Deputy Principal

This is an incredible opportunity to join a committed leadership team determined to ensure our school is an excellent place for pupils to learn, staff to work, and to be an example to the wider school system of what it is possible to achieve. We are very proud of Bedford Free School, but we are driven to ensure the school continues to improve, and are inviting the right candidate to be part of our exciting story.

We are open and honest in our daily practice, and encourage you to get in touch, visit, and ask any questions you may have if you are considering applying.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title: Deputy Principal

Reports to: Principal

Salary: Advantage Schools Leadership Pay Scale 10-15 £62,785-£70,952

CORE PURPOSE:

To support the Principal in the smooth running of the school.

To deputise for the Principal when required.

Strategic leadership, in conjunction with the Principal, of the quality assurance of all aspects of the school’s academic and wider performance, self-evaluation and development planning

Strategic leadership of specific areas of accountability, dependant on the successful candidate’s experience and expertise and that of the wider SLT team

Line management of senior and middle leaders.

POST RESPONSIBILITIES:

Some of the collective responsibilities of the Senior Leadership Team at BFS are outlined below. The successful candidate will be directly responsible for some of these. It is a non-exhaustive list, but reflects some of our developmental priorities

Excellence in Curriculum, Teaching and Learning – Drive pedagogical excellence by researching, trialling, and embedding best practices that enhance curriculum delivery. Development of the school curriculum through leading the school’s participation in the cross-Trust development project

Behaviour and Culture Strategy – Move beyond operational behaviour management to shape long-term, sustainable improvements in pupil behaviour and school culture. Proactively shape the culture of high expectations, ensuring all staff and pupils align with the values and vision of the trust.

Data-Driven Improvement – Use assessment and tracking data to challenge underperformance and drive targeted interventions.

SEND & Inclusion Leadership – Champion high expectations for pupils with SEND, ensuring provision is both inclusive and aspirational.

Raising Aspirations – Develop strategies to instill ambition in pupils, ensuring they access enrichment opportunities and have clear pathways to further education and careers.

Stakeholder Engagement – Act as a key representative of the school in community and trust-wide initiatives, fostering strong relationships with external stakeholders.

Leadership Capacity – Implement leadership development programmes for middle leaders, ensuring succession planning and professional growth.

Parental Engagement at a Strategic Level – Build effective structures for parental engagement, moving beyond individual interactions to strategic initiatives that improve home-school collaboration.

FURTHER DUTIES AT BEDFORD FREE SCHOOL:

Contribute to the strategic vision of Advantage Schools by working collaboratively with other senior leaders across the trust to align school improvement initiatives and being a model of cross-trust collaboration for all staff at BFS.

Hold senior and middle leaders accountable for the impact of their work, ensuring high standards in teaching, learning and school operations,

Maximise progress in Year 11 via rigourous analysis of data and action planning.

Ensure positive and comprehensive parental engagement.

Ensure every opportunity to minimise staff workload without an impact on standards is taken.

LINE MANAGE:

Senior Leaders as directed.

Heads of Department as directed.

Other middle leaders, including support staff, as directed.

Lead the Subject Leaders group, including chairing meetings.

SLT DUTIES AT BEDFORD FREE SCHOOL:

Senior leaders at Bedford Free School are highly visible and often lead by example. Being a small school, the Deputy Principal at BFS will be operationally involved in a large number of varied duties to ensure that the school runs smoothly. These will be at the direction of the Principal, but are not limited to:

Delivering a Morning Address to the whole school on a weekly basis

Greeting pupils at the door and checking the uniform and equipment of every pupil before they enter the school

Monitoring the corridors during each transition to ensure a calm, purposeful transition

Regularly delivering assemblies and staff training sessions

Liaising with external agencies and services

Taking collaborative responsibility for implementing behaviour systems, including daily supervision of after school corrections, parent meetings, involvement in processes around suspensions and exclusions

SAFEGUARDING:

To be responsible for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of pupils and for raising any concerns in line with school procedures.

EQUALITY & DIVERSITY:

To be responsible for promoting equality and diversity in line with school policies and procedures.

HEALTH & SAFETY:

To be responsible for following health and safety requirements in line with school policies and procedures.

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT:

To participate proactively in training and development including qualification development required in the job role.

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES:

Play a full part in the life of the school community, both curricular and extra-curricular, to support its mission and ethos and to encourage and ensure staff and pupils follow this example.

To undertake as required other duties and responsibilities relevant to the job as directed by the Principal.

Safeguarding

We believe in the safeguarding and welfare of children and expect all staff to share this view’.

The Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff to share this commitment. Applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service. We are an equal opportunities employer.

The Department for Education (DfE) has set out statutory guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ for schools and colleges on safeguarding.

Safeguarding is defined in paragraph 4 as:

“Protecting children from maltreatment; preventing impairment of children’s health or development; ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.”

The definition of ‘children’ includes everyone under the age of 18.

The Trust reserves the right to interview and appoint a suitable candidate before the deadline date.