Primary Lead at Dorchester Learning Centre

Dorset Council; Dorchester; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Dorchester Learning Centre in Dorset is seeking an experienced Primary Lead to manage a small primary provision (up to 20 pupils) while teaching and leading the team. You will work with the senior leadership team to ensure high-quality education and individualised support for vulnerable pupils.

The role includes teaching and protected time for leadership, with safeguarding at the heart of our provision and a Trauma and Mental Health Informed accreditation guiding practice.

Qualifications

• An experienced and highly effective primary teacher with experience of working in EYFS.
• Understands that behaviour is communication and can build strong, trusting relationships with children.
• Has high expectations while recognising the individual needs and circumstances of our pupils.
• Can lead, motivate and support colleagues.
• Is calm, flexible and able to make good decisions in a busy and sometimes challenging environment.
• Has a strong understanding of curriculum, teaching and learning.
• Is committed to safeguarding and improving outcomes for vulnerable children.
• Enjoys being part of a small team where people support one another and everyone makes a difference.

Responsibilities

• Leading the day-to-day organisation and operation of the primary provision.
• Providing leadership, support and guidance to primary teaching and support staff.
• Leading the development and delivery of an ambitious, engaging primary curriculum.
• Promoting consistently high standards of teaching, learning and behaviour.
• Monitoring pupil progress and helping staff adapt provision to meet individual needs.
• Supporting staff to develop effective approaches for pupils with SEMH needs and barriers to learning.
• Working closely with families, schools and other professionals to secure positive outcomes for pupils.
• Contributing to safeguarding and ensuring that the wellbeing of pupils remains at the heart of the provision.
• Teaching within the primary provision and modelling excellent classroom practice.

Job description

Required for January 2027. We are looking for an experienced, enthusiastic and resilient teacher to take on the role of Primary Lead within our expanding Pupil Referral Unit. This is an exciting opportunity for an excellent practitioner who is ready to take on greater leadership responsibility, while remaining actively involved in teaching and working directly with pupils.

The role

As Primary Lead, you will take responsibility for the day-to-day leadership and management of our small primary provision (up to 20 pupils) working closely with the senior leadership team to ensure that pupils receive a high-quality, engaging and supportive education. You will lead and support our brilliant primary team, help shape curriculum and teaching practice, and ensure that our provision meets the individual needs of some of our most vulnerable pupils. The role will include a teaching commitment, alongside protected time to carry out leadership responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities Will Include

• Leading the day-to-day organisation and operation of the primary provision.
• Providing leadership, support and guidance to primary teaching and support staff.
• Leading the development and delivery of an ambitious, engaging primary curriculum.
• Promoting consistently high standards of teaching, learning and behaviour.
• Monitoring pupil progress and helping staff adapt provision to meet individual needs.
• Supporting staff to develop effective approaches for pupils with SEMH needs and barriers to learning.
• Working closely with families, schools and other professionals to secure positive outcomes for pupils.
• Contributing to safeguarding and ensuring that the wellbeing of pupils remains at the heart of the provision.
• Teaching within the primary provision and modelling excellent classroom practice.

About You

We are looking for someone who:

• Is an experienced and highly effective primary teacher with experience of working in EYFS.
• Understands that behaviour is communication and can build strong, trusting relationships with children.
• Has high expectations while recognising the individual needs and circumstances of our pupils.
• Can lead, motivate and support colleagues.
• Is calm, flexible and able to make good decisions in a busy and sometimes challenging environment.
• Has a strong understanding of curriculum, teaching and learning.
• Is committed to safeguarding and improving outcomes for vulnerable children.
• Enjoys being part of a small team where people support one another and everyone makes a difference.

Why join us?

Our pupils may have experienced significant challenges in education and in their lives. Relationships matter enormously, and progress is not always measured simply by academic outcomes. This is an opportunity to lead a small primary provision, influence its direction and make a very visible difference to children who need excellent adults around them.

Dorchester Learning Centre provides education for the most vulnerable students in Dorset. We are the only school in Dorset that has the Trauma and Mental Health Informed School accreditation. We are a learning community that is child centred, putting the needs of our students first. We look to appoint dynamic, creative and resilient individuals to our roles within our school. We know from Ofsted and our experience that we get the best out of our students when they have secure and positive relationships with staff and that they are able to learn most effectively when these are in place.

We passionately believe that happy, highly respected employees make for good teaching and support staff. We therefore take the wellbeing of our staff very seriously and ensure that they all maintain a healthy work-life balance. Successful candidates will be prepared to work hard and respond to the daily challenges of school life but won’t have any unreasonable demands placed upon them. If you are an experienced teacher who loves working with children but is also ready to take the next step in your career, we would love to hear from you.

The Dorchester Learning Centre has a main teaching base close to Dorchester (Monkton Park). The cohort ranges in age from 5 – 16. Visits to the school are encouraged and recommended.

Interviews will be held 21 October 2026.

Further Information

Dorchester Learning Centre values the diversity of our workforce and welcomes applications from all sectors of the community.

We are 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

Dorchester Learning Centre 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.

About Us

Not Specified