Headteacher

Headteacher

If you are a dynamic, committed and inspirational leader who wants to make a difference to the lives of young people then we would like to hear from you.

Salary information: L37 - L43, £124,477 - £142,178 per annum (dependent upon experience)

Contract type: Full time, Permanent

Location: Hillingdon, West London

School group: Group 8

Start date: September 2025

Meadow High School: “Achieving Together”

Meadow High is a special school for students aged 11-19 with Moderate Learning Difficulties and additional Complexities. One of the UK’s largest secondary special schools, we have been consistently rated as a 'Good' school. The school holds a number of national awards including the SEN Specialist Schools Award, the Inclusion Quality Mark Award and the International School Award.

We are a growing and ambitious school; over the next six years we will grow from 290 to 390 pupils, we are building a satellite unit in nearby Harefield and a new block on our existing Royal Lane site to accommodate this - we expect to operate as a split site in the 2025/26 academic year. As part of our vision for “Life Beyond Meadow” we have a fully working hair salon and are developing a Community Café at our Royal Lane site. Both will provide work experience for our pupils. For our Post-19 students we have recently formed a school company “Opportunities Beyond Meadow CIC” which will allow us to further develop these plans.

The Governing Body is looking to appoint an inspirational and exceptional Headteacher to lead the school through its new developments. 

What we want from our candidate:

• An outstanding Headteacher seeking a new challenge, or an outstanding senior leader from a different but relevant professional background.
• To have a minimum of three years of senior management experience.
• A leader who is strategic, visionary, and committed – someone who can maintain high standards, bring fresh ideas, drive, and enthusiasm to build on our successes and address challenges with resilience and innovation.
• A people manager and decision maker who will challenge the status quo and has the emotional intelligence to take others with them. 
• An empathic leader with extensive positive behaviour management skills.

What we can offer you:

• A vibrant, welcoming, well established and friendly school.
• A school with pupils who enjoy school and thrive on their opportunities and achievements.
• A talented and experienced staff team committed to giving our pupils the best opportunities for life.
• A highly supportive and committed Governing Body.
• Opportunities for CPD, especially in relation to leadership responsibility and career progression.

If you are interested in this fantastic opportunity and you are the exceptional leader we are seeking, we would like to hear from you.

If you would like to have an informal discussion with the Chair of Governors or to visit the school please contact Kaity Sanderson (Administration Officer) by emailing meadow@meadowhighschool.org.

Closing date: Sunday 12 January 2025 at Midnight

Shortlisting: Tuesday 14 and Wednesday 15 January 2025 (Candidates to be notified by COB) 

Interview and Assessment days: Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 January 2025 (2-day interview process)

Shortlisted candidates will be required to undertake a psychometric assessment.

Please note that shortlisting will be based on the criteria in the Person Specification.

CVs or incomplete applications will not be accepted; a full career history is required together with an explanation of any employment gaps in accordance with safer recruitment practice.

Supporting Documents

 Applicant Info Pack

Safeguarding Statement

Meadow High School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check, satisfactory references and other pre-employment checks. In addition, as part of the shortlisting process, we will carry out an online search as part of our due diligence on the shortlisted candidates to help identify any incidents or issues that may have happened, and are publicly available online, and which we may want to explore with candidates at interview.