Welcome, and thank you for your interest in our Headteacher opportunity
Welburn Hall is proudly recognised as a specialist provision for autism and complex needs, with a strong national and local reputation for excellence. Our highly dedicated and experienced staff team work closely together to provide high‑quality teaching, personalised support and meaningful outcomes for children and young people aged 8-19 with a wide range of special educational needs. Relationships sit firmly at the heart of our practice, creating a caring, safe and nurturing environment where pupils feel understood and are able to flourish socially, emotionally and academically.
We are a growing school with clear ambition, high expectations and a commitment to continuous improvement. Inspectors consistently highlight the strong bonds between staff and pupils, the positive behaviour and attitudes across the school, and the outstanding personal development our learners achieve. Our community is supportive, outward‑facing and highly valued by the families we serve.
For an informal, confidential conversation about the role please email Chloe Bullen, who has been engaged to support us with recruitment to this key role, or call on 01609 536964. We would encourage you to come and visit in advance of your application and see for yourself the enthusiasm that our pupils have for their education. Such a visit is not part of the selection process, and whether applicants have visited will not influence the outcome. You may also find it helpful to explore our school website, where you can gain further insight into our vision, values and daily life at Welburn Hall School.
We hope that the information we have provided encourages you to make an application to become part of this vibrant and aspirational environment.
On behalf of the governing body, thank you again for your interest in Welburn Hall School.
Yours faithfully,
Rev Alan Payne (Chair)
Our Vision & Values
Welburn Hall school will continue to be locally and nationally recognised as a specialist provision for autism and complex needs. We remain committed to being a centre of excellence. We will continue to provide high quality support, teaching and outcomes for our pupils, families and local schools.
Learn more about our Headteacher opportunity
Location: Welburn Hall School, Kirkbymoorside, YO62 7HQ
Contract: Permanent
Hours/ Working Pattern: 0.4 - 0.6 FTE by negotiation
Salary/ Hourly Rate: L22-L29
Closing Date: 12th April 2026
Interview date: 27th & 28th April 2026
Start Date: September 2026
Our Opportunity:
We are looking for an experienced and visionary senior leader to join our busy and thriving 8-19 special school and to provide joint strategic leadership during a very exciting period of growth and strategic development. Our main building, the historic house, has been extensively refurbished and, while originally intended for residential places, is now used for an additional 4 classrooms. This has allowed us to increase our student numbers to 135+, but also leaves space in the East Wing and grounds (including 2 bungalows) to develop our contribution to Alternative Provision, to extend our regional support for SEND needs and to generate potential income to contribute to our financial stability.
Our current headteacher job-share has been in place for two years and the Governors are pleased with the success of this arrangement and its benefits to the school. The present Co head is leaving after 11 years to explore how her considerable and nationally recognised skills, knowledge and experience of SEND can be used on a wider canvas. We are looking for someone with proven collaborative skills, who can take up a 0.4-0.6 share of the headteacher role and to co-lead the school successfully within the changing landscape of the new national strategy for SEND, extending our relationships with mainstream schools and further developing our role as a centre of excellence in SEND provision and practice.
About You:
You will be an outstanding teacher with substantial senior leader experience and a proven track record of whole school change management. Ideally you will currently work in a special school but relevant experience in other settings will be considered, providing you have a sound understanding of special education.
You will be working closely alongside the incumbent Co-Headteacher, co-leading the school and managing the staff. Ideally you will already have experience in school improvement and development planning, with a strong ability to inspire and co-lead your team.
Our wonderful children need someone who will be dedicated to ensuring that they reach their full academic potential, someone with a strongly positive mindset and most of all, a great sense of humour!
In return we can promise you:
- A unique, caring and ambitious school, where pupils are understood, respected and supported as individuals, and where relationships and wellbeing sit at the heart of our practice.
- A strong, stable and forward‑thinking leadership team, recently restructured to enhance capacity, succession planning and the development of emerging leaders.
- A highly skilled, dedicated and nurturing staff team who are committed to providing high‑quality specialist education for pupils with autism, complex needs and a wide range of SEND.
- A growing school with clear strategic direction, including curriculum review, development of outreach and alternative provision, strengthening SEND practice, and expanding early years and Key Stage 1 pathways.
- A supportive, fully engaged Governing Body with a rich skill set, committed to staff wellbeing, school improvement and the long‑term sustainability of the school.
- Strong partnerships with the Local Authority, with positive working relationships that support school development, SEND planning and outreach work.
- A highly valued school community, including an active and enthusiastic Home School Association who contribute significantly to the life of the school through fundraising, enrichment activities and community engagement.
