Headteacher

Goostrey Community Primary School (GCPS) is a maintained community school in the heart of
Goostrey, a close-knit rural village located between Knutsford, Holmes Chapel and Alderley Edge.
Situated ten minutes' drive from junction 18 of the M6, the village benefits from excellent transport
links, including direct trains to Manchester Piccadilly and indirect but high-speed rail links with
London, which can be reached in less than two and a half hours. Just under two miles from the
school sits Jodrell Bank Observatory, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The school occupies a central position within village life and enjoys strong support from families
and the wider community. It is a one-form entry school with 192 pupils currently on roll across
seven year groups, and a PAN of 210.

Start date: 1st September 2027 
Contract type: Full-time, permanent
Salary range: L13-L19
Closing date for applications: Monday 2nd November 2026 at 11.59pm.

Application packs can be requested from, and should be returned to
schoolgovernanceeast@cheshireeast.gov.uk 

Goostrey Community Primary School is looking for a warm, ambitious and forward-thinking
Headteacher to lead our happy and successful village school into its next chapter. Families
regularly tell us how much they value our friendly, welcoming atmosphere. During our recent Ofsted
inspection (March 2026), it was noted that pupils “are happy and proud to be part of the caring
community fostered at Goostrey Community Primary School”. 

Attendance is consistently high and behaviour is typically outstanding, underpinned by a shared
vision and whole-school expectations. An experienced and committed staff team gives children
stability and continuity, and the school has strong links with the local community. 

We offer a safe, inclusive and nurturing environment where every child is encouraged to flourish,
both academically and personally. Our infant and junior buildings sit in the heart of the village,
giving the school a distinctive character and making our pupils a visible and valued part of village
life every day. 

Our outdoor spaces are important in everything we do: all year groups learn on our field and in our
forest school woodland throughout the year. Our surroundings enrich the curriculum, support
children's wellbeing and provide memorable experiences that help every child grow.

We are at an important time in the school's development. Our March 2026 Ofsted inspection
recognised many strengths, including strong personal development and wellbeing, high academic
outcomes, positive behaviour and a deeply caring school community. It also identified opportunities
to strengthen the consistency and depth of learning, develop our Early Years provision and bring
greater rigour to the use of information, systems and governance oversight. 

Our new Headteacher will have the opportunity to build confidently from these strong foundations
and lead the next stage of the school's improvement.

We are looking for a Headteacher who will:

• Share our values and lead with integrity, warmth and humility, while bringing the ambition to
  build on the school's existing strengths. 
• Be dedicated to giving every child the best possible start and ensure that support is consistently
  effective across all subjects and year groups, with inclusion, SEND provision and safeguarding
  at the centre of their practice. 
• Bring successful experience of strategic leadership at Assistant Headteacher, Deputy
  Headteacher or Headteacher level in a primary school, together with classroom experience
  across the full primary age range and a strong track record of leading school improvement. 
• Work alongside our committed staff and governors to shape a clear direction for the future,
  translating priorities into measurable improvement and leading confidently through
  technological and regulatory change. 
• Maintain high standards in learning, attendance and behaviour, using data, management
  information and self-evaluation to identify priorities, monitor impact and drive improvement. 
• Communicate openly and warmly with pupils, staff, families, governors and local partners, and
  ensure governors receive clear, timely and evidence-based information to support effective
  challenge and assurance. 
• Stay up to date with current thinking in education and ensure the curriculum and teaching
  continue to develop, with particular emphasis on depth of learning, effective feedback and the
  purposeful use of technology. 
• Oversee our budget, staffing, estate and resources effectively, ensuring that our split site and
  shared buildings support high-quality teaching, safeguarding and a positive experience for
  pupils and staff. 
• Develop staff capability through purposeful professional development, while maintaining a strong commitment to wellbeing and sustainable workloads. 
• Build strong partnerships with other schools, headteachers, trusts and professional networks so that the school continues to learn from, and contribute to, the wider education system.

In return, the school offers:

• Friendly, motivated children who love coming to school.
• A welcoming school community with a strong family feel.
• A hard-working and caring team of teaching and support staff.
• An engaging, wide-ranging curriculum full of memorable experiences.
• Families and local community stakeholders who are actively involved in school life.
• A committed Governing Board that always puts the children first, supports the Headteacher and
  provides constructive challenge in the interests of continuous improvement.
• Close working relationships with local schools and networks.
• Ongoing professional development, including support with the National Professional
  Qualification for Headship if needed.
• A genuine commitment to your wellbeing, so that you are supported to succeed.

Key dates:
Tours of the school for prospective candidates
Tuesday 13th October 2026, 1.30pm 
Thursday 15th October 2026, 1.30pm 
Monday 19th October 2026, 9.30am 
Wednesday 21st October 2026, 4.00pm 
Closing date for applications: Monday 2nd November 2026 at 11.59pm
Shortlisting: Monday 9th November 2026
Activities day: Wednesday 9th December 2026 
Interviews: Thursday 10th December 2026 

To arrange a visit and meet our children and staff, please contact the school on
admin@goostrey.cheshire.sch.uk or call 01270 918 940. 
Main Road, Goostrey, Cheshire, CW4 8PE

You must apply for this position via application form which can be obtained from: 
School Governance Team 5th Floor Delamere House c/o Municipal Buildings Earle Street, Crewe
CW1 2BJ 
Telephone: 0300 123 5036 
Email: schoolgovernanceeast@cheshireeast.gov.uk 

Application forms can also be downloaded from the DfE website.

You must return completed application forms by post or email to: 
School Governance Team 5th Floor Delamere House c/o Municipal Buildings Earle Street, Crewe
CW1 2BJ 
Email: schoolgovernanceeast@cheshireeast.gov.uk 

Application forms must be received by 11.59pm on Monday 2nd November 2026. Applications
received after this time may not be accepted.
You may provide a supporting letter with your application; this should not exceed two sides of A4
paper, font size 12. Please do not restate the factual details already included elsewhere on the
application form.

The successful applicant will be subject to the conditions of employment for Head Teachers
contained in the School Teachers' Pay and Conditions document 2026 and other current education
and employment legislation. 

The school is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people
and expects all staff, volunteers, and external agencies to share this commitment. This post is
exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, and the successful applicant will require an
enhanced DBS check. As the post will involve regulated activity with children, it is a criminal
offence to apply for this post if you are included on the children's barred list held by the DBS. Other
safer recruitment checks including an online check for shortlisted candidates will be undertaken.