Spring School

Assistant Head of School

Permanent

Leadership 8-14- (£61,114-£70,228)

Spring School is seeking to appoint an exceptional and committed Assistant Head of School to join our Senior Leadership Team. This is a pivotal whole-school role for a passionate leader with extensive experience and deep knowledge of autism education, who is driven to make a meaningful difference to the lives of young people.

Spring School

We opened in September 2023 and are on an exciting journey to create a space where autistic young people can learn, thrive, achieve, and belong. Our state-of-the-art facility, currently under construction at the Moor Lane Centre in Chessington, will ultimately be home to up to 90 incredible learners.

At Spring School, we are on a mission to create a place where autistic young people aged 4–19 can learn, thrive, achieve, and belong. Our vision revolves around providing the best possible outcomes for our pupils, tailored to their unique needs, aspirations, and priorities. We aim to empower our students with a sense of competence and self-worth, fostering good mental health, well-being, and long-term life chances beyond school

About the Role

As Assistant Head of School, you will play a key strategic and operational role across the school. You will champion outstanding autism practice, co-lead the implementation of our Ambitious Approach, and ensure that our provision consistently reflects our Quality of Life model.

You will be a highly visible leader who models exemplary practice, inspires colleagues, and builds capacity through coaching, mentoring, and high-quality professional development. Working collaboratively with staff, families, governors, and external professionals, you will ensure that every pupil receives an ambitious, enriching education that prepares them for adulthood.

This role also includes responsibilities as a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), contributing to a strong safeguarding culture where all pupils feel safe, supported, and able to thrive.

About You

We are looking for a candidate who:

• Has significant leadership experience within a specialist or inclusive setting
• Demonstrates a high level of expertise in autism education and evidence-based practice
• Is an inspirational leader with a strong commitment to coaching and developing others
• Has a deep understanding of safeguarding responsibilities
• Is committed to inclusion, diversity, and improving outcomes for all pupils
• Can think strategically while remaining highly effective operationally

For an informal discussion about this exciting position please contact Ben Lowe at blowe@ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk. 

Closing date- Monday 11^th May 2026

Shortlisting- Tuesday 12^th May 2026

Interview date- Tuesday 19^th May 2026

Ambitious about Autism is committed to fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion at every level of our organisation. We warmly welcome applications from all qualified candidates, valuing the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives they bring. We encourage applications from individuals regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or parental status, disability, or age.

Our recruitment process promotes equal opportunities, and we are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for candidates with disabilities or additional needs throughout the recruitment process. Please contact our Recruitment Team for accommodations. We recognise disability as a physical or mental impairment that significantly and long-term affects a person's ability to perform day-to-day activities, as defined by the UK Equality Act 2010. All applications will be considered solely on merit, aligned with our mission to support autistic children and young people.

Ambitious about Autism is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and successful candidates will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check. As part of our Safer Recruitment checks, an online search maybe carried out in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.

The Safeguarding responsibilities of the post as per the job description and personal specification.
Whether the post is exempt from the rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendment to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2021. This means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected', so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS Filter Guidance.