Headteacher

Proposed Interview Date: Week Commencing 30 November 2026

Closing Date: Sunday 23 November 2026

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary: £78,696

Working Pattern: 35 Hours per week

Location: St Columbas RC Primary School, Cupar

Purpose and Values of Education Directorate

The Education Directorate is committed to Improving Life Chances for All through a wide range of direct services which support our children, young people, families and the wider Fife community.  Our approach to improvement is rooted in our core values:  Compassion, Ambition, Respect and Equity which reflect the ethos, culture and practice principles of all staff across the directorate.  We strive to ensure that our attitudes and behaviour reflect these core values in all our dealings with children, young people, their families, and the wider community in partnership with those who support them.

Supporting Statement  

As part of your application, you must provide us with a Supporting Statement which outlines to us how your skills and experience make you a good candidate for this vacancy. For more information, check out the How to Apply section of our Career Site. Without a Supporting Statement, your application will not be progressed. Please upload your Supporting Statement at the section marked ‘upload resumé’. Your Supporting Statement must not be a CV. More information is available on our Career site at www.fife.gov.uk/jobs/supportingstatement.

Please consider and demonstrate the following when completing your Supporting Statement:

Ways in which you have modelled and promoted the GTCS Professional Values (social justice, trust, respect and integrity) and Professional Commitment in your current and previous roles.

(Consider the following: how you have ensured equity of opportunity for all; how you have developed relationships built on trust and respect that enable others to take responsibility; how your moral and ethical principles inform your practice and how your own professional learning underpins your development as a leader and the development of others.)

How you have used your knowledge, skills and understanding of leading strategic change to bring about improvement. 

Your ability to build capacity, through inspiring and motivating others to be leaders of learning. 

Partnership working which has led to a positive impact on outcomes for learners.

(School, local, regional and national levels, if appropriate).

How you have used self-evaluation to inform decisions and improvements across a school community.

(Consider the following: how have you promoted the professional learning of others through your strategic leadership, how have you ensured all stakeholders are involved in decision-making around school improvement priorities and how have you made best use of resources to support the development of the curriculum, pedagogy, people and teams.)

Job Details

We are looking for a highly skilled school leader who is passionate about improving life chances for all through commitment to leading change and improvement that ensures positives outcomes for our children and young people. As a Headteacher in Fife you will be responsible for the strategic direction of the school, implementing and pursuing the objectives set in policies, and for contributing to the development of a self-improving system across the education community and beyond.

A link to the role profile is included below, where you will find more information about the role, with specific reference to essential and desirable criteria for applicants.

Qualification, Registration and Skill Requirements

You are required to have high levels of interpersonal skills and abilities which will enable you to lead and manage the school community, both at strategic and operational levels, to ensure continuous improvement. 

You are required to demonstrate a commitment to your own professional learning as a school leader through career-long professional learning activity and to be able to show how this has impacted on your practice.

You are required to be fully registered with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) and to model all behaviour expected of a Teacher in Scotland in line with the relevant Professional Standards. 

As of 1st August 2020, all successful candidates appointed to a permanent Headteacher role in Scotland are required to hold the Standard for Headship, through completion of the Scottish Qualification for Headship (SQH), Flexible Route to Headship (FRH) or Into Headship. For those appointed, who do not yet hold the Standard for Headship, you will be required to complete the Into Headship qualification within 30 months of appointment. Please note that those candidates who already or have previously held a permanent Headteacher position are not required to complete the Into Headship programme and will not need to complete it within 30 months of appointment 

Before confirming to your appointment, you will be required to obtain Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme membership through Disclosure Scotland and become a member of the relevant PVG scheme

Further Information

• Role Profile - When preparing your supporting statement, review the role profile and think about how you meet the essential criteria Role Profile

• How We Work Matters - Our employees are expected to display and promote certain behaviours in the workplace. See our How We Work Matters behaviour framework for more information.

• Employee Benefits - Employees have access to a benefits package that offers discounts on a wide range of products and services

• Directorate Information - Council Department information

• Social media - Search for more 'Fife Council Jobs' on Facebook or follow us on X @FCJobsOfficial.

• Alternative Formats - Job information can be made available in alternative formats, to make a request please email: [email protected]

• AI - We recognise that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being used by many people when they are applying for jobs and preparing for interview.  Candidate guidance on the use of AI in the recruitment process is available here

For Further Information Please Contact: Alan Cunmming, [email protected]