- Extensive collaboration with local and regional networks, including mainstream and special schools, teaching hubs, headteacher groups and safeguarding partnerships, ensuring practice is outward‑facing and professionally connected.
- A unique and inspiring setting, including 20 acres of beautiful grounds, a historic house, hydrotherapy pool, sensory room, Forest School, on‑site farm and further spaces ready for future development.
- A clear long‑term vision, focused on developing our site and offer, enhancing outreach and AP provision, consolidating our new leadership structure, and maintaining financial stability.
- The opportunity to lead meaningful change, shaping provision in response to national SEND reforms, strengthening data‑informed practice, and supporting staff wellbeing, attendance and professional growth.
- A community that believes in what we do, values our specialist expertise, and shares a commitment to ensuring every pupil can thrive, achieve and enjoy a rich, individualised education
For an informal, confidential conversation about the role please call Chloe on 01609 536964 or email. Chloe has been engaged to support us with recruitment to this exciting opportunity.
Key dates
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 Chloe.
Dates when we can accommodate visits are 25th & 26th March - if these are not possible for you please contact Chloe, as we may be able to offer alternatives.
Application closing date: Sunday 12th April
Shortlisting: Tuesday 14th April
Interviews: Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th April
Information About Our School
About us
Set in more than 20 acres of beautiful North Yorkshire countryside, Welburn Hall School sits just outside the market town of Kirkbymoorside on the edge of the North York Moors National Park. Originally a stately home, the Hall has been a thriving specialist school since the 1950s, offering a calm and inspiring environment in which to learn, live and work.
Our recently refurbished buildings and extensive grounds provide excellent facilities, supported by a dedicated and caring staff team. Together, we create a nurturing, purposeful atmosphere where every pupil is known well and supported to achieve their very best.
As a North Yorkshire Council maintained special school, Welburn Hall is nationally recognised for its specialist provision for autism and complex needs. We are a National Nurture School with a strong reputation for excellence; offering a dynamic, innovative and unique learning journey for pupils aged 8 to 19 years, with a wide range of physical disabilities or learning difficulties and special educational needs. We currently have 133 pupils on roll, with numbers expected to grow to 145 in September.
We are proud to be accredited by the National Autistic Society, demonstrating our commitment to understanding autism and providing high‑quality, specialist support. Strong relationships are central to our work: inspectors consistently highlight the warm, caring culture of the school, the strong bonds between staff and pupils, and the safe, nurturing environment that allows learners to flourish.
Our staff are our greatest resource. Highly experienced and deeply committed, they bring specialist expertise and a relational approach to supporting pupils with a wide range of needs. This expertise contributes to pupils making strong academic progress and outstanding personal and social development, as evidenced in inspection findings.
We are a growing school with a clear vision and high aspirations. Our ethos and core values—respect, perseverance and excellence—are lived out daily and guide our commitment to enabling every pupil to thrive.
By Striving We Conquer
Facilities & Activities
Our 20 acres of spacious grounds provide the perfect setting for our Forest School curriculum and is also home to our very own farm “The Orchard” which allows pupils to spend time caring for animals and is utilised for Animal Care Vocational Accreditation and equine therapy.
Our excellent facilities extend inside too, our pupils enjoy a hydrotherapy pool, sensory room, and a purpose-built food technology room.
We have potential to progress our facilities further, the East Wing of the house and bungalows on site could be developed to provide further alternative provision.
Our Strengths
- A Growing School – with rising pupil numbers and an ambitious vision for continued development.
- An Experienced Team – staff are skilled, dedicated and deeply committed to pupils’ learning and wellbeing.
- Specialists in Autism – nationally recognised for high‑quality autism practice and accredited by the National Autistic Society.
- A Well‑Valued Local Provision – widely respected by families, partners and the local community.
- Strong Pupil Progress – with good academic outcomes and outstanding personal development highlighted by inspectors.
- A Relational and Nurturing Approach – built on strong staff‑pupil relationships, care, and a culture where every learner feels safe and understood.
Our Pupils
Welburn Hall School serves children and young people from a wide geographical area, drawing pupils from across North Yorkshire and neighbouring local authorities. As a North Yorkshire Council maintained special school, we provide a specialist, inclusive and nurturing learning environment for pupils aged 8–19 with a wide range of special educational needs. All pupils have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and follow highly individualised learning pathways designed to help them thrive academically, socially and emotionally.
