What skills and experience we're looking for
It is my privilege to introduce you to our amazing school with its nursery, located in the heart of the growing village of Ixworth, near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. We are a Church of England School with a strong vision and values. We take pride in fostering a warm, welcoming, supportive, and inclusive environment to ensure every child is cared for. Our staff are a strong team who work well together to care for and challenge our children, families and each other to be the best that we can be. Together, we are compassionate, outward looking and courageous, respectful of each other, celebrating difference, resilient and determined to persevere to achieve our vision.
Our new Headteacher will be joining us at an exciting time. Our strategy to increase pupil numbers has seen our Toddler Group become hugely popular and feed into our flourishing nursery, where demand has rocketed seeing us adding a two year old room this year. Numbers in Reception have increased steadily as a result. Housing developments in Ixworth are due to begin in early 2026, with planned provision for a replacement school site in the future as new housing leads to population growth.
We are seeking to appoint an inspirational and dynamic leader with vision, passion and drive, who is ambitious for our pupils, our staff and our school community and who can continue to lead us into a future where we will all be ‘soaring on wings like eagles’ Isaiah 40.31.
We will be pleased to receive applications from candidates who are currently Headteachers, Deputies or Senior Leaders in education. Please do take a look at our website or look at our ‘Ixworth CE Primary School’ Facebook page to get a flavour of life at our school.
Rev Karen Burton, Chair of Governors
What the school offers its staff
The role of Headteacher can be a challenging one, but in Tilian you are not alone! You have access to support as and when needed through our central team and the strong network of our amazing Headteachers.
Our schools remain in control of their curriculum, finances and other major decisions when taken for the best interests of their pupils. We involve our Heads in MAT decisions so we provide the services that schools truly need. We believe that all schools are entitled to high quality School Improvement. We therefore have a dedicated team to support school improvement and utilise expertise from our schools and external practitioners to help Heads develop their schools.
We understand that Headteachers are vital to the success of a school and we also know the pressures on them. We have therefore prioritised Headteacher well-being through support services such as confidential, half-termly, coaching sessions with an independent and trained coach as well as the creation of a new role focused on ongoing support for heads (once again completely confidential). We are also fully supportive during inspections, before, during and after to give heads and staff additional support, guidance and back-up.
Andrew Berry, CEO of the Tilian Partnership
Commitment to safeguarding
Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment. Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance. Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant): childcare disqualification Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) medical online and social media prohibition from teaching right to work satisfactory references suitability to work with children You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.