Headteacher

Combe Pafford is a successful and popular 8-19 single academy special school situated on the coast in Torbay within easy reach of Dartmoor National Park. The school is a very popular school and always oversubscribed and has an excellent reputation locally for catering for the needs of pupils who have moderate learning difficulties, many of whom have additional needs of ASC or PD. We have 205 pre 16 pupils and a thriving sixth form of 60 students.

We are fortunate in that the school has been extensively remodelled and refurbished in recent years and we have invested heavily and created a wide range of first-class vocational facilities on-site which includes a construction hall, fully operational garage, a horticulture centre, hair salon, café which opens to the public and, at present, we are constructing a new animal care centre. The outcome of this is that on average, at least 50% of our students leave us to undertake suitable and appropriate employment.

Besides a wide-ranging academic offer, we are also extremely keen to help youngsters develop their personal and social skills through wide-ranging enrichment and residential opportunities, which recently has included visits to Europe, China and Costa Rica and at present, planning is underway for students to visit a link school in Kenya with another group going to Gran Canaria.

Our vision is to develop a successful school that delivers the very best educational experience with a clear focus on raising standards and having high aspirations for all pupils and students whilst celebrating each individual’s uniqueness.

Our current Headteacher is retiring in August 2024 and Governors are now looking to appoint a suitably experienced senior leader who has well developed inspirational leadership qualities and a strong desire to build upon our strengths and successes and lead the school to further developments in the future.

If you are innovative, creative, forward thinking, and have a passion for working with staff and communities to ensure children with special educational needs get the education they deserve, this is your opportunity to make a real difference.

The successful candidate will need to be someone who:

•  Is a strong advocate for children and young people with special educational needs
• Who believes in providing a wide ranging and holistic approach to education
• Has the ability to maintain and enrich the school’s ethos, culture and traditions
• Has a proven track record in senior leadership and working constructively with Governors
• Is able to lead and inspire a large staff of over 130 members of staff.
•  Has a belief that all children are capable of great things and that learning should be fun
•  Can focus on improving the quality of teaching and improving outcomes for children
• Has developed robust and accurate systems of self-evaluation which have led to improved outcomes
• Can develop positive relationships with parents, carers and the wider community