Deputy Headteacher
Vallis First School, Frome, Somerset, BA11 3DB23 days remaining to apply
Job start date
1 September 2026
Closing date
5 May 2026 at 9am
Date listed
12 April 2026
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: FTE1
Contract type
- Permanent
Pay scale
- L3-L8
What skills and experience we're looking for
This is an exciting career development opportunity for an aspirational and inspirational candidate.
Are you currently a senior leader seeking to gain increased responsibility and leadership opportunities whilst supported by an experienced leader?
Vallis First School are looking to appoint a Deputy Headteacher for September 2026. The role of Deputy Head is integral to the leadership of the school. You will be a trusted ‘critical friend’ and support the Headteacher in delivering the school’s vision.
Vallis First School is a popular local authority-maintained community school with supportive parents and engaged children. Our school is a ‘good school’ as confirmed by Ofsted in their inspection in June 2025. Our school is situated at the heart of Frome’s thriving cultural and historical centre, perfectly positioned to develop innovative learning experiences and a vibrant curriculum.
We are seeking a Deputy Head with the skills and knowledge to take responsibility for the school if the Executive Head is offsite. The successful candidate will support the Head in implementing and monitoring the SDP. Deputising for the Head means the candidate will support Teaching and Learning, Behaviour, Pastoral, Health and Safety and HR processes as needed, using initiative and in line with school values and procedures. We are looking for candidate who can ‘think on their feet’ and use initiative whilst also knowing when to ask for advice. Our candidate needs to have strong people skills to develop supportive relationships with our families and young people. We welcome candidates who can bring new ideas and fresh perspectives. We are looking for a candidate who is keen to grow their skills and knowledge and develop their career.
We are looking for someone who:
- Has proven leadership skills and the ability to inspire and motivate colleagues.
- Has excellent communication, interpersonal, management and organisational skills and an ability to build strong relationships with children, staff, and families.
- Is excited to work alongside our Headteacher to lead Curriculum Development
- Models inspirational, creative teaching which engages all learners and excites them about school.
- Is a consistently strong classroom practitioner, with high expectations and a belief that all children can achieve.
- Is willing to take risks and explore innovative opportunities to enable every child to thrive
- Has experience of successfully leading improvement to secure high standards.
- Shares our values and possesses a passion for education.
- Is committed to enriching the curriculum with a focus on creativity alongside raising standards.
- Is nurturing and able to encourage the best from every child allowing all to shine.
- Is a friendly, caring, team-player with a good sense of humour who can complement our team and contribute to the wider life of our school.
What the school offers its staff
In return we can offer:
- An experienced Headteacher committed to supporting your professional growth in a supported environment.
- Fantastic, talented, and creative children and families
- A nurturing school with a good range of facilities.
- A committed and dedicated team of staff who care about their school and the children in it.
- A wider community that cares deeply about their unique school.
- The opportunity to lead in a maintained local authority community school.
- A teaching commitment of 2.5 days a week with additional leadership time when needed.
- Opportunities for CPD and leadership development
- A school in which children are genuinely at the heart of everything we do
A school with a commitment to work/life balance.
Further information about the job
With the direction and support of the Headteacher you will:
- Deputise for the Headteacher, acting up in their absence.
- Ensure that the school provides an excellent quality of education for all pupils at the school.
- Lead Curriculum, Planning and Assessment.
- Monitor performance and progress towards the schools’ objectives.
- Provide a safe, calm and well-ordered environment for all pupils and staff with a strong focus on safeguarding and the development of exemplary behaviour in school.
- Enhance and reinforce the school's existing nurturing environment to continue to support all children to grow kind hearts, curious minds and be world ready.
- Secure continuous improvement with a consistent focus on pupil achievement by modelling high expectations and stretching targets, using aspirational data and benchmarking to monitor progress.
- Enable effective curriculum delivery through appropriate sharing of teaching expertise and ensuring a creative and effective approach to teaching and learning.
- Ensure that policies, systems and processes are integrated, consistent and working effectively.
- Model positive relationships and attitudes towards our pupils and engage parents and members of the local community in the constant improvement of all that we do.
- With the Headteacher, manage all staff, ensuring they are working consistently, effectively and to the appropriate teaching standards across the school.
Key Duties and accountabilities of the post
- Lead the school's improvement and development with a focus on curriculum.
