Deputy Headteacher
Blackthorn Primary School, Northampton, NN3 8EP15 days remaining to apply
Job start date
1 September 2025
Closing date
10 March 2025 at 11:59pm
Date listed
14 February 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: Monday to Friday
Contract type
- Permanent
Pay scale
- Leadership Scale L4 - L8
What skills and experience we're looking for
Qualifications/Training
Education – Essential
- Qualified teacher status
- Good Honours Degree
Education – Desirable
- NPQLTD
Experience
Teaching & Learning– Essential
- Exemplary classroom practitioner with experience of teaching more than one year group (at least 5 years of teaching required)
Teaching & Learning – Desirable
- Experience of teaching across key stages
Knowledge and Understanding
National Framework – Essential
- Knowledge of the Education Acts and other relevant legislation
- Awareness of current developments in education and the implications of these
- An in-depth understanding of, and commitment to, the teacher standards
National Framework – Desirable
- Experience of a recent OFSTED Inspection at SLT level and its follow up
Learning and Teaching – Essential
- Experience of successful School Improvement Planning
- Knowledge and understanding of data analysis and the ability to use data to set targets for improvement
- Demonstrate outstanding practice as a classroom practitioner
- Demonstrate use of high-quality learning and teaching strategies
- Understanding of the importance of personal, social and emotional aspects of learning
- Understanding of how to combine a creative, engaging curriculum with high expectations of standards
Learning and Teaching – Desirable
- Experience of supporting and developing the learning and teaching skills of colleagues
- Regularly keep up to date with current pedagogical developments
Standards – Desirable
- Support and promote the aims and ethos of the school
- A track record of delivering high academic outcomes in the classroom at Key Stage 2
- Knowledge and understanding of evidence-informed strategies to raise standards and progress
Standards – Essential
- Engagement in research
National Curriculum – Desirable
- Previous experience of supporting colleagues with planning and assessing from the new National Curriculum
Technology – Essential
- A track record of using technology within teaching for planning and assessment to enhance learning and outcomes
- Knowledge of the coding curriculum
Technology – Desirable
- Experience of using Office 365, particularly OneNote and Teams
Parents and Community – Essential
- Experience of working directly with parents and others to raise standards and involvement with the wider and local community
Skills
Relationships – Essential
- Motivate and inspire confidence in pupils, staff, parents, governors and the wider community in order to further develop and promote the school
- Ability to establish and develop effective relationships within the school community, including:
o Pupils
o Teaching Colleagues
o Support Staff
o Governors/Trust Directors
o Parents
- Ability to manage difficult conversations and experience of working cohesively and contributing towards building a whole school team ethos
- Be flexible and supportive of staff to ensure a positive working atmosphere and increased wellbeing
Relationships – Desirable
- Experience of managing difficult and challenging situations which have been resolved successfully
Interpersonal and communication skills – Essential
- Ability to communicate effectively in writing and orally
- Prompt completer of tasks
- Flexible and approachable
- Resilient under pressure
- Able to deal sensitively with people and resolve conflicts
- Positive and energetic approach to work
- Delegate and monitor effectively
Attitudes
Personal – Essential
- An energetic approach to the role and responsibilities
- Demonstration of a growth mindset
- Set a good example in terms of dress, punctuality, attendance and general professionalism
Education Philosophy – Essential
- A commitment to raising achievement through partnership with parents, Schools’ Services and the community
- A commitment to developing the curriculum and learning delivery to meet the needs of future generations and the skills they will need
What the school offers its staff
We can offer:
- This role is specifically designed to offer career progression for leaders who are looking for a mentored pathway towards headship. The school’s leadership structure allows for the potential for the Deputy Head role to evolve in time to become a Head of School (L7 – L11) position with continued support from the Executive Headteacher.
- A role that is not class based to allow you to support and develop teaching and learning across the school and for you to build range of leadership experience beyond the classroom.
- Talented and dedicated staff who know their children well and are committed to ensuring they achieve their potential
- Amazing, compassionate, respectful, enthusiastic children
- Close working partnership with Rectory Farm Primary School as part of a joint senior leadership team with opportunities to collaborate across the two schools on school improvement.
- A commitment to supporting your continual professional development including opportunities such as; undertaking an NPQ with Ambition Institute, HR training, training to become a DDSL with the safeguarding team, etc.
