What skills and experience we're looking for
Candidates should be able to demonstrate recent, successful, and sustained impact as a middle or senior leader along with experience of working with children and young people with SEMH. As the operational lead for the Primary Phase, candidates should have a strong understanding of the Primary Curriculum and demonstrate leadership in developing ambitious programmes for our pupils. You will have a positive attitude which will inspire, enthuse and motivate students, staff and the wider school community. You must be confident, approachable and have the skills to work collaboratively, build effective teams and also to be a present and visible leader who leads by example.
The person we are looking for:
• We are looking to appoint an experienced and motivated Assistant Head Teacher for Curriculum and Assessment to support our primary phase from September 2025 (or earlier if possible).
• We invite applications from enthusiastic and passionate aspiring senior leaders or existing senior leaders who have a proven track record of impacting positively on curriculum and assessment at primary.
• Be passionate about working with children and young people with SEND and Social Emotional and Mental Health difficulties, offering them a breadth of opportunity and support to reach their destination.
• Have experience in working as a middle or aspiring leader across a school.
• Have knowledge and understanding of SEMH and how children and young people with SEMH needs (including ASC, ADHD and SCLN) learn and be able to use knowledge of different strategies to adapt learning to meet the needs of children.
• Be an excellent classroom practitioner with the commitment and motivation to inspire children’s learning and development, enhancing progress and raising attainment and achievement for all.
• Have an up to date understanding of the primary National Curriculum, including the Engagement Model, and be able to deliver and adapt learning to meet the needs of children in primary.
• Have experience of curriculum and assessment development within a school and understand how data, benchmarking and progress tracking can impact all groups of learners, ensuring everyone achieves.
• Have a strong commitment to professional development and a drive to become an aspiring senior leader, demonstrating vision and the ability to inspire others in education.
• Be able to demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement and innovation through imaginative and adapted lessons which meet individual needs.
• Have the ability to foster good relationships with children, young people, staff, parents, carers, other agencies and stakeholders.
Possess the emotional and physical resilience necessary when working with children and young people with a range of complex needs.
What the school offers its staff
Thomas Ashton School is an ambitious and rapidly improving SEMH specialist school in Tameside, Greater Manchester. The school is at an exciting juncture in its development and is looking forward to welcoming a new Assistant Head Teacher who will join the Senior Leadership Team and help lead the school to a successful future as part of the New Bridge Multi-Academy Trust.
There are currently 84 children aged 5-14 on roll, with projections to grow to 100 by September 2025 and 125 by 2026, enhancing the vibrancy and dynamism of the school community. At the heart of the school ethos is a profound commitment to nurturing the whole child.
The school has recently joined New Bridge MAT, a vibrant, aspirational and inclusive multi-academy trust of six special schools and two specialist post-16 provisions across Oldham, Tameside and Rochdale. As part of the wider New Bridge Group there are also two post-19 provisions. The settings support a wide spectrum of needs from age 4-19 and beyond. The Trust is proud to be national leaders in Special Education and has a culture of creating outstanding opportunities for all.
New Bridge MAT have been working with Thomas Ashton School since September 2022 and excellent progress has already been made in establishing robust processes and structures that have had real and impactful improvement and will underpin future success alongside a collective culture of ambition and optimism for the young people. The school is a registered Thrive School which uses trauma informed approaches to education, with a number of trained practitioners on site, and has been awarded an ArtsMark Silver accreditation for its long-term commitments to the arts. This is a fantastic opportunity for the new Assistant Head Teacher to build on this and along with other members of the senior leadership team lead the staff, students, families and wider stakeholders through the next stage of the school’s transition and beyond.
Due to increased demand in Tameside for places for children with SEMH identified as their primary need, Thomas Ashton School is opening a second site on Lumb Lane in Audenshaw. This is currently an empty existing special school building, which is currently being specifically renovated and refurbished to meet the needs of our youngest children in Key Stage 1 and 2. The first phase will be completed by Easter 2025 after which the remaining Primary Phase students will be moving over there. By September 2025, the whole renovation and refurbishment will be completed and we will have four classes of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 students at that site. This will be the main base for the new Assistant Head Teacher, therefore experience of working in the primary sector and in SEMH special schools is essential.
This is a very exciting time for the school as it continues to develop and enhance all aspects of its provision. If you share this determination and ambition, it offers an outstanding opportunity to develop in a forward thinking and outward looking school and MAT. Your continued development will also be a priority and you will receive excellent support and advice from a talented team of colleagues who will invest in your professional learning.
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.