Assistant Headteacher
The Fermain Academy, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 8JF19 days remaining to apply
Start date details
As soon as possible
Closing date
8 December 2025 at 11:59pm
Date listed
19 November 2025
Job details
Job role
- Assistant headteacher
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Key stage
- Key stage 3, Key stage 4
Subject
- Design and technology
Working pattern
- Full time: 37 hours, Monday to Friday
Contract type
- Permanent
Pay scale
- L3 - L8 £54,393 - £61,534
What skills and experience we're looking for
About us
WHY THE FERMAIN ACADEMY IS A GREAT PLACE TO WORK
At The Fermain Academy, we are proud to offer a supportive and innovative working environment where staff can make a real difference to the lives of young people. As an outstanding alternative provision school, we specialise in re-engaging students aged 13–16 who may have struggled in mainstream education. Our focus is on providing personalised learning, promoting positive behaviour, and ensuring every student has the skills and confidence to succeed in education and beyond. We value collaboration, professional development, and creating a culture where staff and students can thrive.
As part of this role, you will lead and develop our Skills Centre, delivering high-quality vocational and practical learning. This includes subjects such as Construction, Design Technology, Hair and Beauty, Art, Child Development, and Textiles, equipping students with real-world skills, qualifications, and experiences. The Skills Centre is an exceptional, purpose-built facility that forms the heart of our student-focused curriculum, offering the opportunity to build strong links with local employers and training providers. This is a chance to create engaging, purposeful learning experiences that have a tangible impact on students’ futures, helping them progress confidently into employment, apprenticeships, or further education.
This is an opportunity to make a real difference to the outcomes for young people.
Job Description
ASSISTANT HEADTEACHERJOB DESCRIPTION
Key Priorities
- Support the strategic vision and direction of the Academy
- Support strategic leadership and management to staff within the Academy
- Support with securing and sustaining effective teaching and learning throughout the school
- Undertake Performance Management and Line Management responsibilities for a group of teachers and other staff in the school
- Deploy staff and resources efficiently and effectively to meet specific objectives in line with the school’s strategic plans.
- Ensure effective pastoral care and behaviour support throughout the school
- To be responsible for the day-to-day leadership and management when the Headteacher, or Deputy Headteacher are not in the Academy
Teaching and Learning
The Assistant Headteacher will help secure and sustain effective teaching and learning throughout the Academy, monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching and standards of students’ achievement, and use benchmarks to track set targets for improvements. He/she will:
- Contribute to the teaching of their specialist subject throughout the school as required
- Support and maintain an environment and a code of behaviour for learning which promotes and secures good teaching, effective learning and high standards of achievement
- Help organise the curriculum and its assessment; work with the Headteacher and other Senior Leaders to monitor and evaluate it in order to identify areas for improvement
- Ensure that the curriculum and assessments meet the Academy’s curriculum requirements
- Ensure that improvements in literacy, numeracy and information technology are priority targets for all students
Leading and Managing Staff
The Assistant Headteacher will help motivate, support, challenge and develop staff to help secure improvement. He/she will:
Maximise the contribution of staff to improving the quality of education provided and the standards achieved and ensure that constructive working relationships are formed between staff and students in the Academy
- Ensure that equal opportunities and inclusion policies are reflected in practice
- Work with the Senior Leadership Team to implement and sustain effective systems for the management of staff performance, incorporating appraisal, threshold and targets for teachers, including targets relating to professional practice and students’ progress and achievement
- Specifically motivate and enable all staff in the Academy to carry out their respective roles to the highest standard, through high quality continuing professional development based on assessment of needs
- Line manage staff members as directed by the Headteacher
- Lead, support and co-ordinate the provision of high-quality professional development
- Sustain their own motivation and that of other staff
- Ensure that professional duties are fulfilled, as specified in the Terms and Conditions of Service of Teachers
Partnership Working
- Support in establishing a culture and curriculum which fulfils the aims and requirements of the wider community as set out in the vision
- Seek opportunities to invite parents and carers, community figures, businesses and other organisations into the Academy to enrich student experience and to promote the Academy’s value to the wider community
- Collaborate with local schools, the local authority and other agencies to promote inclusion and the academic, spiritual, moral, social, emotional and cultural well-being of students and their families
- Represent the Academy at relevant meetings, as and when required
Health and Safety/Child Protection
- To help ensure that health and safety standards meet statutory requirements, monitoring health and safety matters within the school, particularly ensuring that members of the staff take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and others
- To help ensure that Child Protection and Safeguarding procedures and Department of Health assessments of Children in Need are rigorously complied with, and that the welfare and health and safety of students are of prime consideration
- To promote the safety and well-being of students and staff
- To ensure good order and discipline of students and staff
Trust collaboration and CPD
- Develop and plan their own CPD to support the Academy’s strategic development plan
- Actively work with colleagues across the Trust to seek improvements to the curriculum, personal and social development, and general processes and procedures across the school.
