Interim Primary Headteacher

Our Opportunity: This is a critical and time sensitive opportunity to lead Wheatcroft Community Primary School at a defining moment in its journey. The school has strong foundations: dedicated staff, positive relationships and a clear community ethos. What it now requires is decisive, focused leadership to provide stability, restore confidence and drive improvement without delay. Wheatcroft has much to build on, including strong early reading outcomes, an inclusive culture and a committed team who care deeply about the school and its pupils. However, the school is now seeking an Interim Headteacher who can take firm ownership of key priorities immediately. These include securing consistently high quality teaching, embedding a coherent and ambitious curriculum, strengthening attendance and driving improved outcomes at Key Stage 2. This role demands a leader who can act quickly and confidently, unite staff around a clear direction and lead improvement at pace, while remaining sensitive to the school’s context and recent period of change. You will play a central role in stabilising systems, shaping the leadership structure and developing staff capacity, ensuring that Wheatcroft is well positioned for its next phase. For the right candidate, this is more than an interim headship. It is an opportunity to make a visible and lasting difference, to steady the school at a crucial point and to lead a community that is ready to move forward with renewed ambition and purpose. About You: You will be an experienced, resilient and decisive leader, ready to take on a headship that requires clarity, credibility and immediate impact from day one. You will bring the leadership presence needed to stabilise the school quickly and to move it forward with urgency and confidence. You will have a proven track record of leading improvement in complex or changing contexts, combining high expectations with strong interpersonal skills to rebuild trust, re establish confidence and bring the school community together. Experience of working closely with parents, governors and external partners will be essential in restoring visible, effective and reassuring leadership. A strong understanding of safeguarding and inclusion is vital, and experience as a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) would be advantageous. You will be confident in meeting the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND and more complex needs, ensuring provision is both inclusive and impactful. You will also bring secure knowledge of school finance and resource management, with the ability to manage budgets responsibly, ensure compliance and make clear decisions that support the school’s immediate priorities and long term sustainability. Above all, you will be a leader who can balance empathy with firmness: able to support and develop staff while holding them to account, and motivated by the challenge of shaping the school’s next phase and securing consistently strong outcomes for every child.