Job Title: Headteacher
School Name: Manchester Islamic Grammar School for Girls (“MIGSG”)
School Type: Independent Islamic School
Location: South Manchester, England
Start Date: ASAP, latest by 21 April 2025
Salary: Competitive, based on experience and qualifications. The Headteacher will be eligible for a performance-based bonus tied directly to maintaining and improving academic achievements and standards; and meeting financial targets by increasing student enrolment. This incentive plan is designed to incentivize the Headteacher to focus on strategic growth while ensuring the school’s academic and operational standards remain high. It rewards not just increasing numbers, but also the quality and sustainability of that growth.
About Manchester Islamic Grammar School for Girls
Manchester Islamic Grammar School for Girls (MIGSG) is one of three independent Islamic schools within the Manchester Islamic Educational Trust Ltd. (MIET), established in 1991. The other schools in MIET are Kassim Darwish Grammar School for Boys, established in 1999, and Manchester Muslim Preparatory School, established in 1994. All of our schools are located in South Manchester, providing convenient access to excellent transport and road links.
MIGSG is a small grammar school with approximately 280 girls aged 11-16. The school combines a faith-based education with the national curriculum, providing students with an excellent education in a safe and caring Islamic environment that encourages personal growth and individuality. At MIGSG, we strive to create a harmonious balance between academic rigor, sports, cultural activities, and community involvement. Our aim is to foster intellectual curiosity and social awareness in our students. While academic knowledge is essential, we believe that a true education challenges student to push the boundaries of their understanding.
As part of MIET, MIGSG’s faith-based ethos influences every aspect of school life, creating a welcoming, family-oriented atmosphere among staff and students.
We are currently seeking a Headteacher for MIGSG to join as soon as possible. Given our Islamic foundation, this role is central to inspiring young girls to learn and practice Islam, making it essential for candidates to be practicing Muslims. This position is supported by a strong Senior Leadership Team with long-standing dedication to the school. Ordinarily, the Headteacher reports to the Executive Headteacher, but as she is retiring on 31st December 2024, the Headteacher at MIGSG will report to the CEO of the Trust until her successor is appointed.
Looking to the future, MIGSG seeks an experienced, dynamic Headteacher to lead our dedicated staff and vibrant student body. The successful candidate will embody our core values of respect, resilience, and responsibility, with a clear vision for advancing academic standards, pastoral care and engagement with parents and the wider community.
This is a unique opportunity for a forward-thinking leader to make a lasting impact at a school where tradition and innovation in learning work hand in hand. If you are passionate about shaping the next generation of learners and leaders, we warmly invite you to consider joining the MIGSG family.
Application Process
Interested candidates should provide a cover letter outlining their leadership experience and vision for Islamic education and complete the application form and submit these to pa@migsg.miet.uk. A Job Description and Person Specification are attached for further details.
Key dates to note are:
Submit applications by 13th November 2024
Shortlisting by: Tuesday, 19th November
Interview dates: From 20th November to 4th December
Safeguarding Recruitment Statement:
We are fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and we expect all staff and volunteers to share the same commitment. The successful candidate must be willing to undergo an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), including checks with past employers.
Please note that new guidance in Keeping Children Safe in Education 2022 requires us to also carry out an online search as part of our due diligence on shortlisted candidates. This is to enable us to identify any incidents or issues which have happened and are publicly available online which we might want to explore at interview. Once shortlisting has taken place, this search will be carried out for all candidates who confirm they will attend an interview.
All applicants must be permitted to work in the UK and hold a relevant Passport / work permit where necessary. If you have lived or worked outside of the UK in the last 5 years, the Trust will also require additional information and a Certificate of Good Conduct /Police Clearance from the country abroad you worked/ stayed at, in order to comply with safer recruitment requirements. Any job offer will be conditional on the satisfactory completion of all the necessary pre-employment checks and receipt of satisfactory references.
This post will be exempt from the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The amendments to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 [exceptions] Order 1975 provides that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain convictions and cautions are considered protected. This means that they do not need to be disclosed to employers and, if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Guidance about whether a conviction or caution should be disclosed can be found in ‘Changes to the Criminal Records System November 2020.docx Page 2’ on the Ministry of Justice Website and the websites of charities NACRO and UNLOCK.
At the shortlisting stage candidates will be required to complete a self- declaration form regarding their criminal record (unless ‘protected’) and will also be required to submit any information that would make them unsuitable to work with children. Any such information will be treated in strictest confidence and used only in consideration of the suitability of the post. Criminal convictions will not automatically exclude you from being considered unless they fall within the threshold of being relevant and unsuitability, and will be considered on a case by case basis or as defined by the Department for Education.
It is an offence to apply for a post engaging in regulated activity relevant to children if you are barred from working with children. We retain the right to close the advert before the listed closing date based on application volumes. Please note we will only contact shortlisted applicants.