Deputy Headteacher

Deputy Headteacher

Location: Horsham, West Sussex

Contract Type: Permanent, full-time

Hours: 40 hours per week

Salary: £62,202 - £68,586 (L10-L14) depending on experience

Start Date: As soon as possible

Aurora Vincent House School

As part of our growth strategy, we are really pleased to be opening a brand new SEND Secondary School in 2025 in the heart of Horsham, West Sussex for young people who are predominantly autistic aged 11-16. Students will be following different learning pathways which will include both GCSEs and Entry Level qualifications in KS4.

Key to the success of this new school will be the appointment of a highly effective Deputy Headteacher to join us on this exciting project!

The Role:

As our Deputy Headteacher, you will lead on the curriculum, qualifications and careers.

This is an exciting progression opportunity within senior leadership where you would be integral to setting up a unique SEND provision and building a bespoke curriculum with the support of Aurora. We want a dynamic, creative and flexible leader who can ensure great outcomes for students, collaborating closely with our clinical team and SENCO.

Please note that duties will vary and you will be expected to contribute to the overall aims of Vincent House School when required, please see the link below for our full job description:

Skills and Qualifications

Successful candidates are likely to demonstrate:  

Previous experience in:

• Middle leadership
• Teaching KS4
• Delivering courses for qualifications
• Analysing and reporting on progress to raise standards
• Working with neurodivergent students
• Delivering effective whole-school training

They must also have:

• A passion to work in SEND and willingness to keep learning
• A growth mindset, flexibility and resilience
• Belief in an integrated therapeutic approach

It is preferable for candidates to have experience:

• in Senior leadership
• of teaching and leading in a SEND provision
• in the role of DDSL
• working collaboratively with clinicians
• in pastoral support to students with high anxiety or experiencing mental health difficulties

We offer:

• A rare opportunity for you to create and grow a school as a senior leader. You will be integral to ensuring the success of a provision that will change the lives of many young people and their families within the community.
• Support for you within the school and the Aurora Group to be innovative and autonomous with a network of other SBMs to collaborate with.
• You will be fully involved in ensuring the building and development of the facilities are appropriate for the purpose of Vincent House School.
• It is an exciting time to be part of Aurora and this is a unique career opportunity to make your mark on our growing services.

Benefits and Additional Information

You will also benefit from a generous package that includes:

• Life assurance
• Competitive Pension
• Perkbox - offering high street discounts
• Employee assistance programme
• Car lease scheme
• Fully funded training and qualifications
• Bike to work scheme
• Free membership to our Health cash back plan - Claim back money on services such as dental, optical, physio and many more.

How to Apply: 

Please complete an online application form in full, remembering to include all employment and education details. If you need any assistance or would like any more information, please contact Liz in the Aurora Group Recruitment Team at liz.hudson@the-aurora-group.com

Successful applicants will be subject to pre-employment safeguarding checks including an enhanced disclosure and barring service (DBS) check.

The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Aurora Group is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions (including those which are "spent" unless they are "protected" under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children.

The Aurora Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children and young adults in our care and is a disability confident and equal opportunities employer.

This advert could be paused or taken down at any point in time without prior notice if the position is filled or we receive a sufficient number of applications.

Please note that candidates that are shortlisted might be subject to an online search.