- Lead a core subject and a foundation subject, as needed.
- Act as a custodian for the school’s vision and ethos.
- Hold the Designated Safeguarding Lead role for our school.
- Mentor ECTs and oversee student placements.
- Ensure that actions within the school are consistent with our School Development Plan.
- Lead assemblies and parent meetings/presentations as needed.
- Attend and lead or take part in relevant meetings as required.
- Demand ambitious standards for all pupils overcoming disadvantage, instilling a shared sense of accountability in staff for the impact of their work on pupil outcomes.
- Maintain effective teaching for all pupils through an understanding of the features of successful classroom practice and curriculum design.
- Ensure that a commitment to a fully inclusive approach maintains the nurturing environment of the school and permeates all decision making.
- Develop and maintain positive relationships with all staff members and key stakeholders, including governors and parents.
Leadership and Management
- Promote collaborative working and sharing of best practice across the school.
- Support the development and implementation of the School Self-evaluation and Development Plan.
- Create an ethos within which all staff are motivated and supported to develop their own skills and support each other.
- Ensure high levels of staff morale and well-being.
- Hold support staff accountable for professional standards, through performance management.
- Welcome strong governance and actively support the governing body to deliver their functions producing relevant reports and key information as required.
- Lead by example, uphold and model the highest personal and professional standards including integrity, honesty, diligence and respect for others always when executing duties in line with the post.
- Manage time effectively, prioritising tasks appropriately to ensure deadlines are met.
- Support the day-to-day management of the school.
- Contribute to the tracking and reporting of pupil progress and attainment, analysing school and national data, presenting reports as needed.
- Contribute to monitoring a range of activities, including work scrutiny, planning, and feedback from pupils.
- Assist in the recruitment of staff, following policies and procedures.
Teaching and Learning
- Identify and model innovative approaches to teaching and learning.
- Undertake a teaching commitment, as directed by the Headteacher, and provide cover where needed.
- Consistently demonstrate high quality teaching and learning, maintaining a classroom that is inspirational for other staff and provides an outstanding learning environment.
- Establish a culture of ‘open classrooms’ as a basis for role-modelling and sharing best practice.
- Raise standards in teaching and learning across the school, by supporting and developing others.
- Develop high expectations and a strong culture for behaviour management, in line with the school’s policy.
- Support high quality CPD, leading staff training where needed, to improve teaching and learning.
Other Duties
- To undertake additional duties as required, commensurate with the level of the post.
- To participate in induction training, staff performance management processes and professional development opportunities.
- Be aware of and comply with policies and procedures relating to child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality and data protection, copyright etc., reporting all concerns to the Headteacher.
- The post-holder will be expected to have an agreed working pattern to ensure that all relevant functions are fulfilled throughout the academic year including during the holiday periods.
- There will be a requirement to work beyond school hours particularly in supporting and attending school and community-based events.
- Be a flexible and supportive member of the team.
- To be willing to cover class teaching on an ad hoc basis to facilitate sickness absence cover, release time or emergency as deemed necessary by the Headteacher.
Commitment to safeguarding
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility – Vallis First School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our children and we expect all members of staff, volunteers and visitors to share this commitment.
Applying for the job
This job requires you to download an application form, you will be able to upload the application once complete.
CVs will not be accepted for this application.
Additional documents
If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.
About Vallis First School
- School type
- Local authority maintained school, ages 4 to 9
- Education phase
- Primary school
- School size
- 207 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 4 to 9
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- Vallis First School website
- Email address
- katie.twitchen@vallisfirstschool.org.uk
- Phone number
- 01373462657
At Vallis First School, we are a unique and nurturing school with a strong sense of community across the teachers, parents and local residents. Located in the heart of Frome’s conservation area, we are a local authority maintained school and of a non religious denomination. Our historic school boasts wonderful indoor and outdoor learning environments, including a bespoke library, forest school, allotment, three playgrounds and one playing field – all of which are continuously being developed. Our evolving wide and varied curriculum, with its roots in maths, reading and writing is crucial for children in acquiring a rich, creative and broad education. As a school we aim for the environment we provide to be supportive and inclusive so all children can feel a sense of achievement.
Arranging a visit to Vallis First School
To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email katie.twitchen@vallisfirstschool.org.uk.
School location
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