Deputy Head

St John's College is an award-winning, Ofsted-rated Good autism-specific college for autistic young people aged . We are now seeking an experienced and strategic Deputy Head of College to join our College Leadership Team (CLT).

About the Role

As Deputy Head of College, you will play a key role in the strategic and operational leadership of the College. Working closely with the Head of College, you will drive the quality of education, ensuring that all learners receive a high-quality, ambitious and personalised curriculum that prepares them for adulthood.

You will lead on the continuous improvement of teaching, learning and assessment, ensuring strong outcomes for learners, and will contribute to the development and delivery of the College's strategic vision. This is a highly influential role, supporting the alignment of education, health and care provision while ensuring compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the strategic leadership and continuous improvement of the College, contributing to long-term planning and vision
• Lead on the quality of education, ensuring a well-sequenced, ambitious curriculum aligned to learner needs and EHCP outcomes
• Drive high standards in teaching, learning and assessment through effective leadership and performance management
• Oversee curriculum planning, timetabling and delivery, ensuring consistency across provision, including off-site learning
• Lead on external accreditation and RARPA, ensuring robust assessment, tracking and reporting of learner progress
• Monitor learner outcomes and use data to inform decision-making, interventions and improvement planning
• Work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders including families, local authorities and partner organisations
• Support safeguarding across the College, contributing to DSL responsibilities and a strong culture of safety and wellbeing
• Ensure effective operational management, including staffing structures, resource allocation and day-to-day systems
• Deputise for the Head of College as required

About You

We are looking for a confident and values-driven leader who is passionate about improving outcomes for autistic young people.

You will bring:

• Qualified Teacher Status and a relevant degree (or equivalent)
• Experience of leading teaching, learning and curriculum development within a SEND or specialist setting
• Strong understanding of autism, SEND legislation, EHCPs and the SEND Code of Practice
• Proven ability to lead, motivate and develop teams to deliver high performance
• Excellent communication, organisational and decision-making skills
• A commitment to inclusive practice, equality and learner-centred approaches

You will be resilient, collaborative and driven to deliver continuous improvement, with the ability to balance strategic thinking and operational delivery.

Why Join St John's College?

• Be part of a values-driven, autism-specialist organisation with a strong reputation for quality and innovation
• Join a committed and supportive leadership team with a shared ambition for learner success
• Play a key role in shaping the future of education for autistic young people
• Access high-quality training and professional development opportunities

If you are an experienced leader with a passion for inclusive education and a commitment to excellence, we would love to hear from you. Only applications submitted online will be considered via the recruitment portal.

Informal visit to setting/main college site - Tuesday 24 March 2026
Candidates informed of application outcome - Thursday 17 April 2026
Interviews - to be conducted remotely via Microsoft Teams - Thursday 23rd April 2026

Ambitious about Autism is committed to fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion at every level of our organisation. We warmly welcome applications from all qualified candidates, valuing the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives they bring. We encourage applications from individuals regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or parental status, disability, or age.

Our recruitment process promotes equal opportunities, and we are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for candidates with disabilities or additional needs throughout the recruitment process. Please contact our Recruitment Team for accommodations. We recognise disability as a physical or mental impairment that significantly and long-term affects a person's ability to perform day-to-day activities, as defined by the UK Equality Act 2010. All applications will be considered solely on merit, aligned with our mission to support autistic children and young people.

Ambitious about Autism is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and successful candidates will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check. As part of our Safer Recruitment checks, an online search maybe carried out in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.

The Safeguarding responsibilities of the post as per the job description and personal specification.
Whether the post is exempt from the rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendment to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2021. This means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain spent convictions and cautions are protected', so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS Filter Guidance.