Assistant Headteacher

Contract type: 1 year fixed term contract - Maternity cover

Start date: 1st September 2026

We are looking for a new Assistant Headteacher to join our outstanding team.
The role includes some class-based teaching responsibilities and may be suitable as a secondment opportunity from your current school.

Our vision: a happy, healthy, enquiring and active childhood for every child.

Our mission: to work in partnership with every family. Together, we can help every child to have the best start in life.

If you share our passion for early years education, and our commitment to ensuring all children have a happy, healthy, successful time at school, then we would love to hear from you.

The children who attend our nursery school and children’s centre are engaging, creative and full of fun. Our committed and talented staff ensure all children learn, progress and thrive, and that they are ready for primary school. Our friendly children’s centre team supports young children’s healthy and happy development, offering extra help when families need it.

We lead the East London Research School, a thriving centre for evidence-informed practice and professional development, and A Brighter Start Early Years Stronger Practice Hub, which supports early years practitioners to improve outcomes for children through evidence-informed training. Together, these designations enable us to share the school’s excellent practice with leaders and educators across the sector.

Sheringham Nursery School and Children’s Centre serves a diverse community in Newham, east London. We work in close partnership with parents, families, the local authority and other organisations in the surrounding area. A commitment to serving this community, and a passion for overcoming disadvantage and barriers to achievement, is essential for any applicant for this role.

We are looking for an assistant headteacher who will play a major role under the direction of the headteacher and deputy headteacher and will:

• ● Leading the nursery provision and providing high quality teaching for all children
  ● Leading a dedicated and highly skilled team, providing support and guidance
  ● Managing staff, rotas and resources
  ● Monitoring children’s progress and being part of the extended senior leadership team
  ● Working closely with staff, parents and other agencies.

What we can offer you:

• ● Inner London Salary Range L1-L5 (Negotiable upon experience)
  ● Highly skilled staff team, dedicated to providing the best for families and their children
  ● Well-resourced environments, including an extensive, landscaped outdoor space
  ● Evidence-informed professional development that will support understanding and use of highly effective strategies, enabling the candidate to work at the cutting edge of early years pedagogy and practice
  ● The opportunity to work with both our Research School and the Stronger Practice Hub helping to disseminate our evidence-informed practice to the early years sector.

We would love to meet you and show you around our school and children’s centre. If you would like to arrange a visit, please contact Lindsey Foster, our headteacher on 0208 553 2479 or email lindsey.foster@sheringham-nur.newham.sch.uk

Key dates
Closing date: 18th May 2026
Shortlisting: 19th May 2026
Interviews: 21st May 2026

Safeguarding and Equal Opportunities:
The school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. An online search will be completed for all shortlisted candidates who are also required to complete a self- disclosure. The appointed candidate will be required to successfully complete an enhanced DBS clearance and any offer of employment will be subject to references, in keeping with safer recruitment guidelines.
References may be requested immediately after short-listing. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and as part of the selection process an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check will be required.

Newham Council is committed to Equal Opportunities and welcomes applications from all sections of the community, regardless of gender, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or age.
We recognise that some candidates may have been forced into an unconventional career path because of unavoidable personal circumstances or the prejudice they have encountered. Should this apply to you, we hope you will not be deterred from making an application, which will be considered on your overall fulfilment of the requirements of the person specification for this role.