Our Learner Profile
Welburn Hall supports pupils with a broad spectrum of needs, reflecting its reputation as a specialist provision for autism and complex needs. These include:
- Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD)
- Autism / Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) — a core specialism of the school, recognised nationally and locally
- Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD)
- Physical Disabilities (PD)
- Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN)
- Social, Emotional and Mental Health Needs (SEMH)
- Hearing Impairment (HI)
- Visual Impairment (VI)
These needs are typically categorised within four areas also represented in the school’s website and SEN profile:
- Cognition and Learning
- Communication and Interaction — including specialist autism provision
- Social, Emotional and Mental Health
- Physical, Sensory and Medical Needs
We have wonderful pupils, who brighten every day and make it a blessing to work at Welburn Hall school. Our curriculum has been developed to ensure it meets the needs of all our pupils and offers a blend of formal and informal learning. We want to enable successful learners, who enjoy learning, make progress and achieve their aspirational goals.
As pupils progress and transition into adulthood, we want to develop confident individuals who can live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives as independently as possible and are responsible citizens, who can make a positive contribution to society and their communities. Our prospectus can be found here.
Attendance, Behaviour & Wellbeing
Welburn Hall is recognised as a warm, caring and safe school, where strong relationships between staff and pupils underpin learning and behaviour. Staff understand pupils exceptionally well and act with care and skill, including when behaviour presents challenges linked to SEND.
Ofsted inspectors confirm that staff manage behaviour effectively and consistently:
“As a special school, pupils’ behaviour is sometimes challenging. However, staff are adept at managing such situations, acting in line with the school’s behaviour policy. As a result, school is calm and settled most of the time.”
- Ofsted 2022
The school’s strong relational approach supports positive re‑integration practice, contributing to very low levels of suspension and no permanent exclusions - a reflection of the nurturing environment and high expectations.
A Diverse and High‑Need Cohort
Welburn Hall serves a significant number of vulnerable pupils, including 55.8% eligible for free school meals. Despite the complexity of need, the school maintains an ordered, calm environment where pupils feel safe, supported and able to succeed
Our Staffing Team
Welburn Hall is proud of its strong, stable and ambitious staffing team. Recent restructuring has strengthened our leadership capacity, ensuring the school is well‑placed for its next stage of development. Our senior leaders are dynamic, collaborative and deeply committed to securing the very best outcomes for pupils with complex needs.
The team includes Co‑Headteachers, two Assistant Headteachers, an Operations Manager, Site Manager, and a Safeguarding & Welfare Lead, bringing together strategic oversight, pastoral expertise and operational strength. Clear succession pathways and distributed leadership ensure staff have opportunities to grow, take on new responsibilities and contribute meaningfully to whole‑school improvement.
SEND leadership is a key strength at Welburn Hall. All teaching staff contribute to SEND reviews and are confident in their role in meeting pupil needs, supported by an Assistant Headteacher who holds the SENDCo qualification. This whole‑school ethos of shared responsibility ensures pupils’ needs remain central to everything we do.
Our staff are experienced, nurturing and highly skilled in working with each of our learners. They maintain the calm, relational environment the school is known for, and they play a crucial role in supporting the wellbeing, progress and independence of our pupils.
Leadership Priorities for Our New Co‑Headteacher
As we continue to grow and evolve, our new Co‑Headteacher will play a central role in guiding the next phase of development. Key areas of focus will include:
- Curriculum Review: Ensuring our curriculum remains ambitious, relevant and tailored to our changing cohorts.
- Strengthening SEND Provision: Responding proactively to national changes in SEND policy and aligning our practice with emerging expectations.
- Staff Wellbeing: Building on existing systems to support workload, morale and long‑term staff retention.
- Data Analysis: Using robust data to inform teaching, track progress across pathways and support strategic decision‑making.
- Developing Middle Leadership: Strengthening the skills, confidence and capacity of our middle leaders to deepen distributed leadership across the school.
These priorities sit alongside our ongoing commitment to nurturing relationships, individualised learning and a culture where every pupil and every member of staff feels valued.
Our Governing Body
Currently there are 8 members in addition to headteachers, and all have voting rights on their committees and the Full Governing Body.
Rev Alan Payne Chair – Safeguarding, Attendance, Staff Wellbeing
Retired Teacher of RE, Parish Priest, Area Dean, Director of Ministry Development and Training.
Helen Porter - Vice Chair, -Digital Safety Filtering and Monitoring Governor Curriculum T&L
Retired Specialist School Headteacher
Dr Susan Morgan -Health & Safety, Resources, Preparation for Adulthood Careers
Retired Secondary School Headteacher
Dr Jon James - Pupil Premium, Resources, Student Wellbeing
Retired Paediatrician
Rebecca Sealey - Staff Governor, Special Educational Needs, & Disability Coordinator
Welburn Hall School SENDco
Ms Holly Benson - Co-opted Governor SEND Statutory Compliance
SENDco
Mr Alex Wynn - Parent governor – Parental and student engagement
Taxi Driver
Mrs Sue Khafagy – Parent Governor Parental and student engagement
Qualified Hypnotherapist and Counsellor
Three new governors are due to be coopted at the March Governors Meeting
Welburn Hall is a warm, caring and ambitious school where pupils are known as individuals and supported to thrive. Staff build strong, respectful relationships with learners, creating a sense of safety, belonging and confidence that underpins every aspect of school life.
