Co Headteacher 0.6 at Larkmead School

Larkmead School; Abingdon; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Larkmead School in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, seeks a Co-Headteacher to share leadership with the Headteacher, guiding strategic direction and day-to-day operations. The role involves operational leadership, behaviour, teaching and learning, and Sixth Form, with a focus on wellbeing and staff development.

The successful candidate will drive school improvement, strengthen partnerships within Cambrian Learning Trust, and emulate the school’s ambitious vision for all students.

Qualifications

• Clear moral purpose and unwavering commitment to improving outcomes for every student.
• Strong safeguarding knowledge and a commitment to creating a safe, calm school.
• Proven ability to drive school improvement and raise standards.
• Excellent people-management and communication skills.
• Strategic thinking with the ability to lead operationally.
• Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

Responsibilities

• Provide inspirational leadership alongside the Headteacher.
• Oversee operational leadership, behaviour, teaching and learning, Sixth Form, recruitment and wellbeing.
• Share strategic vision, curriculum development and financial planning with the Co-Headteacher.
• Develop staff and future leaders and engage with research and best practice.

Skills

Moral purpose

Safeguarding knowledge

Driving school improvement

People management

Communication skills

Staff development

Teaching and curriculum knowledge

Strategic operational leadership

Equality, diversity and inclusion

Job description

About this Role

An excitingopportunity to lead, inspire and shape the future of Larkmead!

This is aunique opportunity to work in partnership with the existing Headteacher,sharing the leadership of Larkmead and providing increased capacity forstrategic school improvement, while also taking a leading role in theday-to-day operational leadership of the school.

Larkmead is a6FE secondary school with a growing Sixth Form, situated in Abingdon,Oxfordshire. The school has been judged Good by Ofsted in three successiveinspections, most recently in March 2024, and is now embarking on the nextstage of its improvement journey, with the ambition to move closer to Strong.

Our ethos issimple but powerful:

One community.Individual minds. Creating futures.

We are a happy,inclusive and aspirational school where every student matters. We combine highexpectations with strong pastoral care, positive relationships and a commitmentto ensuring every young person can achieve their full potential.

The opportunity

AsCo-Headteacher, you will work alongside the existing Headteacher to provideinspirational leadership and clear strategic direction across the school.

You will haveparticular responsibility for operational school leadership, behaviour,teaching and learning, Sixth Form, staff recruitment and wellbeing, whilesharing the school's strategic vision, curriculum development and financialstrategy with your Co-Headteacher.

The co-headshipmodel provides additional leadership capacity to:

• Drive deep and sustained school improvement
• Strengthen leadership through coaching, support and challenge
• Further develop teaching and learning and improve outcomes for all students
• Strengthen behaviour, inclusion and safeguarding
• Develop staff and future leaders
• Engage with research and outstanding practice
• Build strong partnerships across Cambrian Learning Trust and the wider community
• Further establish Larkmead as a leading secondary school within the Trust

We are lookingfor a leader who is strategic, inspirational, resilient and collaborative, witha proven track record of improving behaviour, inclusion and outcomes. You willhave the vision and determination to lead effectively in a dynamic environmentwhile ensuring that every student and every member of staff can be their best.

About you

You will be anexperienced school leader with:

• A clear moral purpose and an unwavering commitment to improving outcomes for every student
• Strong knowledge and experience of effective behaviour and inclusion systems
• A proven ability to drive school improvement and raise standards
• Strong safeguarding knowledge and a commitment to creating a safe, calm and purposeful school
• Excellent people-management and communication skills
• The ability to develop, challenge and inspire staff
• A strong understanding of teaching, learning and curriculum development
• Strategic thinking combined with the ability to lead effectively at an operational level
• A commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion
• The creativity, courage and resilience to lead positive change

Above all, youwill share our belief that every young person can achieve great things and thateveryone within our school community should feel valued, supported and encouraged to grow.

Why Larkmead?

Larkmead is a special place to work. We are an oversubscribed school with a strong reputationin our community and a culture built around mutual respect, ambition andcollaboration. Staff benefit from a strong commitment to professionaldevelopment, wellbeing and career progression.

As part ofCambrian Learning Trust, you will also benefit from working within a highlycollaborative network of schools, with access to Trust-wide expertise,professional development and school improvement support. The Trust comprisesschools across South Oxfordshire and promotes both school autonomy andextensive collaboration.

Come and meet us

If you wouldlike to visit the school or discuss any aspect of this Candidate Pack orapplication process then please contact Cambrian Learning Trust Recruitment on01367 240375 or by emailing [email protected] Visits are activelyencouraged. Should you wish to informally discuss the role, then please contactRichard Evans on 01367 240375 or email: [email protected]

Cambrian Learning Trust is committed to safeguarding andpromoting the welfare of all children and preventing extremism. We expect all staff and volunteers to share in thiscommitment. All post holders in regulated activity are subject toappropriate vetting procedures and a satisfactory Disclosure and BarringService (DBS) Enhanced Check.

Shortlisted candidates will be subject to online searchesfor publicly available information.

Cambrian Learning Trust is an equal opportunities employerand we welcome applications from a range of backgrounds to represent diversityin line with our schools' communities.