Deputy Headteacher

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Job Title: Deputy Headteacher
Location: Meadowcroft School, Wakefield, WF1 4AD
Hours: 37.5 hours per week Monday-Friday
Salary: Up to £60,000 per annum (depending on experience, not pro rata)
Contract: Permanent Term Time Only
Start: June 2026
UK applicants only - no sponsorship available

About the Role

The Deputy Headteacher - Pastoral will provide strategic leadership for pastoral provision, behaviour, and wellbeing across the school. The role is central to embedding a trauma-informed and inclusive culture, ensuring that all pupils-particularly those with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs-feel safe, supported, and ready to learn.

You will lead the development and implementation of behaviour, anti-bullying, and inclusion strategies, ensuring they are consistent, relational, and effective. Working closely with senior leaders, you will align safeguarding, pastoral, and behaviour systems to create a cohesive and responsive approach. Through strong leadership and the use of evidence-informed practice, you will drive high standards, consistency, and positive outcomes for all pupils.

What You'll Be Doing

You will take ownership of a wide and impactful portfolio, including:

• Pastoral Strategy & Culture

  Embedding a whole-school trauma-informed ethos

  Driving inclusive practices where diversity is respected and celebrated

  Ensuring consistent, evidence-informed pastoral systems

• Pupil Support & Wellbeing

  Chairing Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) meetings

  Overseeing SEMH tracking and intervention planning

  Amplifying pupil voice to inform school development

• Behaviour & Inclusion

  Leading a relational, restorative behaviour approach

  Developing systems that promote regulation, accountability, and positive relationships

  Driving proactive strategies around bullying, discrimination, and racism

• Quality Assurance

  Monitoring pastoral practice through learning walks, data, and case reviews

  Coaching and developing staff to deliver exceptional pastoral care

• Safeguarding

  Working closely with the DSL to ensure pupils feel safe, heard, and supported

• Operational Leadership

  Overseeing daily cover, transport arrangements, and (initially) examinations

  Contributing to whole-school improvement and leadership

What We're Looking For

• QTS with senior leadership experience
• Strong SEMH and trauma-informed knowledge
• Experience leading behaviour/pastoral systems
• Skilled in multi-agency working
• Organised, analytical, values-driven

• Committed to safeguarding and inclusion

  Desirable:

• NPQSL/NPQH (or equivalent)
• Specialist/AP setting experience
• MDT chairing experience
• Behaviour tracking systems knowledge

About Us

Meadowcroft School is an independent specialist day school across four sites in Wakefield, supporting pupils with complex SEMH needs and additional learning difficulties. We provide a safe, nurturing environment with personalised support, small classes, and a broad, balanced curriculum. Our dedicated team works with families, therapists, and external professionals to remove barriers and celebrate progress. We prepare every pupil to build confidence, essential life skills, and a pathway to future success.

Acorn Education offers rewarding careers and meaningful challenges while making a real difference in young people's lives. As a leading UK provider of specialist education for children and young people with special educational needs, and part of Outcomes First Group, we deliver innovative, evidence-based approaches that support measurable progress and lasting impact.

We are really proud to say that in 2025 Outcomes First Group were officially certified as a 'Great Place to Work' for the sixth year running.

Why Join Us?

We place pupils and vulnerable young adults at the heart of everything we do, so every day brings the satisfaction of making a real difference. We are committed to the safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils and young people. All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful applicants to a fully enhanced DBS.

• Life Assurance
• Pension scheme with options to increase contributions
• "Your Wellbeing Matters" - mental health support and physical health checks
• Flexible Benefits Platform (Vista), including:
  • Health, wellbeing and insurance benefits
  • Hundreds of UK and international discounts
  • Cycle to Work Scheme & Electric Car Purchase Scheme
  • Critical illness cover
  • Family Growth Support, including enhanced maternity/paternity leave and paid fertility treatment support

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

Outcomes First Group is committed to carrying out a fair, thorough and efficient recruitment process in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education. Whilst we aim to keep applicants informed throughout, Outcomes First Group does not accept liability for any loss of earnings or other associated costs incurred by applicants as a result of delays or changes in the compliance process. All stages of the compliance process are subject to necessary safeguarding checks and compliance with statutory requirements, which may affect timescales.