Our vision reflects both our specialist expertise and our commitment to excellence:
Welburn Hall School will continue to be locally and nationally recognised as a specialist provision for autism and complex needs. We remain committed to being a centre of excellence, providing high‑quality support, teaching and outcomes for our pupils, their families and the wider community.
High expectations are central to our culture. Leaders set clear standards, staff are committed and skilled, and pupils are encouraged and supported to achieve their very best. This shared ambition is rooted in a deep understanding of each learner:
“At Welburn Hall School, expectations are high. Leaders expect staff to do their jobs well… Staff expect pupils to achieve… Not least, this is because pupils are understood, treated and respected as individuals.” – Ofsted 2022
Together, our nurturing approach, specialist knowledge and strong relationships ensure every pupil is valued, supported and able to flourish.
“At Welburn Hall School, expectations are high. Leaders expect staff to do their jobs well, which they do. Governors expect leaders to fulfil their roles effectively, which they do. Staff expect pupils to achieve, which they do. Not least, this is because pupils are understood, treated and respected as individuals.” – Ofsted 2022
Our Curriculum
Our students enjoy a varied programme that includes classroom-based curriculum learning, sensory activities, music therapy, swimming and access to a hydrotherapy pool. They also take part in outdoor learning on the Farm and in Forest School, as well as enterprise projects such as running the school tuck shop.
Students can achieve Entry Level 1 - Entry Level 3 courses in various subjects / topics. Functional skills Levels 1 & 2 and occasionally GCSE
Pre-Formal Curriculum - Focus is on early communication and social and emotional and cognitive skills as the foundation of learning.
Semi-Formal Curriculum - Designed to develop independence and functional life skills with short bursts of focused, adult directed tasks.
Formal Curriculum - Formal learners follow a ‘Welburnised’ National Curriculum, which allows us to be flexible and adapt programmes of study to the needs, strengths and interests of our learners.
College curriculum - Designed to be responsive and flexible to meet the needs, interests and aspirations of a diverse group of learners aged 16 -19. This curriculum covers Functional English, Maths, & ICT to enable students to apply their knowledge and understanding to everyday life. Subjects also include vocational studies, work experience, preparation for adulthood, and developing a healthy lifestyle.
Vocational Studies
- Catering & Hospitality - Delivered on site, students develop practical cooking and hygiene skills while running the college tuck shop.
- Animal Care - Based at The Orchard, students work hands-on with small and large animals, learning about their health, welfare and wellbeing.
- Construction - Delivered at York College, students learn key trade skills including bricklaying, plumbing, tiling and site safety.
Our aim is to ensure all pupils and students have the opportunities they need to reach their full potential for academic achievement, independence and personal development.
Work Experience
Students gain valuable insight into the world of work through placements linked to their personal interests and aspirations as closely as possible.
Opportunities include both on-site and community-based roles such as:
- Gardening Assistant at Helmsley Walled Garden
- Animal Care Assistant at the Birds of Prey Centre
- Shop Assistant in local charity shops
- Stable Assistant at a local Horse Yard
- In-house jobs (recycling, library support and cooking staff lunches)
And more..
Some students remain in one placement for the full academic year to build confidence, commitment and work-based skills. Others rotate between placements to explore different career options
Enterprise students run real-world projects such as staff lunches, craft sales and the school market stall, developing teamwork, communication and business awareness.
We are extremely grateful to our work experience partners who provide work experience placements and support our students in their career journey.
Wellbeing of Staff and Pupils
Wellbeing is central to the culture of Welburn Hall School. The school is recognised as a warm, caring and supportive community where pupils feel safe, valued and understood. Staff build strong, trusting relationships with pupils, creating a calm and nurturing environment in which behaviour is managed with skill, sensitivity and consistency. Pupils benefit from clear routines, positive relationships and a sense of belonging, which helps maintain the settled atmosphere that characterises daily life at the school.
Staff wellbeing is also a high priority. Leaders engage openly with staff, listen to their views and are mindful of workload and pressures, ensuring that wellbeing is supported across the team. Staff wellbeing is a key strategic focus for the coming years, reflecting our commitment to developing a positive, sustainable working culture. Professional development, strong pastoral support and collaborative leadership structures all contribute to staff feeling valued, supported and part of a shared vision.
