Assistant Headteacher: Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Job Introduction

Henry Tyndale School is looking to recruit an Assistant Headteacher: Teaching, Learning & Assessment for our Special Needs School.

Job details

• Salary: L6 – L10 (job range under review, due to be confirmed in Oct 25 and will be backdated where required)
• Hours: Full time, job shares considered.
• Contract type: Permanent, starting Jan 2026
• Reporting to: Head of School, Ship Lane Campus
• Responsible for: Teachers, subject leaders, and support staff involved in teaching, learning, and assessment

Main purpose

The Assistant Headteacher (AHT) will support the Executive Headteacher in setting and delivering the strategic vision for effective and progressive teaching, learning, and assessment across the three-campus special school. They will:

• Work directly with the Head of School for Ship Lane Campus to ensure the effective operational success of Ship Lane Campus, addressing day-to-day teaching and learning matters.
• Collaborate with the Heads of School and wider leadership teams across all campuses to implement and maintain high standards of teaching, learning, and assessment, ensuring consistency and excellence in provision for all pupils.
• Take strategic direction from the Executive Headteacher to embed the school’s vision and values into every aspect of teaching and learning practice.
• Undertake a teaching coach commitment of up to 25%, modelling and supporting the development of effective practice in SEND pedagogy.

Key duties and responsibilities

Teaching, learning, curriculum, and assessment

Under the strategic direction of the Executive Headteacher and in collaboration with the Heads of School, the AHT will:

• Work with the Heads of School and leadership teams to implement best practice in teaching, learning, and assessment across all campuses.
• Lead the development, implementation, and evaluation of a broad, ambitious, and cohesive curriculum tailored to pupils with complex needs, ensuring alignment across all three campuses.
• Sustain high-quality teaching by supporting and challenging staff to use evidence-based and SEND-specific pedagogical approaches.
• Monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching and learning through rigorous observations, learning walks, and analysis and triangulation of pupil work outcomes and progress data, providing timely, supportive feedback and coaching.
• Evaluate and develop a robust whole-school assessment framework, ensuring it is valid, reliable, proportionate, and effective across different campuses.
• Lead moderation processes to guarantee consistency and accuracy of assessments school-wide.
• Support curriculum leaders and teachers in planning differentiated, personalised learning pathways that address individual EHCP outcomes.
• Drive effective use of data to identify trends, inform teaching strategies, and plan targeted interventions for pupils not making expected progress.
• Lead the planning, organisation, and delivery of 50% of teacher and leads meetings, ensuring content is purposeful, evidence-based, and aligned with school priorities.
• Collaborate with cross site-leaders to develop meeting agendas that drive improvements in teaching, learning and assessment across all campuses.
• Lead the evolution of the school’s observation and feedback systems, developing a culture of developmental, supportive, and collaborative observation that enhances professional practice while prioritising staff wellbeing.
• Promote and oversee the use of assistive technologies and specialist resources to enhance engagement and learning outcomes.
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with research bodies, including universities, teaching schools, and specialist research centres, to ensure our school benefits from the latest evidence-informed practices.
• Facilitate opportunities for staff to engage with educational research, supporting the school’s culture of continuous learning and innovation.

Campus operational leadership

• Ship Lane Campus: Work directly with the Head of School to ensure its effective day-to-day operational success, particularly regarding teaching, learning, and assessment.
• Cherrywood & Park Campuses: Collaborate with the Head of School to implement the strategic vision in the day-to-day teaching and learning operations of each campus, ensuring consistency and responsiveness to the needs of pupils.

School culture: pupil, staff & families

• Champion a culture of high expectations, inclusivity, and enrichment across all campuses.
• Promote practices that enable all pupils, including those with complex SEND, to access and meaningfully participate in the curriculum.
• Ensure the learning environment supports emotional regulation, communication, and independence skills.
• Maintain high standards of pupil behaviour and engagement through consistent implementation of positive behaviour support strategies.
• Foster a positive staff wellbeing culture grounded in trust, coaching, and professional support, ensuring staff feel valued, motivated, and empowered to continually develop their practice while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
• Build strong, positive relationships with families, creating a culture of open communication, trust, and collaboration to support pupils’ holistic development and ensure families are active partners in their child’s learning journey.

Staff development and leadership

• Demonstrate a consistent, visible presence that is solution-focused and inspires confidence, using excellent interpersonal skills to align staff around shared goals and bring people with you through clear communication, collaboration, and a shared sense of purpose.
• Performance-manage teaching staff and middle leaders, setting clear expectations and providing supportive professional development.
• Plan, deliver, and evaluate CPD programmes focused on high-quality SEND teaching, curriculum planning, and assessment.
• Mentor early career teachers (ECTs) and new staff to the special school setting.
• Act as a dedicated teaching coach, providing tailored, in-class support to main scale and UPR teachers across the school to improve pedagogy and pupil outcomes.
• Mentoring and coaching to model effective practice to be 25% of total work time across a year (to be agreed with the Head of School).
• Coordinate with Heads of School on each campus to monitor and support staff performance and professional growth.

Organisational management and school improvement

• Be front and centre in the day-to-day operational management of the campus, working proactively and collaboratively with the Head of School to ensure effective, organised, and responsive leadership that supports the smooth running of all aspects of school life.
• Model professional, respectful interpersonal discussions, co-constructing solutions with staff by managing differing viewpoints with courtesy and diplomacy, and fostering a collaborative, problem-solving culture that prioritises the best outcomes for pupils.
• Lead on strategies to improve the quality of teaching and pupil progress, aligned with the school’s strategic plan.
• Analyse campus and whole-school performance data to identify areas of strength and areas requiring targeted improvement.
• Work with the Executive Headteacher to contribute to the school’s self-evaluation and strategic development planning, focusing on teaching, learning, and assessment priorities.

Governance, accountability, and partnerships

• Provide accurate and insightful reports to the Executive Headteacher, and governing board on standards of teaching, learning, and assessment across campuses.
• Provide accurate and insightful reports to the Head of Campuses on the standards of teaching, learning, and assessment and operational effectiveness across campuses.
• Ensure compliance with statutory requirements related to curriculum, assessment, and the SEND Code of Practice.
• Maintain professional relationships with external partners, including advisors, therapists, and local authority professionals, to enhance provision.
• Represent the school effectively in multi-agency meetings and professional networks.

Additional duties

• Undertake any other responsibilities delegated by the Executive Headteacher appropriate to the level of the role.
• Model the highest standards of professionalism, reflecting the school’s values and commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

Please note: This job description illustrates the general nature and responsibilities of the role. It is not a comprehensive list of all tasks. The postholder may be required to undertake other duties appropriate to the level of the role.

If you would like to apply for the role, please could you download and complete the application form and equalities monitoring form from the Henry Tyndale School website before emailing them to Susan.Pearson@henrytyndale.hants.sch.uk.

The closing date for applications is 31st August 2025 with interviews taking place on 11th September 2025.

Safer Recruitment

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. All successful candidates will be subject to Disclosure and Barring Service checks along with other relevant employment checks.