Deputy Headteacher
- Tara Jones
- Consultant
Deputy Headteacher
Location: North London
Salary: £65,000–£75,000, depending on experience
Contract: Permanent, full-time
About the school
We are working with a specialist independent school in North London to recruit a compassionate, proactive and experienced Deputy Headteacher.
The school provides individualised education and support for pupils with complex special educational needs, with a strong emphasis on wellbeing, pastoral care and helping every pupil reach their potential.
This is an exciting opportunity to join a developing specialist provision, strengthen the senior leadership team and play a key role in shaping the school’s future.
The role
Working closely with the Headteacher and wider leadership team, the Deputy Headteacher will take an active role in the day-to-day running of the school, ensuring the effective management of operational matters while maintaining high standards of teaching, learning and pupil care.
The successful candidate will provide visible, hands-on leadership, helping to distribute responsibilities effectively and enabling the Headteacher to focus on strategic development and future growth.
Key responsibilities will include:
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Day-to-day leadership: Overseeing the daily running of the school and ensuring operational matters are managed effectively.
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Complaints and parental engagement: Taking the lead on parental concerns, complaints and escalations, managing sensitive situations with confidence and professionalism.
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Pastoral care and behaviour: Supporting behaviour management, pupil wellbeing and pastoral provision, working closely with staff to resolve challenges.
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Teaching and learning: Maintaining oversight of teaching quality and educational standards, ensuring pupils receive high-quality, individualised support.
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Staff and leadership support: Working collaboratively with the Headteacher, Assistant Headteacher and wider team to strengthen leadership capacity and distribute responsibilities effectively.
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Specialist provision: Understanding the complexities of running a special school and responding to the individual needs of pupils.
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Strategic development: Contributing to the school’s continued development, future growth and the delivery of its wider objectives.
The ideal candidate
We are looking for someone who combines strong leadership capability with a genuinely caring, flexible and practical approach. The right person will be confident taking ownership, making decisions and supporting colleagues in a busy specialist environment.
You will ideally have:
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Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) – essential.
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Previous leadership experience within an educational setting.
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A strong understanding of special educational needs and the demands of specialist provision.
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Experience or confidence in managing behaviour, pastoral matters and parental concerns.
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Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
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The ability to manage complaints and challenging situations sensitively and effectively.
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A hands-on, adaptable approach, with a strong commitment to pupil wellbeing and high-quality teaching and learning.
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The ability to work collaboratively with the Headteacher and wider senior leadership team.
Previous SENCO experience would be advantageous but is not essential. Candidates from mainstream settings will be considered if they can demonstrate a genuine understanding of specialist SEN provision and the complexities of supporting pupils with additional needs.
Above all, the school is looking for someone who is kind, approachable, adaptable and effective in practice, with the personality and judgement to complement the existing team and make a meaningful difference.
What’s on offer?
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A competitive salary of £65,000–£75,000.
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A key senior leadership position within a developing specialist school.
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The opportunity to make a tangible difference to pupils with complex needs.
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Close working relationships with the Headteacher and wider leadership team.
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Genuine opportunities for career progression as the organisation expands, with plans to develop additional sites and broaden its provision.
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The opportunity to contribute to the school’s strategic direction and future expansion.
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A rewarding role within a setting that values individualised support, collaboration and pupil wellbeing.
The school ideally requires a five-day working week to provide consistent leadership and operational support.
Please note that the school does not offer membership of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme.
How to apply
The school is keen to appoint as soon as the right candidate is identified. If you are a compassionate, capable education leader looking for your next challenge within specialist SEN education, we would love to hear from you.
Please submit your CV for an initial confidential discussion. To find out more about the opportunity, contact Tara Jones at [email protected].
