Headteacher

Our colleagues’ wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do at OFG, so we’re always looking for new ways to improve everyone’s work/life balance. We’re taking part in a trial of the 4-Day Working Week, meaning that you could be working one day less a week (or equivalent). If the trial is a success, we’ll be rolling the 4DWW out across the Group – so there’s never been a more exciting time to join #teamOFG!

Location: Papworth Hall School, Papworth Everard CB23 3RD

Salary: Up to £80,000.00 per annum depending on experience

Hours: 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday

Contract: Permanent, Term Time Only

Start: January 2026

UK applicants only. This role does not offer sponsorship.

As part of our continued growth, we now have a fantastic opportunity for an inspiring, experienced Headteacher to join our close-knit team at Papworth Hall School, part of Options Autism. As Headteacher, you will promote a relentless focus on high quality, creative learning, delivering our pupils' educational needs, and maximising pupils’ achievement and ability to develop your strategic thinking in response to the complex autistic needs of our pupils.

About the role

As a Headteacher, you will exercise dynamic leadership of the school and ensure the full development of the vision for the service, its promotion, and continuous improvement. You will create and maintain a Centre of Excellence in the education of our students.

You will create a shared vision and strategic plan that inspires and motivates pupils, staff, and all other school community members. This vision should express core educational values and moral purpose and include stakeholders’ values and beliefs. The strategic planning process is critical to sustaining school improvement and ensuring that the school moves forward for the benefit of its pupils.

You will collaborate with the school's senior leadership team and the Regional Director to provide an inclusive approach to outstanding educational and therapeutic provision. You will have overall responsibility for the strategic leadership of the secondary site whilst maintaining ongoing communication with the primary school to ensure that the provision and standards are consistently high across the schools.

Essential:

• Relevant experience in the specialist area of the service, i.e. relevant experience working with young people/young adults with autistic spectrum disorders and/or challenging behaviour
• Relevant experience as a Head Teacher or Deputy Head Teacher in a Special Needs School.
• Experience with Ofsted procedures/inspections and working with School Improvement Partners.
• Manage budgets effectively and ensure cost efficiency and financial compliance.
• Relevant Teaching Qualification

Desirable:

• Completion of NPQH
• Experience of conducting performance management
• Experience of planning the curriculum across a range of ages and abilities

About Us

Papworth Hall School is in the picturesque village in Cambridgeshire. It is within close proximity to Huntingdon and Cambridge. Our new specialist school caters for young people with complex communication needs, autism and associated learning and emotional needs and has the capacity for 30 students.

For over 16 years Options Autism have provided care and education to pupils and adults with autism, complex needs and learning difficulties. As part of Outcomes First Group, we are leading our sector in setting and delivering new approaches that provide measurable outcomes for those in our care.

We are really proud to say that in 2024, Outcomes First Group were officially certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the fifth year running.

Why join Options Autism?

Your health and wellbeing are important to us, so you’ll get an exceptional reward package including:

• Life Assurance
• Pension scheme with options to increase your contributions
• “Your Wellbeing Matters” – access to a wide range of first-class mental health support services and physical health checks
• And a market-leading benefit offering through our Flexible Benefits Platform, Vista, enables you to choose the package that’s right for you, including:
• A wide range of health, wellbeing, and insurance benefits
• 100’s of discount options valid in the UK and abroad
• Cycle to Work Schemes
• Electric Car Purchase Scheme
• Critical illness cover
• Family Growth Support - inclusive benefits package covering enhanced maternity and paternity leave, along with paid fertility treatment support.

And that’s not all, we place the outcomes of the pupils in our services at the heart of everything we do, so you’ll wake every day in the knowledge that your role will have a significant positive impact on the lives of others.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils. All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful applicants to a fully enhanced DBS.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

*You’ll work 80% of your contractual hours for 100% of your pay, giving you more time to do the things that make you happy. 4DWW is subject to successful completion of probation and is not a contractual benefit.