This combined commitment to the wellbeing of both pupils and staff ensures that Welburn Hall remains a nurturing, aspirational and resilient school community where everyone has the opportunity to flourish.
Relationships with parents, carers and the local community
Welburn Hall enjoys strong, positive relationships with parents, carers and the wider community. Families have a high level of confidence in the school, reflected in very positive feedback from recent parental surveys and daily interactions with staff. This trust is rooted in the school’s nurturing ethos, clear communication and the strong sense of partnership that underpins our work with every child and young person.
Home School Association
Our vibrant Home School Association plays a central role in the life of the school. The HSA is an enthusiastic and committed group who organise a wide range of events and activities throughout the year. Their fundraising efforts support major school projects such as playground improvements and transport, while also funding fun and memorable experiences for pupils. Their generosity, time and dedication add enormous richness to our school community, and their commitment reflects the strong sense of belonging shared by families and staff.
“I really want to say a heartfelt thank you to parents, carers, staff and many others for their kind donations to our school funds. I am constantly overwhelmed by the financial support, and the time that is given to us; without which our work would be considerably harder. We have a fantastic community, which I’m incredibly proud to be part of. Thank you.” – HSA Chair
Riding for the Disabled
We partner with Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA), they are pioneers in the therapeutic use of horses, leaders in disability sport, and the only major UK charity focused specifically on the health and wellbeing benefits of bringing people and horses together. This collaboration enhances our curriculum offer and provides pupils with therapeutic and wellbeing benefits, building confidence, communication and physical development through work with trained horses and experienced volunteers.
Relationship with LA
The school maintains a strong and constructive relationship with Local Authority officers. This partnership supports school improvement, ensures alignment with local SEND priorities, and provides guidance as the school continues to grow and adapt within an evolving national SEND landscape
Wider networks
Welburn Hall is an active and well‑connected member of the wider educational community. We work closely with local mainstream and special schools, sharing expertise and contributing to system‑wide SEND support. Staff and leaders participate in a range of collaborative networks, including:
- Local teaching hubs
- Locality Board
- Ryedale Headteachers
- Special Heads groups
- Safeguarding partnerships
These networks help ensure our practice remains current, outward‑facing and informed by national developments, while also enabling us to share our own specialist expertise.
In Welburn Hall’s last Ofsted report (2022) the school was judged to be “Good”:
Key findings of the most recent Ofsted Report and actions taken since release:
Ofsted – Good, May 2022
- Welburn Hall School is a warm and caring school. All staff want the very best for the pupils who attend. As such, ambitions are high.
- Staff, both teaching and non-teaching, know their pupils well. Strong bonds have been forged between staff and pupils. Relationships are at the heart of the school.
- Behaviour overall is good. The school is an ordered community.
- Leaders’ curriculum is ambitious and is well-matched to the needs of pupils.
- Assessment is used effectively by staff to ensure that leaders’ aspirations for what
pupils can achieve are well realised.
- Pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school.
- There is a strong culture of safeguarding in school. Leaders are keenly aware of the additional vulnerabilities presented by pupils with SEND.
Steps to Improve
- In some subjects, the detailed information which describes the precise subject content and skills to be taught is less developed than in others. Leaders should ensure that the current curriculum work they are doing in consultation with the local authority is completed on schedule so that all curriculum plans are of comparable precision.
- Leaders should ensure that the planned introduction of their chosen scheme of systematic synthetic phonics is completed as anticipated, including the planned associated training for staff from the scheme’s trainers and the purchasing of scheme-specific resources.
- The effectiveness of the sixth-form provision is limited in achieving its full potential because its leadership is shared between several people. This means that there is no overarching strategic leadership of the sixth form. As a result, there are occasionally missed chances to fully seize the opportunities presented by the sixth-form curriculum. Leaders, including governors, should take action to bring the strategic leadership of the sixth-form provision into sharper focus.
| Progress against previous inspection | ||||
| Areas to improve | Progress | |||
| 1. Programmes of study are in place across the curriculum, setting out what is to be learned and in what order. In some subjects, the detailed information which describes the precise subject content and skills to be taught is less developed than in others. Leaders should ensure that the current curriculum work they are doing in consultation with the local authority is completed on schedule so that all curriculum plans are of comparable precision.
2. Leaders should ensure that the planned introduction of their chosen scheme of systematic synthetic phonics is completed as anticipated, including the planned associated training for staff from the scheme’s trainers and the purchasing of scheme-specific resources.
