Head Teacher

The Croft Primary School, Rugeley, Staffordshire, WS15 4AZ

11 days remaining to apply

• Job start date

  1 September 2025

• Closing date

  10 January 2025 at 12pm (midday)

• Date listed

  9 December 2024

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: 32.5 hours a week Monday to Friday
• Contract type: Permanent
• Pay scale: L12 - L18

What skills and experience we're looking for

Full time, permanent    

An inspirational professional is sought to lead The Croft Primary School into our next chapter after the retirement of a long standing headteacher (August 2025).  At The Croft Primary School we take pride in achieving success through providing a caring and secure environment where children enjoy their learning and thrive with the opportunities that are available to them. At The Croft each and every child is special and staff strive to encourage and nurture them so that they achieve their full potential. We are CREATIVE, COURAGEOUS, CARING, we are THE CROFT 

As an excellent practitioner and strategic thinker, you will work closely with senior leaders to continually improve outcomes.  You will be a role model for all and clearly demonstrate the values we hold that ensure that each child reaches their full potential.

This opportunity is suitable for someone who is inspired by the exciting opportunity to continue the development of our school. The ideal candidate will be someone who is aspirational and innovative and can drive continued outstanding educational practices.

The children would like their new head teacher to be approachable, problem solver, confident, strict – but not too strict, kind, caring, tolerant and to focus on keeping them safe.

You will have:

Recent successful leadership experience; a proven track record of leading school improvement and demonstrable impact in raising achievement; evidence of initiating and implementing strategies to embrace the ethos of the school environment including the wider school community; successfully managed a team through change to bring about positive organisational developments. Like our learners, you will be resilient, love learning and be a team player by working collaboratively and supporting the development of others through constructive feedback, being able to empower and motivate other to achieve their full potential.

Visits to school:  Tuesday 7th January (am) and Wednesday 8th January (pm) see below on how to book Closing date for applications: Friday 10th January 2025 (11.00am) Shortlisting date: Monday 13th January 2025 Interviews and assessment activities: Friday 24th January & Monday 27th January (to be confirmed after short listing)

Potential candidates are welcome and strongly encouraged to visit the school.

Tours of the school available on:

Tuesday 7th January (am) and Wednesday 8th January (pm)

Please book via emailing office@croft.staffs.sch.uk or by telephone on 01543 490261

To apply, please submit your application on the Staffordshire County Council Application and send it for the attention of the Chair of Governors to office@croft.staffs.sch.uk

For further enquiries, please contact Mrs Joanne Millet (Head Teacher) on 01543 490261.

What the school offers its staff

We can offer:

A committed and proactive governing board; a dedicated and experienced staff team with high expectations for children; happy pupils who demonstrate excellent standards of behaviour and eager to learn attitudes.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The school follows safer recruitment practices, and the successful applicants will be subject to all necessary pre-employment checks including enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020. Which means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’, so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Further information about filtering offences can be found at:

 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-guidance-on-the-rehabilitation-of-offenders-act-1974

Further details about the role

Post: Headteacher

Responsible to: School Governing Board

Salary: £65,286 - £75,675 per annum Contract type: Full time permanent position

Location: Rugeley Road WS15 4AZ

Shaping the Future

The Head Teacher will work with the Board, teaching staff and others to implement the shared vision and strategic plan of the school to inspire and motivate pupils, staff and all other members of the school community.

The Headteacher will:

• Demonstrate vision and values in everyday work and practice.
• Motivate and work with teaching staff and others to maintain and develop the shared culture and a positive climate.
• Ensure creativity, innovation and the use of appropriate new technologies to achieve excellence.
• Ensure that strategic planning and the school culture and curriculum take account of the diversity, values and experience of the school and the community at large.
• Work within the school community to translate the vision into agreed objectives and operational plans which will promote and sustain school improvement.

Leading, Learning and Teaching

The Headteacher has a central responsibility for the quality of teaching and learning. This involves high expectations, maintaining and evaluating outcomes and establishing a successful learning culture which all impact on pupils' achievement.

The Headteacher will:

• Ensure a consistent and continuous school-wide focus on pupils' achievement, using data and benchmarks to monitor progress in every student's learning.
• Ensure that learning is at the centre of strategic planning and resource management.
• Ensure creative, responsive and effective approaches to learning and teaching.
• Ensure a culture and ethos of challenge and support where all pupils can achieve success and become engaged in their own learning and self-fulfilment.
• Demonstrate and articulate high expectations and set stretching targets for the whole school community.
• Implement strategies which secure high standards of behaviour and attendance.
• Determine, organise and implement a diverse, flexible curriculum and implement assessment for learning.
• Monitor, evaluate and review classroom practice and promote improvement strategies.
• Take a strategic role in the development of emerging technologies to enhance and extend the learning experience of pupils.
• Challenge under-performance at all levels and ensure action is taken to secure improvement.

The duties and responsibilities detailed within this job description should be supplemented by those accountabilities, roles and responsibilities common to all classroom teachers, as set out within the School Teachers Pay and Conditions Document, consistent with Teachers’ Standards.

Managing the Organisation

The Headteacher will provide effective management of the school and continuously seek to improve organisational structures based on self-evaluation.

