Vacancies

HEAD OF SCHOOL (L1-L3, full time permanent)

A rare opportunity has arisen to join Lorton School, available from September 2026, as our new full time Head of School.  

Lorton School is located in the beautiful village of Lorton in the Lake District National Park. Its exceptional grounds face down the Lorton valley, framed by the western fells, looking towards Buttermere and Loweswater. Our pupils come from the village and wider valley area, along with those who choose the school from out of the catchment area, including from the nearby town of Cockermouth. We have 44 pupils currently on roll. The school was established in 1809 and has good links with the village and the local church community. Most children move onto Cockermouth School, with some to Keswick School, and Lorton School has effective links with both.  The most recent OFSTED inspection (July 2025) confirmed our school to be Good. 

The Local Governing Body of Lorton Primary School are looking to recruit a permanent Head of School to work with the experienced Executive Headteacher. This role includes a 0.7 teaching responsibility. This vacancy is an opportunity for an ambitious and energetic leader with a passion and a joy for outstanding teaching and learning. The successful candidate will continue to develop an engaging and ambitious curriculum and be an inspirational ambassador for our school. Our children are looking for someone who is fair, friendly and understanding, someone who likes outdoor learning and makes lessons fun.   
 
We have a dedicated staff team, supportive parents, and motivated pupils. Our school has made strong progress in recent years, and we are now seeking a Head of School who can build on this momentum, further raise standards, and inspire a culture of continuous improvement.   
 
The main purpose of the role is to:

  • promote and support the vision and direction of the school by providing the day-to-day leadership that will enable it to build success and provide high quality education for its children
  • manage the school on a day-to-day basis and be the first point of contact for all stakeholders and external agencies
  • be an ambassador for the school and both promote its distinctiveness and raise its profile in the local and wider community.

We can offer: 

  • A brilliant location in which to progress your career, with a friendly team
  • An exciting opportunity to be involved in shaping the future of the school  
  • Children who are enthusiastic learners in a school with a real family feel and that is part of a thriving and supportive local community
  • An opportunity to work within the supportive network of The Good Shepherd Trust, to lead a school with the support of an Executive Headteacher.

We are looking for:

  • A dynamic person who can be involved in leading the school through its next phase of development  
  • An excellent teacher who leads by example 
  • A superb communicator who can inspire the whole school community  

For an application pack, please see below.  If you have any difficulties downloading this please contact Sally Jackson: secretary@lorton.cumbria.sch.uk or telephone the school Mon-Fri 8am - 12noon.   For an informal discussion about the post contact Jo Laker, Executive Headteacher.  Visits to the school are warmly encouraged and can be offered on Tuesday 5th May at 1:30pm or 4:30pm or on Tuesday 12th May at 2:30pm - please book via the school office by phone or email.  
Closing Date for applications: Thursday 14th May 9am with interviews planned for 19th & 20th May.  

Please note that any applications must be on the school application form (CVs are not accepted).  

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The Good Shepherd Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare and wellbeing of its pupils across its family of schools. The Trust engages with young people and staff in policy and practice developments, proactively encourages feedback and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

All posts involving direct contact with children are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974 and the successful candidate will be required to hold, or undergo a suitable enhanced disclosure via the Disclosure and Barring Service. Amendments to the ROA 1974 (Exceptions Order 1975 (2013 & 2020)) provide that certain spent convictions and cautions are 'protected'. These are not subject to disclosure to employers and cannot be considered. Guidance and criteria on the filtering of these cautions and convictions can be found on the Ministry of Justice website.

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to complete a criminal record self-disclosure form to provide details of all unspent convictions and those that would not be filtered or protected, to be returned to school prior to the date of the interview. Applicants may be asked for further information about their criminal history during the recruitment process. If your application is successful, this self-disclosure information will be checked against information from the Disclosure & Barring Service and DfE (where relevant) before your appointment is confirmed.

The school reserves the right to carry out an online search on shortlisted candidates. This will only include a search for information which is publicly available online and is required of schools (see the updated KCSIE 2023).

NOTE: it is an offence to apply for the role if the applicant is barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.