Senior Deputy Head – Reading Blue Coat School

RS Academics Ltd.; England; Remote; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Reading Blue Coat School in Sonning, near Reading, seeks an outstanding Senior Deputy Head to begin September 2027. This key leadership post will partner with the Head to drive academic ambition, inclusion, and character across the 11-18 age range on a 46-acre riverside campus.

Reporting to the Head, the Senior Deputy Head will oversee daily school life, educational quality, safeguarding and staff development, while helping shape a new school day structure and the transition to full co-education

Qualifications

• Senior Deputy Head with strong leadership experience in a school setting.
• Experience implementing educational strategy and safeguarding.
• Ability to work with senior leadership and governing bodies.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day‑to‑day life of the school and translate educational vision into practice.
• Lead educational quality, safeguarding, staffing and pupil experience.
• Collaborate with Executive Team and Senior Leadership Team.

Job description

Reading Blue Coat School is seeking to appoint an outstanding Senior Deputy Head from September 2027.

Situated on a beautiful 46-acre riverside campus in Sonning, the School educates approximately 890 pupils aged 11 to 18 and combines academic ambition with a strong commitment to character, service, creativity, inclusion and personal development.

This is an excellent moment to join Reading Blue Coat School. The School is thriving academically, pastorally and culturally as it enters a significant new phase in its development. It is completing its transition to full co-education, opening a major new Performing Arts Centre and preparing to introduce a new structure for the School day from September 2027. Rooted in its Christian foundation, the School is a warm and purposeful community shaped by aspiration, compassion, courage, integrity and service.

The Senior Deputy Head will be the Head’s principal deputy and a trusted partner in leadership. Reporting directly to the Head and serving on both the Executive Team and Senior Leadership Team, they will oversee the day-to-day life of the School and help translate its educational vision into consistently excellent practice. The role encompasses educational quality, operational effectiveness, pastoral oversight, safeguarding, compliance, staffing and the experience of pupils, colleagues and families.

The successful candidate will be a thoughtful, confident and strategically minded educational leader with significant senior leadership experience. They will combine intellectual credibility and operational discipline with emotional intelligence, warmth and sound judgement. Visible and approachable, they will build strong relationships across the community, uphold high standards and help the School navigate change while protecting the distinctive ethos and strengths on which its success is built.

The closing date for applications is 12 noon UK time on Monday 9 November 2026.

• Reading Blue Coat School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure & Barring Service.
• This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020.
• The safeguarding responsibilities of this post are detailed in the candidate information brochure.
• RSAcademics is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and to promoting diversity and inclusion in schools.

The closing date for applications is 12 noon UK time on Monday 9 November 2026

Preliminary interviews with RSAcademics will take place via MS Teams on Wednesday 11, Thursday 12 and Friday 13 November 2026

Long List interviews will take place at the School during the week commencing 23 November 2026

Final interviews will take place at the School during the week commencing 7 December 2026