Headteacher

Full Job Description

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Job Title:   Headteacher 

Location:   Upton Grange School, Slough SL3 7LR (not pro rata)

Salary:       Up to £85,000.00 per annum

Hours:       38.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday

Contract:   Permanent, Term Time only

Start:         January 2026

UK applicants only. This role does not offer sponsorship.

As part of our continued growth, we now have a fantastic opportunity for an experienced Headteacher to join our close-knit team at Upton Grange School, part of Options Autism.

About the Role

As a Headteacher, you will promote a relentless focus on high quality, creative learning, delivering our pupils educational needs, maximising pupil achievement, and their ability to develop.

As Headteacher you will have an infrastructure of support from central services for Finance, Resourcing, HR and IT including a network of supportive Headteachers from other schools alongside central school improvement support.

Key objectives expected to achieve:

• Outstanding outcomes for students that are a reflection of their needs, abilities and aptitudes.
• A safe environment that protects the welfare of pupils and staff in the school.
• Meeting all statutory requirements as defined by the DfE, Ofsted and other external bodies and achieving the highest inspection ratings possible.
• A motivated staff group that is fully engaged in the goal of achieving excellence in all areas of school life and who are committed to continuing personal and professional development.
• The commercial success of the school as defined by 100% occupancy, the rigorous management of costs and the development and implementation of growth plans as appropriate.
• Effective strategic and operational planning, that includes self-evaluation, school improvement and delivery.
• A shared vision, that fits within the overall Acorn Group strategy, which inspires and motivates students, staff and all other members of the school community.

Essential:

• At least three years’ experience as a senior leader in a specialist school for pupils with complex communication needs
• Qualified Teacher Status or Equivalent
• Willingness to extend personal and professional development
• Ability to lead and provide a clear vision
• Appreciation and understanding that leadership and management of school encompasses processes contributing to pupil outcomes, staff motivation, keeping pupils safe, filling the school with pupils, managing costs, meeting regulatory requirements and applying growth plans as appropriate

Desirable:

• Completion of NPQH
• Experience of conducting performance management
• Experience of appointing, managing and inducting staff
• Experience of planning the curriculum across a range of ages and abilities      

About Us

Upton Grange School is our Early Years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 setting for pupils. Upton Grange deploys a wide range of teaching strategies to engage and develop the progress of learners, who present with a range of learning difficulties and styles. Our pupils are taught in smaller class sizes and work towards an Equals Semi-Formal Curriculum and National Curriculum expectations where appropriate.

Upton Grange is a part of the Hillingdon Grange group of schools. Located over four sites, the group provides education from early years up to KS2 and offers a unique mix of education and support to pupils within a wide spectrum of needs and abilities. Personalised teaching and learning in an autism-specific environment allows pupils’ individual needs to be addressed completely and their capabilities fully realised.

This opportunity is located in Slough, a 15-minute walk from rail station and within commutable distance of Maidenhead, Twickenham and surrounding areas.

For over 16 years Options Autism have provided care and education to pupils and adults with autism, complex needs and learning difficulties. As part of Outcomes First Group, we are leading our sector in setting and delivering new approaches that provide measurable outcomes for those in our care. 

We are really proud to say that in 2024, Outcomes First Group were officially certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the fifth year running.

Why join Options Autism? 

We place the outcomes of the pupils in our services at the heart of everything we do, so you’ll wake every day in the knowledge that your role will have a significant positive impact on the lives of others. 

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils. All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful applicants to a fully enhanced DBS.

Benefits

Your health and wellbeing are important to us, so you’ll get an exceptional reward package including:

• Life Assurance
• Pension scheme with options to increase your contributions
• “Your Wellbeing Matters” – access to a wide range of first-class mental health support services and physical health checks

And a market-leading benefit offering through our Flexible Benefits Platform, Vista, enables you to choose the package that’s right for you, including:

• A wide range of health, wellbeing, and insurance benefits
• 100’s of discount options valid in the UK and abroad
• Cycle to Work Schemes
• Electric Car Purchase Scheme
• Critical illness cover
• Family Growth Support - inclusive benefits package covering enhanced maternity and paternity leave, along with paid fertility treatment support.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

Outcomes First Group is committed to carrying out a fair, thorough and efficient recruitment process in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education. Whilst we aim to keep applicants informed throughout, Outcomes First Group does not accept liability for any loss of earnings or other associated costs incurred by applicants as a result of delays or changes in the compliance process. All stages of the compliance process are subject to necessary safeguarding checks and compliance with statutory requirements, which may affect timescales.

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