Headteacher

Headteacher
Salary: Group 2- Leadership Pay Range  £65,286 - £75,675
Full-time - Permanent

Start date: 1st January 2026 or sooner if the candidate is able to.

Due to the retirement of our long-standing, and highly respected Headteacher, the Governing Body are seeking to appoint an inspirational Headteacher who will build on these strong foundations while also bringing a fresh perspective. 

St. Thomas’s Church of England Primary School is an inclusive, aspirational and forward-looking school, which continues to expand to meet the needs of our community. The school is well respected within the local community and has strong links with the wider community and the Church. Our Christian ethos is central to the school’s vision and values which places every member of our school community at the centre. 

This school offers a warm, welcoming and dynamic environment for you to take the next step on your leadership journey. We welcome aspiring and existing heads to apply.

We are seeking a Headteacher who:
•    Has strong leadership knowledge and skills.
•    Has a calm and caring manner and places the wellbeing of our children at the centre of everything which the school does.
•    Will take the lead and maintain the strong Christian ethos of the school whilst understanding the unique context of working in a Church of England School.
•    Is outward facing and values the opportunity to learn from others.
•    Is able to manage the budget effectively and continue to raise standards.
•    Has a forward-thinking and creative mindset to continue the successful development of the school, valuing and actively promoting whole child development.
•    Has excellent communication skills and is able to effectively engage with a variety of audiences.
•    Can support others constructively and inspires confidence, commitment and respect

In return, we can offer you:
•    Enthusiastic, friendly children who are keen to learn, have high standards of behaviour and strive to succeed.
•    A school which promotes and encourages all children, staff and leaders to flourish and shine bright.
•    A committed, motivated and dedicated staff team.
•    A supportive and effective Governing Body committed to your induction and continued professional development and wellbeing.
•    An engaging and supportive school and Church community.

Prospective applicants are welcome to visit the school by arrangement by contacting the school administrators Jodie Roe or Helen Finch on 01539 737373. Visits can be arranged during the weeks beginning 31st March 2025 or 22nd April 2025.

Please note school will be closed for the Easter holiday from Monday7thApril to Monday 21st April 2025.

Application forms and information packs are available from the school website https://stthomasschool.org.

All applicants need to complete an application form and a supporting personal statement of up to 3 sides of A4 Arial font 12.  A job description and person specification are included in the information pack, which provide more information about the role and what we are looking for. The person specification will be used as the criteria for shortlisting and interview and scored.  Please ensure therefore that if you decide to apply, you indicate clearly in your application form and personal statement how you fulfil those criteria.

Application forms should be returned to St Thomas’s Governance Professional (clerk) on the following email:
clerk@stthomas.cumbria.sch.uk

Application Closing Date: 12 noon on Monday 28th April 2025
Shortlisting: 6th May 2025
Interviews: 21st/22nd May 2025

St Thomas’ School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and governors 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.

Timeline for applications and interviews

Closing date for applications: Monday 28th April 2025 (12 noon)

Only applications using the Westmorland and Furness application form will be considered for shortlisting. Candidates’ supporting personal statement must be a maximum of 3 pages written in Arial 12 font

Shortlisting: 6th May 2025

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted following the selection panel’s shortlisting process. Additional information about the two interview days will be provided at this stage. 

Interview: Day 1 Tuesday 20th May 2025. 

This will take place within school and include a tour of the school and tasks. These will form part of the selection process. A timetable will be provided to each candidate at the beginning of the day.

At the end of Day 1, the selection panel will review all the information and make a decision about whether or not to invite all the candidates to the next part of the process on Day 2.

 Interview: Day 2 Wednesday 21st May 2025.

 This will take place at St. Thomas’s Church, Kendal.