Head of Primary
Chichester Free School, Chichester, West Sussex, PO20 1NP25 days remaining to apply
Start date details
April 2026
Closing date
16 January 2026 at 9am
Date listed
1 December 2025
Job details
Job role
- Head of year or phase
- Headteacher
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Key stage
- Early years, Key stage 1, Key stage 2
Working pattern
- Full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- £69,596 to £84,699 FTE
What skills and experience we're looking for
We are looking for a new Head of Primary who will help shape the future of the primary phase of our all-through school.
We have created a dedicated microsite(https://sites.google.com/chichesterfreeschool.org.uk/headofprimary/home?authuser=0) with further information and links to help you decide whether you have the skill set to be our next Head of Primary. 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 Thursday 29th January and Friday 30th January
What the school offers its staff
Chichester Free School was established in 2013 as an all-through, stand-alone academy. The opportunities its all-through status affords make this role particularly exciting. We believe the next phase of the school’s development will build on strong foundations and take it to the next level. The academy joined Sussex Learning Trust (SLT) in 2023 in order to become part of a wider family of schools with all the benefits that brings.
The school has a PAN of 60 pupils in the primary phase and 120 students in the secondary phase , spanning Reception to Year 11 across the school. In recent years, it has been consistently oversubscribed in both Reception and Year 7, with waiting lists across all year groups. Visitors frequently comment on the calm, purposeful atmosphere across the school.
Outcomes in the primary phase are particularly strong (see the associated page for more detail). There is still work to do, especially in closing the attainment gap between pupils eligible for pupil premium and their peers. Our current strategy is informed by robust self-evaluation, detailed pupil knowledge, and targeted intervention.
Sussex Learning Trust is a growing, values-driven organisation. We are not a large or directive Trust; rather, we believe that Headteachers and Local Governing Bodies are best placed to serve their communities. We aim to support this earned autonomy with strong, credible, and accessible central leadership. The new Head of Primary Headteacher at CFS will be line managed by the Executive Principal and will benefit from direct support from experienced Executive Team colleagues.
Further information about the job
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
- All through school
- 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
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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