Contract Type: Permanent

Salary: Leadership L8 £61,534 - L12 £67,898

Hours Per Week: 100%, full time

Base Location: St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Kynder Street, Denton, M34 2AR

Assessment Date: Shortlisting Tuesday 14th April 2026, Interviews Wednesday 22nd April 2026

Required: September 2026

Are you a practising Catholic with a strong, lived faith and deep commitment to Catholic Education? Are you passionate about nurturing young minds within an inclusive and nurturing environment? If so, St. Mary’s RC Primary School in Denton is seeking a dedicated and inspiring leader to join us in shaping the future of our pupils. This is a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact in a school where every child is valued as precious and unique, and where we work together to help them fulfil their God-given potential.

St. Mary’s is a welcoming Roman Catholic Primary School with a strong sense of community, rooted in gospel values where the children are at the heart of everything we do. We are a one-form entry school serving a diverse and growing community in Denton.

Our vision is simple yet powerful: To love God, Love learning and Love each other. We work closely with families, our parish, and the wider community to nurture faith, respect, and positive attitudes to learning.

We are seeking a passionate and visionary leader who will play a key role in driving forward our school improvement priorities, while continuing to build on our Catholic ethos, helping to create an environment where every member of our community can thrive.

We wish to appoint someone who:

  • Is a practising Catholic who shares and lives our Catholic values, with a genuine commitment to nurturing the whole child.
  • Has a commitment to providing an inclusive and nurturing environment, ensuring that all children are able to flourish and reach their full potential.
  • Has strong leadership skills, with the ability to inspire, motivate, and develop staff and pupils alike.
  • Is passionate about delivering a rich, balanced curriculum that meets the needs of a diverse pupil population.
  • Demonstrates excellent communication skills and a collaborative approach who can foster a culture of collaboration, inclusion and excellence.
  • Embraces inclusion and understands how to support children with SEND and other barriers to learning.

What we offer:

  • A welcoming, inclusive and happy Catholic school.
  • Happy, friendly children who have a thirst for learning.
  • An experienced and dedicated team of teachers and support staff committed to high quality education.
  • Continued professional development and support for your leadership journey.
  • The chance to lead and influence a school with a clear vision and strong community links.
  • A school environment committed to the well-being and success of both pupils and staff.

Interested candidates are warmly encouraged to visit our school to experience our community first-hand. Please contact Mrs Fitzgerald, School Business Manager, on 0161 336 3322 to arrange a visit.

All applications must be completed using the CES Senior Leader Application Form. Application forms, person specification and job description are available to download from our website: www.stmarysdenton.com.

St. Mary’s RC Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post will be subject to enhanced DBS disclosure.

Supporting Documents

↗ Job Description Profile
↗ Person Specification Profile
↗ Application Form
↗ Consent to Obtain References Form
↗ Recruitment Monitoring Form

Location

Kynder Street, Denton, Tameside, M34 3HX, United Kingdom

Job ID

1509

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This section brings together everything you need to succeed - from guidance on writing an authentic application to and understanding how to use AI responsibly.

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Your Pay, Your Benefits, Your Future

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Applying Authentically With AI: Our Greater Manchester Approach

Across Greater Manchester’s local authorities, we want to hear your genuine experiences, skills and motivations, expressed in your own words.

To keep our recruitment process fair and inclusive, please complete your application personally and follow the instructions carefully. AI can be used to support you - for example, to help structure your answers or as a reasonable adjustment - but your application should still reflect your authentic voice. If you do use AI as a support tool, a brief explanation helps us ensure an equitable selection process.

Applications that depend too heavily on AI‑generated content may not progress to shortlisting.

This guidance outlines acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI, along with suggestions for using it in a way that supports you while keeping your application true to you.

  1. What Is AI and How Do We Use It Across Greater Manchester?

    AI refers to technology that can create or refine content, such as text, ideas, summaries, or planning. It can help improve productivity, problem-solving, and creativity.

    We’re open to using innovative digital tools where they can help us work smarter and deliver better services for our residents. However, every use of AI is carefully considered to make sure it is ethical, responsible, and aligned with public-sector values.

    When it comes to recruitment, we take a human-centred approach.

    This means:

    • A trained hiring manager reads every application

    • Shortlisting is based on objective criteria required for the job

    • Interviews are conducted in person or via teams by the hiring manager for the role

    • All hiring decisions are made by hiring managers, not algorithms

    AI does not make decisions in our recruitment process and our managers are being upskilled to spot AI in applications, particularly when this might have been used in a way that doesn’t feel genuine. If something in an application raises a question or concern, we will test this out with assessments or at the interview stage to confirm authenticity.

    Our aim isn’t to catch anyone out but to make sure we’re getting to know the real you, giving every candidate a fair chance and finding the right person for the role.

  2. Using AI in Your Application

    When it comes to job applications, what matters most to us is you. We want to see your personality, your experience, and what excites you about joining our team. 

    We recognise that AI can be a helpful tool to support accessibility during the application process. If you choose to use AI for support, please read the instructions carefully and make sure your application is written in your own words, reflecting your genuine skills, knowledge, experience and enthusiasm.

    We’re looking forward to hearing your story.

  3. How to use AI Effectively and Responsibly

    Your application is your chance to show us:

    • Who you are

    • What you can bring

    • The values you hold

    • Why you want to make a difference

    AI can help you organise your thoughts or improve clarity but it cannot express your unique voice, experiences, or motivations.

    AI is most helpful when used to:

    • Help you structure the information you are providing to evidence the criteria

    • Give examples of how to use STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result)

    • Proof-read to highlight grammar or spelling errors

    • Provide inspiration if you're finding it difficult to find the right words to explain something

    But remember: your honesty, lived experience, and motivations are irreplaceable.

  4. Do’s and Don’ts for Using AI in the Recruitment Process

    Do:

    • Use AI as a supportive tool, not a replacement

    • Ask AI to help tidy up your writing or clarify structure

    • Use it to brainstorm examples, then rewrite them in your own voice

    • Reflect on AI suggestions and adapt them to match your experience

    • Use AI to help with research, but express your understanding yourself

    Don’t:

    • Copy and paste AI-generated content directly into your application

    • Let AI exaggerate or invent experience you do not have

    • Rely on generic statements that don’t reflect the specific role requirements

    • Remove your individuality, we want to hear your voice