Headteacher at St Damian's RC Science College
St Damian's RC Science College, Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, OL6 8BH27 days remaining to apply
Job start date
1 September 2026
Closing date
14 May 2026 at 12pm (midday)
Date listed
17 April 2026
Job details
Job role
- Headteacher
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Key stage
- Key stage 3, Key stage 4
Working pattern
- Full time: Times of the school day are 9:00am - 3:10pm
Contract type
- Permanent
Pay scale
- L25 - L34
What skills and experience we're looking for
Professional Skills
(Based on the National Standards for Headteachers 2020)
The headteacher is expected to have a good knowledge of the domains of the National Standards for Headteachers (2020) upon which the job description is based and be willing to work towards the achievement of these standards. In addition, the Headteacher will be expected to work with the governors to set annual personal objectives within the framework of these standards:
- Culture and Ethos
- Curriculum and Teaching
- Organisational effectiveness including (Governance and Accountability)
Candidates are therefore asked to structure their supporting statement under the above headings
Personal Qualities
All of the following are considered essential for the post and will be assessed through interview and reference:
- Continue to promote the school's strong educational philosophy and values
- Inspire, challenge, motivate and empower teams and individuals to achieve high goals
- Demonstrate personal enthusiasm and commitment to leadership aimed at making a positive difference to children and young people
- Build and maintain quality relationships through interpersonal skills and effective communication
- Demonstrate personal and professional integrity, including modelling values and vision
- Manage and resolve conflict
- Prioritise, plan and organise themselves and others
- Think analytically and creatively and demonstrate initiative in solving problems
- Be aware of their own strengths and areas for development and listen to, and reflect constructively and act upon as appropriate, feedback from others
- Demonstrate a capacity for sustained hard work with energy and vigour
- Uphold the 7 Nolan principles of public life
What the Governors Are Seeking
o A strategic, aspirational Headteacher who is a practicing Catholic with the capacity to lead with compassion.
o A leader deeply committed to Catholic education, safeguarding and moral purpose.
o An uncompromising focus on pupils first, ensuring excellence, equality and protection for all.
o Proven ability to sustain high performance while nurturing professional culture and wellbeing.
o The vision and credibility to lead the next phase of the College’s development with clarity and confidence.
Please see the detailed person specification attached.
What the school offers its staff
Thank you for your interest in the position of Headteacher at St Damian’s Roman Catholic Science College. This opportunity arises following the successful appointment of the current post holder to a further headship and represents an exciting moment in the continuing journey of our highly successful and outward facing Catholic school.
St Damian’s is a community defined by moral integrity and ambition. Our vision, “outstanding in all we do,” is not simply a statement of intent but is embedded in everything we do. This is affirmed through sustained external validation, with our last four inspections; Ofsted (2017, 2023) and the Catholic Schools Inspectorate (2016, 2024) all judging the College to be Outstanding in every area. These outcomes reflect resilient, values‑led leadership and an unwavering focus on pupils, even during periods of significant challenge.
The College has also gained strong national recognition for both educational excellence and workplace culture. In 2025, St Damian’s was awarded Silver in the Pearson National Teaching Awards – Making a Difference: Secondary School of the Year, named within the Sunday Times Best Places to Work, and shortlisted for the TES Staff Wellbeing Award. These accolades speak to a school that not only delivers for its pupils, but we also nurture, develop and retain high quality caring professionals.
While proud of our achievements, St Damian’s is not complacent. We remain relentlessly focused on ensuring that every pupil receives the very best Catholic education, encompassing academic success, faith formation, character development and personal wellbeing. High expectations are matched by deep care, and “second best” is never acceptable where children’s outcomes or safety are concerned.
At the heart of this ambition lies our uncompromising commitment to safeguarding. Safeguarding at St Damian’s is intrinsic to leadership, culture and daily practice. Pupils are known as individuals, their voices are heard, and their welfare is paramount. Systems are rigorous, professional curiosity is strong, and safeguarding is understood as a shared moral responsibility across the entire community.
