Headteacher

What skills and experience we're looking for

• A dedicated, inspiring senior leader who will work collaboratively with staff to promote excellent standards of teaching and learning, value every individual, celebrate achievement, and drive high expectations.
• Someone who motivates a committed staff team to deliver outstanding education through quality coaching.
• A leader who develops and implements strategies to raise pupil achievement and champions the highest standards of teaching and learning.
• Someone who ensures the school is a safe, happy, and positive learning environment, and who is committed to our core values: Be Kind, Be Respectful, Be Safe, Be Prepared. We proudly champion the UNICEF Rights Respecting School ethos.
• An engaging personality who maintains strong links with the community and communicates effectively with parents, staff, pupils, and governors.
• Someone who is committed to continued professional development for themselves and for all staff.
• Someone with a strong understanding and experience in supporting pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), ensuring their individual needs are met with care and ambition.
• A visionary leader with the drive and commitment to build on our current success and lead the school through its next phase of development.

What the school offers its staff

• Colleagues who are hardworking, supportive, and committed to ensuring every child flourishes, with safety and wellbeing as a priority.
• Highly supportive governors with a wide range of skills to help the new Headteacher move Howard forward.
• The chance to lead a school rooted in its community and create lasting, positive change for all.
• Children who are curious, motivated, and enthusiastic about learning.
• Positive links with a close-knit community and access to good facilities.

Further details about the role

The successful candidate will have:

• A strong track record of leadership.
• A clear understanding of the challenges facing schools in today’s educational landscape, both locally and nationally.
• The ability to inspire and empower others.

We are proud to have maintained our ‘Good’ rating from Ofsted and are looking for a leader who can help us sustain this success while proactively addressing key development areas in preparation for future inspections. In this role, you will work in close partnership with the Governing Body, Local Authority, staff, pupils, families, and our wider school community. You will also continue to strengthen our positive relationships with local schools, fostering a supportive and enriching school culture that values every voice, especially that of our pupils. A key part of this role will be championing inclusive practices and ensuring that children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) are fully supported to thrive and reach their potential.

The successful candidate will also:

• Drive forward academic and personal development.
• Innovate in curriculum design and delivery, shaping broad and meaningful learning experiences.
• Develop staff capacity, celebrate successes, and foster professional growth.
• Strengthen community engagement with parents, local organisations, and through extra-curricular opportunities to ensure a strong reputation and secure pupil recruitment.
• Ensure Howard remains a place where values such as integrity, kindness, respect, and responsibility are lived daily.
• Oversee staffing and resource management to ensure financial security and effective budgeting.

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.