Headteacher's PA

ST MARY’S CATHOLIC SCHOOL

Newcastle upon Tyne

Headteacher: E Patterson 

NOR c.1450

Headteacher’s PA

Full Time and Permanent

Term-time only, 37 hours per week, 

(7:30am to 3:30pm Monday to Thursday and 7:30am to 3:00pm Friday) 

BB07 £36,363 to £39,862 per annum, pro rata (actual salary £30,426 to £33,354 

with the possibility of up to 11 on call days to be agreed upon appointment).

Required from September 2026

The Governors wish to appoint an excellent Headteacher’s PA. This is a great opportunity to join our happy, supportive and successful school, as our school continues to go from strength to strength. We want the very best candidate, therefore, we would strongly encourage candidates with all different levels of experience, to consider this post. The post arises as the long-standing post holder is retiring. As Headteacher’s PA, the successful applicant will support the Headteacher with many areas of her work, as well as leading on aspects of administrative work such as personnel, payroll and school admissions. The successful candidate would therefore require a rigorous approach to their work, a conscientious eye for detail and a high level of confidentiality. This is an important post within our support staff team and structure, and we will be seeking to employ the right candidate with the key personal and professional skills, as outlined in the job description and person specification. 

The post is a permanent and full-time post, working 7.30am-3.30pm Monday to Thursday and 7.30am-3.00pm on Fridays (term time only). However, we would also consider part-time requests from potential candidates. If you wish to make a part-time request, please ensure that you outline this very clearly in your written application.

St Mary’s benefits from having excellent staff, both teaching and support. The staff team are the school’s greatest asset and, therefore, the task of appointing new staff is always given great importance. Governors are really committed to the school and are very supportive of staff, as are parents. Staff are very well supported here at St Mary’s, are very happy and really enjoy working in the school. St Mary’s is a beacon within the Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust, and therefore, professional development and career progression opportunities are plentiful. We also enjoy a very strong partnership with our family of primaries, all of whom are supportive of St Mary’s. Links with parishes are strong as is our partnership with Diocesan and Local Authority schools. 

St Mary’s is a very popular and happy school, rated Outstanding by the Diocese and Ofsted. We have outstanding facilities and a relatively new building, which opened in 2011. We joined the Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust in June 2020. We are also very popular with parents and are one of the most over-subscribed schools in the North-East. The roll has grown from around 1100 to over 1450 by September 2026, with 5-year groups of around 240. The Sixth Form currently has approx. 300 students and has seen significant growth in recent years as most of our students chose to stay with us for their post 16 education.

Above all, the Governors wish to appoint a Headteacher’s PA with:-

• A clear commitment to nurturing and promoting the school’s distinctive ethos

• A conscientious, highly organised and rigorous approach to their work

• A commitment to high quality communication and an ability to communicate professionally with many stakeholders

To apply, please complete the CES online application form via Eteach. Please complete the application in full including the ‘Supporting Statement’ section which should be around 2 sides of A4 in length. Please address the supporting statement to Emma Patterson, Headteacher outlining the qualifications, experience, skills and attributes, which you will bring to the post. 

Please could I ask all applicants to include in the qualifications section of the form, details of the grades achieved for all of their qualifications.

Your completed application form, letter and reference consent form should be completed electronically via Eteach, by 9.00am on Wednesday 1st July 2026. Interviews will be held soon after this date. If you would like to discuss this post further, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Danielle Largue, Deputy Headteacher.

The school is fully committed to safeguarding and the welfare of children and young people. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check and an online search for shortlisted candidates, as part of our due diligence.