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Job Title: Deputy Headteacher
Location: Dibden Park School, Southampton SO45 5TD
Hours: 40 per week | Monday to Friday | 8.30am – 4.30pm
Salary: Up to £56,374.00 per annum (not pro rata)
Contract: Permanent | Term Time Only
Start: September 2026
About the Role
As Deputy Headteacher, you will play a key role in delivering a high-quality education in line with organisational policies, procedures, and regulatory standards. Working in partnership with the Head Teacher, senior leaders, and wider stakeholders, you will help drive high standards across the school and contribute to continuous improvement in teaching, learning, and outcomes for pupils.
Key Task Areas and Responsibilities
- To comply with good safeguarding procedures and principles as detailed by the local safeguarding board
- To participate in the process of assessment of referrals
- To act as overall curriculum coordinator and manager across the school
- To act as the lead teacher for the positive support of behaviour that may challenge
- To work as a key member of the multi-disciplinary team which encompasses education, residential care and the clinical team
- To monitor progress and targets to ensure that each individual student can achieve planned outcomes
Essential criteria
- Relevant experience of teaching children and young people with Autistic spectrum condition and/or challenging behaviours
- Relevant experience of teaching children and young people with complex needs
- Experience of managing staff
- Managing budgets effectively and ensuring cost efficiency
- Degree and QTS
About us
Dibden Park School is a new school based in Southampton. Dibden Park School has capacity for 60 students and will cater to students with social and emotional mental health and other complex needs. This is an exciting opportunity to grow and develop with a new staff team in a newly established independent special school.
We are part of Acorn Education and can promise you plenty of challenges, and a rich variety of opportunities to develop your career.
Acorn Education offers rewarding careers and meaningful challenges while making a real difference in young people’s lives. As a leading UK provider of specialist education for children and young people with special educational needs, and part of Outcomes First Group, we deliver innovative, evidence-based approaches that support measurable progress and lasting impact.
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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