SUCCESSFULLY APPOINTED: Headteacher - St John Plessington Catholic College

SUCCESSFULLY APPOINTED: Headteacher - St John Plessington Catholic College - Merseyside

£Competitive + Relocation Support to attract the right candidate - Catholic - Head/Principal
Ref: 100 Date Posted: Wednesday 04 Feb 2026

THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF A PAST VACANCY EMMAUS HAVE APPOINTED TO.

Headteacher - St John Plessington Catholic College

Salary: £Competitive + Relocation Support to attract the right applicant
Location: Bebington, Nr Liverpool
Contract Type: Full Time
Contract Term: Permanent

Emmaus Leadership are commencing the recruitment process to appoint a substantive Headteacher for St John Plessington Catholic College (SJP). The College is part of Holy Family Catholic Multi Academy Trust (HFCMAT), comprising two other outstanding Teaching Schools and two sponsored schools.

SJP is an inclusive 11-18 voluntary academy located in Bebington on the breath-taking Wirral, a short distance from Liverpool city centre. The College is situated in a new building with state-of-the-art facilities and enjoys excellent road and rail transport links.

SJP is an outstanding College with a reputation for excellence and high achievement. The College has amassed numerous accolades over the years, being awarded TES ‘Outstanding Secondary School of the year’ in 2010 and shortlisted again in 2018.

Nevertheless, the College has endured a well-publicised and difficult period in 2019. Happily, the steps taken by HFCMAT over the last two terms have resulted in the welcome resumption of stability and normality for the whole College community.

SJP still continues to be heavily oversubscribed. The College is financially stable, parents remain supportive, staff morale is strong and most importantly, student outcomes continue to be outstanding.

We are interested in having preliminary, confidential conversations with Catholic school leaders who have the gift for leadership and believe profoundly in the transformative role of Catholic education to improve the lives of others and how to make that a reality.

For an existing Headteacher this could be the next big challenge you seek …or equally the role may appeal to an experienced Deputy Head and still yet untapped potential. Either way, you will be ably supported by a capable SLT and MAT team.

A requirement of the post is that applicants must be practising Catholics.

If you would like to have an informal and exploratory discussion about the role, in complete confidence, please contact Liam Dowds, our Emmaus Leadership Advising Consultant who is assisting us with this assignment, on 01737 652 043 or ldowds@emmausleadership.me.  

Our College is an equal opportunities employer and committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. An Enhanced DBS check is therefore required.

"I approached Emmaus following our unsuccessful attempts to recruit Deputy DDEs for both Dioceses. They went on to source a far greater number of candidates of high calibre. I highly recommend Emmaus!"

Canon Carolyn Lewis, Director of Education - Diocese of Leicester and Diocese of Derby

"I have no hesitation in commending Emmaus to any school that is seeking to appoint a Christian Headteacher. In particular, Emmaus’ ability to promote the school, assess the ethos of the school and communicate this within the networks of those who might be considered as possible candidates was invaluable."

Clive Purser, Chair of Governors, St Andrew's CE High School for Boys, Worthing

"I cannot imagine a better service to fulfil the requirement of helping a Catholic school find a Head. I was impressed with the number and high quality of candidates sourced by Emmaus Leadership."

Marjorie Bannister, Chair - St Michael's Catholic College, London

"Thank you for everything you did to successfully support our recruitment of an outstanding Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher. Using Emmaus Leadership to manage the recruitment to the post was much debated and was the subject of intense scrutiny by our Governing Body who were somewhat reluctant to use a leadership recruitment specialist. However, their confidence was reinstated as a result of your professional approach, your insightful knowledge and the resulting candidate pool produced for both appointments. I have no hesitation in recommending Emmaus to other schools."

Annie Sutton - Executive Principal, St Joseph's RC Specialist School and College

"Having previously struggled to recruit two Headteachers - for both a Primary and a Secondary school - Emmaus came to the rescue. Their expert advice and deep understanding of recruiting Headship positions in Catholic schools is invaluable, and I have no hesitation in recommending their knowhow and their values."

Fr David Gibbons, Chair of Governors & Parish Priest, Archdiocese of Southwark

"We tried going it alone to find a CEO for our MAT but had only 2 applicants who didn't meet our requirements. We approached Emmaus and from the start their professionalism was reassuring."

Barry Leyland, Chair - Blessed Edward Bamber Catholic Multi Academy Trust

"I’m delighted with the way it went and the successful outcome (third SLT placement now!) helps confirm to Governors that your approach is right for these levels of appointment. It’s difficult to quantify the costs of recruiting and failing to get the right candidate ourselves - we’d only find out the true cost and also lost opportunities if we tried and failed. Altogether better to invest in getting it right first time, so thank you for all your hard work on this. The other side is the perception we leave with all candidates and I think we’ve worked together to do an excellent job (using your Assessment support). The communication, logistics and the care given I think is really important and Emmaus are a big part of that - you work as an extension of the school. I am fairly sure that all of the candidates will go away having had a great experience and that will help our reputation spread in a positive way."

Dave Cobb - School Business & Development Manager, Saint Cecilia's CE School, London

"We had been cold called by a few other companies but chose Emmaus as it specialised in Church schools. We were impressed by Liam and his team coming to the school and burrowing in to what the school wanted and needed. He asked searching questions and we were satisfied this was the way forward. I had not been a fan of head hunters before, but I have to say this process and its result was a hugely better experience than going out on our own and was totally professional throughout."

Bridget Prentice, Chair of Governors - Trinity School, Lewisham

"Emmaus brings a level of professionalism, seen in other industry sectors, to church schools’ recruitment."

The Rt Rev Nick Baines - Anglican Bishop of Leeds

"We are delighted with the appointment we made and I have reported to the whole community that we could not have been more thorough in the search or more rigorous in the selection process. Thank you Emmaus Leadership."

Jacqui Feely, Chair at All Hallows Catholic College, Macclesfield

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