Associate Assistant Head of School (Head of English)
Shaftesbury School, Shaftesbury, Dorset, SP7 8ER12 days remaining to apply
Start date details
ASAP
Closing date
4 November 2025 at 8am
Date listed
22 October 2025
Job details
Job role
- Head of department or curriculum
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- £55,747.00 - £61,534.00 Annually (Actual) Leadership Pay Range: L4 – L8: £55,747 - £61,534 per annum (subject to experience)
Associate Assistant Head of School (Head of English) job summary
Salary: Leadership Pay Range: L4 - L8: £55,747 - £61,534 per annum (subject to experience)
Contract: Full-Time, Permanent
We are seeking to appoint an ambitious, creative and inspiring leader with energy, enthusiasm and a track record of driving substantial and sustained improvement in English and Teaching & Learning on a whole-school level. This is a full-time, permanent post commencing as soon as possible and is a great opportunity to join a fantastic school community with a very dedicated and hardworking staff team. Within the English Dept you will lead English Language, Literature, Literacy across the school, Film & Media Studies and you will have the opportunity drive whole school Teaching & Learning as part of the Senior Leadership Team, working with a Head of School, a SENDCo, Deputy Head of School, a DSL and two Assistant Headteachers.
The English Team at Shaftesbury School: The team at Shaftesbury School are advocates for Poetry and the school has taken part in and won many Poetry by Heart competitions. We work with Voice 21 on Oracy and use the Accelerated Reader programme to bring home the love of reading for enjoyment. Our wonderfully resourced Library and the brilliant staff in there work closely with the team, bringing together a wonderfully resourced department.
As a school, we use a Teaching & Learning toolkit, which is research-driven and evidence informed. We call upon Rosenshein’s principles and Sherrington’s Walkthrus, ensuring our students have an equitable curriculum and diet of educational experiences.
We are looking for someone who is organised, committed and able to motivate our young people, whilst also leading a dedicated and strong team of English teachers. We want someone who will go the extra mile and can make a substantial and sustained contribution to the English and Senior teams. In return, you will join a school and a Trust that is full of activity, opportunity and optimism. The school has a centralised behaviour management system, supporting staff workload. We have bespoke Internal AP on site for students who struggle with the mainstream lesson setting. The school has a thriving 6th Form and fantastic facilities, including a Techno Gym Suite (staff use free of charge), AstroTurf, Multi-Use Games Area, a full-scale climbing and bouldering wall, wonderful grass pitches that drain well, tennis courts, five ICT suites, a 6th Form/Staff Café, a fully resourced Library, staff refreshments every day, a multi-faceted Steps to Support programme for our young people, a staff well-being charter and staff counselling.
For more information about our wonderful school, please click here to view our careers page.
To find out more about the benefits of working for SAST, click here
Should you wish to arrange a visit to view our school, please do not hesitate to contact Channon Bruton, Office Manager on Channon.Bruton@shaftesburyschool.co.uk and she will be happy to arrange this for you.
SAST will conduct online searches of shortlisted candidates. In line with KCSIE guidance, this will be part of safer recruitment checks, and the search will purely be based on whether an individual is suitable to work with children. As care must be taken to avoid unconscious bias and any risk of discrimination, a person who will not be on the appointment panel will conduct the searches and will only share information if and when findings are relevant and of concern.
Safeguarding responsibilities associated with this role may include engagement in regulatory activity, such as administering first aid or supporting an upset child. It will have contact with young people on a day-to-day basis. SAST is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will have to meet the person specification and the post is subject to safeguarding checks, including an enhanced DBS check and Children’s Barred List check. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020.
SAST recognises the benefit of having a diverse workforce and is committed to building a workforce which reflects diversity from the communities it serves. SAST values the contributions from all staff from a wide range of different backgrounds and actively seeks to promote an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment and at the same time supports fair promotion and cultural acceptance. Under the provision of the Equality Act 2010 SAST welcomes applications from everyone and operates a recruitment process which is fair and does not discriminate against or disadvantage anyone because of their age, disability, gender reassignment status, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race or nationality, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
This role is UK- based and your right to work will need to be established as part of the appointment process.
Further information about the job
Commitment to safeguarding
Safeguarding responsibilities associated with this role will include engagement in regulatory activity, such as administering first aid or supporting an upset child. It will have contact with young people on a day-to day basis. SAST is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will meet the person specification and is subject to an enhanced DBS and Children’s Barred List check. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020.
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 Shaftesbury School
- School type
- Academy, Church of England, ages 11 to 18
- Education phase
- Secondary
- School size
- 864 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 18
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- Shaftesbury School website
In our most recent inspection in March 2023, we were delighted that we were judged by Ofsted as being “Good”. The report reflects the wonderful quality of education we provide, the nurturing environment we have cultivated, and the positive impact we make on the lives of our students. The inspectors commended our commitment to excellence, the strength of our teaching and learning, and the exceptional progress our students have made under the guidance of our team. Our SIAMS inspection also highlighted that we have areas of excellence across the school community and we are a place where young people thrive.
At Shaftesbury School we hold an educational vison close to hearts of everyone “being the best they can be”. Just as Jesus used the parable of The Good Samaritan to explain, “love thy neighbour as thyself”, we too have this at the root of our ethos. This vision and ethos is brought to life through our core values; Belonging, Empathy, Service and Thrive. Staff have the highest expectations of every student and guide them to ensure they become confident learners, who will leave Shaftesbury School with an excellent level of knowledge, skills and experience to flourish in an ever-changing world.
We are pleased to be part of SAST. There is real strength in coming together with a collective responsibility for all of the children’s development and progress between 0-19 years. We believe in preserving schools in the local community. This means that there will be considerable local expertise to support staff with the chance to make a contribution to any wider developments.
Shaftesbury School is a great place to work and is a beautiful town itself; most students come from Shaftesbury and the surrounding area. The school is set on the edge of the town, close to the A303 and within easy commuting distance from the south coast of England, Bath, Salisbury, Yeovil and Wimborne.
School location
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