At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and inspire Post-16 students towards successful adult lives through tailored education.
- Company: Heaton School, a supportive environment focused on transforming young lives.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, professional development, and a chance to make a real difference.
- Other info: Opportunity for career growth and impactful leadership in a caring community.
- Why this job: Shape the future of vulnerable young adults in a dynamic and rewarding role.
- Qualifications: Experience in teaching and a passion for supporting diverse learning needs.
The predicted salary is between 8611 - 8611 £ per year.
Heaton School, St James Rd, Stockport SK4 4RE
MPS/UPS + TLR 2 £32,916 - £51,048 + £3,527 - £8,611 per annum
32.5 hours per week
Full time
Permanent
Start date: September 2026
Application deadline: 30th June 2026
Please submit your application and a covering letter outlining your suitability for this role to the Headteacher at headteacher@heaton.stockport.sch.uk
Interviews w/c 6th July 2026
Background: Heaton School’s Post-16 provision has undergone a significant transformation over the past two years, introducing an ambitious curriculum focused entirely on preparing our 38 students (across five classes, including two semi-formal classes at our Cheadle satellite site) for adult life. With plans underway for a new, purpose-built Post-16 facility on the main campus, we are seeking an impactful leader to help design and transition into this new space, while concurrently developing our broader Post-16 pathway strategy.
Core Purpose of the Role
As a Teacher: To deliver high-quality, highly adapted education to a class of students within Post 16. Many students will have complex medical needs and acute behavioural challenges.
As a TLR Holder (Post-16 Lead): To lead the strategic development, operational delivery, and multi-agency coordination of the Post-16 pathway. The focus is to ensure a safe, dignified, and enriching environment that transitions vulnerable young people smoothly into adult life, supported living, further education and/or work.
- Leadership & Phase Management (TLR Accountabilities)
- Strategic Direction & Development: Lead the development and implementation of a bespoke, functional Post-16 curriculum focused on the four Preparation for Adulthood (PfA) outcomes: Employment/Purposeful Activity, Independent Living, Community Inclusion, and Health. Ensure the Post-16 provision complies fully with the SEND Code of Practice, emphasising student voice, self-advocacy, and person-centred planning. Monitor, analyse, and evaluate the quality of teaching, learning, and therapeutic integration across the Post-16 phase, using findings to drive continuous improvement. To lead and steer the overall school careers strategy.
- Transition & Multi-Agency Coordination: Act as the primary school liaison for the complex transitions process, working closely with local authorities, adult social care teams, adult health services, commissioning teams, and colleges. Coordinate robust, safe, and highly personalised transition pathways for students leaving the school, ensuring destination data is tracked and outcomes are optimised. Manage and develop relationships with external providers to offer meaningful, safe work-experience, community-based learning, and sensory integration opportunities tailored to highly complex profiles.
- Staff Leadership & Well-being: In the interim, the successful candidate will assume operational leadership of the Post-16 satellite provision at the Cheadle Campus, while ensuring that the Post-16 classes on the main Heaton site continue to run smoothly and effectively. Line-manage, deploy, and coach teaching assistants and support staff within the Post-16 phase to ensure high standards of care, medical oversight, and Positive Behavioural Support (PBS). Lead a team to foster a culture of reflective practice, psychological safety, and emotional resilience when debriefing after high-level behavioural incidents.
- Teaching, Learning & Class Management (Core MPS/UPS)
- Adaptive Teaching & Learning: Plan and deliver an individualised, sensory-rich, and functional curriculum for a designated class group, catering to students with severe cognitive, medical, and behavioural barriers. Integrate individual Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) outcomes, Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT) targets, and Occupational Therapy (OT) plans seamlessly into daily teaching. Use specialised, small-step assessment to measure, celebrate, and report student progress.
- Complex Health, Safety & Behaviour Management: Maintain a highly organised, safe, and low-arousal classroom environment. Oversee and implement Individual Support Plans (PBS) plans (working closely with the Head of Student Support) ensuring all team members use proactive de-escalation strategies and that any restrictive physical intervention is handled as a strict last resort. Collaborate daily with the on-site clinical nursing team to ensure individual healthcare plans, medication administration protocols, and specialised feeding/mobility procedures are executed safely and with absolute dignity.
- Whole-School Responsibilities
- Safeguarding: Maintain an unshakeable commitment to safeguarding vulnerable young adults, keeping meticulously up-to-date with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) guidelines and reporting procedures.
- Parental Partnership: Build deeply empathetic, clear, and trusting relationships with parents and carers during what can be an incredibly anxious transition period into adulthood.
- Professional Standards: Meet the UK Teachers’ Standards in full and, if on the UPS scale, demonstrate a sustained, substantial contribution to the wider school community.
Contextual Note for Candidates: Unlike a mainstream TLR role centred around an academic subject, this Post-16 Lead role is highly operational and relational. Success is measured not just by classroom delivery, but by your ability to navigate adult care systems, secure safe destinations for highly complex young people, and build resilient, compassionate class teams. We strongly recommend that you arrange a visit to look around the school as part of the application process. To make an arrangement email Laura Harrison (School Business Manager) at laura.harrison@heaton.stockport.sch.uk.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Post-16 Lead Teacher in Stockport employer: Stockport Council
Heaton School is an exceptional employer, dedicated to fostering a supportive and inclusive work environment for its staff. With a strong emphasis on professional development, employees are encouraged to grow their skills while contributing to the transformative education of students with complex needs. Located in Stockport, the school offers a unique opportunity to lead innovative educational initiatives in a purpose-built facility, ensuring that every team member plays a vital role in shaping the future of vulnerable young adults.
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