Headteacher
Cloughside College, Manchester, M25 3BL38 days remaining to apply
Start date details
Summer term
Closing date
12 January 2026 at 12pm (midday)
Date listed
5 December 2025
Job details
Job role
- Headteacher
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Key stage
- Key stage 3, Key stage 4, Key stage 5
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Pay scale
- L14-L20
Additional allowances
SUA of £9,055
What skills and experience we're looking for
This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced and accomplished school leader, who can apply their skills in a unique setting, where you can make a huge difference to the lives of the most vulnerable young people.
The emphasis for this role is on getting the very best from your team and resources. By modelling our values, committing to the professional development of others and being a passionate advocate for our students, you will enable teachers and support staff to deliver high quality and tailored education provision, that will be an essential component of students’ ongoing recovery and development.
Partnership working will also be central to success in this role. We are part of a wider system of care and support that young people and families rely on, and you will play your part in shaping and refining this system, so that its component parts are well synchronised and complementary to supporting young people’s wellbeing.
There is also an essential strategic leadership role to play in continuing to engage with stakeholders across the sector to ensure that we respond to changes in legislation and policy and that our provision continues to evolve and adapt accordingly, while ensuring that the wellbeing of our students remains at the centre of all we do.
We expect that you will already be an accomplished school leader with a highly developed understanding of school improvement and evaluation, curriculum planning and teaching and learning strategies. You should offer an informed and current insight into educational issues, including national policies, priorities and legislation and be committed to creating an inclusive learning environment, for students and for staff.
Working closely with our governing body, you will ensure effective stewardship and accountability underpin our work – working across our sites with a keen focus on safeguarding, financial and estates management, alongside performance management and professional development of staff.
It isn’t essential that you have worked in a hospital or specialist school setting before – it’s your organisational and people leadership skills that will set you apart as a strong candidate, as well as your unwavering commitment to supporting vulnerable young people to continue to learn and develop as part of their journey towards better mental health.
Effective partnership working is an essential part of this role. Working with young people with complex needs, we are part of a wider system of care and support and our Headteacher will be instrumental in ensuring a joined up and tailored approach that supports the best outcomes.
The school is in a very strong position, and we can make decisions that are firmly focused on what is best for our students, while always being mindful of future strategic changes in the sector. And our most important asset is our team of dedicated, positive and expert staff who deliver high quality teaching and learning every day. We are passionate advocates for professional development and succession planning, and we will look to our new Headteacher to build on this commitment, leading colleagues with fairness and compassion and supporting them to excel in what they do.
We don’t have a prescriptive view of the type of school that you are currently working in. We are interested in your leadership skills: how you enable those around you to shine whilst providing the strategic direction that allows the school to adapt and respond to changes in the sector. We operate in a very fluid environment, with an ever-changing school population, so flexibility and an agile approach is key.
What the school offers its staff
This is a leadership role with a difference. More than just a headship, you’ll be part of a team that can change the lives of very vulnerable young people. What we do matters – it’s an incredibly rewarding place to be.
We have a strong committment to professional development.
Further information about the job
To apply please click the following link:
https://www.headforcloughside.co.uk
or you can contact Raymond Kelly at Navigate NDC on 01625 800862 for a confidential discussion.
Closing date: Monday 12th January (noon)
Commitment to safeguarding
Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff to share this commitment.
Offers of employment are subject to the following checks (where relevant):
Childcare disqualification
Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and barred list check
Occupational health report
Prohibition from teaching
Right to work in the UK
Two satisfactory references
Suitability to work with children
We conduct an online search of shortlisted candidates in line with KCSIE
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)About Cloughside College
- School type
- Special school, ages 11 to 19
- School size
- 16 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 11 to 19
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- Cloughside College website
- Email address
- cloughside@navigategroup.co.uk
- Phone number
- 01625 800862
Cloughside College is a hospital school for young people with mental health conditions.
Our students are aged 11-19 years old and are on roll with our school only whilst they are patients in a CAMHS unit at Prestwich Hospital or Fairfield Hospital. We work on a number of CAMHS units that include Junction 17 and the Gardener Unit in Prestwich as well as the Hope Unit at Fairfield Hospital.
We work closely with multidisciplinary teams in both hospitals – these include nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, and therapists. The students that attend our college are extremely unwell. As a result, continuity, recovery and next steps are the cornerstones of our curriculum. Our collaborative work with the clinical team is crucial for assessing students' wellbeing, risk management and readiness for learning. We always aim to meet the spiritual needs of our diverse student population, and chaplains of all major faiths are available to visit young people on their units.
Our Mission
Our mission is ‘Inspiring young people to achieve a brighter future'. This reflects our commitment to providing learners with the care and educational support they need to enable them to move on from Cloughside and the hospital environment successfully and in a much-improved state of emotional wellbeing. We aspire to equip our students with the necessary skills for their next stage of education, employment or training and to provide them with extra opportunities they may not have had whilst in mainstream education or other settings.
Our Vision
Our vision is to inspire young people to achieve a brighter future by:
Providing a personalised and adaptive curriculum that promotes recovery and enables good progress from starting points
Using effective professional development to deliver high quality teaching and develop effective leaders.
Ensuring the school is at the heart of mental health improvement for Bury by developing an outreach offer for those students that are not well enough to attend school and delivering CPD to schools on a need basis.
Fostering collaboration and the sharing of good practice with other schools
Developing a stable financial funding model to cover both hospital admissions and outreach
Our Values
Our values have been developed in discussion with governors, staff and young people who have had inpatient admissions across both of our hospital settings. We have a commitment to our values of partnership, inspiration, kindness, adaptability, creativity and respect.
Arranging a visit to Cloughside College
To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email cloughside@navigategroup.co.uk.
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