Headteacher

Appleton Wiske Community Primary School, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL6 2AA

19 days remaining to apply

• Job start date

  1 September 2026

• Closing date

  10 May 2026 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  21 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
• Pay scale: L9-L15 (£63,070 - £73,105)

What skills and experience we're looking for

You will be an aspirational and reflective leader with a strong understanding of the distinctive character of a small rural school and the opportunities and challenges this brings. You will appreciate the importance of community, relationships and visibility and be motivated by the chance to make a tangible difference where your leadership has a direct and lasting impact.

The successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to combine high‑quality educational leadership with a nurturing, community‑focused approach. You will have a clear focus on driving improvement in teaching and learning, developing staff at all levels, and ensuring that every child (regardless of background or need) is supported to achieve their full potential.

You will bring clarity, warmth and resilience to the role, building trust with pupils, staff, families and governors, and leading with integrity and purpose.

We are seeking evidence of:

• Astute management, alongside strong communication and engagement skills, enabling you to promote the school effectively, strengthen community confidence and support the drive to sustain and grow pupil admissions.
• Experience of financial planning and oversight, with the confidence to make informed, strategic decisions in a small‑school context.
• Knowledge and understanding of Early Years and EYFS provision, with the ability to support and develop the nursery as a key part of the school’s future growth and sustainability.
• The ability to balance strategic leadership with hands‑on involvement, adapting confidently to the varied and wide‑ranging responsibilities of small‑school headship.

What the school offers its staff

Our Opportunity:

Appleton Wiske Community Primary School and Nursery offers a rewarding and highly visible leadership opportunity within a supportive, close‑knit rural community. The school is deeply valued by its families and wider village and benefits from positive pupil behaviour, strong relationships and a caring, inclusive ethos where children are happy, safe and keen to learn. Recent developments, including the successful introduction of the nursery, provide exciting scope to strengthen early years provision, support pupil progression and enhance the long‑term sustainability of the school.

The role offers the chance to lead a small school where every decision makes a tangible difference. With mixed‑age classes, a flexible structure and a committed staff team, the Headteacher has real scope to shape curriculum delivery, develop staff practice and build on existing strengths. This breadth of responsibility provides a rich and varied leadership experience and the opportunity to make a lasting impact.

Like many small schools, we also face challenges. Fluctuating pupil numbers and financial pressures mean that the role requires careful strategic thinking, resilience and strong financial oversight. These challenges are an integral part of the role and will require thoughtful, confident leadership.

However, you will not face these challenges alone. The Governing Body is experienced, committed and highly supportive, working closely with the Headteacher to provide both encouragement and appropriate challenge. We are pragmatic, open and focused on doing what is right for the school, its pupils and its staff, ensuring that decisions are made collaboratively and with integrity.

This role is ideally suited to a Deputy Headteacher seeking their first Headship. As the leader of a small school, the successful candidate will develop a broader and deeper leadership skill set than might be possible in a larger setting, particularly in relation to strategic planning, admissions, financial management and community engagement.

The successful candidate will be well supported. The Local Authority will assign a mentor Headteacher, and ongoing support will be available from the Governing Body and through the Swaledale Alliance, providing professional guidance, encouragement and partnership throughout the role.

We can offer you:

• A happy and friendly school, with delightful children who respect each other and have a thirst for learning.
• A culture which allows all staff to thrive and develop.
• An opportunity to see the huge potential that exists and the time to make Appleton Wiske Primary School a beacon of excellence in primary education.
• Significant levels of support from the Local Authority, Governing Board and a staff team who are experienced, committed and passionate about our school.
• A Governing Body committed to providing support on all matters including more sensitive or difficult issues and including the wellbeing of all staff members.
• The school is part of a Cluster where the Headteachers meet regularly. This provides a support network for sharing ideas and best practice.

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.

For further information about our opportunity, please visit our dedicated recruitment microsite:https://nyresourcing.co.uk/appleton-wiske-headteacher/

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

Apply for the job by following the link below.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

Additional documents

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

Job Description - Headteacher Appleton Wiske.pdf - 121 KB (opens in new tab)

Person Specification - Headteacher Appleton Wiske.pdf - 210 KB (opens in new tab)

About Appleton Wiske Community Primary School

• School type: Local authority maintained school, ages 4 to 11
• Education phase: Primary school
• School size: 76 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 4 to 11
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: Appleton Wiske Community Primary School website
• Email address: ashley.benford@northyorks.gov.uk
• Phone number: 07815 028 548
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/appleton-wiske-community-primary-school

Arranging a visit to Appleton Wiske Community Primary School

To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email ashley.benford@northyorks.gov.uk.

School location

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