Assistant Headteacher

Chislehurst School for Girls, Chislehurst, Kent, BR7 6HE

16 days remaining to apply

• Job start date

  1 January 2027

• Closing date

  26 June 2026 at 9am

• Date listed

  10 June 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Assistant headteacher
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Key stage: Key stage 3, Key stage 4, Key stage 5
• Working pattern: Full time: Full time, 32.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: Outer London Leadership Pay Scale L12-L16 – Annual Gross £72,009 - £79,157

What skills and experience we're looking for

Job Purpose

The Assistant Headteacher will support the Headteacher in providing strategic leadership and management for the school, ensuring a clear vision for high-quality education and excellent student outcomes across Key Stages 3–5. The Assistant Headteacher will drive whole-school improvement, leading on key priorities to secure outstanding teaching, strong pastoral systems, and a culture of high expectations, inclusion, and continuous improvement. The role involves developing staff, using data intelligently, and ensuring all students achieve their full academic and personal potential.

Key Duties

Curriculum Impact

• Set goals that stretch and challenge students of all backgrounds, abilities and dispositions
• Be accountable for students’ attainment, progress and outcomes
• Students should be able to verbalise:

o their learning within the lesson

o how the lesson contributes to the end point of the unit

• Be aware of students’ capabilities and their prior knowledge, and plan teaching to build on these
• Guide students to reflect on the progress they have made
• Know and understand how to assess the relevant subject including statutory assessment requirements
• Make use of formative and summative assessment to secure students’ progress, including effective use of questioning throughout the lesson
• Use relevant data to monitor progress, set targets, and plan subsequent lessons
• Give students regular feedback, both orally and through accurate marking, and encourage students to respond to the feedback
• Give feedback on your classes to your second in charge after each Assessment Point, including your planned interventions to tackle any underachievement in your classes

Curriculum Implementation – Subject Knowledge

• Have a secure knowledge in the relevant subject(s) and curriculum area. Be able to verbalise the sequencing of the components of each unit of work
• Foster and maintain students’ interest in the subject
• Address misunderstandings / misconceptions
• Demonstrate a critical understanding of developments in the subject
• Take responsibility for promoting high standards of literacy, articulacy and the correct use of standard English
• Take part in regular CPD in order to ensure that your knowledge is up-to-date
• Use ICT to effectively enhance learning
• Develop high standards of Numeracy whenever appropriate
• Ensure that your approaches to T&L contribute to the design and provision of engaging lessons within the agreed national Curriculum programmes of study

Planning and Teaching

• Effective use of lesson time in order to maximise students’ achievement and enjoyment
• Set homework and plan other out-of-class activities to consolidate knowledge where appropriate
• Reflect systematically on the effectiveness of your lessons and adapt content following your monitoring of the students’ work in class
• Ensure that your approaches to teaching contribute to the design and provision of engaging lessons
• Ensure that all lessons include: retention strategies (for example, spacing / interleaving)

Adapt Teaching to Respond to Needs

• Know when and how to differentiate/personalise appropriately
• Use approaches which enable students to be taught and learn effectively, to the best of their ability
• Demonstrate an awareness of the physical, social and intellectual development of children
• Have a clear understanding of the needs of all students, including those with special educational needs; those of high ability; those with English as an additional language; those with disabilities, ensuring that they are all met

Behaviour and Attitudes

• Establish a safe and stimulating environment for students, rooted in mutual respect
• Demonstrate consistently the positive attitudes, values and behaviour which are expected of students
• Have clear rules and routines for behaviour in classrooms, and take responsibility for promoting good and courteous behaviour both in classrooms and around the school, in accordance with the school’s behaviour policy
• Have high expectations of behaviour, and establish a framework for discipline with a range of strategies, using praise, sanctions and rewards consistently and fairly
• Manage classes effectively, using approaches which are appropriate to students’ needs in order to involve and motivate them
• Maintain good relationships with students, exercise appropriate authority, and act decisively when necessary
• Ensure that the 4 Rs are consistently followed
• Monitor and follow up non-attendance to learning

Personal Development

• Uphold British values and ensure that students respect them
• Have regard for the need to safeguard pupils’ well-being, in accordance with statutory provisions and take action accordingly
• Contribute towards SMSC
• Contribute to enhancement of the wider curriculum (for example: trips, clubs etc…)

Wider Responsibilities of Assistant Headteachers

• Collaborate as a member of the Senior Leadership Team to develop the shared vision/future strategy for the school
• Have direct line management of a year team
• Agree to aspirational targets, ensuring rigorous monitoring, evaluation and review of progress towards these
• Ensure high quality teaching and learning in line led areas
• Contribute to the school’s self-evaluation process
• Be involved in the process of appointing new staff including the shortlisting and interview process, ensuring up to date personal Safer Recruitment accreditation is maintained
• Be actively on duty at break, lunch and before and after school, contribute to patrols
• Deliver assemblies as part of cycle
• Share in the management of student behaviour incidents, making recommendations to the Headteacher/Deputy Headteacher regarding Inclusions/Exclusions and facilitating the process of student reintegration
• Actively participate in the monitoring, evaluation and review of teaching and learning in line led areas – subjects to be agreed
• Manage any capability or disciplinary procedures in line with the Trust’s policy, where appropriate
• Be a core part of the appraisal process, setting targets and reviewing progress
• Promote equal opportunities and celebrate diversity in all aspects of the school
• Comply with the Trust’s Health and Safety policy and undertake risk assessments in line with national requirements where necessary
• Show a record of excellent attendance and punctuality
• Provide, or contribute to, oral and written assessments, reports and references relating to individual students and groups of students
• Contribute to the school’s and Trust’s INSET programme
• Partake in activities aimed at promoting the school, including, but not limited to, open evenings, visits to primary schools and community events
• Carry out other tasks commensurate with their position, as directed by the Headteacher or Deputy Headteachers

