Deputy Headteacher

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Following the retirement of the current Headteacher, the Deputy Headteacher of Asterdale Primary School will become acting headteacher for the 2024-25 year, with a substantive appointment being made in Spring 2025.  This means that the school is seeking to appoint a Deputy Headteacher for the 2024-25 year.  This role gives the opportunity to have a significant impact on 226 children’s lives and work alongside the current leadership team in further positively shaping Asterdale’s future. Asterdale continues to be on a clear journey of recognisable improvement and this appointment provides opportunity for the school’s next Deputy Headteacher to build on these achievements made to date as well as providing additional leadership skills and ideas working alongside the acting head.

Part-time considered. Secondments from within Odyssey Collaborative Trust considered. 

Asterdale Primary School has large extensive grounds and well maintained, modern buildings.  The school has built excellent relationships with the local community and has high established engagement with parents.  The school has 226 pupils of whom around 30% qualify for free school meals and a similar proportion of pupils have SEND support.   You can find out more about the school here.  The school was judged to be ‘requires improvement’ in two areas in June 2023.  OFSTED’s report can be found here. 

The school is part of Odyssey Collaborative Trust, a group of seven primary schools, all within the City of Derby.  You can find out more about the trust through the CEO’s welcome and the vision and culture sections of our website.

We are looking for someone who will:

• Build on the school’s strengths as well as helping us to improve further
• Bring understanding of school improvement, particularly pedagogy and curriculum
• Align and belong to our school vision of ‘together we can’ which reflects our Asterdale culture and ethos
• Inspire, improve and motivate our staff to be their best
• Drive, inspire and motivate staff to be their best by delivering consistently high-quality CPD and coaching
• Build relationships with pupils to ensure they achieve their full potential in every way
• Be a lifelong learner who is reflective and personally driven in their outlook
• Quickly build strong relationships with our staff and parental community
• Be able to prioritise and delegate effectively to achieve best possible outcomes for all stakeholders
• Be a proactive part of the Trust’s activities and be fully committed to supporting and improving all schools in the Trust
• Be in possession of excellent communication and inter-personal skills, with a high level of integrity and strong moral purpose that aligns closely with the ethos of the school and the Trust.
• Bring additional teaching expertise to further grow our teaching team’s skillset
• The role has a teaching commitment of 0.5 (specific teaching role to be decided to best suit both the successful candidate and the school’s needs) 

We offer you: 

• Amazing children who proudly reflect our school ethos
• A committed staff team who are determined and always wanting to improve
• A strongly supportive school community that holds Asterdale at its centre
• An opportunity to make a real difference to our continually improving school
• Chance to work alongside the new acting headteacher in further shaping school improvement and growing our school in many aspects
• School grounds and facilities that offer great potential for learning
• Commitment to growing you as a school leader
• A dedicated and enthusiastic staff and Local Governing Board, with supportive parents and enthusiastic, happy and well-motivated children
• The opportunity to collaborate with the other schools in the trust, drawing on their support, and influencing decisions, through a range of networks and partnerships
• A competitive salary and Employee Assistance Programme 

Visits to the school are welcomed.  Please contact John O’Leary to arrange.  For an informal conversation, please contact either John O’Leary (Acting Headteacher designate J.OLeary@asterdale.odysseyct.org.uk) or Ian Dewes (CEO Odyssey Collaborative Trust – I.Dewes@odysseyct.org.uk) 

Asterdale Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.  As this post is regulated activity, successful appointments are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check and relevant recruitment checks that comply with guidance in the most recent version of Keeping Children Safe in Education. 

We are committed to equality of opportunity in employment and service 

Please ensure your completed application is returned no later than 12 noon on the Closing Date.

To apply, please complete the attached Application form and return it with your letter of application to admin@asterdale.odysseyct.org.uk

Due to this post having access to children and/or vulnerable adults, the successful candidate will be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check. The possession of a criminal record will not necessarily prevent an applicant from obtaining this post, as all cases are judged individually according to the nature of the role and information provided. Click here to see our policy on criminal background checks.