Head of School
Milton Abbot Primary School, Tavistock, Devon, PL19 0PSThis job expired on 17 June 2025
Job start date
1 September 2025
Closing date
17 June 2025 at 12pm (midday)
Date listed
11 June 2025
Job details
Job role
- Headteacher
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- L2
Head of School job summary
Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust is seeking an inspiring leader, to join our team.
Milton Abbot Primary School is situated on the edge of Dartmoor in West Devon, "A place of happiness and learning for all". We are committed to providing an exciting, forward thinking learning environment and ambitious curriculum for all our pupils.
We are extremely proud of all we can offer at Milton Abbot School. Our site is nestled in the beautiful Devon countryside, just 6 miles from Tavistock and 7 miles from Launceston. Our school site and buildings date back to 1829 so are steeped in amazing history. Over time much has been added and improved and the extensive grounds are now complete with forest school area, woods, garden pavilion and a wonderful multi-use games area.
We are really fortunate to have a really dedicated and committed team of staff who work hard to ensure that our children love school and flourish on their learning journey from age 2-11 years. We have a thriving pre-school within our EYFS provision and mixed age classes within KS1 and KS2. Our school sits within the heart of the community and we relish the partnerships we have with parents, families and wider community.
Our Trust comprises of 19 schools, 3 Colleges, 15 Primaries, and one All Through SEMH Special school. Established in 2018, We are situated in beautiful Devon on the out the outskirts of the stunning Dartmoor National Park. The schools vary in size and are all unique. Our schools are a large part of their local communities, and we value those relationships with families and locals.
Our vision and values are what we build our schools upon, with Ambition, Co-operation & Transformation being at the heart.
As an established Trust, DMAT can offer a wide range of benefits for our employees:
- Cycle to work scheme
- Tech Scheme
- Eyecare Vouchers
- Access to Discounts
- CPD opportunities
- Extensive Health & Wellbeing Package
- Long Service Days
- On site Parking – In some locations
- Excellent Training Package
- Employee Recognition Scheme
Why choose DMAT?
DMAT are an inclusive and forward-looking trust, who seek to nurture our children and employees to be the best they can be.
The Head of School is the educational leader of the school whose core focus is the quality of teaching and learning and works within a highly supportive trust leadership structure.
Job Purpose
Provide the leadership and management which enables the school to give every pupil high quality education and which promotes the highest possible standards of achievement.
Creating the future
create and communicate a shared vision which expresses core values and moral purpose
motivate others to create a shared learning culture and positive climate
model the values and visions of the school
translate the vision into agreed objectives and operational plans
Leading teaching and learning
ensure a continuous and consistent school-wide focus on pupils’ achievement,
including the use of data and benchmarks to monitor progress
establish creative, responsive and effective approaches to learning and teaching
set high expectations and challenging targets for the whole school community
monitor, evaluate and review classroom practice and promote improvement strategies
challenge under-performance at all levels and ensure corrective action
Developing self and working with others
develop and maintain effective strategies and procedures for staff induction, professional development and performance review
develop and maintain a culture of high expectations for self and others
ensure effective planning, allocation, support and evaluation of work of teams and individuals
regularly review own practice, set personal targets and take responsibility for own development
Managing the organisation
ensure the smooth day-to-day running of the School and report directly to the Link Director
liaise with Governors where directed to do so by the Trust Leadership Team
under the direction of the Link Director, recruit, retain and deploy staff appropriately within the School Securing accountability
develop a school ethos which enables everyone to work collaboratively
ensure individual staff accountabilities are clearly defined, understood and agreed
ensure every individual child has access to high quality teaching and learning Strengthening community
create and promote positive strategies for challenging racial and other prejudice
ensure a range of community-based learning experiences
collaborate with other agencies to ensure pupil and community needs are me
Skills the head of school should demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of:
statutory education frameworks
ways to build, communicate and implement a shared vision
leading change, creativity and innovation and the impact of change on the organisation and individuals
new technologies, their use and impact
strategies for communication
strategies for raising achievement and achieving excellence
models of learning and teaching
models of behaviour and attendance management
curriculum design and implementation
strategies to promote individual, team and organisational development
building and sustaining a learning community
legal issues relating to equal opportunities, race relations, disability and human rights
the use of a range of tools and evidence, including performance data, to support, monitor, evaluate and improve the quality of teaching and learning, including challenging poor performance
the wider curriculum, beyond school and the opportunities it provides for pupils and the school community, including strategies which encourage parents and carers to support their children’s learning
Please see attached job description for further details of the position.
Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds to apply.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.
All schools in The Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
The successful candidate will be required to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure via the Disclosure Barring Service (DBS).
‘This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (2013 and 2020). This means that certain convictions and cautions are considered ‘protected’ and do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Guidance about whether a conviction or caution should be disclosed can be found on the Ministry of Justice website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-guidance-on-the-rehabilitation-of-offenders-act-1974.’
Your application form will be processed by My New Term who act for DMAT as a data processor- please see our Privacy Notice for more information about how we process job applicant personal data.
The successful candidate will be required to come to DMAT HQ to complete mandatory training.
Training Details:
Location: Central Head Office (Wardhayes) 8 Simmons Way, Okehampton, EX20 1PY
Purpose: To provide comprehensive training on company policies, procedures, and systems necessary for successful integration into the role.
Training Schedule: Daily sessions from 9am to 4pm, with breaks provided.
Benefits of Training Week:
To gain valuable insights into our company culture and values.
Interact with key stakeholders and team members.
Acquire essential knowledge and skills to excel in your role.
Establish a strong foundation for your career growth within Dartmoor Multi Academy Trust.
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.
About Milton Abbot Primary School
- School type
- Academy, ages 4 to 11
- Education phase
- Primary
- School size
- Up to 105 pupils
- Age range
- 4 to 11
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- Milton Abbot Primary School website
School location
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