Classroom Teacher Responsibilities –

• To carry out the duties of a School Teacher as set out in the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document.
• To continue to meet the Professional Standards for Senior Leaders

Note, whilst every effort has been made to explain the main duties and responsibilities of the post, this job description is not prescriptive, and each individual task undertaken may not be identified. Employees are expected to comply with any reasonable request from a manager to undertake work of a similar level and/or scope that is not specified in this job description. Job descriptions are subject to change, in consultation with the post holder, to meet the changing needs of the broader Trust.

What the school offers its staff

• The opportunity to be part of a forward-thinking school and wider Trust
• The opportunity to work with pastoral and subject leaders to create an exciting and engaging curriculum
• A working environment where everyone is valued and respected
• Enhanced professional and career development

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

Visas cannot be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

Person Specification – Assistant Headteacher

Criteria

Essential

Desirable

Qualifications

• Qualified Teacher Status (secondary age range)
• Good honours degree or equivalent
• Evidence of ongoing professional development
• National Professional Qualification for Senior Leadership (NPQSL) or Headship (NPQH)
• Relevant postgraduate qualification (e.g. MA in Education, Leadership)

Experience

• Substantial and successful teaching experience in a secondary school
• Proven track record of improving student outcomes
• Experience of leadership at middle or senior level (e.g. Head of Department/Year or equivalent)
• Experience of leading whole-school or cross-department improvement initiatives
• Experience of line managing staff and developing teams
• Experience of using data to monitor and raise attainment
• Senior leadership experience (e.g. Assistant Headteacher, Associate SLT)
• Experience working across multiple key stages (KS3, KS4, KS5)
• Experience in a context of significant school improvement or change

Knowledge and Understanding

• Strong understanding of the secondary curriculum and assessment (including GCSEs and post-16 qualifications)
• Knowledge of effective teaching, learning, and assessment strategies
• Understanding of school improvement planning and self-evaluation
• Secure knowledge of safeguarding legislation and statutory guidance (e.g. KCSIE)
• Understanding of strategies to support disadvantaged, SEND, and vulnerable students
• Awareness of Ofsted Education Inspection Framework (EIF)
• Knowledge of current national educational priorities and policy developments
• Understanding of curriculum design and sequencing across subjects

Skills & Abilities

• Ability to lead, inspire, and motivate staff and students
• Strong analytical skills, including interpreting performance data
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal)
• Strong organisational and time management skills
• Ability to plan strategically and implement change effectively
• Skilled in coaching, mentoring, and developing staff
• Ability to manage conflict and maintain high standards of behaviour

Leadership and Personal

Qualities

• A clear commitment to high standards and raising achievement for all
• Ability to model outstanding professional conduct and integrity
• Resilient, adaptable, and solution-focused
• High expectations of staff and students
• Commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion
• Ability to work collaboratively as part of a senior leadership team
• Strong decision-making skills with sound professional judgement
• Committed to improving outcomes for all students
• Team Player
• Commitment to safeguarding pupil’s wellbeing and equality
• Experience of leading cultural or organisational change
• Evidence of innovation and creativity in leadership

LET is committed to safeguarding the welfare of all children and young people and expects all its staff to share this commitment.

LET is committed to equality and diversity. We are committed to continuous improvement in how representative we are of our local communities, including gender, ethnicity, religion, age, and all other protected characteristics.

We offer family friendly and flexible working arrangements.

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.

2606 Assistant Headteacher recruitment pack ChSfG.pdf - 682 KB (opens in new tab)

About Chislehurst School for Girls

• School type: Academies, None, ages 11 to 18
• Education phase: Secondary school
• School size: 1165 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 11 to 18
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: Chislehurst School for Girls website
• Email address: aedmunds@iniciotrust.org
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/chislehurst-school-for-girls

Chislehurst School for Girls is a non-denominational secondary academy based in Kent, for girls aged 11-18. The school has a rich history spanning decades and is situated in the idyllic town of Chislehurst.

It was originally founded in 1896 as Sidcup High School and was more recently known as Beaverwood School for Girls. The secondary school was renamed in 2014 as Chislehurst School for Girls.

At Chislehurst School for Girls, it is believed that each student has strengths. Through care and knowledge of every individual pupil, teachers strive to develop these strengths. The secondary school’s vision for the future is combined with the traditional values that it believes society respects.

Chislehurst School for Girls has a strong belief in good discipline and it ensures that students know what is expected of them. Pupils have access to a grammar-style curriculum, through the school’s Grammar Stream.

Arranging a visit to Chislehurst School for Girls

To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email aedmunds@iniciotrust.org.

School location

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