Headteacher at Lilliput CE Infant School, Poole

Posted on 23 January 2026
Applications close on 22 February 2026

All Locations:

Poole

Salary Details:

Leadership Salary: L15 to L21, (£73,105 to £82,654 FTE)

Vacancy Type:

Permanent

Function:

Teaching

Employer:

Coastal Learning Partnership

Job Working Pattern:

Full time

Closing time of advert

23:59

Home
Vacancies
Headteacher at Lilliput CE Infant School, Poole

About the role

Headteacher at Lilliput CE Infant School,

Poole, Dorset

Salary: L15 to L21, (£73,105 to £82,654)

Start date: 1 September 2026

Are you an ambitious and inspiring school leader ready to shape the future of a thriving infant school?

Following the retirement of the long-serving Headteacher, Lilliput CE Infant School - a large, four form-entry infant school situated in the beautiful coastal area of Lilliput, near Sandbanks - is seeking a visionary and compassionate Headteacher to lead the happy, nurturing and ambitious community into its next exciting chapter. We are looking for someone who can lead with creativity and ambition, bringing a deep commitment to every child’s flourishing. We are looking for someone who will inspire everyone in the school community to build strongly on its positive reputation and strong Christian foundations.

About Our School

Lilliput CE Infant School is thriving! In a recent parent survey, 99% of its families said that they would recommend Lilliput CE Infants to other parents. It is a hugely popular school, its longstanding positive reputation ensuring that it is typically full and over-subscribed. Children are happy at Lilliput and they achieve well, supported by parents who value their close engagement with the school. The Lilliput team is experienced and professional, creating a school climate that is ambitious for its pupils, without losing its warmth and welcoming, inclusive character. Lilliput is a strong, values-led, Church of England school where its values of love, respect and serve are at the heart of its work. At its last Ofsted inspection in 2023, inspectors celebrated that the school’s vision of ‘loving, respecting, serving’ threads through all aspects of school life and that Lilliput is a friendly, safe and nurturing school. Inspectors noted that staff are proud to be a member of the school’s community. Lilliput CE Infant is set within beautiful, extensive woodland grounds setting the tone for the premises and facilities throughout the school.

We’re looking for a Headteacher who will:

inspire with positivity and purpose
champion an inclusive and ambitious learning culture rooted in Christian values
lead with integrity, empathy, and a commitment to wellbeing
build strong relationships with pupils, staff, families and the wider church and local community
embrace the opportunities of working within a thriving multi-academy trust

In return, we offer:

a caring and committed school community with strong Christian values
a strong peer network of Headteachers across CLP
supportive and experienced senior leaders within the Partnership
access to a skilled central team offering wide-ranging professional support
a role that is deeply rewarding
we invite applications from experienced Headteachers as well as from those seeking to secure their first Headship

Further Information

Informal visits to the school are warmly encouraged. You are also invited to contact the Chief Executive Officer of Coastal Learning Partnership, Paul Howieson, who would be delighted to speak with you about the school and the wider Partnership. To arrange a convenient time for a conversation, please contact Helen Moors on 01202 806155. To arrange a visit to the school, please contact the school directly on 01202 709013.

Applications: Please send a completed application form to: [email protected]
Closing date: Midnight on Sunday 22 February 2026
Selection event: 3 March 2026

To comply with our statutory safer recruitment practices and obligations, we are unable to shortlist incomplete applications. Please ensure you include a full employment and education history, details of two referees and explain any gaps in employment. CVs will not be accepted.

Coastal Learning Partnership is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and requires all staff and volunteers to share and demonstrate this commitment.

The successful candidate will be required to demonstrate that they meet the essential elements of the person specification and will be subject to pre-employment checks including a health check, and Enhanced DBS check, Child Barred List check and satisfactory references. We will conduct online searches of shortlisted candidates. This check will be part of a safeguarding check, and the search will purely be based on whether an individual is suitable to work with children. As care must be taken to avoid unconscious bias and any risk of discrimination a person who will not on the appointment panel will conduct the search and will only share information if and when findings are relevant and of concern. Applicants are advised that it is an offense to apply for the role if they are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.

About Us

Lilliput joined Coastal Learning Partnership (CLP) at its inception in March 2020 when three like-minded trusts joined together to form a new Partnership. As an existing school within one of those three predecessor trusts, Lilliput has been a highly-valued member of CLP from the very start. It is simultaneously warm, caring and inclusive whilst remaining deeply ambitious for its pupils who achieve well, year after year. This is due in no small part to the committed and talented staff; they are a forward-thinking and innovative team, working in meaningful partnership with families who greatly value the work of the school. We are extremely proud of Lilliput CE Infant School.

CLP is a Multi Academy Trust of twenty schools across two local authority areas (Dorset and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole councils) with professional central offices and training facilities in West Howe. CLP’s two furthest points are St. Clement’s and St. John’s CE Infant School (in a beautiful Victorian building in sunny Boscombe) and Swanage Primary in the Purbeck area of Swanage. Within the family of CLP, Lilliput is surrounded by other schools who are keen to collaborate and share, both in the immediate area of Poole but also more widely across CLP’s schools.

Other jobs like this

Similar