Principal - Castle Hill School in Huddersfield

Overview

Organisations Castle Hill School
Location Newsome Rd S, Huddersfield, HD4 6JL
Position type Permanent
Hours Full time
Salary L25 L31 £93,424 – £108,202
Contract Leadership

Kirklees Council are advertising this role on behalf of Castle Hill School. Interview: Week commencing 23 February 2026. Start Date: 1 September 2026.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. If you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

About the role

We are seeking an experienced or aspiring, outward looking, inspirational Principal who has the skills, abilities and passion to lead an outstanding specialist school. Together Learning Trust is a thriving, high performing trust that is highly regarded within the region and beyond, sitting securely in the top 10% most improved Trusts nationally. We lead a group of nine schools (three secondary, five primary and one special school) inspiring over 5,700 young people and 800 staff in Calderdale and Kirklees.

Together Learning Schools are wonderful places to work. We value and support our teams across all our schools, recognise the ideas, experience and expertise of our staff, and work closely together to identify and implement the best strategies for teaching and learning, recruitment and talent management.

Castle Hill School is an outstanding school with incredible dedicated professionals. We are looking for a leader who can foster a safe and inclusive culture for all staff and students and demonstrate complete commitment to the progress of all students.

This is a phenomenal leadership opportunity in which you can make a real difference to the lives of children and young people through inclusive and caring educational support in a modern specialist facility. You will join an exceptional school-based team who work hard and are committed to ensuring students thrive.

If you have a clear vision and ambition, with a track record of success we would love to have a conversation with you.

The Principal Of Castle Hill Will

• Champion exceptional student development and life chances – Create a safe, joyful and highly personalised environment where children and young people with complex needs thrive. Ensure high-quality, ambitious provision that supports communication, independence, wellbeing and preparation for adulthood, so every learner is enabled to achieve their very best.
• Be a visible, trusted and values-led leader – Lead with warmth, credibility and presence, inspiring confidence among staff, students, families and the wider community. Model the ethos and culture that make Castle Hill a special place, sustaining its sense of belonging, care and shared purpose.
• Inspire and grow great staff – Build a culture where staff feel valued, supported and professionally fulfilled. Align curriculum, systems and development to enable staff to deliver strong practice, sustain wellbeing and continuously improve outcomes for children and young people.
• Shape and strengthen SEND excellence across the Trust – Work with Together Learning Trust and executive colleagues to develop high-quality SEND practice across the Trust, sharing Castle Hill’s expertise with mainstream schools and contributing to strategic SEND leadership within the wider system.
• Demonstrate ambition for future specialist provision – Position Castle Hill as a centre of excellence, with a vision to support the development of additional specialist provision over time, and to be recognised for exceptional practice locally, regionally and beyond.

Working Together

This is a unique opportunity to work collaboratively with the executive leadership team under the direction and with the support of the CEO of Together Learning Trust. You will receive tailored development, coaching and mentoring, plus support from central services, the school improvement team and leaders of the trust.

You will benefit from incentives that support your financial, professional and personal wellness. The role offers potential for further professional development as you grow with the role.

If our trust sounds like a place where you could make a difference, we would love to talk with you. Please fill in the enquiry form on the micro site to arrange an initial conversation.

Safeguarding and Recruitment

SAFER RECRUITMENT: We are committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults. All staff and volunteers are expected to behave accordingly and are subject to an enhanced DBS check. It is an offence to apply for the role if you are barred from engagement in regulated activity relevant to children. If shortlisted for interview, we will undertake an online public search in line with guidance from the Department for Education and Keeping Children Safe in Education 2025.

Closing date

Closing date: 10 February 2026, 9:00 AM

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