Virtual School Deputy Headteacher

: 001807

Contract: Permanent

Salary: £50,158 - £54,140 (Soulbury 11- 14)

Hours: 36.66 per week

Location: Oldham Council Offices, Spindles Shopping Centre, Oldham

Closing Date: Sunday 8 November 2026

Interview Date: Tuesday 24 November 2026

As Virtual School Deputy Headteacher (Attendance & Inclusion), you will play a key leadership role in shaping and driving the Virtual School’s ambition for vulnerable children. Working alongside the Virtual School Headteacher and Team Manager, you will lead strategic approaches that improve attendance, strengthen inclusion and raise educational outcomes.

You will have the opportunity to influence practice, challenge thinking and bring partners together across schools, Children’s Social Care and wider services. Using your expertise, insight and understanding of what makes a difference, you will turn data and evidence into meaningful action and sustainable improvement.

This is a role for an ambitious and inspirational education leader who wants to make a real and lasting difference to the lives and futures of vulnerable children.

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for improving attendance, inclusion and educational outcomes for vulnerable children
• Work with schools, social workers, carers and partners to challenge and influence practice, maintaining high aspirations for children
• Lead the development and implementation of strategies, programmes and improvement plans, using data and evidence to identify priorities and measure impact
• Develop and deliver training, guidance and professional development for schools, Children’s Social Care and partner agencies
• Contribute to partnership panels, service planning, commissioning and policy development, ensuring statutory duties and strategic priorities are effectively delivered

• Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) with significant experience of leading strategies that improve attendance, inclusion and outcomes for vulnerable cohorts
• Strong strategic leadership and management experience, with the ability to motivate, develop and influence others
• Excellent analytical, communication and problem-solving skills, with the ability to turn data and evidence into effective improvement plans
• Strong knowledge of legislation, safeguarding and guidance relating to vulnerable children, including the impact of trauma, attachment and adverse childhood experiences on education
• Ability to build effective relationships and work collaboratively across education, Children’s Social Care, families, schools and wider partners, with a commitment to improving outcomes for vulnerable children

We want Oldham to have vibrant, safe neighbourhoods where people are proud to live with opportunities for healthier, more fulfilled lives; and a sustainable, thriving economy. As we look to the future, the challenges may be significant, but so are the opportunities. We’ve identified three missions with our residents and partners, focusing on what will deliver the biggest impact:

A Great Place to Live, Healthier, Happier Lives, and Green and Growing.

We’re looking for candidates who will support us to achieve our ambitions and we encourage you to download our Corporate Plan:
Ready for the Future and our Oldham Plan for further information

By driving innovation, investing in our people, and championing our communities, we will ensure that Oldham continues to be a place where everyone can live their best life. To support this, we have three core values which define who we are and how we operate. These are ‘
Proud, Ambitious, and Together
’ and they shape our culture, inform our decisions, and inspire us to deliver on our…