3.The effectiveness of the sixth-form provision is limited in achieving its full potential because its leadership is shared between several people. This means that there is no overarching strategic leadership of the sixth form. As a result, there are occasionally missed chances to fully seize the opportunities presented by the sixth-form curriculum. Leaders, including governors, should take action to bring the strategic leadership of the sixth-form provision into sharper focus |
1. Achieved and kept under review
2. Achieved and ongoing
3. Achieved October 2025 following SRMA outcome |
|||
Pupil achievement, attainment and progress
Welburn Hall School - Compare school and college performance data in England - GOV.UK
2025 results
| KS4 | KS5 | |
| Open Awards Functional Mathematics | · 3 x Entry Level 1
· 2 x Entry Level 2 · 4 x Entry Level 3 |
|
| Open Awards Functional English Reading | · 4 x Entry Level 1
· 3 x Entry Level 2 · 3 x Entry Level 3 |
1 x Entry Level 3 |
| Open Awards Functional English Writing | · 2 x Entry Level 1
· 4 x Entry Level 2 · 3 x Entry Level 3 · 1 x Level 1 |
1 x Entry Level 2
3 x Entry Level 3 |
| Open Awards Functional English Speaking and Listening | · 3x Entry Level 1
· 3 x Entry Level 2 · 3 x Entry Level 3 · 1 x Level 1 |
2x Entry Level 2
5 x Entry Level 3 1 x Level 1 |
| Open Awards IT User Skills | · 5 x Entry Level 3 | |
| OCR Entry Level Geography | · 1x Entry Level 2
· 4 x Entry Level 3 |
|
| OCR Entry Level History | · 4x Entry Level 1 | |
| OCR Entry Level Science | · 1 x Entry Level 1
· 1 x Entry Level 2 · 3 x Entry Level 3 |
|
| Open Awards Portfolios | ||
| Creative Arts Award | · 8 x Entry Level 3 | |
| Skills for Further Learning and Employment Diploma | · 7 x Entry Level 1
· 4 x Level 1 |
|
| Skills for Further Learning and Employment Award | · 1x Entry Level 1 Certificate
· 2 x Entry Level 1 · 1 x Entry Level 2 |
|
| Animal Care Award | · 5 x Entry Level 2 | |
| Hospitality and Catering Skills Award | · 4 x Entry Level 1 | |
| Travelling in the Community Award | · 2 x Entry Level 2 | |
| Looking After Yourself and Your Home Award |
|
· 5 x Entry Level 3 |
Budget position
Welburn Hall - Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool - GOV.UK
Welburn Hall is entering a period of financial stability, with an in‑year surplus now forecast for the next three years following an extended period of deficit. This improved position is supported by a developing business plan focused on generating additional income and strengthened further by growing pupil numbers and a significant expansion of day‑provision capacity. Recent work to review EHCP bandings has successfully secured more accurate and sustainable funding levels, ensuring resources more closely reflect pupil need. Alongside this strengthened financial outlook, the school continues to benefit from strong relationships with local schools and confirmed strategic investment from North Yorkshire Council to enhance facilities and expand our offer from September 2025. We hope this provision will create additional incomes streams and will be a key part of our new Co-Headteacher’s focus.
Welburn Hall is an ambitious and forward‑looking school, committed to continual improvement and to evolving our provision in response to the needs of our pupils, families and community. As we grow, we remain focused on both the immediate priorities that will strengthen our practice and the long‑term aspirations that will shape our future.
Short and Mid‑Term Priorities
Our immediate development work focuses on strengthening key areas that will support high‑quality provision and long‑term sustainability:
- Curriculum Review – ensuring our curriculum remains ambitious, well‑sequenced and responsive to changing cohorts.
- Strengthening SEND Provision – aligning our practice with national changes to SEND and maintaining our reputation as a specialist centre of excellence.
- Staff Wellbeing – continuing to build supportive systems that promote workload balance, attendance and a positive working culture.
- Data Analysis – enhancing our use of data to drive teaching, track progress and inform strategic decision‑making.
- Middle Leadership Development – building capacity, confidence and clarity of roles within our middle leadership team.
| OBJECTIVES FOR 2025-26 | ||
| Objective 1 | Work collaboratively with the LA to develop the Outreach Offer/traded services including developing a Key Stage 1/ Early years offer by Summer 2026 - | Status: Ongoing |
| Objective 2 | Staffing recruitment and restructuring plan for Sept 26 including curriculum revision - DONE | Status: Complete |
| Objective 3 | Whole staff training on specific SEN priorities: dyslexia, ADHD, PDA, revise training on ND/ASC (completed in twilight Oct 25) | Status: Complete |
| Objective 4 | Staff wellbeing and attendance improves - ongoing | Status: Ongoing |
Long‑Term Ambitions
Looking ahead over the next three to five years, we aim to further enhance our environment, partnerships and leadership capacity:
- Maximising Our Grounds and Premises – fully developing our historic buildings, East Wing and wider site to support a broader range of pupil pathways.
