Deputy Headteacher
Orchard Manor School, Dawlish, Devon, EX7 9SF29 days remaining to apply
Start date details
22nd February 2027
Closing date
30 October 2026 at 4pm
Date listed
30 September 2026
Job details
Job role
- Deputy headteacher
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full time equivalent salary
- £76,772.00 - £82,935.00 Annually (FTE)
Deputy Headteacher job summary
About us:
Orchard Manor School is a thriving special school for over 230 students aged 3 to 19 with a residential provision. We provide education and care for children and young people with communication and interaction needs, autism, and a range of additional learning needs. While most students attend on a daily basis, some benefit from weekly residential placements.
Our provision spans from the Early Years Foundation Stage through to Post-16, serving students from across Devon and beyond. Set within 30 acres of beautiful grounds, the school offers exceptional learning environments that support both academic and personal development. Our extensive facilities include a dedicated sports hall, gym facilities, indoor swimming pool, woodland learning, horticulture area, and a purpose built cycle track, enabling us to deliver a rich and engaging outdoor education programme.
At Orchard Manor School, we are passionate about providing inspiring opportunities that help every student develop confidence, independence, and a love of learning.
About The Role:
The role would suit an experienced school leader who is looking to extend and develop their experience of deputy headship, by helping to lead a school with massive potential, an experienced group of staff and a ‘rich’ curriculum resource. The role provides an innovative, exciting opportunity to continue to develop and maximise the potential of Orchard Manor School and an opportunity to work within and help shape the direction and future growth of a strong Multi Academy Trust.
The Deputy Headteacher will work closely alongside the Headteacher while exercising a high degree of autonomy in leading a team and driving key areas of school improvement. Joining at an exciting point in the school’s development, you will help shape the next phase of our journey by building a culture of high expectations, strong relationships and consistent practice. You will inspire and develop staff, translate strategy into effective implementation, and ensure that students experience ambitious learning, meaningful progress, growing independence and a strong sense of belonging.
You will help lead our evolving curriculum across the Explore, Discovery and Investigate pathways. Our pathways match teaching, environments, staffing and resources to how students currently access learning, while maintaining high expectations and remaining responsive as needs change. You will also support the implementation of our Curriculum Anchors, which connect EHCP outcomes and Personalised Learning Goals with subject learning, communication, regulation, physical and sensory development, independence and preparation for adulthood. You will champion Total Communication, inclusive teaching, careful assessment and the generalisation of learning across lessons, routines, residential experiences and the wider community.
The successful applicant should have a strong track record of leading educational development and improvement. Strive for exceptional standards and aspirations and share Orchard Manor’s vision and values for providing high quality education and residential offer to all students. Candidates will need to be an articulate and strong communicator with proven strengths in engaging, inspiring and motivating staff at all levels, and working with local community.
As well as making a positive contribution to the lives of our students, we can offer you:
Supportive, collaborative, and friendly staff environment in a setting where you will have the chance to make a real and positive impact on the lives of students
Professional and continuous training programmes
Competitive salary
Generous pension schemes (Teachers'/ LGPS Pension Scheme)
Commitment to staff well-being.
Key Responsibilities:
Under the direction and support of the Headteacher, to be responsible for:
Working as a cohesive member of the school staff team, including becoming a proactive, solution focussed, positive thinking member of the School's Senior Leadership Team.
Engage in high-quality communication with parents / guardians of pupils and external agencies.
Inspirational leadership and proactive positive management; encourage, motivate, support and value all staff promoting high-quality team working, co-operation, trust and professionalism. Ensure pupil voice is regularly sought and heard ensuring the continuous development of the school's council.
Engage in high-quality communication to increase the positive impact on learner progress and the impact on the effectiveness of staff. Contribute to the development, planning and delivery of the future strategic direction of the whole school.
Ensure high expectations and high aspirational targets which support holistic development are maintained for the whole school community.
Through collaboration, innovation and research, lead and manage the development of intervention strategies, teaching and learning opportunities to ensure progress of all pupils.
Ensure on-going monitoring, evaluation and development of the curriculum to meet identified personal need.
Ensure on-going monitoring, evaluation and development of teaching to provide consistent, high quality, OFSTED 'good' or 'outstanding' standards for all teaching / instructing staff.
Ensure base-line assessment procedures are implemented for all students on entry that informs teaching and learning. Lead and manage the mentoring, evaluation and review of pupil achievement, progress and development within the team to maximise all pupils' potential.
Develop a culture of self-evaluation that promotes professional and personal development.
Provide guidance, support and challenge through line management of subject specialists, HLTAs and a team of teachers undertaking all duties in relation to performance and absence.
Lead and manage the moderation/internal verification of all assessment.
Ensure a continuous and consistent School-wide focus on pupils' achievement progress and development
Model and promote raising of standards of teaching and learning through the sharing of good practice, peer mentoring and coaching.
Work with the DSL to ensure the health and well-being of all children and that all child protection policies procedures and legislation is implemented across the school.
Please see attached Job Description for a full list of responsibilities
Our Total Reward Offer:
The Special Partnership Trust recognises the importance of developing a properly implemented People Strategy to underpin the overall strategic aims of the Trust.
Our People Strategy is designed to help us attract prospective high calibre candidates, as well as drive engagement, productivity and retention of our high performing and high potential employees. It reflects our belief in putting our people first. This does not mean putting our learners second. It is based on the philosophy that if we create a positive and rewarding work environment, if our staff feel motivated, well managed and well supported, they in turn will provide the best possible outcome for our learners.
We recognise that our total reward offer, has got to consist of more than just money. We seek to provide our staff with a diverse range of benefits that support their day to day needs both at work and outside of work. These include generous leave entitlements and pension scheme as well as access to health/wellbeing tools, training & development, career pathways and opportunities to ensure they feel valued.
Please visit the Special Partnership website, www.specialpartnership.org for further information about our Trust, or to learn more about our People Strategy and Benefits click here.
If you need the application form or any part of the recruitment process in a different format, please contact us directly at kbuckle-cooper@orchard-manor.org and we will make the necessary adjustments.
Are you ready to make a lasting impact? Join us today.
Safeguarding:
The Special Partnership Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to the satisfactory completion of checks and references, including an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. In accordance with guidance in Keeping Children Safe in Education; the Trust will undertake an online search of all shortlisted candidates.
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
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 Orchard Manor School
- Organisation type
- Academy, ages 3 to 19
- Size
- 227 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 3 to 19
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- Website
- Orchard Manor School website
School location
Similar jobs nearby
Get a job alert when similar jobs are listed
Find more school jobs in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay