Deputy Head
Dale Community Primary School, Derby, Derbyshire, DE23 6NL12 days remaining to apply
Job start date
1 September 2026
Closing date
2 February 2026 at 9am
Date listed
10 December 2025
Job details
Job role
- Deputy headteacher
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Key stage
- Early years, Key stage 1, Key stage 2
Working pattern
- Full time: 32.5 hours a week. Monday to Friday
Contract type
- Permanent
Pay scale
- Leadership Scale L14-L20
What skills and experience we're looking for
The deputy headteacher, under the direction of the headteacher, will take a major role in:
- Supporting the headteacher in the strategic leadership and day-to-day management of the school
- Formulating the aims and objectives of the school
- Establishing policies for achieving these aims and objectives
- Managing staff and resources to that end
- Monitoring progress towards the achievement of the school’s aims and objectives.
If the headteacher is absent, the deputy headteacher will deputise, as directed by the governing board.
The deputy headteacher will also be expected to fulfil the professional responsibilities of a headteacher, as set out in the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD).
This role does not have a classroom teaching commitment however there may be a teaching commitment e.g. weekly ECT cover.
Qualities
The deputy headteacher will:
- Uphold public trust in school leadership and maintain high standards of ethics, behaviour and professional conduct
- Build positive and respectful relationships across the school community
- Serve in the best interests of the school’s pupils.
Duties and responsibilities
School culture and behaviour:
Under the direction of the headteacher, the deputy headteacher will:
- Work alongside the senior leadership team (SLT) and other staff members to create a culture where pupils experience a positive and enriching school life
- Uphold educational standards in order to prepare pupils from all backgrounds for their next phase of education and life
- Ensure a culture of staff professionalism
- Encourage high standards of behaviour from pupils, built on rules and routines that are understood by staff and pupils, and clearly demonstrated by all adults in school
- Use consistent and fair approaches to managing behaviour, in line with the school’s behaviour policy.
Teaching, curriculum and assessment:
Under the direction of the headteacher, the deputy headteacher will:
- Lead on the monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning, including lesson observations, learning walks, and work scrutiny
- Ensure teaching is underpinned by subject expertise
- Effectively use formative assessment to inform strategy and decisions
- Analyse data to identify trends, strengths and areas for improvement in pupil progress and attainment
- Work with staff to plan and deliver high-quality professional development, with a focus on teaching, learning, and instructional coaching
- Oversee the induction, mentoring, and support of ECTs, ensuring statutory requirements are met and that they receive high-quality guidance
- Carry out regular lesson observations of ECTs and provide structured feedback to support their development including completing termly progress reviews and end of year formal assessments
- Support and challenge staff to raise aspirations and standards for all pupils, with a focus on narrowing gaps and promoting inclusion
- Promote a positive, supportive, and ambitious culture within the school community
- Work collaboratively with parents, carers, governors and external partners to promote the vision and values of the school.
Organisational management and school improvement:
Under the direction of the headteacher, the deputy headteacher will:
- Establish and sustain the school’s ethos and strategic direction together with the governing board and through consultation with the school community
- Establish and oversee systems, processes and policies so the school can operate effectively
- Ensure staff and pupils’ safety and welfare through effective approaches to safeguarding, as part of duty of care
- Manage staff with due attention to workload
- Ensure rigorous approaches to identifying, managing and mitigating risk
- Allocate financial resources appropriately, efficiently and effectively
- Identify problems and barriers to school effectiveness, and develop strategies for school improvement that are realistic, timely and suited to the school’s context
- Make sure these school improvement strategies are effectively implemented.
Professional development:
Under the direction of the headteacher, the deputy headteacher will:
- Ensure staff have access to appropriate, high standard professional development opportunities
- Keep up to date with developments in education
- Seek training and continuing professional development to meet needs.
Governance, accountability and working in partnership:
Under the direction of the headteacher, the deputy headteacher will:
- Understand and welcome the role of effective governance, including accepting responsibility
- Ensure that staff understand their professional responsibilities and are held to account
- Ensure the school effectively and efficiently operates within the required regulatory frameworks and meets all statutory duties
- Work successfully with other schools and organisations
- Maintain working relationships with fellow professionals and colleagues to improve educational outcomes for all pupils.
Other areas of responsibility:
- To lead on a key area of the School Improvement Plan as agreed, on an annual basis, with the headteacher.
- To lead the Performance Management of line managed teachers, Teaching assistants and support staff.
- Provide effective line management and professional development for teaching assistants, ensuring their deployment supports high-quality teaching and learning across the school.
- Provide strategic leadership and line management for Inclusion Officers, ensuring their work effectively supports the school's inclusive practices and supports the safety and wellbeing of pupils.
- Lead the strategic development and implementation of whole school attendance initiatives, working collaboratively with staff, families, and external agencies to improve pupil attendance and reduce persistent absence.
- Support the Designated Safeguarding Lead in maintaining a robust safeguarding culture across the school, ensuring timely and effective responses to concerns, and promoting the welfare and safety of all pupils in line with statutory guidance.
- Oversee whole-school health and safety, ensuring compliance with statutory requirements, and fostering a safe and secure environment for pupils, staff, and visitors.
Please note that this is illustrative of the general nature and level of responsibility of the role. It is not a comprehensive list of all tasks that the deputy headteacher will carry out. The postholder may be required to do other duties appropriate to the level of the role.
What the school offers its staff
Dale Community Primary School is a large vibrant school which is federated with Stonehill Nursery School. Both schools are located in the heart of the city of Derby.
We have 550 pupils on roll. Our pupils live in a multi-cultural environment, and the school is proud to be at the centre of that community. Most of our children are of Asian origin with many other ethnic groups represented in our school community. Our most recent OFSTED inspection in October 2023 said:
‘Pupils are happy and safe at this friendly, welcoming and inclusive school. Pupils appreciate the care and support that they receive from school.’
‘Pupils are kind and accepting of one another. They talk positively about welcoming any recently arrived pupils into their school community.’
Dale and Stonehill have approximately 100 highly committed staff that work well together as a team. We describe ourselves as a school for creating opportunity and embracing innovation to nurture each and every individual.
We aim to
- INSPIRE a love of learning
- BUILD a strong community
- CELEBRATE our diversity
- PROVIDE life-changing opportunities
- ACHIEVE in all areas of school life
We seek a Deputy Headteacher who shares this philosophy and will work effectively in partnership with the Headteacher.
Safeguarding
All appointments are subject to suitable references, a Medical Clearance check and a Disclosure and Barring Services check. Please click here to view our Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy.
Applicants are invited to visit the school. To book a visit, please contact the school on 01332 760070 or email admin@dale.derby.sch.uk
Closing date: Monday 2 February 2026, 9am
Interview date: Wednesday 11 February 2026
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
Please complete the online application.
CVs will not be accepted for this application.
Apply for this jobUpload additional documents
If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.
About Dale Community Primary School
- School type
- Local authority maintained school, ages 5 to 11
- Education phase
- Primary school
- School size
- 549 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 5 to 11
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- Dale Community Primary School website
- Email address
- cpass@dale.derby.sch.uk
- Phone number
- 01332760070
Arranging a visit to Dale Community Primary School
To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email cpass@dale.derby.sch.uk.
School location
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