5 days remaining to apply

  • Start date details

    April 2026

  • Closing date

    6 October 2025 at 9am

  • Date listed

    11 September 2025

Job details

Job role

  • Headteacher

Visa sponsorship

Visas cannot be sponsored

Key stage

Early years, Key stage 1, Key stage 2, Key stage 3, Key stage 4

Working pattern

Full time

Contract type

Permanent

Pay scale

Pay Range: L31-35 (£108,202 to £119,350 FTE)

What skills and experience we're looking for

Are you the strategic leader who can shape the future of our all-through school?

The Trustees of Sussex Learning Trust and Governors of Chichester Free School are seeking a new Executive Principal to build on the excellent legacy of Louise New, who is moving on to become an HMI.

What the school offers its staff

Chichester Free School (CFS) is a rare school in that it is all-through, from Year R to Year 11. Therefore, its Executive Leader needs to have the experience and aptitude to maximise the tremendous opportunities this provides for our children, young people, and staff.

This is a highly strategic role, supported by strong Heads of Phase who report directly into it. We expect our Executive Principal to play a visible and influential role in the school. The ideal leader will guide with both wisdom and compassion, building a culture of trust and high expectations that drives exceptional outcomes for our learners.

At CFS, we place personal development at the heart of our vision. This was recognised as ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted in May 2024. We want our pupils to be courteous, kind, and ambitious, with a strong work ethic that enables them to thrive as well-rounded individuals. Alongside this, we expect them to excel academically and achieve the very best results in public examinations.

We have created a dedicated microsite (please see link below) with further information and links to help you decide whether you have the skill set to be our next Executive Leader. We also warmly encourage you to visit the school in person – details of how to book are available on the site.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Interviews will be held Monday 20th and Tuesday 21st October 2025


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

CFS is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. In accordance with our Child Protection Policy we are unable to process applications without a fully completed application form. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. All convictions, cautions and bind-overs, including those regarded as ‘spent’ must be declared when applying. The applicant may post such a declaration in an envelope marked ‘Private & confidential for the Principal’. The successful applicant must obtain List 99 clearance and DBS clearance at enhanced level.

Applying for the job

Apply for the job by following the link below.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

View advert on school website (opens in new tab)

About Chichester Free School

School type
Free School, ages 4 to 19
Education phase
Through
School size
1078 pupils enrolled
Age range
4 to 19
Ofsted report
View Ofsted report
School website
Chichester Free School website
Email address
jobs@sussexlearningtrust.co.uk
Phone number
01444476556
See more jobs
teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/chichester-free-school

CFS is now entering its second decade and is fully established in our state-of-the-art facilities on the Carmelite Convent Site on the Hunston Road in the south of Chichester. Our PAN is 60 in Primary, and 120 in Secondary; in almost all year groups we are oversubscribed with waiting lists. Due to demand, we have a bulge intake of Year 7 who started in September 2023, with 150 pupils currently on roll.

The School joined Sussex Learning Trust last September – a move that we personally initiated through the desire to collaborate with a like-minded family of schools. The Trust is currently small and based in Haywards Heath; CFS are well placed to launch a new Chichester Hub of the Trust, which is really exciting.

As a Free School, we are the same as any other academy; we are both held and hold ourselves to the same exacting and rigorous standards as all state-funded schools. We follow the national curriculum, and are proud of our ambitious, inclusive and varied curriculum offer. Our pupils engage with SATs and GCSE assessments. Since 2013, CFS has achieved two ‘Good’ Ofsted Inspections. As a school we are now striving for excellence in all areas, and to achieve above average outcomes in both phases.

CFS is open to pupils of all abilities. We do not have a catchment area, thus ensuring the School is fair and inclusive. We take part in the West Sussex County Council (WSCC) admissions process. As a school we benefit from longer holidays, specifically at October half term, Christmas and during the summer.

Arranging a visit to Chichester Free School

To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email jobs@sussexlearningtrust.co.uk.

School location

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