Headteacher

Kinver High School and Sixth Form, Stourbridge, West Midlands, DY7 6AA

19 days remaining to apply

• Job start date

  1 September 2026

• Closing date

  11 February 2026 at 12pm (midday)

• Date listed

  23 January 2026

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
• Full-time equivalent salary: Leadership Pay Range L23 (£88,951) – L29 (£103,030)

What skills and experience we're looking for

HEADTEACHER – KINVER HIGH SCHOOL

Invictus Education Trust

TocommenceSeptember 2026or earlier if possible

Permanent Contract

Leadership Pay RangeL23 (£88,951) – L29 (£103,030)

Invictus Education Trust are recruiting for a HeadteacherKinver HighSchool

Are you ready to shape the future of education with ambition, vision, and drive?

Invictus Education Trustis seeking an exceptional, resilient and values drivenHeadteacherto leadKinver High Schoolinto its next chapter of improvement, development and continued success. This is a significant leadership opportunity for a leader who embodies courage, clarity and compassion, and who can galvanise a strong school community towards even greater ambition. We are looking for an inspirational and visionary Headteacher with a proven track record of demonstrating impact and achieving outstanding results. We are seeking someone who can bring meaningful, enduring change to students, colleagues and the broader community. Whether you are already leading a school or are an experienced senior leader ready to take the next step, if you have the drive, expertise and passion to shape the lives of young people, we would be delighted to hear from you. This is your opportunity to make a lasting difference and lead Kinver High School into an exciting future.

The selected text conveys a positive and determined ethos, highlighting Invictus as bold, forward-thinking, and committed to excellence. It successfully mentions that the central team is well established and experienced, and that they handle operational and compliance matters. This does suggest that the prospective Headteacher will be able to concentrate on teaching, pastoral care, and leadership development, thanks to this support.

However, if you wish to further emphasise the operational and strategic support provided by the central team, you might consider a slight rewording for greater clarity and impact. For example:

At Invictus, we are bold, forward-thinking and relentless in our pursuit of excellence. Our well-established and highly experienced central team provides robust operational and strategic support, expertly managing all compliance and administrative functions. This enables you to focus your energy on delivering exceptional teaching, outstanding pastoral care and effective leadership—confident in the knowledge that you are fully supported in every aspect of school management.

This revision more explicitly highlights both operational and strategic support, reinforcing that the central team takes care of essential management functions and that the Headteacher will be supported at every level.

Our Trust comprisessix secondary schools and one primary school, educatingover 5,500 studentsacross Dudley and South Staffordshire. We are united by a shared commitment to high standards, collaboration and the belief that every child deserves the best possible education and life chances.

About Kinver High School

Kinver High School is ahighly successful, increasingly popular and oversubscribed 11–18 comprehensive school of around 800 students, located in the picturesque village of Kinver on the western fringe of the West Midlands. The school is strong, stable and forward-moving, with a clear trajectory of continued improvement and innovation.

Key strengths include:

• Consistently above national outcomessince 2022

• Strong performance across nearly all measures, reflecting high-quality teaching and sustained improvement

• Rapid growth from4-form to 6-form entrydue to rising popularity and oversubscription

• A wide and diverse intake, supported by ourdesignated school coach transport service, drawing students fromfive local authorities

• A reputation that positions Kinver as thenon‑selective “selective” school of choice— families actively choose us for high standards, a strong culture and exceptional learning experiences both inside and outside of the classroom

Kinver High School is also home toTHRIVE, our onsiteAlternative Provision Base, which provides high-quality tailored support for students who require a more personalised pathway. THRIVE reflects our unwavering commitment to ensuring thateverychild — regardless of barriers, disadvantage, learning need or personal circumstance — can achieve, excel and realise their potential.

Who We Are Looking For

We are seeking a Headteacher who is:

• Ambitious, resilient and hardworking, with an unshakeable belief that all students can succeed

• Passionate aboutequity, equality of opportunityand ensuring that every child, including those facing barriers, succeeds academically, socially and personally

• A champion of exceptionalteaching and learning, committed to modelling great practice and driving continuous improvement

• Deeply committed todeveloping colleagues, nurturing talent and building future leaders at every level

• Collaborative and team spirited, eager to contribute to and benefit from Trust wide partnership and shared expertise

• A leader who values inclusion, understands the complexity of alternative provision, and can maximise the life chances of all children — not just the already successful

• Driven by moral purpose, with the presence, empathy and determination to lead a vibrant, diverse and aspirational school community

A Unique School and Community

We offer:

• A once in a career opportunityto lead a thriving, oversubscribed high school at an exciting point of growth and development.

• Leadership of a school with aSixth Formandan opportunity to shape and develop futurepost-16 academic and vocational pathways.

