Associate Assistant Principal of Science

Cottenham Village College, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB24 8UA

9 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  January 2026

• Closing date

  19 October 2025 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  9 October 2025

Job details

• Job role:
  • Assistant headteacher
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: £62,760.00 - £69,252.00 Annually (Actual) L8-12 (currently £62,760 to £69,252 p/a)

Associate Assistant Principal of Science job summary

Associate Assistant Principal - Science

Cottenham Village College | Full-Time | Permanent | Start Date: January 2026
Leadership Scale L8-12

Do you want to be part of a leadership team where you’ll make a lasting impact on students and rapidly accelerate their progress?
Do you want to work in a school where you are free to teach, supported by impeccable student behaviour and streamlined systems?

Astrea Academy Trust is seeking a passionate and driven leader to join Cottenham Village College as Associate Assistant Principal - Science. This is an exciting opportunity for an existing or aspiring senior leader with a proven track record of whole-school impact and a deep commitment to educational excellence.

Cottenham Village College is a friendly and successful 11-16 school. We are expanding our leadership team with dedicated professionals who excel in their field, as part of our mission to instil excellence across the school.

We are unapologetically ambitious for every child, regardless of background, prior attainment, or need. Our inclusive, aspirational, and academic approach ensures all students learn, thrive, and lead successful lives.

What We Offer

• Highly effective support and clear progression opportunities
• A knowledge-rich curriculum built on ‘powerful knowledge’
• A traditional teaching approach rooted in Rosenshine and Teach Like a Champion
• Collaborative planning with centralised resources
• Disruption-free learning and a ‘warm/strict’ behaviour system
• Centralised systems for detentions and homework
• No formal graded lesson observations - just ongoing, supportive instructional coaching
• Excellent CPD and career development across the Astrea Cambridgeshire region
• Access to the Teachers’ Pension Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Free on-site parking

What We’re Looking For

The successful candidate will be:

• A highly effective and inspiring teacher of Science
• Able to lead and motivate colleagues towards a shared vision
• Aligned with our values and committed to achieving excellence in all areas of school life
• Skilled in modelling effective pedagogy and coaching others to improve

Interested in Applying?

If you are passionate about education, looking for a fresh opportunity, or simply want to make a positive impact, we would love to hear from you. We actively welcome visits and would be delighted to show you around our school to fully appreciate the setting and meet members of the leadership team. Either during a school day or after-hours. Take a look at the job description and candidate pack to find out more about the role and how to apply or contact our recruitment team at recruitment@astreaacademytrust.org.

Closing Date:

The closing date for applications is 19th October 2025 with interviews to take place w/c 20th October. Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity!

Commitment to Safeguarding and EDI:

Astrea Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All posts are subject to satisfactory background checks, including references and enhanced DBS checks. We value diversity and encourage applications from candidates who are underrepresented in our workforce, including people from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds, disabled people, and LGBTQI+ communities. As a Disability Confident employer, we are committed to promoting a culture that ensures there are no barriers to the recruitment, development, and progression of disabled staff across the trust. We provide reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process to ensure disabled job applicants have the best opportunity to demonstrate their abilities.

Flexible Interview Dates:

Please note that interview dates are flexible, and the academy reserves the right to interview shortlisted candidates during the application window.

Ready to Make a Difference?

If you're ready to take the next step in your career and contribute to our dynamic and forward-thinking team, apply today and be a part of our mission to create a positive impact!

** We kindly ask that all applications are accompanied by a personal statement outlining your suitability for the role. Applications submitted without a personal statement will not be considered.

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

Visas cannot be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

Commitment to safeguarding

Astrea Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and staff. Every child should feel safe and should be protected from any form of child abuse. We have robust policies and procedures that support our commitment to Safeguarding, this includes our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy. The in-house Safeguarding teams at each Academy work in partnership with families and safeguarding partners to ensure the safety of children is paramount. We are committed to ensuring that all staff access regular, contextual safeguarding training to meet the needs of the local community.

Applying for the job

This school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

About Cottenham Village College

• School type: Academy, ages 11 to 16
• Education phase: Secondary
• School size: 877 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 11 to 16
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: Cottenham Village College website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/cottenham-village-college-cambridge

Welcome to Cottenham Village College, part of the Astrea Academy Trust, a highly-successful 11-16 mixed academy situated close to the beautiful city of Cambridge; here you will find hard-working, well-behaved students and friendly, dedicated staff who are committed to a fully inclusive, comprehensive education.

The college was established in 1963, one of several village colleges in the region that were the inspiration of educational pioneer Henry Morris, who believed that the school should be at the heart of its community and that education should be a lifelong process. This vision of a school that serves and involves its whole community, that fosters high aspirations and inspires a love of learning is as central to our ethos today as it was when it opened.

Through a highly-ambitious curriculum at CVC, we aim to foster students’ curiosity, unlock their potential and raise their aspirations, as well as ensure that students achieve high levels of attainment that will open doors for their future. A stimulating and broad curriculum also places students in a strong position to question and debate the world around them, making them intellectually resilient and prepares them for citizenship in a democratic society. We believe this is a right of all students and one which is liberating and empowering.

We are equally proud of the wider curricular provision at CVC, both in formal lessons and outside the classroom. Our extensive range of extra-curricular activities, including sports, music, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award programme and residential trips, help to give all students a fully-rounded education and creates opportunity for their personal, as well as their academic, growth.

Cottenham Village College is a friendly, positive and exciting place to work and to learn and we take great pride in the high standards our students consistently achieve. We have very high expectations of all members of the College community and provide an inclusive, friendly and supportive environment in which everyone can thrive and achieve. Students leave as happy, well-qualified and well-motivated individuals who go on to excel in local sixth forms, colleges, universities and the wider world.

I hope you find the information on the school’s website useful. If there is anything you cannot find, please do not hesitate to contact us. If you wish to visit the school to see it for yourself, please contact the school and we would be delighted to show you around.

Zoe Andrews, Principal

School location

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