- Strengthening Collaboration with Mainstream Schools – expanding joint work, shared expertise and inclusive practice across the local area.
- Developing AP and Outreach – building a robust alternative provision and outreach offer that meets local and regional needs.
- Evolving the School Offer – continually enhancing our curriculum, therapeutic support and pathways for independence.
- Consolidating the New Leadership Team – embedding our restructured leadership model to secure long‑term stability.
- Maintaining Financial Stability – sustaining prudent financial management in a changing national landscape.
Future Considerations
As the educational landscape evolves, we are exploring:
- Potential academisation or forming partnerships with other schools.
- Strengthening communication between governors, staff and parents, including improved use of digital platforms.
Future Challenges
One of our key strategic challenges will be working with the Local Authority to develop a shared vision for SEND, ensuring Welburn Hall continues to play a central role in meeting both local and regional needs.
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is England's largest county and one of the most rural. The area comprises the Yorkshire Dales and North York Moors, three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a stunning coastline around Scarborough and Whitby. There are ruined castles and abbeys, serene gardens, unique breweries, thrilling rides and industrial heritage. The area hosted the phenomenal Tour de France ‘Grand Depart’ in 2014 and has since created the Tour de Yorkshire, an annual event with global recognition. Our success in supporting these events led to Harrogate hosting the UCI Cycling World Championships in 2019.
North Yorkshire has plenty to offer the outdoor enthusiast. From the hard gritstone of Almscliff and Brimham rocks to the limestone of Malham, Gordale and Kilnsey climbing venues are in abundance. The Yorkshire Dales is the premier area for caving and for mountain biking; there are the bridleways of the Dales and North York Moors as well as the renowned trail centre at Dalby Forest. There are a small number of sailing clubs on reservoirs around the county and fantastic surfsport venues and sea kayaking on the east coast.
While the county is rightly known for its wide open spaces, it also incorporates attractive market towns including Pickering and Helmsley, traditional seaside towns, the Spa town of Harrogate and the ancient city of York - the most visited city outside of London. There are a wide range of shopping, leisure and cultural facilities as well as excellent schools, universities, road and rail links, there really is everything to offer you and your family as a place to work, live and enjoy!
Travelling further afield we have convenient connectivity, with close proximity to metropolitan cities of Leeds and Newcastle, with little over two hours commute on the main train line to London. We border the Lake District, Lancashire, County Durham, and Yorkshire & Humber regions with all they have to offer.
You can find out more about what North Yorkshire has to offer on the Visit North Yorkshire website.
North Yorkshire Local Authority
North Yorkshire Council has a strong reputation for delivering high-quality services. Our Children’s Services are nationally recognised for excellence and routinely share best practice across the sector. Our teams are proud of what has been achieved and are committed to continuous improvement, ensuring services deliver real impact for children, young people and families while making effective use of public money. North Yorkshire serves a diverse and dispersed population of around 615,400 people, including 151,000 children, across more than 8,000 square kilometres. Our relationship-based “Strength in Relationships” practice model is embedded across the workforce, underpinned by strong partnership working at all levels.
We are deeply committed to ensuring children and young people are safe, happy, healthy and able to achieve within inclusive, high-quality services that value diversity and individuality. This vision is shaped by children and young people themselves, who told us that what matters most to them can be summed up in one word: Opportunity. We want life chances to be shaped by aspiration and potential, not circumstance or geography.
As the Headteacher of a North Yorkshire Local Authority (LA) maintained school, you will benefit from a comprehensive school improvement offer from the CYPS Education Standards and Inclusion team and access to a wide range of traded services designed to support you in your role. This includes:
- Participation in our ‘Welcome to North Yorkshire’ programme for new headteachers and those new to North Yorkshire, led by the School Improvement Team. The welcome team will ensure you have a clear understanding of working as a headteacher within North Yorkshire and will guide you through key aspects of headship, including Human Resources, School Finance, Governance, Health and Safety, SEND and inclusion, and safeguarding.
- Support from an experienced mentor headteacher who will work alongside you as you establish yourself into your role.
- A named Senior Education Adviser (SEA) from the School Improvement Team, who will support your school improvement journey through our core and enhanced offer. Your SEA will act as your first point of contact, helping you navigate and access wider services as needed.
- Access to specialist school improvement advisers, including experts in Safeguarding, Early Years, Religious Education, Health and Wellbeing and Governance.
- A wide range of specialist teams, traded services, training courses and resources available through North Yorkshire Education Services (NYES), including our recently launched Inclusive Mainstream Toolkit.
