Secondary School Head Teacher

Job Title: Headteacher

School Name: Kassim Darwish Grammar School for Boys (“KDGB”)

School Type: Independent Islamic School

Location: South Manchester, England

Start Date: ASAP, latest by 21 April 2025

Salary: Competitive, based on experience and qualifications. The Headteacher will be eligible for a performance-based bonus tied directly to maintaining and improving ISI ratings and meeting financial targets by increasing student enrolment. This incentive plan is designed to incentivize the Headteacher to focus on strategic growth while ensuring the school’s academic and operational standards remain high. It rewards not just increasing numbers, but also the quality and sustainability of that growth.

About Kassim Darwish Grammar School for Boys

Kassim Darwish Grammar School for Boys (KDGB), established in 1999, is one of three independent Islamic schools under the Manchester Islamic Educational Trust Ltd. (MIET), which was founded in 1991. The other two schools within MIET are the Manchester Islamic Grammar School for Girls, established in 1991 and the Manchester Muslim Preparatory School, established in 1994. All three schools are located in South Manchester, offering excellent transport and road links.

KDGB is a small, faith-based grammar school with approximately 160 boys aged 11 to 16. At KDGB, students receive an exceptional education that integrates Islamic values with the national curriculum, fostering a safe and supportive environment where each pupil can thrive as an individual. The school aims to balance academic pursuits with sporting, cultural, and community engagement, encouraging students to be intellectually curious and socially aware. While knowledge acquisition is essential, KDGB believes that true education is measured by students’ ability to push the boundaries of their understanding and think critically.

As part of MIET, the school’s faith-based ethos permeates all activities and behaviours, creating a warm, family-oriented atmosphere among staff and students alike.

We are currently seeking a Headteacher for KDGB to join as soon as possible. Given our Islamic foundations, this role is integral in inspiring young boys to learn and practice Islam, making it essential for candidates to be practicing Muslims. This role benefits from the support of a dedicated Senior Leadership Team with long-standing commitment to the school. Typically, the Headteacher reports to the Executive Headteacher; however, as she is retiring on 31st December 2024, the Headteacher at KDGB will report to the CEO of the Trust until her successor is appointed.

Looking forward, KDGB is seeking an experienced, dynamic Headteacher to lead our dedicated staff and vibrant student body. The successful candidate will embody our core values of respect, resilience, and responsibility, with a clear vision for enhancing academic standards, pastoral care and community engagement.

This is a unique opportunity for a forward-thinking leader to make a lasting impact at a school where tradition and innovative learning go hand in hand. If you are passionate about shaping the next generation of learners and leaders, we warmly invite you to consider joining the KDGB family.

Application Process

Interested candidates should provide a cover letter outlining their leadership experience and vision for Islamic education and complete the application form and submit these to bursar@kdgb.miet.uk

Key dates to note are:

Submit applications by 13th November 2024

Shortlisting by: Tuesday, 19th November 2024

Interview dates: From 20th November to 4th December 2024

Please note: if you have not been contacted regarding an interview within two weeks of the closing date, please take it that unfortunately your application has been unsuccessful.

Safeguarding Recruitment Statement:

We are fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and we expect all staff and volunteers to share the same commitment. The successful candidate must be willing to undergo an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), including checks with past employers. 

Please note that since the new guidance in Keeping Children Safe in Education 2022 came, we also have to carry out an online search as part of our due diligence on shortlisted candidates. This is to enable us to identify any incidents or issues which have happened and are publicly available online which we might want to explore at interview. Once shortlisting has taken place, this search will be carried out for all candidates who confirm they will attend an interview. 

All applicants must be permitted to work in the UK and hold a relevant Passport / work permit where necessary. If you have lived or worked outside of the UK in the last 5 years, the Trust will also require additional information and a Certificate of Good Conduct /Police Clearance from the country abroad you worked/ stayed at, in order to comply with safer recruitment requirements. Any job offer will be conditional on the satisfactory completion of all the necessary pre-employment checks and receipt of satisfactory references. 

This post will be exempt from the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The amendments to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 [exceptions] Order 1975 provides that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain convictions and cautions are considered protected. This means that they do not need to be disclosed to employers and, if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Guidance about whether a conviction or caution should be disclosed can be found in ‘Changes to the Criminal Records System November 2020.docx Page 2’ on the Ministry of Justice Website and the websites of charities NACRO and UNLOCK.

At the shortlisting stage candidates will be required to complete a self- declaration form regarding their criminal record (unless ‘protected’) and will also be required to submit any information that would make them unsuitable to work with children. Any such information will be treated in strictest confidence and used only in consideration of the suitability of the post. Criminal convictions will not automatically exclude you from being considered unless they fall within the threshold of being relevant and unsuitability, and will be considered on a case by case basis or as defined by the Department for Education.    

It is an offence to apply for a post engaging in regulated activity relevant to children if you are barred from working with children.

We retain the right to close the advert before the listed closing date based on application volumes.

Please note we will only contact shortlisted applicants.