Headteacher

Headteacher, Wallands Community Primary and Nursery School, Lewes, East Sussex

Job start date: 1st September 2026

Why choose us?

Wallands Community Primary and Nursery School is located in the beautiful and historic town of Lewes in the heart of the South Downs.

We are a genuinely inclusive school that prioritises the wellbeing of both children and staff with the essence encapsulated in our school motto: Happy Together, Learning Forever.

The school includes a nursery and a special facility that provides full-time places for children with severe and specific language needs and/or autism spectrum condition (ASC).

We have excellent facilities including a new outdoor classroom, our own woodland in addition to the extensive play areas and fields which are an essential part of our commitment to OPaL (Outdoor Play and Learning).

Wallands is a well-regarded and popular school within the community, with an ever-increasing demand for admissions in Reception. The school has been carefully managed, is on a sound financial footing and has excellent staff retention. We have motivated and enthusiastic staff who are committed to developing the whole child and are backed by supportive governors.

Our last Ofsted inspection in September 2022 stated “This is a great place to learn. Leaders have high aspirations and hopes for pupils to achieve all they are capable of. They also care deeply about the well-being of every child.”

Lewes has good transport links with trains running direct to London, Brighton, Eastbourne and beyond.

What are we seeking?

This is an exciting opportunity for a strong and ambitious leader who wants to take a school to the next stage of its development in partnership with staff, parents and governors.

Our children and staff need someone with ideas and vision, who wants to make what is already good, even better; who embraces our school values, applying them to help us constantly improve; who is enthusiastic and energetic. They want a leader who will:

• lead by example, listening and motivating them to develop to their full potential
• use their talents to further develop our creative, high-quality teaching and learning environment
• build on and nurture the strong links with parents, the community and our wider stakeholders
• sustain and further develop the inclusive ethos of Wallands

You should be keen to explore a range of possibilities to continue developing and enhancing the school’s future and enthusiastic about exploring wider collaborative opportunities.

We are keen that the successful candidate will bring creative leadership and innovative approaches to taking the school forward.

Next Steps

If you are interested in finding out more, we strongly suggest that you arrange a tour of the school by contacting the school Business Manager by email: personnel@wallands.org or telephone: 01273 472776.

You can also find out more about Wallands on our website: https://www.wallandsschool.org/ To apply, please email leadership.recruitment@eastsussex.gov.uk to request a recruitment pack and application form. We do not accept CVs and you should not complete any online application form run by TES or any other online recruitment provider.

Recruitment packs for this vacancy will only be provided directly to an individual considering applying to our school for this opportunity. We do not enter into business with recruitment agencies or other commercial organisations on behalf of their clients seeking employment.

All successful candidates will be subject to Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks along with other relevant employment checks. This post is covered by the Childcare Disqualification Regulations 2018.