Head of Year

The Valley Leadership Academy; Lancashire; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 23,000; Full time

Job summary

The Valley Leadership Academy in Bacup is a secondary school for 11 to 16-year-olds seeking a dedicated individual to foster a caring, supportive learning environment through effective pastoral care.

You will be a committed team player with strong organisational and communication skills, able to problem solve, maintain positive relationships with students and staff, and speak confidently to groups to support welfare and wellbeing.

Qualifications

• 5 GCSEs including English and Maths at grade 9-4/A-C.
• Experience of working with young people in an education setting.
• Experience of providing pastoral support within an education setting.
• The ability to maintain positive relationships with students and other adults.
• The ability to speak in front of large groups of students and small groups of staff.

Skills

Pastoral care experience

Customer service

Public speaking

Organisational skills

Education

GCSEs including English and Maths

Job description

We're looking for a talented individual to help foster a caring and supportive learning environment for our young people. Your experience of pastoral care will place our learners' welfare at the heart of the school. The successful candidate will be a committed team player with excellent organisational and technical skills. You will have the ability to problem solve and provide excellent customer service to our community. You will have:

• 5 GCSEs including English and Maths at grade 9-4/A- C.
• Experience of working with young people in an education setting.
• Experience of providing pastoral support within an education setting.
• The ability to maintain positive relationships with students and other adults.
• The ability to speak in front of large groups of students and small groups of staff.

The Valley Leadership Academy is a secondary school for 11 to 16-year-olds in Bacup. We joined Star Academies in 2019 and, like all Star schools, we have a leadership specialism.

When inspected by Ofsted under the new framework and 'report card' grading system in April 2026, the school secured its best-ever outcomes. We achieved 'Expected standard' in three areas and 'Needs attention' in the remaining three areas, reflecting the significant progress made since the previous inspection. We are a rapidly improving school with high ambitions and expectations for all our pupils. We provide a knowledge-based academic curriculum alongside a rich and diverse leadership programme that grows character and inspires charitable and social action. Our pursuit of educational excellence is based upon our fundamental belief that every pupil has the capacity to become a successful and inspirational leader.