Headteacher
Rivers Education Support Centre, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, EN11 0AAThis job expired on 20 June 2025 – see similar jobs
Start date details
January 2026 or sooner
Closing date
20 June 2025 at 9am
Date listed
22 May 2025
Job details
Job role
- Headteacher
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- £82,825.00 - £94,758.00 Annually (Actual) L21- L27 Fringe
Headteacher job summary
Rivers Education Support Centre (ESC) is seeking an exceptional leader to champion our vision of inclusive, high-quality education for children whose needs are not met in mainstream settings.
This is a rare opportunity for a values-driven, strategic leader to shape the next chapter of a unique and respected alternative provision.
At Rivers, we support children and young people aged 5–16 across two distinct sites. Many of our students are vulnerable and have experienced significant barriers to learning, particularly relating to social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) needs. Our culture is one of care, creativity, and resilience, underpinned by a therapeutic ethos, high expectations, and consistently strong behaviour.
We are looking for a Headteacher who can inspire staff, drive improvement, and maintain strong relationships with local schools and agencies. You’ll be a confident communicator with emotional intelligence, able to lead through challenge and change. You’ll also understand, or be ready to rapidly learn, the complexities of alternative provision.
Supported by experienced deputies and a passionate, skilled team, you will play a visible, strategic role while remaining agile and responsive to day-to-day needs. You will also benefit from excellent relationships with the Management Committee, peer ESC leaders, and access to mentoring and professional support.
If you believe in the value of every child and have the vision, courage, and compassion to lead transformational work, we would love to hear from you and invite you to tour our sites. To arrange your visit, please contact Heather Dunne, PA to the Headteacher on mailto:heather.dunne@riversesc.herts.sch.uk
Please apply on the Teach in Herts website, (click here) using the standard online application form. CVs will not be considered. Should you need support, please contact leadership.recruitment@hfleducation.org
Please note late applications will not be considered.
Rivers ESC is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Appointment to this post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check as well as other pre-appointment checks, including an online check, as outlined in Keeping Children Safe in Education (September 2024).
Commitment to safeguarding
The safe recruitment of staff is the first step to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in education.
Rivers ESC is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects anyone applying to work in our school to share this commitment. All appointments are subject to pre-employment checks, including a satisfactory enhanced criminal record with Barred List check through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS check), health check, employment reference checks and online/social media checks.
About Rivers Education Support Centre
- School type
- Local authority maintained school, ages 5 to 16
- School size
- 16 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 5 to 16
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- School website
- Rivers Education Support Centre website
Rivers Education Support Centre provides educational programmes to support pupils who are at serious risk of permanent exclusion, or who have been permanently excluded from their mainstream school.
The Centre’s vision is to inspire and enable pupils to:
•Become confident, independent and successful young people
•Excel in Learning
•Engage positively with the community
•Be ambitious for their futures.
Key Stage 3
At the Key Stage 3 centre in Hertford, pupils either attend for an agreed period of respite or for a longer period while next steps are arranged. Pupils are provided with a broad curriculum and barriers to education are identified. Pupils are supported to find strategies to overcome these barriers to support them to be successful in school. Once a mainstream school has been identified, pupils are supported to reintegrate by the Rivers ESC outreach team. Where appropriate, statutory assessments are conducted for pupils in Key Stage 3 to identify additional support that may be required and in some instances to support the process towards a placement in an alternative/specialist provision.
Key Stage 4
The Key Stage 4 centre in Hoddesdon provides education for year 10 and 11 pupils. Many pupils are supported to reintegrate back into mainstream school once it has been identified that they are likely to be successful. Rivers ESC works with the Fair Access team in Hertfordshire to choose the new school placement and to plan how to meet the additional needs of the pupil who is reintegrating.
KS4 pupils complete a wide range of exam based and vocational qualifications to work towards future aspirations and chosen career pathways. Some KS4 pupils may work on learning pathways which include attendance at alternative provisions supported by centre staff. Pupils have access to a broad range of subjects at a variety of levels and are guided to be highly aspirational with the courses they select. Pupil outcomes are outstanding.
The safe recruitment of staff is the first step to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in education.
Rivers ESC is committed to safeguarding children, young people and promoting the welfare of the pupils in its care and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All post holders are subject to a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. We welcome visits from potential applicants.
School location
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