Homepage | Recruitment of a Headteacher for Sharples School

Salary up to £114,240 pa*
Plus Relocation Bonus**

“In lessons, pupils are focused, work hard and show respect for others’ opinions. They show pride in their work, which is neat and well presented. Pupils greatly appreciate the support that staff provide. They told inspectors that staff go the ‘extra mile’ for them to help them do their best.

Ofsted 2019, Sharples School

“Pupils value the improvements you have made. They spoke very positively about the information, advice and guidance that they receive in making applications to sixth-form colleges."

Ofsted 2019, Sharples School

We are excited to announce an opportunity for an exceptional leader with the right blend of skills, talents, experience, and values to become the next Headteacher of Sharples School in Bolton.

Sharples School is a large (1200 student), successful, and vibrant, OfSTED Grade 2 ‘Good’, 11-16 mixed, multi-cultural secondary school. We are a community-based school serving local families. We provide a high academic standard of education in a nurturing, and inclusive environment where evidence-based practice, skill hard work and dedication lead to exceptional student achievements - in 2023 our Progress 8 score was +0.82. Our academy is committed to inclusivity and aims to provide barrier free education for all.

In November 2023, Sharples became the Gold Winner of the Pearson Teaching Award for ‘Secondary School of the Year - Making a Difference.’ The award recognises the strength of our provision and the commitment of our learning community.

Our most recent Ofsted report described Sharples as ‘a good school where attainment is high, and many students make outstanding progress’ and as a school with ‘outstanding teaching at both key stages.’

The deadline for applications is 29th March 2024 at 10am.
Interview and selection will be on 22nd and 23rd April 2024.
The successful candidate should be able to start in September 2024, or as soon as possible thereafter.

*Salary scale is L31-L37, £98,616 - £114,240 (Next annual increase Sept 2024)
**A Relocation bonus compliant with Inland Revenue Guidelines is available if a house move is necessary..

Welcome to Sharples School

Sharples School is a successful and over-subscribed 11 -16 mixed community school. Our motto is ‘Learn, Dream, Achieve’. We have high expectations for our pupils and aim to nurture in them a self-belief that will enable them to achieve their best and realise their dreams and ambitions through hard work and involving themselves fully in what school has to offer them.

We are proud to be the only Specialist Science College in Bolton and the Gold Award winner for ‘Secondary School of the Year’ in the Pearson Teaching Awards for 2023.

Our focus is on high academic standards and providing a first-rate, all-round education for children of all abilities. Our teachers are highly qualified, and our facilities are second to none, with excellent ICT resources and a health hub with pool.

Get an Application Pack

Learn, Dream, Achieve - Sharples School Aims

Discover More About Us

OFSTED

In 2019, the School was, once again, confirmed as 'Good'. Inspectors said that 'The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection.'

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School Prospectus

There are 1210 students aged 11-16 on roll. We celebrate diversity and believe strongly in providing a climate where all young people thrive. Read Our Prospectus here.

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International School

Sharples School has been awarded the British Council’s International School Award in recognition of its work to give pupils a global perspective. To read more, click below.

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Sharples is Awarded Gold - Pearson Teaching Awards

Sharples School has been announced as the Gold Award Winner of the Pearson Education Award For Making a Difference – Secondary School of the Year at the 2023 Pearson National Teaching Awards – considered the ‘Oscars of Education’ in recognition of the School’s dedication to students in Education.

The school was nominated and selected as the ‘Gold’ Award Winner amongst thousands of nominees, based on the School’s inspirational teaching, the School’s contributions to pupils, and the impact that the School has throughout its community, as assessed by the judges.

The video contains sound, so be sure to watch this in a setting when you are prepared for audio and it will not disturb others.

Sharples School - Our Ethos & Results

“The school’s motto, ‘learn, dream, achieve’, lies at the heart of everything the school does. Pupils are polite and friendly. They wear their uniform with pride and move around the school calmly."

Ofsted 2019, Sharples School

“Pupils behave well both in classrooms and at
breaktimes. Relationships between pupils and staff are very positive."

Ofsted 2019, Sharples School

The school’s ethos is friendly, caring and disciplined, focused on the school behaviour code of the 4Cs - Community, Consideration, Co-operation, and Common Sense. We believe that a powerful curriculum also provides opportunities for students to develop their character as well as their mind, therefore we encourage pupils to be involved in a range of enrichment activities. Our Key Stage 3 Sharples Baccalaureate programme offers a wide programme of extra-curricular activities for students to access. As students move up through the school, these skills are developed further through the completion of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. This builds on the attributes developed in Key Stage 3 and further develops skills of team building, leadership, and community involvement.

We are proud to be the only Specialist Science College in Bolton and the Gold Award winner for ‘Secondary School of the Year’ in the Pearson Teaching Awards for 2023. Our most recent Ofsted report describes Sharples as ‘a good school where attainment is high, and many students make outstanding progress’: with ‘outstanding teaching at both key stages’; where ‘students behave outstandingly well’; and ‘students physical well-being is good’. Staff and pupils are proud of the school and our aim is to be an outstanding school.

Outcomes are improving year on year and pupil progress is excellent. In 2023 our Progress 8 score was +0.82, which showcases the academic success we achieve year on year. The vast majority of Sharples pupils go onto further education at 16 and large numbers enter higher education at 18.