What St Damian’s RC Science College can offer you
o A clear, compelling Catholic vision, rooted in Gospel values and centered on pupils.
o Strong, stable leadership and governance, focused on sustained excellence and safeguarding.
o A distinctive culture “The St Damian’s Way” characterised by ambition, care, equity and trust.
o A highly skilled and committed staff body with strong professional relationships.
o A deep commitment to staff wellbeing and professional development at all stages of career
o Consistently high pupil outcomes, above national averages
o An ambitious, knowledge rich curriculum that meets and exceeds national expectations.
o A heavily oversubscribed school with strong confidence from the local and wider community
o A modern, well designed learning environment that supports high quality provision.
What the Governors Are Seeking
o A strategic, aspirational Headteacher who is a practicing Catholic with the capacity to lead with compassion.
o A leader deeply committed to Catholic education, safeguarding and moral purpose.
o An uncompromising focus on pupils first, ensuring excellence, equality and protection for all.
o Proven ability to sustain high performance while nurturing professional culture and wellbeing.
o The vision and credibility to lead the next phase of the College’s development with clarity and confidence.
As Chair of Governors for over five years, I can say without reservation that St Damian’s is an exceptional place to work. I am privileged to work with staff; support staff, teachers and leaders whose professionalism, humility and dedication to children are extraordinary. Their commitment to collaboration, mutual support and continuous improvement defines the culture of the school and has been particularly evident through recent years of challenge and change.
The successful candidate will join a community where leadership is trusted, values are lived, and children are placed at the very heart of all decisions. St Damian’s offers the opportunity not only to lead an outstanding school, but to do so within a culture of integrity, care and ambition.
Further information about the job
Please see the attached documents
Commitment to safeguarding
St Damian’s RC Science College is committed to safeguarding & promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We have a professional code of conduct and safe working practices for the protection of staff and students in this school.
All appointments are subject to pre-appointment checks. The interview panel will look at all relevant identification and documentation. In addition, evidence of qualifications/certificates relating to your post and NI number (and eligibility to work in the UK) are required. All appointments will be subject to pre-employment checks.
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 St Damian's RC Science College
- School type
- Local authority maintained school, Roman Catholic, ages 11 to 16
- Education phase
- Secondary school
- School size
- 827 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 16
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- St Damian's RC Science College website
- Email address
- vacancies@stdamians.co.uk
- Phone number
- 0161 330 5974
St Damian’s is a heavily oversubscribed Roman Catholic Science College committed promoting the welfare of children and to the professional development of staff. St Damian’s is situated on the Tameside and Oldham border and is widely recognised for the quality of care it provides for all pupils and the professional opportunities afforded to all colleagues.
However, we are not a complacent community, and we strive daily to ensure that our great pupils receive the ‘best’ catholic education in terms of academic achievement, faith formation and personal development. This holistic education is at the heart of what we do and who we are. Our pupils achieve excellent outcomes; second best is not the mantra of the fantastic staff at St Damian’s.
Last year was a remarkable year for our small, yet thriving, community. Firstly, we achieved back-to-back Ofsted outstanding [June 2023] and a back-to-back outstanding Catholic inspection, in June 2024. Despite more robust frameworks in both inspections, the community again proved that we deliver the ‘best’ education possible. The excellent Ofsted report concluded “Pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), feel honoured, safe and happy to be attending this school”. This epitomises our mantra which is ‘start with the child and you won’t go far wrong’. Secondly, we have sustained academic outcomes, which continue to be above National average in all headline measures. This is important as it ensures we give our students the best possible chance in life by preparing for their next stages. Thirdly, we have won a plethora of external accolades including three ‘Secondary School of the Year’ awards, an overall ‘Secondary School of the Year’, and were finalists for ‘Wellbeing’, ‘Mental Health & Wellbeing’, and ‘Community Champion’ awards; all ‘just’ recognition for our achievements and to fulfil our simple vision ‘to be outstanding in all we do’
Arranging a visit to St Damian's RC Science College
To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email vacancies@stdamians.co.uk.
School location
Similar jobs nearby
Get a job alert when similar jobs are listed
Find more school jobs in Lancashire, Blackburn and Blackpool