Assistant Headteacher – Teaching & Learning

Your new school

Gretton School welcomes autistic children and young people aged from 5—19 years old, as weekly boarders or as day learners.

Every learner at Gretton has a diagnosis of Autism, and the ability to learn at or above the level of their mainstream peers, but require a specialist setting in order to achieve their remarkable potential.

As autism specialists, we understand that consistent daily routines and staffing helps to keep anxiety at a minimum and ensures that our learners feel safe and confident in their surroundings.

We have a high staff to learner ratio and classes are small and personal – we know each of our learners really well and employ the best strategies to support them in their everyday school life.

A broad curriculum, an emphasis on holistic development, and the development of life and social skills, means that we are able to bring out the best in all our learners, and to provide them with opportunities to flourish.

At whatever stage a young person joins Gretton, we will ensure they are happy and prepared to make the most of the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life.

Your new role

As Assistant Headteacher – Teaching & Learning, you will play a pivotal strategic leadership role, driving excellence in teaching, curriculum design and student outcomes across the school.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the development and implementation of a high-quality, ambitious and inclusive curriculum tailored to diverse learner needs
• Driving improvements in teaching standards through coaching, monitoring and evidence-informed practice
• Overseeing assessment systems to track progress, identify gaps and improve attainment
• Line managing subject leaders and teaching teams, supporting professional development and accountability
• Promoting a culture of high expectations, inclusion and continuous improvement across the school
• Contributing to whole-school strategy, inspection readiness and wider leadership priorities

This is an opportunity to shape teaching and learning within a leading specialist setting and make a meaningful difference to the lives of young people with autism.

What you’ll need to succeed

To thrive in this role, you will bring a blend of leadership expertise, specialist knowledge and a strong commitment to inclusive education.

You will demonstrate:

• Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) with a strong academic background
• Proven leadership experience within a school setting
• Experience of working with pupils with SEN, particularly autism
• A track record of designing and delivering innovative, ambitious curricula
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to use data to drive improvement
• Excellent communication, organisational and interpersonal skills
• Resilience, professional integrity and the ability to inspire and challenge others

A passion for improving outcomes for young people with additional needs and a commitment to collaborative leadership are essential.

What you’ll get in return

Gretton is a friendly school where staff are supportive of each other inside and outside of the classroom and there is an opportunity to really make a difference to the lives of our students and their families. Gretton has a person-centred focus, providing each child with a personalised education and care programme tailored to help meet their unique needs. At Gretton, our staff are like family, so don’t delay and apply today to join the Gretton family.

We reserve the right to close vacancies early if we have sufficient suitable applications. Therefore we encourage interested applicants to submit an application as soon as possible.

How to apply: 

We’re delighted that you’re considering joining our school community.

To apply, please complete our school’s application form. You can request an application pack by contacting Brett Coventry at gretton@hays.com or by calling 020 7259 8770.

If you prefer, you can visit this link https://webmicrosites.hays.co.uk/web/gretton-school and click ‘Apply Now’ under the advertised job to register your interest – we’ll send you the application pack promptly.

We warmly welcome visits from prospective applicants and would be thrilled to show you around our fantastic school. If you’d like to arrange a visit, just get in touch with Brett using the details above.

Please note that this is a direct, permanent application to our school. Hays is our trusted recruitment partner for all permanent appointments. We look forward to hearing from you!

Gretton School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and expects all staff to share this commitment, applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening, including checks with employers and the Disclosure & Barring Service. We aim to be a fair employer and are committed to equal opportunities. Gretton School does not discriminate against employees on the basis of gender, ethnic origin, disability or age.