Headteacher

Riverside Community Primary School, Plymouth, Devon, PL5 1DD

17 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  As soon as possible

• Closing date

  2 October 2026 at 12pm (midday)

• Date listed

  15 September 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: L11-24

What skills and experience we're looking for

Essential criteria

Qualifications and professional standing

• Qualified Teacher Status.
• A degree or equivalent qualification.
• Evidence of substantial and successful leadership experience in a primary school, previous headship or substantive acting/assistant headship.
• A strong understanding of statutory responsibilities relating to school leadership, safeguarding and inclusion.

Leadership and school improvement

A clear record of improving outcomes for pupils through strategic and evidence-informed leadership.

• The ability to build on existing strengths while identifying and addressing priorities for improvement with precision and care.
• Experience of leading, motivating and developing staff.
• The ability to establish high expectations for all pupils and staff and to sustain a calm, ambitious and inclusive culture.
• The confidence to make clear decisions while working collaboratively and consultatively with others.

Curriculum, teaching and assessment

A secure understanding of curriculum leadership in a primary school, including early years.

• The ability to lead an ambitious, knowledge-rich curriculum rooted in strong foundations and adapted to the age, stage and needs of pupils.
• Experience of improving the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across a school.
• The ability to use data intelligently to inform action without creating unnecessary workload.

Inclusion, SEND and vulnerable pupils

• A strong commitment to inclusive practice and high expectations for all, including pupils with SEND, disadvantaged pupils, and other vulnerable groups.
• Experience of improving provision for pupils with additional needs through early identification, effective support and strong partnership with families and professionals.
• A secure understanding of how staffing, training and systems can best support inclusion across the whole school.

Safeguarding, behaviour and attendance

• A proven commitment to creating and sustaining an open and positive safeguarding culture.
• A secure understanding of child protection, safer recruitment, timely referrals, multi-agency working and the need for rigorous safeguarding systems.
• The ability to lead strong behaviour and attendance practice through clear expectations, consistency, support and early help for families.

Communication and relationships

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• The ability to build trust and strong relationships with pupils, staff, governors, parents and the wider community.
• The ability to communicate priorities, expectations and developments clearly, regularly and sensitively.

Governance, operational leadership and accountability

• Experience of accountability for standards, staffing, safeguarding, behaviour, attendance and operational effectiveness.
• The ability to work in transparent partnership with governors, valuing both support and robust challenge.
• The ability to manage resources and budgets responsibly and strategically.
• A commitment to developing strong leaders and delegating effectively.

Staff development and wellbeing

• A clear commitment to staff development at all levels.
• The ability to sustain a culture in which staff feel valued, supported and able to manage workload effectively.
• Experience of collaborative performance management and professional development.

Desirable criteria

• National Professional Qualification for Headship or equivalent professional development qualification.
• Experience of leading significant improvement in attendance, inclusion or curriculum implementation.
• Experience of working with aspiration in areas of social/economic deprivation, overcoming challenge and supporting vulnerable learners.
• Experience of working successfully with governors, local authority and external partners.

Personal qualities and leadership behaviours

• Ability to build supportive relationships with families and use local knowledge to drive a values led ethos which ensures the best education for every child
• Ability to build positive working relationships which recognise the strengths and experience of staff.
• Ability to remain calm under pressure, sustain resilience, motivate and work collaboratively with others.
• Strategically strong and capable of secure management of systems, budget, and premises which maximises opportunity.
• Aspirational for children, creative in seeking enrichment opportunities and confident in sharing the school’s strengths and successes.

What the school offers its staff

About Riverside

• A school with high expectations for all.
• A strong inclusive ethos and child-centred culture.
• Visible and established safeguarding practice.
• A committed, experienced staff team.
• An aspirational curriculum rooted in strong foundations.
• A school that values partnership, communication, trust and respect.

Riverside Primary can offer:

• The opportunity to lead a school with strong foundations and a clear sense of purpose.
• A committed staff team and engaged governing board.
• A collaborative relationship with governors built on trust, support and constructive challenge.
• The chance to shape the next phase of Riverside’s development with and for the whole school community.
• Salary range L11-24 subject to final validation in line with the school’s group size, pay policy and local authority advice.

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

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.

Riverside - person specification Headteacher .docx - 30.8 KB (opens in new tab)

About Riverside Community Primary School

• Organisation type: Local authority maintained school, ages 3 to 11
• Education phase: Primary school
• Size: 370 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 3 to 11
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• Website: Riverside Community Primary School website
• Email address: rpayne@riversideprimary.net
• Phone number: 01752365297
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/riverside-community-primary-school

Local Authority Maintained

Arranging a visit to Riverside Community Primary School

To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email rpayne@riversideprimary.net.

School location

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