Deputy Headteacher - Wyvern Academy
About This Role
Do you believe that true leadership is found in the small, unseen decisions — the ones that help a child cope, a team stay steady and a school hold together on its hardest days?
At Wyvern Academy, where many of our pupils have significant and complex needs, no two days look the same. You might arrive expecting a calm, predictable timetable, only to find that staffing needs to shift, medical support is needed urgently, or a team is struggling and needs your guidance. You’ll adapt, reorganise, breathe… and lead others through it with calm, steady confidence.
And in the middle of that unpredictable reality, you’ll witness the moments that make this work unforgettable.
- A child engaging with an activity that brings them joy.
- A child managing a medical procedure with newfound independence.
- A pupil transitioning calmly because the systems you shaped helped them feel safe.
- A member of staff telling you that your decision-making turned a chaotic day into a manageable one.
Tiny steps. Hard‑won steps. System‑enabled steps. That’s what operational leadership feels like here.
If you lead with humanity, clarity and purpose – if you would find meaning in helping a complex school run safely, smoothly and compassionately – you may find a true sense of belonging with us.
What you’ll be doing:
- Take a substantial lead on day‑to‑day organisation, ensuring the school remains calm, safe and responsive, no matter how quickly priorities shift.
- Support and deputise for the Headteacher, using sound judgement, compassionate leadership and clear communication to keep the school running smoothly.
- Oversee staff deployment, cover, wellbeing and performance, creating a stable and confident workforce across the school.
- Coordinate and monitor operational systems that enable pupils with high medical, sensory and communication needs to access their education safely and effectively.
- Work in partnership with families, external agencies and health professionals to meet medical, safeguarding and accessibility needs with both rigour and empathy.
- Provide steady, supportive leadership to colleagues, guiding them through daily challenges and offering practical solutions when plans change rapidly.
- Monitor and maintain key processes – attendance, transitions, behaviour, communication and medical protocols – ensuring consistency, safety and clarity throughout the school.
- Contribute to wider school and Trust development, using insight from daily operations to inform long‑term improvement.
- Contribute your ideas and creativity to curriculum development, school improvement and the wider life of Wyvern Academy and the Southern Education Trust.
Who we’re looking for:
- A qualified teacher (QTS) with strong, successful leadership experience – ideally in complex or specialist settings.
- Someone who thrives on organisation, problem‑solving and the rhythm of a school where demands change quickly, and whose instinct is to respond with calm determination.
- A steady, reassuring presence – the person teams rely on when the day becomes challenging or unpredictable.
- Practical, resilient and compassionate, able to balance empathy with confident, timely decision‑
- Collaborative, relational and open, building trust with colleagues, families and professionals through honest communication and shared purpose.
- Reflective and inclusive, ensuring pupils’ wellbeing, safety and sense of belonging sit at the heart of every operational decision.
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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.