Assistant Headteacher Jobs 

Pineapple Recruitment is supporting schools across Worcestershire, Birmingham and the wider Midlands with Assistant Headteacher recruitment within education. This includes already working with candidates seeking Assistant Headteacher jobs, those already working as an Assistant Headteacher and those moving into their first Assistant Principal or Headteacher role.

Many candidates searching for Assistant Headteacher jobs are already part of a Senior Leadership Team and are carefully considering what their next role should look like. Leadership roles are different to general Teaching jobs. They are more strategic and carry wider responsibility and have a great impact on staff, students and the wider school community.

Our focus within education recruitment is to support schools to recruit and appoint suitable leaders to work with young people, while also supporting candidates to find roles that align with their experience, skills and expectations.

Assistant Headteacher Jobs in Worcestershire

Schools across Worcestershire recruit for Assistant Headteacher jobs throughout the academic year; these include roles within primary school settings, secondary schools, SEN schools and schools that cover mixed phases. This can be following restructure or replacing short and long-standing leaders.

“Many of the Assistant Headteacher roles we recruit carry a blend of practical, day‑to‑day responsibility alongside wider strategic leadership.” Schools are often seeking candidates who can:

• Line manage middle leaders or phase leaders

• Lead on behaviour systems, including reducing incidents and improving consistency

• Oversee attendance strategy, particularly around persistent absence

• Work alongside DSLs on safeguarding, including handling concerns and supporting safeguarding culture

• Lead teaching and learning, or hold responsibility for specific curriculum and or pastoral areas

• Deliver professional development and contribute to internal CPD planning

• Contribute to improvement planning and inspection readiness

Some schools are already established and performing well. These are often described as a high-achieving school, where the focus is on maintaining standards and sustaining outcomes. Other roles sit within a developing or growing school where systems still require strengthening; in both cases, the successful candidate is expected to understand how schools actually function from day to day.

Assistant Headteacher Jobs in Birmingham

Full-time Assistant Headteacher jobs in Birmingham often involve a wider scope due to school size and structure. Many schools operate within a multi-academy trust, which brings additional accountability.

Assistant Headteacher and Assistant Principal roles in Birmingham regularly include:

• Oversight of pastoral teams, such as Heads of Year or Behaviour Leads

• Responsibility for behaviour systems and exclusion processes

• Leadership of attendance strategy across the school

• Oversight of inclusion and SEND provision

• Safeguarding responsibility alongside senior colleagues, including complex cases

• Line management of staff across departments and faculties

• Contributing to leadership planning across the trust

These roles demand visible, practical leadership and a clear operational remit. They involve decision-making, difficult conversations and accountability. Schools are usually very clear that the successful candidate must be able to manage people as well as manage systems.

The Types of Leadership Roles We Recruit For

Assistant Headteacher roles differ depending on the setting.

In a Primary school, the role is often broad. Candidates have many responsibilities across teaching and learning, curriculum development, safeguarding, staff development, attendance, behaviour and wider school provision.

In Secondary school, the role is often more focused on a particular area. This could be behaviour and culture, curriculum, inclusion, safeguarding or oversight of specific subjects and teams.

In sixth form settings, Assistant Headteacher jobs tend to focus on academic standards, retention, outcomes, destinations and post-16 student enrichment and welfare.

In secondary and further education settings this role would also require subject expertise and leadership. In these settings we recruit for Assistant Headteacher posts where subject specific experience in areas such as Science, Maths and English is important, particularly where curriculum improvement is a priority. Some vacancies may require more generic skills such as wider curriculum impact or whole school strategic development such as CPD, attendance, behaviour and ethos.  Not all roles require the same skillset which is why clarity around the actual responsibility of the role matters before applications are submitted.

Professional Development and Support

Pineapple Recruitment supports candidates beyond simply matching them to a job.

Registered candidates are offered access to further training through free CPD opportunities each term. When a candidate is placed within a school, access to CPD can continue for the remainder of that term and their subsequent term of working in their new environment; this is also extended to existing staff within the school where our candidates have secured their role.

Leadership roles require ongoing development. Schools expect leaders to continue developing their skills, and candidates also value access to development that supports their longer-term careers and strengthens their leadership expertise.

What Schools Are Looking For

Schools approach leadership recruitment cautiously. Appointing the wrong leaders causes disruption to staff, students and the wider school.

Schools expect Assistant Headteachers to demonstrate:

• Experience managing staff, students and supporting consistency

• Evidence of impact, such as improved attendance, behaviour or outcomes

• Secure understanding of safeguarding and appropriate professional judgement

• Commitment to inclusion and supporting all young people

• Ability to manage difficult situations professionally

• A deep understanding of how school systems operate in practice

Schools are often looking for stability, too. They want leaders who will join the school and invest in their community properly rather than seeing the role as a short-term step.

Applications and the Recruitment Process

Leadership applications take more time than general teaching applications. They usually involve more strategic, evidence based, supporting statements. Many schools also include leadership tasks such as data analysis exercises, student panel meetings, safeguarding scenarios or improvement planning tasks as part of the interview process.

We support candidates throughout the process. This includes:

• Discussing roles before applications are submitted

• Being clear about responsibilities and expectations

• Confirming the closing date for each role

• Offering guidance on application content where appropriate

• Ensuring communication is clear and professional

Most candidates are already in a post within education so we understand the need for discretion and handle all communication appropriately.

Apply Today

Candidates begin exploring Assistant Headteacher jobs at different points. Some are actively seeking a full-time role to start in April. Others are planning for roles starting in September. Some are simply reviewing their options for future academic years.

Leadership vacancies are an exceptional opportunity and can arise throughout the academic year across Worcestershire, Birmingham, Gloucestershire and the wider Midlands as well as vacancies in Cambridge, Devon, Bristol and throughout the UK.

Taking time to find the right role matters. Tel: 03330 705 981

Frequently Asked Questions

What qualifications do you need to be an Assistant Headteacher?

Assistant Headteachers need to hold Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and have several years of Teaching experience. Schools usually expect prior Leadership experience, such as subject or phase leadership. Some candidates complete NPQSL or NPQH, but this is not essential at this stage.

How much do Assistant Headteachers get paid in the UK?

Pay for full time Assistant Headteacher jobs sits within the Leadership Pay Range and varies by school size and responsibility. Many roles within a Secondary School fall between £69,596 and £76,772, however, a Primary School usually offers between £61,534 and £67,898.  These can vary depending on school size, complexities and demographics.  Roles within the London area are also subject to enhanced rate of pay.