Headteacher

Melbourne Junior School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. 

Date of Appointment: 1 September 2025 

Salary: Group 2 Individual School Range L14 - L20               

Estimated Number on Roll: 236 

Teaching Establishment: Headteacher + Deputy Headteacher + 9.20 

Head teacher commitments: Non-teaching Headteacher 

Management Structure: Headteacher + Deputy Headteacher + 2 SLT Support Staff 

Location 

The school is in the village of Melbourne, South Derbyshire being well served by the A50 / M1 and M42. Melbourne itself is a vibrant community with the school playing an important role in village life, where according to the Sunday Times Best Places to Live, the place is one of the most desirable places to live in the UK. Melbourne offers an ideal blend of urban and rural life with open countryside right on the doorstep, and Derby city centre just over a 20-minute drive away, making it a highly sought after location. The town is close to some large employers like Rolls Royce, Toyota, JCB and EMA plus forms part of the National Forest and is easily accessible to the Peak District National Park.  

Accommodation 

The school is in one well maintained building dating back to the 1960s with some later additions. The building contains 10 classrooms, a hall, a staff room, a library, and a kitchen and several breakout rooms.  

Outside there is a playground, a small garden, large field with two well-maintained trim-trails and a fenced, concreted pen area which is marked out for basketball and other ball sports. 

Midday meals are served on the premises by the Derbyshire County Council Catering Service. 

OFSTED Inspection 

The school was inspected in July 2024 and was judged to be a ‘Good’ school. 

Financial Budget 

The school’s basic school budget for this financial year is £1,136,812 

Plus additional funding -  

Pupil Premium funding: £76,490 

Sports Premium funding: £18,561

SEN Top-up funding: £86,212

Applications 

Candidates should submit applications online on a DCC Teacher Application Form, together with a supporting statement letter matching their skills and experience to the headings in the Job Description and Person Specification. The letter should be no longer than 1500 words (please include word count). CVs should not be attached. 

If preferred, postal application forms are available from Call Derbyshire on 01629 533190, quoting the job reference number attached to this post. Completed applications should be sent to Derbyshire County Council, Recruitment Section, County Hall, Matlock, Derbyshire DE4 3AG, allowing sufficient delivery time to meet the deadline for applications. 

In order to comply with the safer recruitment requirements candidates must fully complete the application form including the section on references. It is not acceptable to substitute parts of the form with your own version. All gaps in employment should be accounted for and explained. 

References 

Open testimonials are not accepted for this post, and it is intended that the Local Authority will take up a professional reference from your existing employer and one other professional reference of your choice. If you are not currently working with children, references will be requested from a previous employer where this was the case. You are, therefore, requested to supply contact details for this organisation and also to alert all referees to expect a request, should you be shortlisted. References from relatives or people writing solely in the capacity of friends will not be accepted. 

Security Checks 

Due to this post having access to children and/or vulnerable adults, candidates will be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check. The possession of a criminal record will not necessarily prevent an applicant from obtaining this post, as all cases are judged individually according to the nature of the role and information provided. Candidates who are foreign nationals, or a UK national who has lived abroad at any point in their adult life, MUST provide a Certificate of Good Conduct prior to taking up an appointment. 

Interviews – It is intended that interviews will take place on 27 and 28 February 2025.  

Candidates selected for interview will be contacted by telephone. If you have not been contacted within seven days of the proposed interview dates you should assume, on this occasion, that you have not been shortlisted for interview. Should you wish to make any further enquiries, please contact the Headship Recruitment Team via Headship.recruitment@derbyshire.gov.uk or on 01629 539455. 

The Governors will be advised by a Local Authority HR Officer and Senior Advisor for School Improvement. 

Closing Date: Midnight on Sunday 2 February 2025