Depute Head Teacher - Oaklands Special School

Oaklands Special School is looking for a creative, open minded and passionate individual to join our Senior Management Team as a Depute Head Teacher (DHT). Oaklands provides a significantly adapted and supportive learning environment for learners with profound and multiple learning disabilities and often associated healthcare needs, aged 3 to 18 years old. At Oaklands we benefit from on‑site multi‑disciplinary therapy and medical teams in addition to our education staff, helping our learners achieve their full potential.

This individual would need to be a highly motivated team player with the interests of our wonderful children and young people at the heart of their practice. Oaklands is a unique place in which creativity, flexibility, and the ability to work with and lead a team are essential. Every member of staff at Oaklands has a duty of care to ensure the basic needs of our children and young people are met, including assisting with personal care and supporting with eating and drinking.

The successful candidate should show an understanding and appreciation of the importance of teamwork, and the confidence to listen and learn from others, while being willing to lead by example. We are driven by our values of kindness, respect and dignity and are passionate about providing enriching and positive experiences for our children and young people, from Nursery to our Senior leavers.

Ideally you will have strong knowledge of the curriculum, be an excellent practitioner, have experience with a range of needs, and a track record in building relationships, creating a safe environment that promotes learning and raising attainment. A sense of humour, creative thinking and readiness for challenging work are essential. Experience in outdoor learning is preferable.

This post is regulated work with children and/or protected adults under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007. The preferred candidate will be required to join the PVG Scheme or undergo a PVG Scheme update check. Where an individual has spent a continuous period of 3 months or more out of the UK in the last 5 years, an overseas criminal record check will be required. You will be required to provide this check. An unconditional offer of employment and commencement in the post will be subject to the outcome of both these pre‑employment checks being deemed satisfactory.

Salaries will be in accordance with the Scheme of Salaries and Conditions of Service for Teaching Staff in School Education. We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce where everyone feels valued and able to be their best. We particularly encourage applications from women for senior roles, as well as people from minority ethnic backgrounds, people with disabilities or neurodivergent people, care‑experienced people, carers and the LGBT+ community, all of whom are currently underrepresented. All applicants will be considered fairly based on skills and experience. Disabled and care‑experienced applicants who meet the minimum job criteria will be guaranteed an interview.

As part of our goal to improve organisational culture and create a great place to work together for the people of Edinburgh, we want to make sure we are recruiting the best people. We’re interested not only in your skills and experience but also in your approach to work. Therefore, part of our interview process will be an assessment of how you would bring Our Behaviours of Respect, Integrity and Flexibility into your ways of working.

Happy to talk flexible working.