Assistant Headteacher
Adelaide School, Crewe, Cheshire, CW1 3DT22 days remaining to apply
Closing date
27 February 2026 at 12pm (midday)
Date listed
3 February 2026
Job details
Job role
- Assistant headteacher
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- £60,145.00 - £69,596.00 Annually (FTE) Leadership 7-13
Assistant Headteacher job summary
About this Role
Adelaide School is looking for an Assistant Headteacher who provides strategic and operational leadership to ensure that highly vulnerable pupils receive an inclusive, therapeutic, and high‑quality education. They support the Headteacher with whole‑school improvement, behaviour and welfare systems, safeguarding, curriculum development, and staff development. The role involves working closely with multi‑agency professionals, modelling trauma‑informed practice, and ensuring that pupils with complex SEMH needs feel safe, supported, and able to progress academically and personally.
The Successful Candidate will Provide / Deliver:
Leadership & Strategic Responsibilities
- Provides strong and compassionate leadership that supports the Headteacher in driving whole‑school improvement.
- Contributes to the development and delivery of the school’s strategic vision, ensuring that provision meets the complex SEMH needs of all pupils.
- Leads key whole‑school areas such as safeguarding, behaviour, curriculum, attendance, therapeutic provision, or staff development depending on the school’s priorities.
- Oversees the implementation of trauma‑informed, relational approaches across the school, ensuring consistency and high expectations.
- Supports the development and monitoring of quality‑first teaching, personalised pathways, and targeted interventions.
- Ensures that teaching approaches meet the needs of pupils with SEMH profiles, including those with additional SEND.
- Works with curriculum leads to design a flexible, engaging, and supportive curriculum that promotes academic progress and emotional development.
- Coaches, mentors, and supports teachers and support staff to develop their skills in de‑escalation, attachment‑aware practice, and therapeutic classroom approaches.
- Oversees assessment processes to ensure progress is tracked accurately and barriers to learning are identified and removed.
- Works with staff to ensure that pupils feel safe, valued, and emotionally regulated throughout the school day.
- Oversees individual behaviour support plans, risk assessments, and personalised intervention strategies.
- Contributes to safeguarding leadership, ensuring compliance, early help processes, information sharing, and robust safeguarding culture.
- Works closely with external professionals such as educational psychologists, social care, CAMHS, youth services, and family support agencies.
- Leads and participates in multi‑agency meetings to ensure pupils receive integrated, wrap‑around support.
- Builds strong, trusting relationships with families, ensuring they feel supported, informed, and involved in their child’s journey.
- Line‑manages staff, leading with clarity, empathy, and high expectations.
- Delivers and coordinates CPD focused on SEMH pedagogy, behaviour approaches, and trauma‑informed practice.
- Promotes a culture of reflective practice, professional growth, and wellbeing among all staff.
- Helps shape a positive, nurturing, and resilient school culture grounded in respect, understanding, and emotional safety.
In Return the School Will Provide:
- Bespoke, high-quality training to support knowledge and understanding of specialist behaviour management interventions
- Small class sizes and high staffing ratios, in and out of the classroom
- Networking opportunities through the Manor Hall Academy Trust and local SEMH school groups.
- Support for creative and flexible thinking to enhance curriculum delivery
- A knowledgeable and highly supportive staff team
What we can offer you:
- Excellent working environment
- Support for your role with a dedicated school and central team.
- Continued professional development opportunities.
- Pay progression and recognition of continuous service.
- Generous local government pension scheme.
Access to comprehensive and flexible Employee Benefits which include
- Tech Schemes
- Cycle to Work Schemes
- Online gym classes
- Health and wellbeing support and advice e.g., Men's Health, Wellbeing Action Plans, Better Sleep, Relaxation and Meditation, Understanding Menopause
- Financial advice services
- Think Well, fast track counselling service
- Physiotherapy
- Eye-sight testing
- Retail discounts in supermarkets, high street shops, restaurants and days out.
- Onsite catering.
Please find attached a Job Description and Person specification for this role.
Also please find attached relevant School/Trust Policies on Safer Recruitment and Safeguarding.
Manor Hall Academy Trust places the highest priority on the safeguarding children. Any appointments within the Trust will be subject to a enhanced disclosure being obtained from the Disclosure and Barring Service, Online Checks and satisfactory references prior to interview. Further details about DBS can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/disclosure-and-barring-service/about .
By engaging in this recruitment process, shortlisted candidates consent to a online search in line with the Keeping Children Safe in Education Statutory Guidance 2024.
It is highly recommended that interested candidates visit the school prior to applying. Visits can be arranged by contacting the school by telephone on 01270 260680 or by emailing kherring@adelaideschool.mhat.org.uk.
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 Adelaide School
- School type
- Academy, ages 9 to 18
- School size
- 89 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 9 to 18
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- Adelaide School website
School location
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