• The rare opportunity to lead a school with its own on‑siteAlternative Provision Base, THRIVE, enabling you to drive truly inclusive practice and support students who require tailored provision.

• Asemi‑rural village setting, with strong community identity, close‑knit relationships, and high levels of parental support.

• Excellent sporting facilities, enabling broad curriculum opportunities and strong extracurricular provision.

• Access to our ownschool nature reserve, offering unique outdoor learning, wellbeing, and environmental education experiences for students and staff.

• The chance to lead and work withfantastic studentswho are respectful, ambitious, and proud of their school.

• A committed, talented and supportive staff team, working together with professionalism, care and a shared belief in the potential of every child.

• A school culture built ontrust, collaboration and a strong sense of belonging, where every voice matters.

Benefits of Being Part of Invictus Education Trust

You will also enjoy:

• Adynamic, collaborative Trust environmentwhere innovation, professional growth and new ideas are celebrated.

• The security ofTeachers’ terms and conditions, including membership of theTeachers’ Pension Scheme.

• Access to a comprehensiveEmployee Assistance Programme, supporting wellbeing, mental health and work life balance.

• Strong cross school networks and opportunities to contribute to and learn fromTrust wide strategic development.

• The support of a highly skilledcentral services team, allowing you to focus on teaching, learning, pastoral excellence and leadership development.

• A role within agrowing and ambitious Multi Academy Trustdedicated to making a real, measurable difference in the lives of young people across South Staffordshire and Dudley

If you are ready to take on this exciting leadership role and want to make a lasting impact in a school with ambition, determination, and unlimited potential, we would love to hear from you!

See how we’re delivering excellence every day, driven by unlimited ambition and a passion for transforming lives; discover why working with us means being part of something truly inspiring

Work With Us | Invictus Education Trust

Informal discussions andvisits to the school are welcome. Please contactour Director of Secondary Education: NikkiCliftonon emailnclifton@invictus.educationor for further information please telephoneAmy Buttery 01384 646510.

Closing date:11th February 2026 at 12 noon

We do reserve the right to close this advertisement early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

Interview dates:

Day 1 - Thursday 26thFebruary 2026

Day 2 - Friday 28thFebruary 2026

In line with Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025, as a part of our recruitmentprocesswe will carry out an online search on shortlisted candidates toidentifyany comment, image or other content that could cause reputational damage to the trust and/or give rise to a safeguarding concern. If we discover anything during our searches this will be passed onto the recruitment manager and discussed during interview.

We are deeply committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of Children and expect all Staff and Volunteers to share this commitment. All necessary Safeguarding checks will be undertaken which must have satisfactory outcomes, otherwise the conditional job offer may be withdrawn. Details of the checks that will be undertake can be found in Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) 2025.

This role has been assessed as working in regulated activity and is subject to an Enhanced DBS plus Children’s Barred List Check.

It is an offence to apply for this role if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (2013 and 2020).This means that certain convictions and cautions are considered ‘protected’ and do not need to bedisclosedto employers, and if they aredisclosed, employers cannot take them into account.Guidance about whether a conviction or caution should bedisclosedcan be found on the Ministry of Justice website:Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974

Positions at the school are exempt under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to a post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). DBS Filtering guidance can be found on the GOV.UK website.

As a Trust we are committed to ensuring that throughout our recruitment and selection process, no applicant will be disadvantaged or discriminated against because of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.

What the school offers its staff

Why Join Kinver High School?

• A welcoming and forward-thinking school with a strong community ethos.
• A supportive leadership team that values professional development.
• Modern facilities and well-resourced Science labs.
• Extensive opportunities for progression and CPD through the Invictus Education Trust.

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.

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.

About Kinver High School and Sixth Form

• School type: Academy, ages 11 to 18
• Education phase: Secondary school
• School size: 732 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 11 to 18
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: Kinver High School and Sixth Form website
• Email address: nclifton@invictus.education
• Phone number: 01384 646510
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/kinver-high-school-and-sixth-form

We are a highly successful and increasingly popular oversubscribed 11-18 comprehensive school of around 740 students, situated in the picturesque village location of Kinver on the western fringe of the West Midlands. The school has undergone rapid growth in recent years due to its popularity, moving form a 4-form entry in Year 7 to 6-form entry. The school operates its own designated school coach transport service, which means that our intake spans 5 local authorities and our parents and students choose to come to us, making Kinver the non-selective ‘selective’ school.

We are sure that once you visit us and meet our students, you’ll find that we are the school for you and your career journey, our CPD through school and in partnership with Invictus is exemplary.

Arranging a visit to Kinver High School and Sixth Form

To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email nclifton@invictus.education.

School location

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