Desirable Criteria
Qualifications/Education
- Graduate Status
- Recognised leadership /behaviour/ curriculum / SEMH qualification
- Qualification in School Leadership
Skills and Experience
- Involved in the implementation of the new national Curriculum
- Experience of leading Personal, Social Development (PSD) projects
- Experience in leading Vocational subjects
Teaching Experience - expectations for all teachers
- Evidence of having led whole school learning and teaching strategy
- Demonstration of high expectations
- Success with students who are below expected levels
- Successful experience of teaching Design Technology, Construction, Engineering or related vocational subjects
- Proven track record of securing positive outcomes for students, particularly those with additional needs or in alternative provision
- Experience of designing and delivering engaging, practical and purposeful vocational learning
- Understanding of assessment and accreditation routes within vocational and technical education
- Experience of managing health and safety requitements in workshop or practical settings
Leadership and Management
- Proven ability in leading a staff team
- Experience of recruiting and inducting staff
- Effective liaison with Governors and a good understanding of their role
- Evidence of leading CPD for staff, Governors and Parents
- Ability to develop and maintain a high-performing vocational team
- Experience of curriculum design and implementation at a strategic level
- Ability to translate whole-school vision into effective practice
- Clear understanding of quality assurance processes and school improvement
Knowledge and Understanding
Knowledge and experience of current good practice and development in special education provision
Knowledge of successful practice in teaching hard to reach students
Knowledge of how to promote independence for young people with complex needs
Behaviour for learning training
Strong understanding of vocational and technical education and its role in reengaging young people
Awareness of SEND and SEMH needs and effective strategies to support engagement and progress
Knowledge of health and safety requirements in DT and construction-based learning environments
Understanding of how to prepare students effectively for employment apprenticeships and further education
Essential Criteria
Essential Criteria
- Qualified Teacher Status
- A degree or equivalent
- Evidence of further professional development
Skills and Experience
- Working alongside other school and external professionals to ensure robust procedures and sharing of good practice
- Helping raise standards of literacy and numeracy in tandem with other staff by implementing appropriate interventions
- Using class support strategies and monitoring the impact
- Application of the need to delegate responsibility with accountability for area of responsibility
- Analysis of data for impact and to target support areas
- Rigorous tracking providing detailed and accurate information to underpin and ensure a planned programme of professional development for all staff to ensure they meet the needs of individual students
- Inspiring staff to promote a love of learning to all students including those who struggle with formal education
- Resolve conflict through active listening and negotiation
- Demonstrate a flexible approach and a willingness to listen to others
- Provide advice and guidance to parents and carers in a positive and clear manner
- Remain calm when working under pressure.
