Head of School

At Avanti Park, we believe education should nurture both academic success and personal growth, creating a community where every child feels known, valued, and inspired. We are seeking a Head of School who can lead with clarity, care, and conviction, working closely with the Executive Principal to shape the next stage of the school's development. This is an opportunity to build and sustain a strong, values‑led culture where high expectations are shared and every pupil is supported to thrive.

As Head of School, you will play a central role in driving high standards of teaching, learning, and behaviour, while ensuring that wellbeing remains at the heart of school life. You will lead and develop staff, creating an environment where colleagues feel supported, challenged, and empowered to do their best work. Through strong relationships with pupils, staff, and families, you will help create a school where a genuine sense of belonging underpins sustained success for all. School visits are welcomed and encouraged.

Avanti Park School is a beautiful primary and middle school (Reception – Year 8) in the heart of Frome, neighbouring Victoria Park. Our school is graded as good with outstanding in behaviour and attitudes, leadership and management, and personal development. Avanti Park is a non-faith, community school that embraces inclusion and diversity. Staff find Avanti Park to be a wonderful place to work, with warm, friendly relationships underpinning a calm and joyful atmosphere. Our staff are inspired and passionate about their roles, the vision of the school, and providing the most fulfilling learning experience for pupils. Learning is a quest to discover each student's unique gifts and potential, and to lay the foundation for their lifelong journey of learning.

What will you do?

• Provide strategic leadership alongside the Executive Principal, driving high expectations, strong outcomes and a clear vision for school improvement.
• Lead and develop the Senior Leadership Team, fostering a positive culture, prioritising staff wellbeing and ensuring effective performance management and professional growth.
• Champion high-quality teaching, learning and curriculum design, using data and evaluation to raise standards and secure excellent pupil progress and behaviour.
• Build strong relationships with pupils, staff, parents and the wider community, promoting inclusion, equality and a shared commitment to the school's ethos and values.
• Oversee effective use of resources, including budgets and staffing, ensuring compliance, safeguarding, and continuous improvement through robust self‑evaluation and planning.

Why should you apply?

Avanti exists to help each person become a well‑rounded human being through intellectual, moral and spiritual growth, and so make the world a better place. You will be working in a fantastic environment, with:

• Great opportunities for professional development
• Teacher pension scheme (subject to eligibility)
• O2 discounts, Specsavers corporate eye test vouchers
• Eligible for NUS Card and CSSC membership
• Well-being programs (retreats, yoga, wellness apps)
• Cycle-to-work Scheme

What are we looking for?

• Qualified teacher status and degree or equivalent professional qualification, evidence of ongoing commitment to CPD.
• Proven experience in a leadership role within a primary school or similar educational context.
• Proven primary subject or phase leadership including strong Early Years curriculum, planning, assessment skills, and support for underachieving pupils.
• Successful experience of developing and implementing effective programmes for the professional development of staff.
• Excellent behaviour management, strong verbal and written communication, and the ability to model high standards while working effectively with staff, pupils, parents and wider stakeholders to maintain positive professional relationships.

Please view the full Job Description for more information on the responsibilities and essential criteria required for this role.

Further information Pre-employment checks Avanti Schools Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and requires all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All successful candidates are required to have an Enhanced DBS check unless internally appointed and still within the cycle of DBS re‑checks. Any appointment subsequently made will be subject to the receipt of satisfactory references and other pre-employment checks.

Diversity and Inclusion We want to make sure we are attracting the widest possible range of people and ensure that they are accepted, understood and treated equally when they work here. This means we will work hard to understand that each employee is unique and ensuring that individuals or groups are not treated differently or less favourably on the basis of specific characteristics. Such characteristics include (but are not limited to) age, disability, gender including transgender, race, religion, sexual orientation, marital status, and how the school supports pregnant women and new parents.

Safeguarding Statement Avanti Park is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We particularly welcome applications from under‑represented groups including ethnicity, gender, transgender, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion.