Headteacher

Springfield Junior School, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 0BU

23 days remaining to apply

• Job start date

  1 January 2026

• Closing date

  21 September 2025 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  29 August 2025

Job details

• Job role:
  • Headteacher
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: Leadership Pay Range 13 - 18 (£69,596 - £78,702)

Headteacher job summary

PURPOSE OF THE POST:

Purpose:  

• Responsible for curriculum provision in the school
• Lead on the quality of teaching and learning
• Lead on improving communication with parents and carers
• Organise and oversee interventions and monitor their impact
• Lead on the use of the Pupil Premium
• Develop effective links with stakeholders
• Responsible for the induction and development of staff, students and volunteers

Main Duties

1.School Culture

• Establish and sustain the school’s ethos and strategic direction in partnership with the Trust, and through consultation with local governors and the school community
• Create a culture where pupils experience a positive and enriching school life
• Uphold ambitious educational standards which prepare pupils from all backgrounds for their next phase of education and life
• Promote positive and respectful relationships across the school community and a safe, orderly and inclusive environment
• Ensure a culture of high staff professionalism

2.Teaching

• Establish and sustain high-quality, expert teaching across all subjects and phases, built on an evidence-informed understanding of effective teaching and how pupils learn
• Ensure teaching is underpinned by high levels of subject expertise and approaches which respect the distinct nature of subject disciplines or specialist domains
• Ensure effective use is made of formative assessment

3.Curriculum and Assessment

• Ensure a broad, structured and coherent curriculum entitlement which sets out the knowledge, skills and values that will be taught
• Establish effective curricular leadership, developing subject leaders with high levels of relevant expertise with access to professional networks and communities
• Ensure all pupils are taught to read through the provision of evidence-informed approaches to reading, particularly the use of systematic synthetic phonics in schools that teach early reading
• Ensure valid, reliable and proportionate approaches are used when assessing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the curriculum

4.Behaviour

• Establish and sustain high expectations of behaviour for all pupils, built upon relationships, rules and routines, which are understood clearly by all staff and pupils
• Ensure high standards of pupil behaviour and courteous conduct in accordance with the school’s behaviour policy
• Implement consistent, fair and respectful approaches to managing behaviour
• Ensure that adults within the school model and teach the behaviour of a good citizen

5.Additional and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

• Ensure the school holds ambitious expectations for all pupils with additional and special educational needs and disabilities
• Establish and sustain a culture and practices that enable pupils to access the curriculum and learn effectively
• Ensure the school works effectively in partnership with parents, carers and professionals, to identify the additional needs and special educational needs and disabilities of pupils, providing support and adaptation where appropriate
• Ensure the school fulfils its statutory duties with regard to the SEND code of practice

6.Professional Development

• Ensure staff have access to high-quality, sustained professional development opportunities, aligned to balance the priorities of whole-school improvement, team and individual needs
• Prioritise the professional development of staff, ensuring effective planning, delivery and evaluation which is consistent with the approaches laid out in the standard for teachers’ professional development
• Ensure that professional development opportunities draw on expert provision from beyond the school, as well as within it, including nationally recognised career and professional frameworks and programmes to build capacity and support succession planning

7.Organisational Management

• Ensure the protection and safety of pupils and staff through effective approaches to safeguarding and health and safety, as part of the duty of care
• Prioritise and allocate financial resources appropriately, ensuring efficiency, effectiveness and probity in the use of public funds
• Ensure staff are deployed and managed well with due attention paid to workload
• Establish and oversee systems, processes and policies that enable the school to operate effectively and efficiently
• Ensure rigorous approaches to identifying, managing and mitigating risk

8.Continuous School Improvement

• Make use of effective and proportional processes of evaluation to identify and analyse complex or persistent problems and barriers which limit school effectiveness, and identify priority areas for improvement
• Develop appropriate evidence-informed strategies for improvement as part of well-targeted plans which are realistic, timely, appropriately sequenced and suited to the school’s context
• Ensure careful and effective implementation of improvement strategies, which lead to sustained school improvement over time

9.Working in Partnership

• Forge constructive relationships beyond the school, working in partnership with parents, carers and the local and wider community
• Commit their school to work successfully with other schools and organisations in a climate of mutual challenge and support
• Establish and maintain working relationships with fellow professionals and colleagues across other public services to improve educational outcomes for all pupils

10.Governance and Accountability

• Understand and welcome effective governance, upholding the obligation to give account and accept responsibility
• Establish and sustain professional working relationship with those responsible for governance
• Ensure staff know and understand their professional responsibilities and are held to account effectively
• Ensure the school effectively and efficiently operates within the required regulatory frameworks and meets all statutory duties

Why Us?

We believe in the power of education to transform lives. We’re proud of our strong sense of community, our commitment to inclusion, and our culture of high expectations. We’re looking for a leader who shares our values and is ready to build on the progress we’ve made.

As part of QEGSMAT, you’ll benefit from:

• A supportive network of like-minded professionals who share a clear vision and values.
• High-quality, ongoing professional development for you and your team.
• A passionate, committed wider team focused on:
• Achieving the highest academic outcomes for all pupils.
• Driving social change through education.
• Providing exceptional pastoral care and enrichment opportunities.
• Bespoke support from the Trust’s central team, tailored to your school’s needs.
• Access to a range of employee benefits designed to promote health and wellbeing.

What we’re looking for:

We’re seeking a Headteacher who:

• Leads with integrity, empathy, and ambition.
• Can inspire and motivate others to care deeply about our children and their development.
• Is ready to embrace the challenges and rewards of leading in a community with high levels of deprivation.
• Values collaboration and is eager to work closely with the Trust and wider school community.

This is a fantastic opportunity to make a lasting impact in a school that is excited about its future.

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 school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

About Springfield Junior School

• School type: Academy, ages 7 to 11
• Education phase: Primary
• School size: 200 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 7 to 11
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: Springfield Junior School website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/springfield-junior-school-de11-0bu

At Springfield we believe in providing all children with an ambitious and aspirational education. Our dedicated staff work tirelessly to create engaging and memorable learning experiences that ignite curiosity and a love for learning in all our students. We offer a broad and balanced curriculum that includes the arts, sports, and technology, ensuring that every child has the opportunity and encouragement to explore their many interests and talents.

We are committed to working in partnership with parents and the wider community to support our students’ growth and development. We believe that strong relationships between home and school are essential for the success of our children.

Our website offers a glimpse into the life of our school, but the best way to experience Springfield is to visit us in person. We invite you to come and see our school in action, meet our wonderful staff and students, and discover what makes our school a special place to learn and grow. Springfield is a proud member of the QEGSMAT family of schools.

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