- Participation in termly CYPS briefings, offering opportunities to network with colleagues across both LA-maintained and academy sectors in North Yorkshire.
- Weekly LA updates via our ‘redbag’ communications, alongside comprehensive guidance available on the CYPS-info website.
- Access to the biennial Growing Up in North Yorkshire (GUNY) survey, enabling your school to gather valuable pupil voice on health, wellbeing, and educational experiences.
- Opportunities to participate in our Healthy Schools programme, supported by specialist advisers.
Information About Application and Guidance
When applying please consider the following supporting documents:
Download Person Specification - Headteacher (.docx) (opens in a new tab)
Download Job Description - Headteacher (.docx) (opens in a new tab)
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. One of these must be from your most recent employer.
Your application plays an important part in your selection. As part of the application process, you may have been asked to demonstrate within this application form how you meet some or all of the criteria or key competencies outlined in the person specification. The supporting information section of your application should clearly evidence your ability to meet these requirements. This will be used to shortlist applicants for this role and therefore it is imperative that you provide evidence as requested. Rather than simply repeating your career history, look at the skills and experience required by the job and provide evidence that you possess them by giving specific and detailed examples which include a focus on outcomes and on your own contribution to the scenario. Try to use different and varied examples wherever possible.
When completing these sections, do not forget the skills and experience you have gained outside full-time work. Outlining your previous work experience or other responsibilities may help you to uncover skills which you have taken for granted and which are clear signs of your ability to do the job.
Should you require the application form in a different format, please contact Resourcing Solutions.
Canvassing
Should your application be for a local authority school, you must not try to influence an elected Council Member, any council employee or a member of the school governing body, to act in your favour, as this will disqualify you. If you are related to a Councillor, a Council employee or a governor you must indicate this in the relevant section of the application form.
Data Protection
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 by reading our privacy notice.
Rehabilitation of Offenders
The post you are applying for requires you to have an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service criminal records check for work with children, with a barred list check if you work in regulated activity. This check for disclosure of criminal history will include spent convictions, pending prosecutions / current court proceeding and police enquiries.
Should you be shortlisted, you will be asked to disclose full details of your criminal history prior to your interview. This includes any information deemed relevant as part of Keeping Children Safe in Education which may arise in an online search undertaken on shortlisted candidates. This information may be discussed with you at your interview in order to assess job related risks, but we emphasise that your application will be considered on merit and ability and you will not be discriminated against unfairly. Failure to disclose this information will result in any offer of employment being withdrawn.
Please also see the policy statement on the Recruitment of Ex-offenders below.
Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-offenders (Source www.gov.uk)
- As an organisation assessing applicants’ suitability for positions which are included in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order using criminal record checks processed through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), this school complies fully with the DBS code of practice and undertakes to treat all applicants for positions fairly.
- This school undertakes not to discriminate unfairly against any subject of a criminal record check on the basis of a conviction or other information revealed.
- This school can only ask an individual to provide details of convictions and cautions that it is legally entitled to know about. Where a DBS certificate can legally be requested (where the position is one that is included in the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) order 1975 as amended, and where appropriate Policy Act Regulations as amended) this school can only ask an individual about convictions and cautions that are not protected.
- This school is committed to the fair treatment of its staff and potential staff, regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, responsibilities for dependents, age, physical/mental disability or offending background.
- This school has this written policy on the recruitment of ex-offenders, which is made available to all DBS applicants at the start of the recruitment process.
- This school actively promotes equality of opportunity for all with the right mix of talent, skills and potential and welcome applications from a wide range of candidates, including those with criminal records. Candidates are selected for interview based on their skills, qualifications and experience and criminal record information is only requested from short-listed candidates.
- A disclosure is only requested from the DBS after a thorough risk assessment has indicated that one is both proportionate and relevant to the position concerned. For those positions where a criminal record check is identified as necessary, all application forms, job adverts and recruitment briefs will contain a statement that a DBS certificate will be requested in the event of the individual being offered the position.
- This school ensures that all those who are involved in the recruitment process have been suitably trained to identify and assess the relevance and circumstances of offences.
- This school also ensures that they have received appropriate guidance and training in the relevant legislation relating to the employment of ex-offenders, e.g. the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
- At interview, or in a separate discussion, this school ensures that an open and measured discussion takes place on the subject of any offences or other matter that might be relevant to the position. Failure to reveal information that is directly relevant to the position sought could lead to withdrawal of an offer of employment.
- This school makes every subject of a criminal record check submitted to DBS aware of the existence of the code of practice and makes a copy available on request.
- This school undertakes to discuss any matter revealed on a DBS certificate with the individual seeking the position before withdrawing a conditional offer of employment.
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 and safeguarding 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.