Junior School, and we benefit from working together as a strong and supportive collegiate.
We have a strong vision. Nicholas Chamberlaine is committed to providing an excellent and inspiring educational experience for all our students. To support this, Nicholas Chamberlaine School:
- raises aspirations, expectations and achievement for all students
- ensures students acquire the knowledge, skills and qualifications relevant to adult life and employment
- shows students how to think for themselves, to develop enquiring minds and become disciplined learners
- helps students to understand the world in which they live and their own responsibilities as members of our community and society
- broadens our students’ horizons through a range of academic, creative, sporting and musical activities within and beyond the classroom.
Arranging a visit to Nicholas Chamberlaine School
To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email recruitment@nicholaschamberlaine.co.uk.
School location
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