Evidence of:
Training and understanding of child protection
Teaching Experience - expectations for all teachers
Proven ability to:
- Set high expectation which inspire, motivate and challenge students
- Promote good progress and outcomes by students
- Demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge
- Plan and teach well-structured lessons
- Adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all students
- Manage behaviour effectively to ensure a good and safe learning environment
- Fulfil wider professional responsibilities
- Communicate and work effectively in a multi-disciplinary school team including parents/guardians and other external agencies
- Commitment to school-wide focus on student attainment
Leadership and Management
- Evidence of successful experience in a middle or senior leadership/management role
- Evidence of successful experience in developing initiatives and managing change
- Evidence of effective contribution to the School Development Plan
- Evidence of effective delegation to staff and effective follow-up to ensure tasks are complete to a high standard
- Ability to analyse situations, prioritise and help to implement realistic solutions
- Ability to establish and develop good relationships with all involved in the school
- Commitment to the school’s wider community
Knowledge and Understanding
- Demonstrate a good level and understanding of ICT
- Knowledge of how to deal with safeguarding issues in school.
- Knowledge of OFSTED Framework
- Thorough knowledge of current educational issues, including SEN legislation, guidance, code of practice and developments
- Awareness of current developments in education and the implications of these
- Understanding the planning of the National Curriculum and its application in a school, including assessment, recording and reporting, and be able to adapt as per the school’s curriculum plan
- Know how to use a school’s data to identify strengths and areas of development
- Understand how to plan appropriate interventions
- Behaviour management techniques for groups and individuals
- Know how to develop effective rapport with students, this being based on high expectations and establish a purposeful learning environment
Other
- Demonstrate and communicate clear vision
- Expectation of high achievement of all students
- Evidence and understanding and commitment to equality of opportunity
- Respect for students’ individual difference
- Commitment to parental partnership in education and developing links between school, home and the community
- An ability to establish and maintain positive partnerships with parents, students and communities
- Awareness of the need to develop a school culture responsive to the nature of the school’s communities
- Positive recommendation from present employer
- Satisfactory attendance record
- Safer Recruitment criteria met
- For internal candidates, proven track record in own setting
What the school offers its staff
Benefits
LOOKING AFTER OUR TEAM
At the Yes Trust, we believe our aims and vision for our students and their carers are best achieved through supported and valued team members. We offer the following benefits to all Trust employees from their first day with us:
Access and support with training and CPD including further professional qualifications.
Specialist training where required
Cycle to work scheme
Flexible and supportive approach to work
Free lunch at school
Free parking
Nursery benefits
Education Mutual – access to free face to face counselling, physiotherapy, nurse help-line, prescription service whenever you need it
Perkbox
A huge range of discounts, free gifts, perks including shopping, eating out, holidays
The wellness Hub – access to a variety of practical and useful resources
Medical – on-line GP appointments, prescriptions, and advice at a time convenient to you
Further information about the job
Commitment to safeguarding
Youth Engagement Schools Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults. All positions will require an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check and registration with the DBS Update Service together with all other relevant recruitment checks.
Applying for the job
Apply for the job by following the link below.
CVs will not be accepted for this application.
View advert on school website (opens in new tab)About The Fermain Academy
- School type
- Free School, ages 13 to 16
- School size
- 12 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 13 to 16
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- The Fermain Academy website
- Email address
- admin@thefermainacademy.org
- Phone number
- 01625 611001
The Fermain Academy opened as a brand-new Alternative Provision free school in September 2015 and underwent a £1.6m building project to extend and refurbish the entire building. The academy now has facilities to cater for up to 90 students aged 13-16 at any given time, and is a safe place of learning for those who, for whatever reason, have become disengaged from mainstream education.
Whatever the amount of time a student spends at The Fermain Academy, they are guaranteed a structured and positive learning experience, and an outstanding dedicated team able to provide emotional support in a safe and supportive environment.
At The Fermain Academy we live by the following core principles, which run through everything we do:
• We are Child Centred
• We build Authentic Relationships with young people
• We are Adaptive and Sensitive to need
Arranging a visit to The Fermain Academy
To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email admin@thefermainacademy.org.
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