Head Teacher - Blindwells Primary School

Vacancy Information

DHT/HT Salary Scale Point 6 (£73,110 per annum)

Days and Hours of Work:
Monday - Friday, 09:00-17:00
To start August 2025.

Successful candidates will be recruited to a permanent post if they already have a substantive HT post and/or hold the Standard for Headship (through the SQH or Into Headship programmes). Successful candidates yet to achieve the Standard for Headship will be offered a temporary contract until such time as they successfully complete the now mandatory Into Headship programme, which must be within the nationally agreed timeframe of 30 months from appointment.

Across East Lothian we are ambitious for our children and young people and working together, we will support them to be confident, resilient and to achieve within their schools and wider communities. Working in partnership with Children’s Services, we aim to ensure everything we do starts with the child and family and builds the right support and services around them. Working together, we:

• share common values, approaches, behaviour and a strong commitment to do the very best for East Lothian’s children and young people
• are ambitious for our children and young people
• promote and prioritise early intervention and prevention
• take a relationship-based approach with each other, our children, young people and their families promote creativity and innovation
• want East Lothian to be an inclusive place to live and learn

Our ambitious Learning Estate Strategy reflects that East Lothian continues to be one of the fastest growing areas in Scotland, with the population projected to grow by about 1% a year over the next 20 years. Significant growth is projected across all age groups but particularly among children and older people. The number of children 0-15 years old is projected to grow by over 15%.

Blindwells Primary School will be at the forefront of this ambitious strategy and supports us to realise our aspiration that the East Lothian learning estate is accessible, in good condition, well maintained and suitable, allowing us to provide high quality, modern public services, which meet the current and future needs of communities.

The school will serve the new housing developments in the Blindwells Primary School catchment area. The new school building will open for pupils in August 2025. We want to appoint the new Head Teacher prior to the opening of the new school to lead the development of the new school community and to lead a transitional team in the months leading up to the school’s opening. Until the new school building is open, Cockenzie Primary School has been used as a temporary “hosting arrangement”.

We are looking for an experienced and innovative school leader with a proven track record of improving outcomes for learners to play an influential role in establishing and leading the new school. To be successful you will utilise your highly developed interpersonal and leadership skills to establish the new Blindwells Primary School and thereafter to inspire and motivate teachers and other school staff to drive forward inspirational school improvement.

The salary placing of HT6 is the initial scale point for this role based upon similar schools and the 27/28 academic session roll projections. The post will be re-evaluated annually to reflect growth and contextual changes.

Job Details

The role of the Head Teacher is, within the resources available, to conduct the affairs of both Schools to the benefit of the pupils and the communities they serve, through pursuing objectives and implementing policies set by East Lothian Council under the overall direction of the Executive Director, Education and Children's Services.

Please download the Job Outline/Person Specification (available under 'Job Attachments') for the full range of tasks and duties associated with this job. You will need to refer to these in order to complete the application form. You must ensure you meet every 'essential' criteria stated on the Person Specification to be considered for interview.

The ‘East Lothian Way’– values and behaviours we expect our employees to demonstrate in their everyday work. Should you be invited to interview, you may be asked questions based on these behaviours. Please refer to the document via the link to familiarise yourself with them.

Job Requirements

Relevant Qualifications
Full GTCS Registration is required.

PVG Membership
This post is considered as Regulated Work with vulnerable children and/or protected adults, as specified in the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007.

All preferred candidates for posts carrying out regulated work with these groups will be required to become a PVG Scheme member, or undergo a PVG Scheme update if they are already a member, prior to any formal offer of employment being made by East Lothian Council.

Please note: PVG member’s records are constantly updated with any new vetting information that arises. Any information that is disclosed on a PVG membership or update check, if relevant to the post being applied for, will be discussed with the applicant and investigated prior to any formal offer being made.

Please note:
If you have spent more than 3 months working or living outwith the UK in the last 5 years then you will be required to present a copy of an overseas criminal record check. Details of how to apply and contact details can be found on the GOV.UK website.

Additional Information

For additional East Lothian Council employment information please click on the following link:

www.eastlothian.gov.uk/teachinginfo

Please Note - Pay arrangements for those starting after 1st day of school session
In accordance with Teachers Conditions of Service (SNCT - Appendix 2.19), Teachers who commence employment with East Lothian Council after the first day of the school session will have their salary for the remainder of the school salary year (which runs from 1 August to 31 July each year), ; recalculated to reflect how teachers accrue leave and pay.

In these circumstances, a calculation will be carried out upon commencement of employment and leave and pay will be adjusted. Further information will be provided to the successful candidate should this be applicable.

East Lothian Council Schools:
Further details on all East Lothian Council Primary and Secondary Schools, including individual school websites can be found here:
Primary Schools
Secondary Schools

If you have any difficulties creating an account on MyJobScotland or applying for this post please contact the MyJobScotland support team via this link https://www.myjobscotland.gov.uk/contact-us.

If you require further information about this vacancy, please call 01620 827868, or email us on recruitment@eastlothian.gov.uk

Please note: We do not accept CV's (either electronically or by mail). All our vacancies must be applied for by fully completing the on-line application form. Although there is an ‘import data from my CV’ function on MyJobScotland, this only imports very limited data and should not be relied upon to complete the application form.