Headteacher

Ravenscliffe High School

Headteacher

Start date: September 2024

Salary: L33 – L37. The starting salary will be negotiable dependent upon experience.

Ravenscliffe High School is an innovative and ambitious generic 11-19 special school in Halifax. It is Calderdale’s only maintained secondary special school, catering for the needs of over 250 students with a range of additional needs including moderate, severe, profound, and complex learning difficulties. Students may also have autism, speech, language and communication needs, physical/medical difficulties, sensory impairments, and SEMH needs. The current Headteacher is retiring and Governors are seeking to appoint a new Headteacher who shares their single-minded ambition to constantly progress and modernise everything the school does so that it continually improves outcomes for the children and young people.

The school has an outstanding reputation locally and beyond and has consistently been judged by Ofsted, most recently in October 2022, as an outstanding Special School. Student numbers have increased significantly in recent years from 134 students in 2014 to the current 252 on role. This growth is predicted to continue in future years. This expansion in numbers resulted in Ravenscliffe becoming a two-site school in September 2018, with the new site including a community café, with further building work being undertaken at the main site.

The school has the highest aspirations for its students. It is focused on its simple aim of recognising and responding to their individual needs and providing them with a relevant and challenging curriculum whilst working closely with parents and carers. This is all within a safe, happy, stimulating and supportive environment built on positive relationships, good communication, recognising and celebrating achievement and mutual support. At the school’s heart is a partnership between an experienced and committed SLT, a top-quality staff team with genuine expertise in the field of SEND and its many stakeholders. The new Principal must continue to nurture these relationships and work collaboratively to ensure the ongoing success of the school.

This is an exciting time for the school as it continues to develop and enhance all aspects of its provision. If you share this determination and ambition, it offers an outstanding opportunity to develop in a forward thinking and outward looking school. As the only maintained secondary special school in the LA, the Headteacher will also play a significant role, working alongside primary and LA colleagues, in shaping the strategic direction for SEND provision in the area.

Candidates must be able to demonstrate recent, successful and sustained impact as a senior leader along with previous experience in an SEN setting. You must be an inspirational leader committed to high quality teaching and learning. You should have the creativity and vision to inspire and lead change alongside the focus to ensure successful outcomes are reached. Your positive attitude will inspire and engage the young people, parents/carers, staff and the local community and you must be a compassionate and strong leader who can hold staff to account whilst being accountable yourself. You must be confident, approachable and resilient and above all share the school’s relentless focus on providing the very best for all of its young people with a vision for it’s continuing success and future development.

For a confidential discussion about the role, to arrange a visit or to make an application, please contact Martin Blair at Hays Leadership Appointments.

T: 07736 791138

E: martin.blair@hays.com. 

Please do not use any online “APPLY” options.

Further details can also be found at www.hays.co.uk/vacancies/ravenscliffe-high-school

Closing date – 8am on Mon 12th February

Interviews – Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd February

Ravenscliffe High School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check