Headteacher, Alternative Provision (Founding Leadership Role)

Job description

Are you a Deputy Head or senior leader who’s ready for your first headship, and wants to build something rather than inherit it?

Pathway AcademyZone opened six months ago in Burslem. We’ve got young people attending, a growing referral pipeline, and a clear plan: grow our Alternative Provision and become a registered independent school. We need a Headteacher who can lead the school day to day and grow it like a business.

This is a chance to put your name on a school from the start. It’ll mean wearing a lot of hats. One morning you’ll be leading a safeguarding meeting, the next you’ll be walking a SENCO round the building, and by the afternoon you’ll be working through the Independent School Standards. If that sounds exciting rather than exhausting, keep reading.

About us

AcademyZone is part of Pathway Group, a Birmingham-based family of businesses working across skills, care, fostering and education. We provide trauma-informed Alternative Provision for young people with social, emotional and mental health needs, with personalised learning pathways and vocational learning alongside core subjects. We’re an Approved Alternative Provision with Cheshire East Council and we’re working towards registration as an independent school with the Department for Education.

What you’ll lead

• The school: curriculum, teaching quality, behaviour, attendance and outcomes for every young person

• Safeguarding: acting as Designated Safeguarding Lead and building a culture where safeguarding is everyone’s job

• Independent school registration: Application for Ofsted has been put through

• Growth: building relationships with schools, SENCOs, Inclusion Leads and local authorities, converting referrals into placements, and getting us onto council frameworks

• The team: recruiting, developing and keeping great staff as we grow

• The numbers: occupancy, budget and reporting to the proprietor and governors, so you always know where the school stands

Who you are

• Qualified Teacher Status, with experience at senior leadership level, ideally as a Deputy or Assistant Headteacher

• Experience in AP, SEMH, SEND or a setting supporting young people at risk of exclusion

• Strong safeguarding knowledge, with DSL experience or training

• Confident with Ofsted frameworks; knowledge of the Independent School Standards is a real plus

• An entrepreneurial mindset: you spot opportunities, you’re comfortable selling the school to commissioners, and you’re energised by growth

• Hands-on and resourceful. You’ll roll your sleeves up when it’s needed and you don’t need a big team around you to get things done

• NPQH desirable but not essential; we care more about what you’ve done than the letters after your name

What we offer

• Your first headship in a school with real backing and a clear growth plan

• The freedom to shape the culture, curriculum and team from the ground up

• Performance-related bonus linked to the school’s growth

• Support from a wider group with experience in skills, care and education

• A long-term leadership role as AcademyZone grows into an independent school and beyond

• [Holiday entitlement, pension, any other benefits]

Safeguarding

Pathway AcademyZone is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check with barred list check, a section 128 prohibition from management check, satisfactory references and other pre-employment checks in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education. We follow safer recruitment practice.

How to apply

Apply through CV-Library with your CV and a short covering note telling us about one thing you’ve built or turned around as a senior leader, and why this role appeals to you. We’re reviewing applications as they come in