The school has a Pupil Admission Number of 240, with a 10-form entry, attracting pupils across the full ability range, and has, at present, 1210 pupils on roll. Our pupils are drawn from the local area – Astley Bridge, Halliwell, Hall I’th’ Wood, Castle Hill, Tonge Moor and The Valley.

We have a diverse school community; 61.8% are from ethnic minority backgrounds; 30.3% of our students attract pupil premium funding, 22% of our pupils are eligible for free school meals and 3% have Educational Health Care Plans.

We teach a curriculum that offers both breadth and depth of knowledge and understanding. Students study the full breadth of the National Curriculum at Key Stage 3 (Year 7, 8 and 9) and we aim to enrich our students by learning powerful, foundational knowledge that builds into their subjects studied at Key Stage 4 (Year 10 and 11). At Key Stage 4 our curriculum embraces a strong academic core and high value vocational courses leading to positive post-16 pathways.

Full details of our curriculum and our excellent results can be found in the Candidate Application Pack which you can download by CLICKING HERE.

Seeking A New Headteacher for Sharples School

“Pupils enjoy coming to the school. Overall attendance is above the national average. Pupils feel safe in the school. They have a strong voice. They feel that staff listen to them. As a result, pupils are confident that staff take their views seriously. Staff and parents agree that their children are safe and well looked after.”

Ofsted 2019, Sharples School

“You have raised the profile of the most able pupils among the staff and introduced a range of initiatives to open up opportunities for them. Teachers have high expectations of what all pupils can achieve.

Ofsted 2019, Sharples School

The Headteacher of Sharples School will provide support, challenge, and scrutiny to the Senior Leadership Team, as well as inspire, formulate, and drive forward initiatives ensuring the very best outcomes for our students.

This is an exciting opportunity to build on the success of a developing and well-regarded school with superb facilities and dedicated staff, that is at the heart of, and making a real difference to, its communities.

A full Person Specification is available in the Applicant Booklet, which you can download if you CLICK HERE.

The role should have great appeal to:

1. An existing headteacher who is looking for a new challenge, but wants to lead a school making an enormous contribution to its local area, and where the school is on the cusp of outstanding. The new Headteacher will have the ideas, strategies and experience to make that final push.

2. A Head of School who has developed their leadership skills under the guidance of an Executive Head, and now feels able to apply their ability to full Headship of a 'Good', and high-performing Academy.

3. A Deputy Headteacher who has taken time to reflect on what makes and maintains real Quality in the context of an 11-16 school, and what constitutes a great curriculum for young people in modern Britain. You understand how really effective pastoral care contributes to outcomes, and you are never satisfied with any outcomes that are second-best.

4. Someone with a collegiate and team-focused leadership style, who is able to get the best out of others, who delegates when appropriate, leads without fear or favour, supports others always, but looks everywhere for systems, procedures, processes and methods that can be improved.

5. Someone who understands the transformative effect of good education on a community, and wants to be a pivotal part in ensuring its delivery in our town.

Making Your Application

The following steps and deadlines will ensure you make a great application, and submit it properly within the timescale required

Applications Open

1st March 2024, 12 noon. The position is first advertised at this time.

Download Your Application Pack

You can do this today, from this website. Just CLICK HERE.

If You'd Like To See The School, Do Come Along To Visit Us

OR contact ASDTi on 07736 775776 to arrange a visit to have a look around if you wish. It's not compulsory, but we'd be happy to see you.

Write Your Application

Write your application on our Application Form. and Equal Ops Monitoring Document Call ASDTi for help if you need it.

Make Your Application

Completed Applications and Equal Ops Forms must be sent to ASDTi, using e-mail - gm@asdti.com
The deadline for all applications is 29th March 2024 at 10am.

Shortlisting

Shortlisting will take place on 16th April 2024. All candidates who have made an application will be informed as soon as possible of the outcome of the shortlisting process.

Selection & Interviews

These are scheduled for 22nd and 23rd April 2024, and we hope the successful applicant can take up their position in September 2024.

"Another aspect we considered was the quality of teaching...you and your leaders scrutinise pupils’ work and visit lessons to see how well pupils learn."

"Teachers have strong subject knowledge and use questioning well to probe and develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding."

"Teachers ensure that pupils understand basic mathematical skills required to help them tackle more complex problem-solving tasks. Current assessment information and scrutiny of pupils’ work indicate that outcomes for current pupils in English and mathematics are improving strongly."

Ofsted 2019, Sharples School

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Our Location

Standing in grounds of over 30 acres, our school provides outstanding facilities for learning to communities in the Sharples area of Bolton and beyond. Around two miles north of Bolton Town Centre, Sharples School lies equidistant between the town of Horwich and the Tottington area of Bury. The school is in Greater Manchester, meaning that many towns, the City of Manchester, and the rural areas of Lancashire, North Cheshire and Greater Manchester are all within commutable distances.

Close to Manchester, with fantastic art, music, museums, festivals, cultural opportunities, shopping, eating, dancing, and celebrating, and yet still on the fringe of beautiful Pennine moorlands and Peak District heather-clad hills, Sharples School offers you a choice of City, Town, Suburban or Rural living, but always with easy access to the hustle and bustle of the City and the rural tranquility of the moors and peaks. There are close motorway links and connections to the M60, M62, M61 and M56.

Headteacher

Sharples School | Bolton | Greater Manchester