Head Teacher The Ladder School
The Ladder School, Walsall, WS1 1RS27 days remaining to apply
Start date details
Easter 2026
Closing date
10 November 2025 at 9am
Date listed
14 October 2025
Job details
Job role
- Headteacher
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Key stage
- Key stage 4, Key stage 5
Working pattern
- Full time: 32.5 Hours, Monday to Friday
Contract type
- Permanent
Pay scale
- LS21-LS27
What skills and experience we're looking for
We are ambitious for all students, offering a challenging and rewarding curriculum of GCSEs and vocational courses. Our students include some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged young people in our communities, but we refuse to be limited by this. Our students leave us having achieved amazing things enabling them to take their next step on their education journey.
The Ladder School is more than just a school building with its staff, students and families – it is a strategic approach for redefining alternative provision- both across our twelve Mercian Trust schools, and wider, across all the communities we serve in the towns of the Black Country.
In this dynamic leadership role, you will focus on the day-to-day in school, whilst being pioneering and collaborative as you look outside.
You will bring significant experience of school leadership– whether that is in the Alternative Provision, SEND, or other atypical school sector, or within mainstream schools. The key skillset we are looking for is the drive, energy and innovation to lead a truly remarkable school and continue its journey to redefine alternative provision.
As a Trust we make a commitment to you that you will be equally supported to succeed by the brilliant Ladder School staff team, and by our Trust executive team and board of non-executive directors.
As a senior leader in our Trust, you will be given the opportunity to contribute to key workstreams, pioneer and share new practice, and be a central part of the crucial strategic decisions to deliver a truly inclusive education for all 10,000 of our students across all of our schools.
Role overview
- A Permanent, substantive role, leading our transformative Alternative Provision school
- Join us at a crucial stage of our social mobility mission
- A competitive salary in range L21-27
- To start Easter 2026, or earlier by negotiation
As a large Trust, we are delighted to offer a comprehensive benefits package including:
- A highly competitive salary for the role
- True collaboration with our expert leaders in our schools and Trust central teams
- A full programme of CPD and professional growth support tailored to your role.
- A range of high-quality staff benefits including a cash-back health scheme, a comprehensive employee support programme, exclusive discounts and gym membership, and cycle salary sacrifice schemes.
What the school offers its staff
Headteacher
The Ladder School, Walsall
We’re looking for a highly experienced school leader to become the new Headteacher of The Ladder School – The Mercian Trust’s Alternative Provision Free School for students aged 13-19, in a fantastic new building in the heart of Walsall.
At The Ladder School, our vivid vision is to be nationally recognised as the gold standard for Alternative Provision; where all children feel they belong, feel safe, and make good academic and personal progress from their starting points. We are proud to be a welcoming, inclusive, holistic, bespoke school that enables students and staff to thrive together in an environment of adaptative, engaging, therapeutic and challenging provision.
At a school where every day brings fresh challenges and fresh rewards, as Headteacher you will set the tone and lead with ambition, determination and honesty – you will embody our Mercian Trust values – that we care, we are courageous, we are candid, and we are accountable.
These values underpin our Trust-wide social mobilityand social justicemission to increase opportunitiesand improve outcomes– especially for those who are disadvantaged, have special educational needs or disabilities, or are more likely to face discrimination.
Further information about the job
Commitment to safeguarding
The Ladder School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. A copy of the ‘Safeguarding Policy’ is available to view or download by logging onto the School website: www.theladderschool.org.
Applying for the job
Apply for the job by following the link below.
CVs will not be accepted for this application.
View advert on school website (opens in new tab)Upload additional documents
If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.
About The Ladder School
- School type
- Free School, ages 13 to 18
- School size
- 44 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 13 to 18
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- The Ladder School website
- Email address
- jasmine.gill@merciantrust.org.uk
We are an Alternative Provision Free School located in Walsall Town Centre. The Ladder School was established in January 2019 and has now moved in to a brand new, purpose-built building based on the edge of Walsall town centre where there are excellent links to the local and wider community. Over the coming years we will continue to grow and become the ‘go to place’ for alternative provision in the borough.
At The Ladder School, we recognise that mainstream school does not suit all young people and we are here to offer a second chance. We work on a commissioning basis, that means that a school or the Local Authority must approach to place a student. Unfortunately, we cannot accept direct referrals from parents/carers.
The staff work incredibly hard to ensure our students make the most of the opportunities that they get whist they are with us. Unlike other alternative provisions, we offer a range of GCSE courses, supplemented with some vocational courses to ensure students get a well-rounded education.
We are a positive environment, that uses praise and encouragement to enable our students to see things differently. We have a set of values that underpin everything we do.
Arranging a visit to The Ladder School
To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email jasmine.gill@merciantrust.org.uk.
School location
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