Assistant Head Teacher

Job Title: Assistant
Headteacher (EYFS & KS1 Specialism)

Location: Dale Community Primary

School
Salary: Leadership Scale L7-11
Contract: Full time, Permanent
Teaching

Commitment: Approximately 2.5 days per week

Main Purpose of the Role

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for the EYFS and KS1 phases.
• Oversee curriculum implementation across all subjects in EYFS and KS1.
• Lead on early reading, phonics, and early language development, working closely with the Phonics Lead.
• Maintain high standards of teaching and learning, ensuring outstanding pupil progress and effective interventions.
• Lead on Reception baseline and phonics screening preparation.
• Oversee Nursery to Reception transition arrangements.
• Act as whole-school strategic lead for EAL (English as an Additional Language), including assessment, tracking, induction of new arrivals, and supporting EAL pedagogy.
• Lead on celebrating linguistic diversity and ensuring high expectations for bilingual pupils.
• Lead whole-school strategies for parental engagement and community links, including communication, workshops, parent voice and feedback, and support for families.
• Line management responsibility for the Phonics Lead.

Key Responsibilities

School culture and behaviour:

Under the direction of the headteacher or deputy headteacher, the assistant headteacher will:

• Create a culture where pupils experience a positive and enriching school life
• Uphold educational standards in order to prepare pupils from all backgrounds for their next phase of education and life
• Ensure a culture of staff professionalism
• Encourage high standards of behaviour from pupils, built on rules and routines that are understood by staff and pupils and clearly demonstrated by all adults in school
• Use consistent and fair approaches to managing behaviour, in line with the school’s behaviour policy
• Support the creation and implementation of the school improvement plan within the national and local context and to take sole responsibility for appropriately delegated aspects of it
• Support all staff in achieving the priorities and targets which the school sets for itself and provide them with support and guidance in implementing schemes of work
• Encourage high levels of pupil attendance and help to uphold a school culture of safety, enjoyment, and engagement with learning to support attendance
• Lead a Key Stage and act as a team leader for staff performance management. Act as coach and mentor as appropriate in order to develop the skills and knowledge of students and staff

Teaching, curriculum and assessment:

Under the direction of the headteacher or deputy headteacher, the assistant headteacher will:

• Establish and sustain high-quality teaching across subjects and key stages, based on evidence
• Ensure the teaching of a broad, structured and coherent curriculum
• Use valid, reliable and proportionate approaches to assessing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the curriculum
• Ensure the use of evidence-informed approaches to reading so all pupils are taught to read

Additional and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND):

Under the direction of the headteacher or deputy headteacher, the assistant headteacher will:

• Promote a culture and practices that allow all pupils to access the curriculum
• Have ambitious expectations for all pupils with SEND
• Work with the SENCO to ensure high-quality SEND provision in EYFS/KS1

Organisational management and school improvement:

Under the direction of the headteacher or deputy headteacher, the assistant headteacher will:

• Establish and oversee systems, processes and policies so the school can operate effectively and efficiently
• Ensure staff and pupils’ safety and welfare through effective approaches to safeguarding, as part of duty of care
• Ensure effective use of budgets and resources
• Identify problems and barriers to school effectiveness, and develop strategies for school improvement that are realistic, timely and suited to the school’s context
• Make sure school improvement strategies are effectively implemented

Staff management and professional development:

Under the direction of the headteacher or deputy headteacher, the assistant headteacher will:

• Performance-manage middle leaders and class teachers, including carrying out appraisals and holding staff to account for their performance
• Manage staff well, with due attention to workload
• Ensure staff have access to appropriate, high-quality professional development opportunities
• Keep up to date with developments in education
• Seek training and continuing professional development to meet their own needs

Governance, accountability and working in partnership:

Under the direction of the headteacher or deputy headteacher, the assistant headteacher will:

• Work with the governing board as appropriate
• Make sure the school effectively and efficiently operates within the required regulatory frameworks and meets all statutory duties
• Work successfully with other schools and organisations
• Maintain working relationships with fellow professionals and colleagues to improve educational outcomes for all pupils

Other areas of responsibility:

• Provide vision, direction, and support for EYFS and KS1 staff.
• Ensure effective implementation and monitoring of the curriculum across EYFS and KS1.
• Monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching and learning, providing feedback and coaching to staff.
• Analyse and report on pupil progress and attainment, leading interventions where necessary.
• Oversee assessment and tracking systems for EAL pupils; deliver relevant staff training and support.
• Coordinate induction and assessment for new arrivals, ensuring inclusive practices.
• Plan and deliver strategies to engage parents and carers, including workshops, targeted communications, and support for hard-to-reach families.
• Build strong community partnerships to enhance pupil and family engagement.
• Ensure smooth transitions between Nursery and Reception, and from Reception to Year 1.
• Line manage the Phonics Lead, supporting effective phonics teaching and intervention across the school.
• Uphold and promote the school's values, vision, and commitment to safeguarding.

Safeguarding Statement

Dale Community Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All appointments will be subject to a satisfactory completion of safeguarding checks.

Dale Community Primary School is committed to creating a diverse workforce. We’ll consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to sex, race, religion, belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, pregnancy, maternity, age, disability, marriage or civil partnership.

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Source: UK Teaching Vacancies Service (teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.