Head of Federation - Wyke Regis Primary Federation

Dorset Council; Weymouth; On-site; GBP 84,000 - 99,000; Full time

Job summary

A local educational authority in Weymouth is seeking an experienced Head Teacher to lead and inspire the Wyke Regis Primary Federation. The successful candidate will ensure high standards of education and provide guidance to staff while nurturing students. With responsibilities including strategic direction and continuous improvement in teaching, this role offers a competitive salary based on qualifications and experience. Applications are encouraged from individuals passionate about education and community engagement.

Benefits

Strong relationships within the school community

Supportive leadership team

Good work-life balance

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Head Teacher or in a senior leadership role.
• Ability to inspire and lead a team towards educational excellence.
• Commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

Responsibilities

• Guide the strategic direction and development of the Federation.
• Monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching and learning.
• Lead, motivate, support and challenge staff for continuous improvement.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Strategic planning

Staff development

Education

Qualified Teacher Status

Experience in leadership roles

Job description

About the role

The Wyke Regis Primary Federation comprises Wyke Regis Infant School & Nursery, together with a Specialist Resource Provision (SRP), and Wyke Regis CE Junior School under one Governing Body. The schools are located on adjacent sites with generous and attractive grounds in the heart of the Jurassic coastline in Dorset.

The schools currently have one Head of Federation, one Deputy Head of Federation, one Inclusion Manager (SENDCo) and one Federation School Business Manager. Each school also has a non-teaching Assistant Head.

We are looking for an experienced Head Teacher to continue the strong standards of education established within both schools, provide strong leadership to motivate, support, challenge and develop staff to secure continuous improvement in the quality and effectiveness of teaching and learning and to nurture and inspire our pupils.

As Head of Federation, you will:

• Guide the strategic direction and development of the Federation in partnership with the Governing Body
• Ensure the Federation Improvement Plans support identified aspects for development through continuous evaluation
• Promote the Federation's core visions and values - Compassion, Perseverance, Respect
• Work with the Governors to sustain effective teaching and learning throughout the Federation
• Ensure the Federation provides safe and secure environments for all staff and pupils
• Monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching and learning, targets and the standards achieved by pupils
• Determine a rich environment and a relevant curriculum to promote successful teaching and learning
• Set realistic but challenging targets for improvement of educational standards for all members of the Federation community
• Lead, motivate, support and challenge staff to secure continuous improvement and personal development
• Regularly review staffing structures, implement recruitment and induction, deploy and manage all staff, supervise performance management of staff and ensure the Federation effectively promotes equal opportunities for staff and pupils
• Supervise and set annual budgets for each school in conjunction with the Federation School Business Manager
• Determine the effective and efficient use of the school buildings and its resources
• Manage, monitor and review the use of all available resources in order to promote the quality of education

What we can offer you?

• A welcoming Federation with strong relationships at the heart of all we do
• Respectful and compassionate pupils, eager to learn and behave well
• A hardworking and passionate team of teachers and assistant teachers committed to improving outcomes for all pupils at the Federation
• A strong Senior Leadership Team with a shared vision and clearly defined roles
• Efficient support from the office and premises teams at both sites with one site manager
• An ambitious and well-planned curriculum that goes beyond the academic and develops pupils personally through a set of carefully selected enrichment activities, trips, 'wows', and events to allow every child to shine
• A pro-active and committed governing board who meet monthly and visit school regularly
• Active support from the local parish and Diocese within school and the community
• A good work-life balance in the heart of Wyke Regis situated on the Jurassic Coast, with the sea a few minutes away on three sides and the countryside on the fourth.

Where we live

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fjX88T0UfbFa_djkPkad8T05bB5XXagu/view?u=

Further Information

The salary range for the position of Head of Federation will be points L21 to L27 on the Leadership scale, currently £84,699 - £98,106. Starting salary will be according to experience.

How to Apply

Applications can be made on-line.

Your completed application form and supporting statement must be submitted by 5pm on Monday 2nd February 2026.

Your supporting statement should detail your motivation for applying for this position and be no longer than two sides of A4 paper.

Decisions regarding the short‑list will be made with reference to the person specification.

NB: All applicants are required to complete the Dorset Council application form. We do not accept CVs in place of an application form.

Selection Process

The selection process will be undertaken by the Wyke Regis Primary Federation Governing Body who are committed to selecting an inspirational and motivating Head of Federation to take our schools forward.

If you require any more information please contact Jo Rose, Federation Business Manager who will arrange for a member of SLT to respond.

Candidates shortlisted for interview will be advised by 6pm Wednesday 4th February 2026.

The interview and assessment process will take place over two days 24th and 25th February 2026.

Any offer of employment made will be subject to receipt of satisfactory references, and positive responses to other pre‑employment checks regarding your suitability for appointment.

Visits

Visits to the schools are warmly welcomed and encouraged. Should you wish to visit please contact the school office - 01305 786041.

About Us

We value the diversity of our school community and welcome applications from all sectors of the community.

Wyke Regis Primary Federation is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people; this is a commitment which we expect all staff and volunteers to share. The successful candidate will be required to have a Disclosure and Barring Service check in line with the Governments safer recruitment guidelines.

This role is UK based and your Right to Work will need to be established as part of the appointment process.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. The amendments to the ROA 1974 (Exceptions Order 1975, (2013 and 2020)) provide that when applying for certain jobs and activities, certain spent convictions and cautions are 'protected', so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. The MOJ's guidance on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975, provides information about which convictions must be declared during job applications and related exceptions and further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide.

Keeping Children Safe in Education

Our school will conduct online searches of shortlisted candidates. This check will be part of a safeguarding check, and the search will purely be based on whether an individual is suitable to work with children. All aspects of social media and internet searches will be conducted. As care must be taken to avoid unconscious bias and any risk of discrimination, a person who will not on the appointment panel will conduct the searches and will only share information if and when findings are relevant and of concern.