Headteacher

Sandringham School, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL4 9NX

24 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  September 2027

• Closing date

  16 November 2026 at 9am

• Date listed

  23 October 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Headteacher
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full time equivalent salary: Leadership scale L37-43

Headteacher job summary

Headteacher - Sandringham School, St Albans

Location: St. Albans, Hertfordshire

Role type: Full-time, Permanent

Salary: Leadership scale L37-43

Required: September 2027

An Invitation to lead and learn

Sandringham School is an outstanding, co-educational secondary school in St. Albans. While we are very proud of our inclusive culture, pastoral care, academic tradition and strong reputation, we remain a grounded learning community that constantly seeks to learn, adapt, and refine the craft of teaching.

We are looking for an intelligent, thoughtful leader with a genuine passion for education to guide our school into its next chapter. Whether you are an ambitious Deputy Headteacher ready for your first headship or an experienced Headteacher seeking a dynamic setting to add further value through your leadership, Sandringham offers a wonderful environment in which to lead, grow, and make a lasting impact.

Why Sandringham?

At Sandringham, we view education as a continuous journey of improvement, for both our students and our staff. Our school culture is built on mutual respect, curiosity, and a shared dedication to professional development.

Joining us means working alongside:

• Highly motivated and curious students who develop significant independence and are well-supported by parents who deeply value the school and its staff.
• A collaborative team of teachers and support staff who care deeply about their subjects or area of work, and highly inclusive and who constantly seek to refine their skills.
• A vibrant sixth-form community that measures a third of the school population, and delivers an exceptional curriculum and extra-curriculum provision.
• Staff who enjoy a rich extra-curricular life, with strong performing arts provision, sporting tradition and established Post-16 partnership work through the local BeauSandVer consortium.
• Leaders and senior executives from across our family of schools in the Ambition Education Trust to lead strategic development; an inspiring cross-phase multi-academy trust where we strive for excellence in everything we do.
• An even wider group of professionals across the Alban Teaching School Hub, hosted at Sandringham, including the significant ITT programme training over 70 new teachers each year.
• Similarly minded professionals who see research and evidence-based practice as an everyday feature of our working.

The Opportunity

We do not believe in standing still. We want a Headteacher who will build on our strong foundations while bringing fresh perspective, humility, and strategic insight.

In this role, you will:

• Develop the craft of teaching by maintaining a clear focus on evidence-informed pedagogy, curriculum design, and teacher development across all career stages.
• Drive continuous improvement by identifying practical ways to enhance provision and raise aspirations for every student.
• Serve our community by adding meaningful value to our immediate St. Albans community and contribute actively across the eleven schools in the Ambition Education Trust.
• Lead with warmth and humility to foster an open, supportive culture where high expectations go hand-in-hand with care for student and staff wellbeing.

Who we are looking for

We welcome applications from both experienced Deputy Headteachers ready to step into headship and serving Headteachers looking for a new leadership challenge.

Our ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• A deep commitment to learning and the continuous development of teaching.
• Intellect, authenticity, and the humility to collaborate with and learn from others.
• Strategic vision paired with practical, sound operational judgment.
• An unyielding commitment to the achievement, wellbeing, and personal development of all young people.
• A clear passion for working within the AET to drive networking and collaboration for the benefit of all.

If you would like to know more

Prospective candidates are welcome to visit the school. Visits can be arranged through Sarah Kemp, executive PA KempSa@sandringham.aetrust.uk .

Further details, including the application pack, are available on our website https://sandringham.herts.sch.uk/

Closing Date for applications: Monday 16th November 2026 at 9am

Interview Date: Monday 30th November and Tuesday 6th December 2026

Ambition Education Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Appointment to a post at AET is subject to a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check, as well as other pre-appointment checks including an online check, as outlined in Keeping Children Safe in Education.

We are committed to the aim of ensuring that everyone who applies to work for us receives fair treatment and we positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of age, disability, race, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership and caring status. We expect all our staff to demonstrate a commitment to advancing equality of opportunity and fostering good relations.

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

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.

Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.

Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
childcare disqualification
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
medical
online and social media
prohibition from teaching
right to work
satisfactory references
suitability to work with children

You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.

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 Sandringham School

• Organisation type: Academy, ages 11 to 18
• Education phase: Secondary school
• Size: 1777 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 11 to 18
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• Website: Sandringham School website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/sandringham-school-st-albans

Sandringham is a co-educational academy school, based in St. Albans, Hertfordshire. Sandringham is a non-selective school with over 1600 students, including nearly 450 in the thriving sixth form. Our aim is simple – to be 'World Class' where our students receive the best education possible in a state school.

We believe that every child can succeed in life if challenged and inspired appropriately. A strong academic curriculum supported by outstanding extra-curricular provision helps Sandringham students develop as individuals with the necessary skills to be successful in adult life. Our ethos is summed up by our motto: 'Everybody can be somebody'

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