31 days remaining to apply

  • Start date details

    1st September 2026

  • Closing date

    14 April 2026 at 10am

  • Date listed

    12 March 2026

Job details

Job role

  • Head of year or phase

Visa sponsorship

Visas cannot be sponsored

Working pattern

Full time

Contract type

Permanent

Full-time equivalent salary

Leadership Range 12-16 (fte £67,898 - £75,049 per annum)

Additional allowances

n/a

Head of Sixth Form job summary

Thomas Gainsborough School

Head of Sixth Form

Contract: Full time 
Start date: September 2026 
Salary: Leadership Scale (12 – 16) 
Responsible to: Deputy Headteacher (Quality of Education) 

At Thomas Gainsborough School, our mission is simple yet ambitious: “Excellence: for each, for all.”   

We are proud to offer an exceptional opportunity for an outstanding leader to join our team as Head of Sixth Form, leading one of the most successful school sixth forms in the country.  

Our Sixth Form is a vibrant and ambitious community where students are supported to achieve exceptional academic outcomes while developing the character, confidence and cultural capital needed for life beyond school. Following the exceptional results of Summer 2025, our Sixth Form achieved an ALPS score placing us in the top 15% nationally, reflecting the relentless commitment of staff and the aspirations of our students. 

The successful candidate will lead a thriving Sixth Form community that combines: 

  • Excellent academic outcomes across A Level and Level 3 courses
  • A broad curriculum with over 30 A Level classes in each year group, vocational pathways and the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)
  • A rich programme of super-curricular and enrichment opportunities including debate, societies, leadership opportunities and wider school engagement 
  • A strong culture of aspiration where students progress to top universities, apprenticeships and professional careers 

At Thomas Gainsborough School we believe education is about more than results alone. Our approach is rooted in three pillars: 

Culture – Character – Currency 

These shape a Sixth Form experience that prepares young people to succeed academically while becoming thoughtful, resilient and confident citizens.  

This is an exciting opportunity for a leader who: 

  • Is passionate about post-16 education and student success
  • Can inspire and lead a high-performing Sixth Form team
  • Has the vision to further develop an already outstanding Sixth Form
  • Believes in the transformative power of education to raise aspirations and remove barriers 

As Head of Sixth Form, you will play a key role in shaping the next stage of our journey, ensuring every student is known, supported and challenged to achieve their very best. 

If you are an ambitious leader ready to lead one of the region’s leading Sixth Forms, we would love to hear from you. 

For further information about this role, and the opportunity to visit the Sixth Form please contact Mrs M Griss, mgriss@tgschool.net, 01787 375232. 

Key dates 

Closing date: Tuesday 14th April 2026 

Interview date: Tuesday 21st April 2026

Please note: We may interview as applications are received and may appoint before the closing date. Applications must be submitted online via our careers website before the deadline, so we encourage early applications and advise checking the job details on our site.

In line with safer recruitment, we cannot accept CVs. Incomplete application forms may result in candidates not being shortlisted.

Unity Schools Partnership is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils. All successful candidates will be subject to rigorous pre‑employment checks, including an enhanced DBS. We are also committed to equality, diversity and fair recruitment practices, and we oppose all forms of unlawful discrimination.

We value inclusive working practices and diverse teams. If you wish to work part‑time or as a job‑share, we will accommodate this wherever possible. We particularly welcome applications from under‑represented groups.

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

Unity Schools Partnership is committed to safer recruitment, equal opportunities, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. An enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check will be required.

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.

View advert on external website (opens in new tab)

About Thomas Gainsborough School

School type
Academy, ages 11 to 18
Education phase
Secondary school
School size
1615 pupils enrolled
Age range
11 to 18
Ofsted report
View Ofsted report
School website
Thomas Gainsborough School website
See more jobs
teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/thomas-gainsborough-school

Thomas Gainsborough School invests in high quality professional development and provides a range of employee benefits. We are closely linked to the Unity Research School and lead the way in many local and national initiatives including being an EdTech Demonstrator School and being an ArtsMark platinum school. We provide excellent support care and support for our staff and students. There are Lead Practitioners to support colleagues in continually improving their practice. As a large, successful and popular school their are opportunites for colleagues to develop at every stage of their career.

In September 2015 the school moved into an award-winning new building, where subjects are taught in specialist rooms either in our Sixth Form block or alongside other History classrooms. The team is very supportive and expectations for students are high.

Thomas Gainsborough School is a consistently high performing, well resourced, and truly comprehensive school, with a firm belief in excellence for each and every student, placing students at the heart of their curriculum. You can find out more about the school at www.tgschool.net

The school continues to invest in high quality professional development and provides a range of employee benefits. This is an excellent opportunity for any teacher to develop their practice and continue their career progression.

The school is located just south of Sudbury in Suffolk and is within easy reach of Colchester, Ipswich and Bury St Edmunds. There are also many delightful and affordable villages in the surrounding area, which also make travelling to London, Cambridge and Norwich a possibility.

Many of our staff work flexibly in different ways including part-time working. For this role we are open to discussing the possibility of reduced hours of flexible start and end times. Please talk to us at the interview stage about the flexibility you would like and we will explore what’s possible for specific roles.

School location

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