Assistant Headteacher
Highfield School, Ossett, West Yorkshire, WF5 9BS16 days remaining to apply
Job start date
1 September 2025
Closing date
22 April 2025 at 3pm
Date listed
5 April 2025
Job details
Job role
- Assistant headteacher
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Key stage
- Key stage 3, Key stage 4
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Pay scale
- L9-13
What skills and experience we're looking for
Qualifications/Training
- Essential
o Qualified teacher status
o A degree or equivalent.
- Desirable
o Higher degree qualification, Postgraduate SEN courses.
o Recognised management qualification
Professional Development
- Essential
o Evidence of sustained participation in INSET, especially school leadership and management programme or similar.
- Desirable
o Participation in work with other schools/agencies.
o Experience of leading INSET activities for others.
o lead responsibility
Teaching Experience
- Essential
o At least 5 years classroom teaching experience with pupils with a range of SEN.
o Experience of curriculum and pastoral leadership.
o Experience of leading a significant curriculum development to implementation.
o Proven record of outstanding classroom practice
- Desirable
o Evidence of curriculum leaderships across the school age range within the last 3 years.
o Experience of a wider range of schools and other educational establishments Recent experience of Behaviour
Management Responsibility
- Essential
o Experience at Leadership level in a specialist setting includes the full age-range of setting.
o Experience of monitoring and evaluating aspects of the school’s work.
o Experience of taking a lead role in a school of students with SEN.
o Experience of taking a role in the Annual Review of Statement of SEN/EHCP Process.
- Desirable
o Experience of conducting performance management
o Experience of mentoring.
Resources
- Essential
o Experience of managing and/or co-ordinating staff.
o Experience of managing teaching resources
o Awareness of how to set and manage a school budget.
o Experience of managing accommodation and building issues.
- Desirable
o Experience of appointing and inducting staff;
o Experience of establishing and developing school administrative systems;
o budget management.
Knowledge and Understanding of the National Framework
- Essential
o Knowledge of relevant Education Acts and SEN Code of Practice.
o SEND Reforms and EHCP processes.
o Experience of OFSTED inspection and its follow up Common Inspection Framework.
o Understanding of conduct of performance management.
Knowledge and Understanding of Teaching and Learning
- Essential
o Knowledge of a range of learning, physical and associated behavioural difficulties.
o Practical understanding of effective teaching, evaluation, evidence gathering, assessment strategies to maximise potential of pupils with SEN.
o Understanding of actions to be taken to promote racial harmony, and prepare pupils to live in a culturally diverse society.
o Understanding of Spiritual Moral Social and Cultural development.
- Desirable
o Knowledge of MLD, SLD, PMLD, ASD, PPD.
Standards
- Essential
o Understand characteristics of an effective special school.
o Awareness of strategies to raise pupil outcomes and manage behaviour.
o Understanding of how to set targets.
o Knowledge and experience of use of specific evidence and progress systems and accreditation suitable for students with SEN including at the end of KS4 and KS5
o Expertise in progress analysis and use of data to develop teaching and curriculum to meet individual and group needs.
o Involvement in school improvement work.
National Curriculum
- Essential
o Understand the planning of the National Curriculum, including assessment, recording and reporting, and its applicability in a secondary special school.
o Experience of planning the curriculum across the age range of the school.
- Desirable
o Evidence of using research evidence base for learning.
Parents and Community
- Essential
o Understanding of the role which can be played by parents and the community in raising standards.
- Desirable
o Experience of working directly with parents to raise standards and involvement with the local community.
Governance
- Essential
o First hand experience of work with Governors
Leadership
- Essential
o Ability to lead, provide clear vision and lead by example. Incisive and clear strategic thinker.
o Able to motivate pupils and staff. Ability to delegate responsibility,
o set high standards and provide a focus for improvement.
- Desirable
o Personal impact and presence
Management
- Essential
o Ability to manage change in a school, monitor and evaluate its impact.
o Played a leading role in implementing a School Development Plan or Action Plan
- Desirable
o Evidence of impact of monitoring and evaluation on the school improvement agenda
Relationships
- Essential
o Able to establish and develop good relationships, and liaise effectively, with all stakeholders of the school. Commitment to the school’s wider community, and Children’s Services.
o Able to manage difficult conversations.
