Headteacher

Salary details: £ - £

To start 1 May 2027

Dale Community Primary and Stonehill Nursery are thriving and welcoming schools located in the heart of Derby. We are well established and popular schools with a happy and enthusiastic school community. Both schools have rising standards and are graded as ‘Good’ by OFSTED.  We are seeking an exceptional leader to build on our achievements and lead the school into its next exciting chapter.  

This is an excellent opportunity for an ambitious and values-driven leader to work alongside a dedicated staff team, supportive Governing Body, engaged families and enthusiastic pupils.  We are looking for someone who shares our commitment to ensuring every child feels valued, challenged and inspired to achieve their very best. 

As Headteacher, you will provide clear strategic direction and strong educational leadership, ensuring that both schools continue to flourish. You will champion high standards whilst maintaining the nurturing and inclusive ethos that lies at the heart of our school. 

The successful candidate will:

• Be an experienced and inspirational school leader with a proven track record of improving outcomes for children.
• Be passionate about inclusion and committed to ensuring success for every child, regardless of background or starting point.
• Have high expectations for achievement, behaviour and attendance.
• Demonstrate excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Lead with integrity, compassion and resilience.
• Have a good understanding of the local area, demographics, and opportunities present in the local area surrounding the federation
• Have the vision and ambition to shape the next stage of the federation’s journey. 

Dale Community Primary and Stonehill Nursery is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All appointments are subject to satisfactory references, online checks, pre-employment and Disclosure Barring Service checks. 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. 

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare any cautions, convictions, reprimands and final warnings that are not protected (i.e. that are not filtered out) as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013 and 2020). 

Applicants are encouraged to visit the school.  To book a visit please contact the school on 01332 760070 or email admin@dale.derby.sch.uk 

Your completed application form and supporting letter of no more than two sides of A4 can be emailed to Mr Pass at cpass@dale.derby.sch.uk

We welcome the responsible use of AI tools to support your application process. However, your letter of application must authentically represent your own thinking, experience, and voice.

If you choose to use AI tools (such as generative AI) to help draft, structure, or refine your letter, you must:

• Ensure the final content genuinely reflects your own ideas, experiences, and professional approach
• Carefully review and personalise all AI-generated content
• Take full responsibility for the accuracy and authenticity of everything you submit

We value applications that demonstrate genuine personal insight into our school and the role. During the interview process, we will explore your application in depth and expect you to speak confidently and authentically about everything you've written.

Closing date: Monday 23 November 2026

Interviews: Monday 7 December 2026

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. 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.

Please be aware that Derbyshire County Council is placing this advert on behalf of this organisation and you should refer directly to its website for details of the terms and conditions attached to this post. Any queries regarding this advert or the recruitment process should be made directly to the organisation.