Teaching Headship
Hopton Church of England Primary Academy, Diss, Suffolk, IP22 2QY24 days remaining to apply
Job start date
1 January 2027
Closing date
2 October 2026 at 12pm (midday)
Date listed
8 September 2026
Job details
Job role
- Teacher or lecturer
- Headteacher
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Key stage
- Early years, Key stage 1, Key stage 2
Working pattern
- Full time, part time (Can be done as a job share): Monday to Friday, part time considered
Contract type
- Fixed term - 1 year
Pay scale
- l6-18
What skills and experience we're looking for
Qualified teacher status
Degree
National professional qualification for headship (NPQH) Desirable
Successful leadership and management experience in a school
Teaching experience across all key stages
Involvement in school self-evaluation and development planning
Demonstrable experience of successful line management and staff development
Data analysis skills, and the ability to use data to set targets and identify weaknesses
Understanding of high-quality teaching based on evidence, and the ability to model this for others and support others to improve
Understanding of school finances and financial management
Experience of Budget setting, audits and bid writing
Experience of risk and estate management
Effective communication and interpersonal skills
Ability to communicate a vision and inspire others
Ability to build effective working relationships
Experience of leading board meetings and working with governors
Commitment to uphold the 7 principles of public life (the Nolan principles) at all times
A commitment to getting the best outcomes for all pupils and promoting the ethos and values of the school
Ability to work under pressure and prioritise effectively
Commitment to maintaining confidentiality at all times
Commitment to safeguarding and equality, ensuring that personal beliefs are not expressed in ways that exploit the position
Qualities
The headteacher will:
Uphold public trust in school leadership and maintain high standards of ethics, behaviour and professional conduct
Build positive and respectful relationships across the school community
Serve in the best interests of the school’s pupils
Duties and responsibilities
School culture and behaviour
The headteacher will:
Create a culture where pupils experience a positive and enriching school life
Be empathetic to the Christian ethos of the school as a Church of England Academy and work closely with the Church, Diocese and community to embed the school vison and Christian values.
Uphold ambitious educational standards in order to prepare pupils from all backgrounds for their next phase of education and life
Ensure a culture of staff professionalism
Encourage high standards of behaviour from pupils, built on rules and routines that are understood by staff and pupils, and clearly demonstrated by all adults in school
Use consistent and fair approaches to managing behaviour, in line with the school’s behaviour policy
Teaching, curriculum and assessment
The headteacher will:
Establish and sustain high-quality teaching across all subjects and phases, based on evidence
Ensure teaching is underpinned by subject expertise
Effectively use formative assessment to inform strategy and decisions
Ensure the teaching of a broad, structured and coherent curriculum
Establish curriculum leadership, including subject leaders with relevant expertise and access to professional networks and communities
Use valid, reliable and proportionate approaches to assessing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the curriculum
Ensure the use of evidence-informed approaches to reading so that all pupils are taught to read
Additional and special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities
The headteacher will:
Promote a culture and practices that enables all pupils to access the curriculum
Have ambitious expectations for all pupils with SEN and disabilities
Make sure the school works effectively with parents, carers and professionals to identify additional needs and provide support and adaptation where appropriate
Make sure the school fulfils statutory duties regarding the SEND Code of Practice.
Work closely with the Director of SEND and Inclusion
Managing the school
The headteacher will:
Ensure staff and pupils’ safety and welfare through effective approaches to safeguarding, as part of a duty of care
Manage staff well with due attention to workload
Ensure rigorous approaches to identifying, managing and mitigating risk
Be responsible for the Health and Safety of the site and ensure the school, is compliant in regards to premises and estates.
Professional development
The headteacher will:
Ensure staff have access to appropriate, high standard professional development opportunities
Keep up to date with developments in education
Ensure training and continuing professional development is effectively planned, delivered and evaluated
Make sure professional development opportunities draw on experts both within, and beyond the school
Seek training and continuing professional development to meet the needs of all staff members
Governance, accountability and working in partnership
The headteacher will:
Understand and welcome the role of effective governance, including accepting responsibility
Ensure that staff understand their professional responsibilities and are held to account
Ensure the school effectively and efficiently operates within the required regulatory frameworks and meets all statutory duties
Work successfully with other schools and organisations within and outside of the Trust
Maintain working relationships with fellow professionals and colleagues to improve educational outcomes for all pupils
Please note that this is illustrative of the general nature and level of responsibility of the role. It is not a comprehensive list of all tasks that the headteacher will carry out. The postholder may be required to do other duties appropriate to the level of the role.
What the school offers its staff
Hopton is a small, friendly village school with a sense of community. We pride ourselves on knowing our children and families well and creating an environment where everyone feels that they belong.
As part of Elveden Schools Trust, you will also be part of a collaborative family of schools. We believe that schools are stronger when they work together, sharing expertise, supporting one another and creating opportunities for both children and staff.
Please use the below link to see more about our school:
https://www.hopton.suffolk.sch.uk/
For Safeguarding and other policies please see below:
https://www.hopton.suffolk.sch.uk/Policies/
https://elvedenschoolstrust.co.uk/Policies/
Further information about the job
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
Please complete the online application.
CVs will not be accepted for this application.
Apply for this jobAdditional documents
If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.
About Hopton Church of England Primary Academy
- Organisation type
- Academy, Church of England, ages 3 to 11
- Education phase
- Primary school
- Size
- 46 pupils enrolled
- Age range
- 3 to 11
- Ofsted report
- View Ofsted report
- Email address
- Lornarourke@elvedenschoolstrust.co.uk
Hopton C of E Primary Academy is part of Elveden Schools Trust and is an inclusive, rural school in Hopton village between Thetford and the market town of Diss.
Arranging a visit to Hopton Church of England Primary Academy
To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email Lornarourke@elvedenschoolstrust.co.uk.
School location
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