- Desirable
o Experience of using restorative practise.
Interpersonal and Communication Skills
- Essential
o Ability to communicate effectively in writing and orally. Competent in the use of ICT.
o Flexible and approachable.
o Resilient under pressure.
o Able to deal sensitively with people and resolve conflicts.
o Positive and energetic approach to work.
Education Philosophy
- Essential
o A commitment to maximising potential of all students in partnership with all stakeholders, Education Services and other provisions locally and nationally.
o A determination to progress school improvement.
- Desirable
o An understanding of the way schools can promote values and a moral code.
Staff Development
- Essential
o Committed to the development of all staff, teaching and non-teaching.
- Desirable
o Played leading role in establishing a staff development programme.
Equal Opportunities
- Essential
o Commitment to equality of opportunity
o Commitment to race and gender equality and social inclusion
- Desirable
o Experience of implementing strategies for social inclusion
Understanding of the need to promote positive role models.
What the school offers its staff
In return we can offer:
- Fantastic students who are positive, keen to learn and progress
- A dedicated and skilled workforce, committed to making a difference
- A school with high aspirations and a strong commitment to professional development where every person is valued
- An excellent opportunity to develop the leadership skills required for further career progression
- Staff wellbeing service which includes physiotherapy, mindfulness, counselling, weight management, menopause support, critical illness support, GP consultations, private medical operations, stress awareness sessions.
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
Please download the application form using the link below, and once completed send to psayle@highfield.wakefield.sch.uk
CVs are not accepted.
Additional documents
If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.
About Highfield School
- School type
- Special school, ages 11 to 19
- School size
- 203 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 19
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- Highfield School website
- Email address
- psayle@highfield.wakefield.sch.uk
We are a local maintained school providing education for pupils with severe learning needs. Our pupils come from all over the Wakefield area and some from further afield, to benefit from our specialised teaching, excellent pastoral care and the wide range of specialist support services and interventions we provide through our curriculum offer.
Our ambition is to ensure that every pupil is well prepared for the next stage of their education and for adult life, be that finding meaningful employment, continued education, supported or independent living.
At Highfield school we provide a student-centred curriculum, delivered in an inclusive environment. Students develop their communication, independence and social skills to make good or better personal progress towards their EHCP outcomes. We prepare them for the responsibilities and experiences of adult life, building resilience opportunities throughout the curriculum.
Our school vision statement ‘maximising potential for confident and independent futures,’ is embedded through our six-strand curriculum across four pathways in year 7 to 11. These are, semi-formal, formal and blended and SCERTS. The SCERTS curriculum pathway introduced in September 2022, which is a comprehensive intervention model for students with autism and their families. In Post 16 we have three pathways which are, Moving on, Futures and City Futures, which was introduced in September 2022.
Highfield is a school which caters for students with severe and complex learning difficulties and autistic spectrum conditions. A significant number of our learners have associated complex needs relating to visual, hearing and speech impairment, social and emotional difficulties, communication difficulties, a range of chromosomal difficulties and in some cases, physical difficulties.
The development of our fantastic green field site has seen the inclusion of a purpose built Post 16 facility, a sensory room, a library, a fitness suite and the refurbishment of the main entrance, administration office spaces and our Emotional Health and Well- being area. We also have a wide range of outdoor facilities including a wildlife area which supports our Forest School status, a poly tunnel for horticulture, Animal Unit and well maintained sports facilities that contribute to the positive learning experiences of our students. Visitors to our school comment very positively on the warm welcome they receive and the quality of the provision, as well as the outstanding attitudes and behaviour of our fantastic students, of whom we are very proud.
We have a large, well-qualified and committed staff group who work very effectively in teams. All staff members are well supported through supportive appraisal processes to improve their practice and are encouraged to develop professionally. There are clear progression pathways identifiable within the school.
The school has grown significantly during the past five years and has made substantial changes to its model of leadership and curriculum in order to better meet the needs of our pupils. Our most recent Ofsted, November 2023, found that the school was Good overall with outstanding personal development, behaviour and welfare.
Arranging a visit to Highfield School
To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email psayle@highfield.wakefield.sch.uk.
School location
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