The Role
Lead Esland Daven School, setting strategic direction and school ethos, ensuring compliance with Independent School Standards, safeguarding, and high-quality teaching. Manage budgets, resources, staff performance and CPD, liaise with local authorities on SEND/EHCPs, collaborate with clinical teams, and support outreach and residential teams to deliver tailored education for vulnerable pupils.
Summary Generated by Built In
Location: Congleton, Cheshire
Hours: Full time (Monday to Friday)
Salary: £71,006 to £79,872 per annum (DOE)
Shape Futures. Lead with Purpose.
At Esland, we believe every child deserves the chance to thrive. Our mission is to help vulnerable young people turn the curve on their futures by providing care, education, and therapeutic support tailored to their needs.
Many of our pupils have faced significant challenges, including trauma, placement breakdowns, and barriers to learning.
We’re looking for a Headteacher who shares our values and is ready to make a lasting impact.
Hours: Full time (Monday to Friday)
Salary: £71,006 to £79,872 per annum (DOE)
Shape Futures. Lead with Purpose.
At Esland, we believe every child deserves the chance to thrive. Our mission is to help vulnerable young people turn the curve on their futures by providing care, education, and therapeutic support tailored to their needs.
Many of our pupils have faced significant challenges, including trauma, placement breakdowns, and barriers to learning.
We’re looking for a Headteacher who shares our values and is ready to make a lasting impact.
The Role
As Headteacher, you’ll lead Esland Daven School with vision and integrity, ensuring high standards of education and care for our pupils. Reporting to the Education Director, you’ll work closely with the governing board, school staff, and wider Esland team to create a safe, inclusive, and aspirational learning environment.
Key Responsibilities:
Key Responsibilities:
- Establish and sustain the school’s ethos and strategic direction.
- Ensure compliance with Independent School Standards and statutory frameworks.
- Oversee systems, policies, and processes for safe and effective operation.
- Monitor progress against school aims and objectives, driving continuous improvement.
- Manage budgets and allocate resources efficiently.
- Liaise with local authorities on SEND and EHCP reviews.
- Support Home Managers and outreach teams to deliver tailored education packages.
- Promote wellbeing through collaboration with clinical teams and teacher mentoring.
- Lead on safeguarding, ensuring it underpins every decision.
- Deliver CPD and line manage teaching staff to maintain high-quality teaching and learning.
What We Can Offer a Headteacher
- A competitive salary between £71,006 and £79,872, reviewed annually
- Enrolment into the Esland education pension scheme, which is double matched up to 20%, meaning at total pension contribution of up to 30%
- Company sick pay
- Access to a company holiday home based in the Peak District, where you can stay for free!
- Life insurance to the value of 4 times your basic salary
- Comprehensive, paid induction training and ongoing training within the role
- Fantastic opportunities for career development, we promoted over 100 colleagues last year
- Cycle to work scheme
- Access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) including our Online GP 24/7, 365 days a year
- Access to our Green Hybrid and EV car scheme
- A £500 bonus via our 'Refer a Friend’ scheme
- Monthly recognition awards
- Access to big-brand deals and discounts via our employee benefits scheme E-Together
- The opportunity to make a real difference to a child's life!
What We’re Looking For
- Substantial experience in school leadership, ideally within SEN settings
- Qualified Teacher Status (essential); SENCO and NPQH qualifications (desirable)
- Strong understanding of SEND Code of Practice and approaches to inclusion
- Ability to plan, monitor, and evaluate learning and progress effectively
- Excellent communication skills and a collaborative approach
- Experience of working with young people who present challenging behaviours
- Knowledge of strategies to maintain Good or Outstanding provision
- ICT proficiency and flexibility to teach across multiple subjects
About
With over 35 years of residential childcare experience, the Esland group now has more than 65 residential children’s and assessment homes, and five schools, that are spread across the Kent, Hertfordshire, Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Wiltshire, Bedfordshire, Nottinghamshire, West Midlands and Northamptonshire regions of England. This also includes our Esland online school accessible to children throughout the UK which helps to deliver education to children missing education by utilising our specialised Turning the Curve education programme. With over 800 team members and over 200 young people supported we strive to help our children achieve their very best outcomes, through our bespoke residential care, education, therapeutic and activity-led wraparound services.
Skills Required
- Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)
- Substantial experience in school leadership, ideally within SEN settings
- Understanding of SEND Code of Practice and inclusion approaches
- Experience working with young people who present challenging behaviours
- Ability to plan, monitor, and evaluate learning and progress effectively
- Experience leading safeguarding and ensuring safeguarding underpins decision-making
- Budget management and resource allocation experience
- ICT proficiency and flexibility to teach across multiple subjects
- Excellent communication skills and collaborative approach
- Knowledge of strategies to maintain Good or Outstanding provision
- SENCO qualification
- NPQH (National Professional Qualification for Headship)
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The Company
What We Do
At Esland, we help vulnerable young people between 6 and 18 turn the curve on their futures by providing the care, education, and therapeutic support they need.