- The opportunity to be part of a unique multi-academy trust developing initiatives through a collaborative approach with fourteen local primary schools
Further details about the role
Areas of Responsibility and Key Tasks
Assessment
- To provide leadership, advice, guidance and support to staff in school around assessment. To liaise with the NPAT Trust Lead for Assessment
- To work alongside the Executive Headteacher to develop the effective use of Assessment for Learning across school
- To research around assessment and feedback stay up to date with latest assessment changes from both a Government and research level and to share this with staff across school
- To plan and manage, in line with NPAT’s Assessment Plan, the whole-school assessment calendar, providing timely reminders to staff about requirements for summative assessment and any requirements for data returns
- To provide guidance and support to staff in the years with statutory assessment returns and to lead on KS2 SATs administration, including the meeting of statutory requirements
- Oversee whole school monitoring of assessment processes
Curriculum
- To have an overview of the curriculum, supporting curriculum leaders in subject development and leadership skills
- To support and develop subject leaders, enabling them to be effective in their roles
- Oversee the monitoring and support for core curriculum subjects
- Attend NPAT Curriculum Leads, Teacher Educators and disseminate information back in school
- Ensure the continued development of pedagogy through ensuring the culture and systems for coaching and mentoring is prioritised.
Trainee and new Teachers
- To effectively lead and manage all procedures around Trainee Teachers, ensuring that their development is of a high standard
- Co-ordinate and assign ECT and Teach First mentors and ensure that all paperwork and observations are completed appropriately
- Monitor the progress of staff undertaking study outside of school
- To support the Executive Headteacher and FSW with induction procedures for new teachers
- Lead the contact for Teach First students and liaise with Teach First coordinators
- Ensure ECTs and students are given timetabled release to ensure they meet their commitments and meetings
- To support the Executive Headteacher to mentor those new to leadership
Whole School Monitoring
- To work alongside the Executive Headteacher in ensuring each term’s SLT monitoring schedule is implemented and priorities for development are correctly identified
- To effectively support the safeguarding team, in the DDSL role, to ensure all children are kept safe and well
Support Staff
- Co-ordinate a programme of Professional Development in conjunction with Rectory Farm Primary School and the senior leadership team
- Liaise with Executive Headteacher in timetabling and deployment of Support Staff and cover arrangements across the school
Cover
- To manage the operational running of the school when the Executive Headteacher is offsite
- Maintain strong communication with the Executive Headteacher at all times to manage day to day risks within school
- To organise and timetable PPA and release time for staff alongside the Phase Leaders
- Timetable lunchtime rotas and liaise with the Lead Lunchtime Supervisor and oversee the smooth running of lunchtimes
- To organise unplanned absence cover.
Line Management
- Support in the completion of appraisals
- Manage the lunchtime supervisor team
- To line manage the Sports Coach to ensure sport is high profile across the school.
Budget Holder
- BACs run authorisation
- Curriculum Budget
- Assessment
Commitment to safeguarding
Nothing is more important than keeping all our children safe, especially the most vulnerable. The NPAT Partnership is fully committed to ensuring that children with SEND, those eligible for Pupil Premium funding
and other vulnerable groups are able to achieve as highly as possible. Schools within the partnership will have the most rigorous and updated procedures and policies which help keep children in our care safe. We will ensure that all vulnerable groups of children achieve highly, when compared to their peers nationally.
Applying for the job
Please download the application form using the link below, and once completed send to joosborne@blackthornprimary.net
CVs are not accepted.
Additional documents
If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.
About Blackthorn Primary School
- School type
- Academy, ages 4 to 11
- Education phase
- Primary
- School size
- 243 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 4 to 11
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report (opens in new tab)
- School website
- Blackthorn Primary School website (opens in new tab)
- Email address
- joosborne@blackthornprimary.net
- Phone number
- 01604407254
Located on the Eastern district of Northampton, Blackthorn is a one-form
entry primary school with a nursery and special provision. Our school is driven by a passion to provide educational excellence for the children in our community.
The children at Blackthorn are polite, respectful and keen to learn. Our team of dedicated staff
believe that children achieve their best in a safe, secure and happy school community and we
work hard to make sure this is the case for our learners every day. We strongly believe that
good relationships between people in our school community are essential in securing success for your child, as such, an effective partnership between home and school will benefit your child’s learning. We are proud to be a member of Northampton Primary Academy Trust (NPAT) with whom we work closely to provide opportunities for our children to broaden and enrich their time at primary school through the arts, sport and wider curriculum.
Arranging a visit to Blackthorn Primary School
To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email joosborne@blackthornprimary.net.
School location
Similar jobs nearby
Get a job alert when similar jobs are listed
Find more school jobs in Northampton