Deputy Headteacher
Salary: L18 - L21 on the Fringe payscale
Start date: Queens Road site January 2027 or Hurst Road site April 2027
Closing date of advert: 14th September 2026
Interview date: 21st September 2026
We are seeking an exceptional and inspiring Deputy Headteacher to join Walton Leigh School, a welcoming and ambitious special school for young people aged 11–19 with severe and complex learning difficulties. This is a pivotal leadership role, offering the opportunity to shape and drive outstanding practice in a school where every pupil is valued, supported and empowered to achieve their full potential.
We will have two Deputy Headteacher vacancies in the 2026/27 academic year.
- Deputy Headteacher at Queens Road, Hersham. From January 2027
- Deputy Headteacher at Hurst Road, Molesey*. From April 2027
*We are very excited to be expanding our school with the opening of a satellite site in a new building at Hurst Road, Molesey for up to 70 students.
The site will be ready for students in September 2027, and we will start preparing for this opening from Easter 2027. The newly appointed Deputy Headteacher will be instrumental in this planning.
The successful candidate will demonstrate a clear passion for inclusive education and an unwavering commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people with complex additional needs. They will be a highly motivated, reflective and compassionate leader who works collaboratively with staff, pupils, families and external professionals to ensure every learner flourishes within a positive, caring and nurturing environment.
You will play a key role in leading teaching and learning, developing staff expertise and embedding consistently high-quality practice across the school. Working alongside the Headteacher and senior leadership team, you will help to foster a culture of high expectations, continuous improvement and shared responsibility, where pupils are encouraged to develop confidence, independence and the skills they need for life beyond school.
We are looking for a resilient and inspirational leader who shares our vision and values, models excellence in all aspects of school life, and is committed to ensuring that every child feels respected, included and able to succeed. This is an exciting opportunity to make a lasting impact within a school community where relationships, wellbeing and achievement are at the heart of everything we do.
About Us
About the Trust
London South East Academies Trust is a growing and ambitious Multi-Academy Trust, currently comprising mainstream, special and alternative provision academies, alongside an outreach service and a music hub. Our schools are located across Bromley, Bexley, Sussex, Lambeth and Surrey, serving a wide range of communities and educational contexts.
Across the Trust, our schools share a strong commitment to raising attainment, encouraging aspiration and supporting social mobility for every pupil, throughout their educational journey and beyond. We take a holistic but personalised approach to education, recognising that children thrive when their individual strengths, needs and circumstances are properly understood and supported. This enables pupils to flourish and achieve their full potential, whatever their starting point.
We believe that great schools are built by great people. As a Trust, we invest in our staff through strong professional development and leadership opportunities, clear expectations and supportive structures. We actively encourage collaboration and the sharing of best practice across schools, supported by high-quality, cost-effective central services that allow leaders and teachers to focus on what matters most: improving outcomes for pupils.
London South East Academies Trust sits within the Elevare Civic Education Group, which also includes a multi-campus further and higher education college, London South East Colleges and a charitable foundation, Elevare Education Foundation. This unique structure provides meaningful progression pathways for pupils and families, as well as broad development and career opportunities for staff across the wider Group.
Our teams are united by a shared belief in the power of education to change lives. By continuing to grow our Trust and welcoming new expertise and perspectives, we aim to strengthen our schools further and extend the positive impact we have on our communities.
Equal Opportunities
London South East Academies Trust is fully committed to being an Equal Opportunities Employer and to creating a diverse, inclusive and respectful working environment, free from discrimination and harassment. We welcome and encourage applications from all, regardless of race, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, parental status or marital or partnership status.
As a Disability Confident Committed employer, we will offer an interview to applicants who declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role.
If you have accessibility needs or require any reasonable adjustments to support you through the application or interview process, please let us know.
Please note that if a suitable applicant is identified, we may close the advert before the published closing date.
If you have any specific queries about the role, please contact us at [email protected].
As the Trust supports children and vulnerable adults, all roles are exempt from Section 4(2) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Appointments are subject to an enhanced DBS check and, where relevant, a Children’s and/or Adult’s Barred List check. Any offer of employment may be withdrawn if these checks are unsatisfactory. Self-disclosure is required as part of the recruitment process, and failure to make a full disclosure or to provide sight of a DBS certificate is likely to result in withdrawal of an offer. The Trust’s DBS policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders is available on request.
All appointments are also subject to verification of the right to work in the UK, in line with Home Office requirements. Original documentation will be required prior to commencement of employment.