The Headteacher will:

• Take lead responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children by creating an organisational culture which is vigilant to, monitors and prioritises the safeguarding of children above all considerations.
• Act as a point of contact for safeguarding partners.
• Liaise with teaching and other staff both internally and externally on matters of safety and safeguarding including online and digital safety and, when deciding to make a referral by liaising with relevant agencies.
• Create an organisational structure which reflects the school’s values and enables the management systems, structures and processes to work effectively in line with legal requirements.
• Produce and implement clear, evidence-based improvement plans and policies for the development of the School and its facilities.
• Ensure that, within an autonomous culture, policies and practices take account of national and local circumstances, policies and initiatives.
• Manage the school's financial and human resources effectively and efficiently to achieve the school's educational goals and priorities.
• Recruit, motivate retain and deploy staff appropriately and manage their workload to achieve the vision and goals of the school.
• Manage and organise the school environment efficiently and effectively to ensure that it meets the needs of the curriculum and health and safety regulations.
• Ensure that the range, quality and use of all available resources are monitored, evaluated and reviewed to improve the quality of education for all pupils and provide value for money.
• Use and integrate a range of technologies effectively and efficiently to manage the school.

Developing Self and Working with Others

Effective communication and relationships are key to effective headship. The Headteacher needs to build a professional learning community which enables others to achieve.

The Headteacher will:

• Treat people fairly, equitably and with dignity and respect to create and maintain a positive school culture.
• Further develop our collaborative learning culture and bespoke development of individuals working in all aspects of the school.
• Develop and maintain effective strategies and procedures for staff induction, professional development and performance management.
• Ensure effective planning, allocation, support and evaluation of work undertaken by teams and individuals, ensuring clear delegation of tasks and devolution of responsibilities.
• Acknowledge the responsibilities and celebrate the achievements of individuals and teams.
• Develop and maintain a culture of high expectations for self and for others and take appropriate action where performance is unsatisfactory.
• Regularly review own practice and achievements, set personal targets and take responsibility for own personal development. Take account of feedback from others.
• Manage own workload and that of others to allow an appropriate work/life balance.
• Implement successful performance management systems with all staff which results in professional and personal development contributing to the success of the school.

Securing Accountability

With values at the heart of leadership, the Headteacher has a responsibility to the whole school community and is accountable to a range of groups particularly pupils, parents, carers, Governors, and the Local Authority.

The Headteacher will:

• Take responsibility for establishing and monitoring the systems and culture of the school to promote and safeguard the welfare of children.
• Ensure relevant staff participate in multi-agency processes when safeguarding concerns are raised.
• Maintain a log to demonstrate staff are up to date with safeguarding and child welfare training.
• Fulfil commitments arising from contractual accountability to the Board.
• Maintain a school ethos which enables everyone to work collaboratively, share knowledge and understanding, celebrate success and accept responsibility for outcomes.
• Ensure individual teaching staff and other’s accountabilities are clearly defined, understood and agreed and are subject to rigorous review and evaluation.
• Work with the Board (providing information, objective advice and support) to enable it to meet its responsibilities for securing effective teaching and learning and improved standards of attainment and for achieving efficiency and value for money.
• Develop and present a coherent, understandable and accurate account of the school's performance to a range of audiences including governors, parents and carers.

Safeguarding and Child Protection

The Headteacher will:

• Be the deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead for school and have responsibility for safeguarding matters.
• Have due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and follow the child protection procedures and safeguarding policy adopted by the school.
• Have up to date knowledge of relevant legislation and guidance in relation to working with and the protection of children.
• Display commitment to the protection and safeguarding of children.
• Value and respect the views and needs of children.
• Be willing to work within organisational procedures and processes and to meet required standards for the role.
• Demonstrate a commitment to fundamental British values and an awareness of how these can be promoted in direct work with children.

Strengthening a Community

The Headteacher should engage with the internal and external school community to secure equity and entitlement and collaborate strategically with a wide range of partners to bring positive benefits.

The Headteacher will:

• Build a school culture and curriculum which takes account of the richness and diversity of the school's communities.
• Ensure learning experiences for pupils are linked into and integrated with the wider community.
• Collaborate with other agencies in providing for the academic, moral, social, emotional and cultural well-being of pupils and their families.
• Create and maintain an effective partnership with parents and carers to support and improve pupils' achievement and personal development.
• Seek opportunities to invite parents and carers, community figures, businesses or other organisations into the school to enhance and enrich the school and its value to the wider community.
• Contribute to the development of the education system by, for example, sharing effective practice, working in partnership with other schools and promoting innovative initiatives.
• Co-operate and work with relevant agencies to safeguard children.
• Create and promote positive strategies for challenging prejudice and harassment.

The content of this job description may be amended at any time following discussions between the Board and the Headteacher, and will be reviewed on an annual basis as part of the Headteacher’s performance management.

_______

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

Please download the application form using the link below, and once completed send to office@croft.staffs.sch.uk

CVs are not accepted.

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.

Upload additional documents

If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.

Head Teacher Person Specification.docx - 36.7 KB (opens in new tab)

Head Teacher Job Description.doc - 266 KB (opens in new tab)

About The Croft Primary School

• School type: Local authority maintained school, ages 4 to 11
• Education phase: Primary
• School size: 186 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 4 to 11
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report (opens in new tab)
• School website: The Croft Primary School website (opens in new tab)
• Email address: office@croft.staffs.sch.uk
• Phone number: 01543 490261
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/the-croft-primary-school-rugeley (opens in new tab)

One form entry primary school. LA maintained

Arranging a visit to The Croft Primary School

To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email office@croft.staffs.sch.uk.

School location

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