Headteacher

Permanent Headteacher 
 

Start date: 1st September 2025 or as soon as possible thereafter

Hours: The role is permanent full time with up to 0.5 FTE teaching commitment

Key stage:        Early Years including Little VIPs Day Care, Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2

On roll:            School = 43, Little VIPs = 68

Lowther Endowed School is a voluntary aided school where the employer of staff is the Governing Body.  We follow Westmorland and Furness HR and Teachers’ Pay and Conditions

Following the announcement of our current headteacher’s retirement, the Governors of Lowther Endowed School with Little VIPs Day Care are looking to appoint a caring, inspiring and collegiate leader to further develop our school. 

We seek a visible leader who will carry the school community forward, building on our current strengths and who is not afraid to introduce incremental change in an inclusive manner.

Our nurturing school is located in the heart of the community it is proud to serve having a catchment area which includes the rural villages of Lowther, Hackthorpe, Great Strickland, Askham, Helton and settlements in between.  We are situated in the village of Hackthorpe on the A6, conveniently located between Penrith and Shap.  Lowther Endowed School has 43 children on roll.  We have an on-site day care nursery, Little VIPs, offering all year round care for children from age 6 months to school age.  We currently have 68 children registered for day care.  Having an onsite nursery ensures a smooth transition for children entering reception class.  We also offer Breakfast and After School Clubs to enrolled pupils.

 Throughout our school and nursery we have high expectations of the children and offer a caring environment which ensure that our children thrive.  As a result, parents from within and outside our community choose the school for their children. Our last Ofsted inspection in 2024 rated the school as ‘good’ in all areas, and commented “Pupils enjoy coming to Lowther Endowed School. They are happy in school and value being part of the team. Pupils enjoy the vibrant and exciting school environment. Staff know pupils and their families very well. They ensure that pupils feel supported and are safe.”  Ofsted April 2024

We take care to ensure that pupils thrive and achieve to their fullest extent, whatever their individual needs. As a highly inclusive school, we prioritise the needs of the most vulnerable. The staff team are committed to building trusting relationships with the parent body. They know pupils and their families exceptionally well and we want a leader who will take time to do the same. Our new headteacher will be someone who goes the extra mile to ensure that the needs of our pupils and their families are met.

Further details about the role Full details, an application form and an application pack are available from the vacancies page of the school website https://www.lowther.cumbria.sch.uk/current-staff-vacancies/

We encourage prospective candidates to visit and get a feel of our school.  Visits to the school are welcome by appointment and can be arranged by contacting Alice Vince, Vice Chair of Governors  alice.vince@lowther.cumbria.sch.uk

Application Closing Date: 14th April 2025
Shortlisting: 17th April 2025
Candidates invited to interview: 18th April 2025
Interviews: 24th/25th April 2025

Commitment to safeguarding
Lowther Endowed School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment. 
Our recruitment process follows the Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance.
Offers of employment will be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
•    childcare disqualification
•    Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
•    prohibition from teaching
•    satisfactory references
•    suitability to work with children
•    right to work 
•    medical
•    online and social media
You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.

The school is an equal opportunities employer, committed to the principles of child protection, safeguarding and safer recruitment and to promoting the welfare of children and young people. All posts involving direct contact with children are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. However, amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975 (2013 & 2020) provide that certain spent convictions and cautions are 'protected'. These are not subject to disclosure to employers and cannot be taken into account. Guidance and criteria on the filtering of these cautions and convictions can be found on the Ministry of Justice website or see here.

Please return completed application forms with and a covering letter summarising your skills, abilities and experience to support your suitability for the post to Cecilia Emery at cecilia.emery@lowther.cumbria.sch.uk 
Please note that CVs will not be accepted.