Assistant Head Teacher

Newfield School; Lancashire; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Newfield School in Blackburn, Lancashire, invites an inspirational Assistant Headteacher to join our senior leadership team from January 2027. The role focuses on the quality of education across ages 14 to 19, leading SEND provision and aligning curriculum, inclusion and wellbeing with our ambitious aims.

As we expand, you will coach staff, develop shared leadership, and build strong partnerships with families and external agencies while safeguarding and championing the rights and aspirations of

Qualifications

• Experience as a SEND practitioner at senior leadership level.
• Ability to lead across curriculum strands and age range 14–19.
• Commitment to safeguarding and to advocating for children and young people.

Responsibilities

• Inspire ambitious, high‑quality learning across the school.
• Lead education quality and curriculum development for 14–19 learners.
• Strengthen connections between curriculum, communication, independence and wellbeing.
• Develop staff through coaching and professional enquiry.
• Build strong partnerships with families, agencies and the wider community.
• Ensure safeguarding and accountability for pupils' daily experiences.

Skills

SEND practitioner

Leadership

Curriculum leadership

Staff development

Partnership building

Job description

AssistantHeadteacher Newfield School

Full Time Permanent From January 2027

Leadership Scale 11- 15

The pupils, staff and governors of Newfield School arelooking for an inspirational, thoughtful and experienced SEND practitioner tojoin our senior leadership team at an exciting point in the school'sdevelopment.

Newfield is awell-resourced, multi-faith special school in Blackburn, Lancashire, providinghigh-quality specialist education, care and therapy for approximately 270children and young people aged 4 to 19. Our pupils have a wide range oflearning needs, including autism, profound and multiple learning disabilities,severe learning disabilities, complex medical needs, sensory impairments andphysical disabilities.

Lifelong Learningfor All

Our vision is Lifelong Learning for All. For ourpupils, this means ambitious learning that responds to how each pupil learns,builds from individual starting points and prepares them for life in and beyondschool.

Great teaching starts with understanding how pupilslearn and with relationships that make learning possible. Pupils learn bestwhen regulation, communication, relationships and belonging are secure. Theseare not separate from learning; they are the conditions that allow it tohappen. We therefore combine high expectations with warmth, clarity andconsistency.

For staff,Lifelong Learning for All means working in a learning organisation where adultsremain curious, reflective and evidence-informed. Through coaching, enquiry andshared expertise, we learn from pupils, from evidence and from one another,then translate that learning into stronger everyday practice.

This post is being advertised as part of a phasedschool expansion in response to increasing demand for places. From September2027, we will also operate a split-site provision for 60 Key Stage 3 and 4pupils at a location within Blackburn.

The AssistantHeadteacher role

As Assistant Headteacher, you will be a key member ofan experienced senior leadership team. The role is wide-ranging, withopportunities to contribute across the full breadth of school leadership and tocontinue developing your own leadership expertise.

Your particular focus will be the quality of educationacross the 14 to 19 age range, bringing preparation for adulthood, inclusion,enrichment, personal development and wellbeing together as one coherent offer.You will strengthen the connections between curriculum, communication,independence, participation, relationships and wider experiences so that pupilscan build the knowledge, confidence and agency they need for adult life.

Leadership atNewfield means setting clear expectations, developing people and distributingresponsibility so that expertise is shared across the school. You will createthe conditions in which colleagues can act with confidence, combining trust andempowerment with appropriate assurance and accountability for the quality ofpupils' everyday experiences.

The successful candidate will

• be an excellent SEND practitionerwho can inspire ambitious, high-quality learning
• understand how specialist pedagogy,communication, regulation and relationships enable pupils to learn
• be committed to improving pupils'independence, participation, belonging and future possibilities
• connect curriculum, personaldevelopment, enrichment and wellbeing to preparation for adulthood
• lead and develop adults as well asprovision, using coaching and feedback to strengthen practice
• value professional enquiry,reflection and evidence-informed improvement
• build strong partnerships withfamilies, agencies and the wider community
• develop shared expertise anddistributed leadership across teams
• combine trust and empowerment withclear assurance and accountability
• contribute strategically whileretaining a clear line of sight to pupils' daily experiences
• be committed to safeguarding and toadvocating for the rights and aspirations of children and young people