Headteacher - Thomas Russell Junior School

Headteacher

Permanent, Full Time. Start date: 1st January 2027. Salary: L12 - L17 - £67,898 - £76,772 per annum.

Thomas Russell Junior School is a mixed community junior school in the centre of Barton under Needwood village, providing a vibrant and engaging learning environment for children aged 7 to 11. With a broad, enriched and inspiring curriculum, the school ensures children have the knowledge, skills and attitude they need to thrive at secondary school.

This is a unique time to join the school at a pivotal point in its journey. From 1st November 2026, the school will join the John Taylor MAT family of schools, and with the current Headteacher retiring, this post will be the first JTMAT appointment. JTMAT was founded in 2014 in the same village as Thomas Russell Junior School and has since grown to twenty-one schools. The Trust has a strong track record and excellent reputation. We are looking for someone with the passion, motivation and vision to lead the school into its next phase, adopting all the hallmarks that make JTMAT schools successful.

What you're looking for

• Lead with clarity of purpose and vision
• Have extensive experience in the primary phase with a solid track record of delivering results
• Understand what exemplary teaching looks like, through our own practice, and setting high expectations for others
• Have the attitude, interpersonal skills and gravitas to lead others, holding staff to account, empower pupils, and manage stakeholders
• Bring a solid understanding of the inclusion and safeguarding agendas
• Have a working knowledge of financial and budget management

With an active Local Governing Body and the Trust's Central Team, the new Headteacher will benefit from professional support challenge, access to a network of colleagues across JTMAT, and the opportunity to build on all aspects that have made the school a success so far.

How to apply

To express interest, please refer to the recruitment pack for more information about this role and send your application. If you would like to discuss the role, please email and you will be contacted to arrange a time to speak with Mike Donoghue, JTMAT CEO.

Closing Information

Closing date: 1st September 2026
Selection/Interview process: 17th & 18th September 2026

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (2013 and 2020). This means that certain convictions and cautions are considered 'protected' and do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Guidance about whether a conviction or caution should be disclosed can be found on the Ministry of Justice website: Please note if you are shortlisted, an online search will be carried out before interview which may identify any incidents or issues that have happened, and are publicly available online, which we might want to explore with you at interview. Please review our Privacy Notice for Job Applicants for the lawful basis for processing and retention. John Taylor MAT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Pre employment checks include an enhanced disclosure and barring service check as a requirement of this post. Our Safeguarding Policy is available on our website, and we encourage applicants to review it before applying.