Headteacher

Full Job Description

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Job Title:  Headteacher
Location:  Bradford Beacon School, Rooley Lane, Bradford, BD5 8LJ
Hours:      37.5 hours per week | Monday - Friday
Salary:      Up to £85,000 per annum (depending on experience, not pro rata) 
Contract:  Permanent | Term Time Only
Start:        September 2026
UK applicants only – no sponsorship available

About the Role

This is more than a Headteacher role—it's an opportunity to shape the future of a specialist school where every decision you make has the power to change lives.

At Bradford Beacon School, we're looking for an exceptional leader with the vision, ambition and compassion to drive our next chapter of success. You'll lead a talented and dedicated team, creating a culture where pupils are inspired to achieve, colleagues are empowered to excel, and innovation is embraced every step of the way.

Whether you're already leading a specialist setting or looking to bring your outstanding leadership skills into SEND education, this is your opportunity to make a lasting impact within one of the UK's leading specialist education providers.

As part of Outcomes First Group, you'll have the autonomy to lead your school while benefiting from the support, expertise and investment of a national organisation committed to delivering exceptional outcomes for children and young people.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Provide inspirational leadership, setting the vision and strategic direction to deliver outstanding outcomes for every pupil.
• Lead the development of a broad, ambitious and needs-led curriculum that enables pupils to thrive academically, socially and emotionally.
• Drive continuous school improvement through high-quality teaching, effective assessment, robust quality assurance and strategic planning.
• Create a safe, inclusive and nurturing environment where pupils and staff feel valued, supported and empowered to succeed.
• Champion safeguarding, ensuring the highest standards of child protection, wellbeing and regulatory compliance across the school.
• Recruit, develop and inspire a high-performing team, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability and continuous professional development.
• Build strong relationships with pupils, families, local authorities and external partners to deliver exceptional educational experiences.
• Lead the effective management of school operations, budgets, resources and occupancy, ensuring long-term sustainability and continued growth.

Who We’re Looking For

We're looking for a leader who is:

• • Holds QTS/PGCE (or equivalent).
  • An inspirational and strategic leader with a successful track record of driving school improvement and raising standards.
  • Passionate about ensuring every child receives the highest quality education and support.
  • Experienced in leading, developing and motivating high-performing teams.
  • Skilled in strategic planning, operational leadership and financial management.
  • Knowledgeable in safeguarding, curriculum leadership and statutory compliance.
  • Experience within SEND or specialist education is desirable, but not essential.
  • Driven by integrity, innovation and a relentless commitment to achieving the very best outcomes for children and young people.

About Us

Bradford Beacon School, opened in September 2025, is a brand-new specialist independent school for children aged 4–11 with autism and associated complex needs. Set in a purpose-built, thoughtfully refurbished environment, the school provides a safe, nurturing, and inclusive setting where every child feels valued. Pupils follow a broad, enriched curriculum that develops communication, social, emotional, and life skills alongside academic achievement. With personalised teaching and therapeutic support from a dedicated staff and clinical team, every child’s individual needs are met. As the school grows to 42 pupils over the next two years, there is an exciting opportunity to help shape its inclusive, supportive culture. Bradford Beacon celebrates every step of progress, empowering pupils to reach their full potential and thrive.

For over 19 years, Options Autism has provided specialist care and education for children, young people, and adults with autism, complex needs, and learning difficulties. As part of Outcomes First Group, we are pioneering innovative, evidence-based approaches that deliver meaningful, measurable outcomes for everyone in our care.

We are really proud to say that in 2025 Outcomes First Group were officially certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the sixth year running.

Why Join Us?

We place pupils and vulnerable young adults at the heart of everything we do, so every day brings the satisfaction of making a real difference. We are committed to the safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils and young people. All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful applicants to a fully enhanced DBS.

• Life Assurance
• Pension scheme with options to increase contributions
• “Your Wellbeing Matters” – mental health support and physical health checks
• Flexible Benefits Platform (Vista), including:
  • Health, wellbeing and insurance benefits
  • Hundreds of UK and international discounts
  • Cycle to Work Scheme & Electric Car Purchase Scheme
  • Critical illness cover
  • Family Growth Support, including enhanced maternity/paternity leave and 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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