Deputy Headteacher

St Nicholas Catholic Academy, Liverpool, Merseyside, L3 5XF

17 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  1 January 2027 on sooner by agreement

• Closing date

  5 October 2026 at 9am

• Date listed

  29 April 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Headteacher
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Key stage: Early years, Key stage 1, Key stage 2
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full time equivalent salary: 57,137.00 - 63,070.00

Deputy Headteacher job summary

Deputy Headteacher

St Nicholas Catholic Academy, Liverpool

Full Time | Permanent | Start: January 2027

Called to Serve. Ready to Lead. Ambitious for Every Child.

St Nicholas Catholic Academy is seeking an exceptional, inspirational and practising Catholic leader to join our school community as Deputy Headteacher from January 2027.

This is an exciting opportunity to take on a significant leadership role within a happy, successful and ambitious Catholic primary school at the heart of Liverpool city centre.

We are looking for someone who will bring energy, warmth, ambition and a deep commitment to Catholic education; someone who will work closely with the Headteacher, staff, governors, families and St Joseph Catholic Multi Academy Trust to help lead St Nicholas confidently into its next chapter.

Most importantly, we are looking for someone who believes deeply in the potential of every child.

Our Mission

“Our Catholic school is a diverse, nurturing and dynamic community which is faithful to Jesus, welcoming to all and provides a learning environment where everyone can succeed.”

Belong. Believe. Succeed.

These words are more than our motto. They describe the school we strive to be every day.

At St Nicholas, children come through our doors from across Liverpool and from countries and cultures around the world. Our diversity is one of our greatest strengths. We are proud to be a welcoming Catholic community where children and families know that they belong, where faith is lived and celebrated, and where every child is encouraged to succeed and fulfil their God-given potential.

Our school is made special by the people within it: our wonderful children, supportive families, parish communities, governors and an exceptionally committed team of staff who work tirelessly to provide the very best opportunities for our pupils.

We believe education should develop the whole child - academically, spiritually, socially and emotionally - and we are looking for a Deputy Headteacher who shares that ambition.

The Opportunity

As Deputy Headteacher, you will work in close partnership with the Headteacher and play a central role in the strategic leadership and day-to-day life of the academy.

You will help shape our future direction, maintain the many strengths of St Nicholas and challenge us to become even better.

This is a role for a leader who enjoys being visible and involved: someone who wants to know our children and families, support and develop colleagues, lead improvement and contribute fully to the Catholic life and mission of the school.

You will have the opportunity to influence teaching and learning, curriculum development, school improvement, staff development, safeguarding and the wider strategic direction of the academy.

It is a genuine opportunity to make a difference.

We Are Looking for a Leader Who:

is a practising Catholic with a strong personal faith commitment and a clear understanding of the distinctive nature and purpose of Catholic education; this is a reserved post

is an inspirational and highly effective leader with the ability to bring out the very best in others

has a proven track record of successfully leading, managing and motivating teams

is an excellent classroom practitioner with a strong understanding of high-quality teaching, learning and curriculum development

is ambitious for every child and passionate about ensuring that background, circumstance or additional need is never a barrier to success

can think strategically and work alongside the Headteacher to develop and deliver a compelling long-term vision for the school

understands how to use evidence, assessment and evaluation intelligently to improve outcomes for pupils

has a strong understanding of the Catholic Schools Inspectorate and Ofsted frameworks

is committed to inclusion and understands the opportunities and responsibilities that come with serving a richly diverse school community

can build strong, trusting relationships with pupils, staff, families, governors, parish communities, Trust colleagues and external partners

communicates with warmth, clarity and integrity and is prepared to listen as well as lead

can inspire others, build successful teams and create a culture in which staff feel valued, supported and challenged to be their best

places safeguarding, wellbeing and the best interests of children at the heart of every decision

brings resilience, positivity and a sense of perspective to the challenges and rewards of senior leadership.

Above all, we are looking for someone who will understand our school, love our community and share our determination to give every child an outstanding start in life.

Why St Nicholas?

St Nicholas Catholic Academy is a school with character, warmth and enormous potential.

Situated in the heart of Liverpool city centre, our location gives our children access to the opportunities of one of the UK's great cities while allowing us to serve a remarkably diverse and vibrant community.

Joining St Nicholas means becoming part of a school where:

children are enthusiastic, ambitious and eager to learn

diversity is celebrated and children learn to value and respect one another

Catholic faith and Gospel values are at the heart of school life

staff are dedicated, hardworking and committed to improving outcomes for pupils

leaders and governors are ambitious for the future

relationships with families and the wider community matter

professional development and leadership growth are actively encouraged

you can have a genuine and lasting impact on the lives of children and families.

You will also benefit from being part of St Joseph Catholic Multi Academy Trust, with access to collaboration, professional development and support from Headteacher colleagues and the Trust's central school improvement and operational teams.

The Trust provides a strong framework of support while recognising the individual identity and community of St Nicholas Catholic Academy.

Who Might This Role Suit?

This opportunity could be an excellent next step for an experienced Assistant Headteacher or senior leader who is ready to move into deputy headship.

It would equally suit an established Deputy Headteacher looking for a new challenge and the opportunity to make a significant contribution to an ambitious Catholic school community.

What matters most to us is not simply the title of your current role, but the impact you have made, the values you bring and the kind of leader you want to become.

Come and Meet Us

We strongly encourage prospective candidates to visit St Nicholas Catholic Academy.

A website and an advert can tell you something about a school, but they cannot fully capture its people, its atmosphere or its sense of community.

Come and meet our children and staff, see our school in action and experience for yourself what makes St Nicholas such a special place to work and learn.

To arrange a visit, please contact Alison McLoughlin at amcloughlin@stnicholas.sjcmat.co.uk.

For an informal and confidential conversation about the role, please contact James King, Headteacher, at jking@stnicholas.sjcmat.co.uk.

Come and Help Shape Our Next Chapter

Deputy headship at St Nicholas is more than the next step on a career ladder.

It is an opportunity to serve a remarkable community, to develop others, to influence the future of a school and, above all, to make a difference to children whose potential deserves to be recognised and nurtured.

If you are an ambitious Catholic leader who believes that every child should belong, believe and succeed, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Come and see St Nicholas for yourself. Meet our children. Meet our team. Discover our community — and consider whether your next chapter could begin here.

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

Visas cannot be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

Commitment to safeguarding

We are committed to the welfare of the children in our care and we expect all staff to share our commitment to safeguarding. That is why we follow safer recruitment practices and why appointments are subject to satisfactory enhanced DBS clearance and references.

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.

About St Nicholas Catholic Academy

• Organisation type: Academy, Roman Catholic, ages 3 to 11
• Education phase: Primary school
• Size: 157 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 3 to 11
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• Website: St Nicholas Catholic Academy website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/st-nicholas-catholic-academy

Academy mission statement:
"Our Catholic school is a diverse, nurturing and dynamic community which is faithful to Jesus, welcoming to all and provides a learning environment where everyone can succeed"

Situated in the heart of Liverpool city centre, St Nicholas Catholic Academy welcomes children from all over the world into its learning community. With a Good Ofsted rating, St. Nicholas Catholic Academy is a popular choice for parents who study or work in the city centre.

The school community is made up of our wonderful children, their families, our parishes and a committed team of staff and who are all committed and work very hard to provide the very best opportunities to all pupils in order that we develop the ‘whole child’.

School location

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