Location: Ralph Butterfield Primary School, Haxby, York
Number on Roll: 323
Commencing: September 2026
Salary: L18 – L24 (£78,702 - £91,158)
Contract Term: Permanent
Our Opportunity:
Ralph Butterfield is a school with significant strengths and a community united by ambition. Together, our governors, staff, pupils and families aim for excellence in every area of school life. Our new Headteacher will play a crucial role in shaping the next phase of our journey and ensuring long‑term stability and improvement.
This is an exciting moment to join us: the school is thriving, with a strong reputation for inclusion, a committed and experienced staff team and a community that cares deeply about its children. We are looking for a leader who can build on our strong foundations, bring their own vision and ideas to lead the school confidently through the next phase of development. With high levels of parental engagement, dedicated governors and strong local partnerships, the Headteacher will have the opportunity to shape our strategic direction, strengthen our curriculum, and continue nurturing the culture of belonging that is at the heart of Ralph Butterfield.
Above all, this is a chance to make a lasting difference, ensuring the school continues to flourish and that every child leaves us confident, curious and ready for the next stage of their education.
About You:
You will be an experienced senior leader and accomplished teacher with a clear moral purpose and a strong commitment to inclusion, belonging and high expectations for every child. You combine ambition for academic excellence with a warm, relational leadership style, showing resilience, emotional intelligence and calmness under pressure. You will have the presence and credibility to inspire staff, alongside the strategic insight to manage finances, make difficult decisions and lead change with courage and care.
You understand national developments, particularly in SEND, and can identify gaps in provision, challenge constructively and prioritise effectively. Skilled at working independently while building strong partnerships, you will bring a proven track record of improving curriculum consistency, safeguarding practice and maintaining high standards, while championing staff wellbeing.
Most importantly, you will embrace what makes Ralph Butterfield special: consolidating our strengths, shaping the ethos and vision with governors, and leading the design of an exciting, inclusive curriculum that enables every child to flourish and leave our school fully prepared for secondary education.
We can offer you:
· A warm, welcoming school community with wonderful children who support one another and show real enthusiasm for learning.
· A culture where staff feel valued, encouraged, and able to grow professionally.
· The chance to unlock the significant potential within the school and the time to shape Ralph Butterfield Primary into a leading example of excellence in primary education.
· Strong, proactive support from the Local Authority, a highly committed Governing Board, and a dedicated, passionate staff team.
· A Governing Body that provides thoughtful, balanced support across all matters— including those that may be challenging—while prioritising the wellbeing of every member of staff.
· Close links with a local Cluster and schools network, giving you regular opportunities to collaborate with fellow Headteachers, share best practice, and draw on a wider professional community.
For further information about our opportunity, please visit our dedicated recruitment microsite.
For an informal, confidential conversation about the role please call Ashley on 07814 932 389 or email. Ashley has been engaged to support us with recruitment to this exciting opportunity.
Visits
We strongly recommend that you visit us so we can share with you why we are so proud of our school, and you will have the opportunity to see what we have to offer. If you would like the opportunity to visit, please email Ashley.
Please note that while a visit can be helpful for you as an applicant, it is entirely optional and not part of the selection process. Whether or not you visit will have no impact on the outcome of your application.
Key dates
Dates when we can accommodate visits are detailed below, at 4:30pm. If these are not possible for you, please contact Ashley, as we may be able to offer alternatives.
Monday 23 March
Tuesday 24 March
Thursday 26 March
Application closing date: Midnight, Sunday 12th April
Shortlisting: Wednesday 15th April
Interviews: Tuesday 21st and Wednesday 22nd April
When applying please take into account the following supporting documents:
Person Specification
Job Description
Application guidance, including policy statement on the recruitment of ex-offenders
The supporting information section of your application should clearly evidence your ability to meet the requirements we have outlined in the person specification. This will be used to shortlist applicants for this role and therefore it is imperative that you provide evidence as requested.
References
When completing your application, please provide two employment referees.
Safeguarding
We are committed to meeting the needs of our diverse community and aim to have a workforce reflecting this diversity. We are also committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We have a robust child protection policy and all staff will receive training relevant to their role at induction and throughout employment at the school. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Please note this post is in regulated activity and exempt from the rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and subject to satisfactory references and an enhanced DBS criminal records and barred list check for work with children. An online search may be undertaken as part of the recruitment process on information available in the public domain. Candidates should disclose anything that may be relevant in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.
North Yorkshire Council (NYC) advertise vacancies and process applications on behalf of schools and external organisations (third parties) in North Yorkshire. NYC are not responsible for the recruitment/employment practices of third parties and accept no liability in relation to the vacancy and any subsequent recruitment/employment processes. Further information on how we process your data can be found here.