Is it satire? Advert for assistant head at super-strict Mercia School in Sheffield terrifies teachers

A job vacancy at Sheffield’s strictest school has gone viral due to its terrifying list of requirements, uncompromising approach and long hours - with Saturday mornings thrown in too.
By David Walsh
Published 19th Feb 2023, 18:36 BST
Updated 19th Feb 2023, 19:05 BST
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Mercia School in Millhouses needs an assistant headteacher for September who will work ‘ridiculously hard’ and and be ‘wedded’ to the school. They must also ‘ooze leadership’, ‘be a great orator’ and a ’visionary’. The job is also made to sound somewhat militaristic - the successful candidate will ‘hold the line and lead with bravery’ because the school ‘cannot carry anyone’.

And then there are the hours. The assistant head must be ‘on alert’ from 7am to 6pm, be contactable in the evenings, attend meetings during holidays and be prepared to do detentions on a Saturday morning.

The advert, in Tes, states: 'High energy and sacrifice are required to excel in this position at Mercia School. We cannot carry anyone; we need a commitment from our assistant headteacher to stay until the job is done'.

Mercia School in Millhouses needs an assistant headteacher by September who will work ‘ridiculously hard’ and and be ‘wedded’ to the school.Mercia School in Millhouses needs an assistant headteacher by September who will work ‘ridiculously hard’ and and be ‘wedded’ to the school.
Mercia School in Millhouses needs an assistant headteacher by September who will work ‘ridiculously hard’ and and be ‘wedded’ to the school.

It signs off stating: ‘Not put off? Fantastic, you could be what we are looking for’. The job pays up to £62,561.

Mercia is famous for its long school days - pupils do homework between 4-5pm - its strict uniform and its discipline. But it seems to work, it the most oversubscribed in the city.

On Twitter, Jeff Pedley, an English teacher in Brussels said the advert was reason number 417 why he would never teach in England again.

Imogen Bailey appreciated the honesty. She wrote: ‘At least they're being open about what they expect and know that from this, they will have limited applicants. They could have just put the search out for an assistant head and then put all these pressures on them’.

Mr Green responded: ‘I’m almost entirely certain it’s satire. That, or a disgruntled ex-employee is REALLY going the extra mile on their fake advert game’.

Becka Weston said: ‘Ridiculous job advert aside, I simply wouldn’t want to work in a school that clearly has a strong ethos on punitive policies - detentions mentioned twice in the advert!’

Nick Melson responded: ‘I like the brutal honesty of it- applicants know what they are getting involved in. Don’t like the sound of it, don’t apply!’